“This whole town is screwed up with right of ways.” That was the sentiment from Fountain Public Works Director John Hanson at the Wednesday, April 3 council meeting. During the meeting, Clerk Rhonda Flattum and Mayor Jim Schott detailed for the council that the city had done some investigating with Fillmore County. It was determined that Cedar Street, which runs parallel to … [Read more...]
Kirsten Zoellner
Reporter
kirsten@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Kirsten has been a reporter for Fillmore County Journal since 2008. No awards to date, but her mother finds her articles riveting. She enjoys shining a light on the great people and events in the county and has aspirations to someday write a novel about them. A native of Rushford, she is a member of Root River Community Church, co-founder of Odyssey Homeschool Association, and was the founder for the Rushford-Peterson Valley Farmers' Market.
When not writing, Kirsten happily spends her time raising a family alongside Joel, her husband of 18 years. She homeschools their six children (Evin, Lauren, Logan, Ada, Kathleen, and Emelia) and does her best to ensure domestic bliss. Kirsten is an advocate for conservation and homesteading and operates Liten Dal Farm, where the family raises dairy goats, pastured poultry and hogs, alpacas, a few steers, and horses. Hobbies other than juggling include the outdoors, reading, vegetable gardening, cheesemaking, fermenting various things in Ball jars, and making everything from scratch despite the fact that it probably costs more.
Kirsten and her family proudly reside in rural Fountain on her great-great-grandfather's farm.
You can follow more about Kirsten on the family's Facebook page, Liten Dal Farm, or their blog: ourprairienest.wordpress.com.
Pilot Mound artist reimagines 19th-century cabin
Award-winning artist Karl Unnasch dwells among humble settings. His studio, the former 1800s-era general store of Pilot Mound proper, sits among what he calls “Ten acres of Unabashed Utopian Vision.” Open to all, his studio philosophy is crafted as purposely as his distinctive works of art. “‘The Mound’ has become a harbor for self-expression; an anchorage for conceptual … [Read more...]
Blowing smoke: e-devices hides dangers amid flashy design and alluring options
In just over a decade, public and health awareness campaigns steadily decreased the rate of American smokers to roughly 14%. While this should be lauded, it’s becoming white noise against the backdrop of increasing rates for electronic cigarettes and vaping. The Center for Disease Control and the National Institute for Drug Abuse note that while electronic nicotine delivery … [Read more...]
Rushford crosses fingers on grants; holds project hearings
The City of Rushford is hoping application to two Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grants will provide funding for two projects long in the works. The items were discussed at the Monday, March 25 council meeting. The first is a funding from an outdoor recreation grant program. The goal is to construct a paved trail to the Rushford-Peterson Schools site, their athletic … [Read more...]
R-P waits on new deadline for facility sale
At the Monday, March 18 Rushford-Peterson School Board meeting, Superintendent Chuck Ehler brought the board up to speed on the pending sale of the former R-P Middle School in Peterson. Last month, the board voted 6:1 to approve the sale of the facility to the Maplewood Group, represented by Roger Anderson. The decision came with reluctance following one sale go-round with the … [Read more...]
JMS Agronomics grows with new space
As they work to assist farmers in taking their land to the next level, Jason and Mary Schwarz, owners of JMS Agronomics took a big leap forward with their business in the fall of 2018. The company, which specializes in assisting farms in reaching their greatest potential and productivity, offers precision agronomy services, some chemical services, and sells a full line of … [Read more...]
Peterson tries to get handle on water issues
With the rapid onset of the winter thaw, the City of Peterson is getting a keen view of its existing storm water issues, particularly on River Street. The area has been identified for some time, along with Prospect Street, as the next likely target of street and utility improvements. At the Wednesday, March 13 council meeting, Mayor Tim Hallum brought the council up to speed on … [Read more...]
What to do with all that snow? Fountain tackles issue
Like many area cities, Fountain has recently found their streets dwarfed by mountains of snow. This has led to a surge in workload for Public Works and complaints by residents of unclear sidewalks. At the March 6 meeting, the council debated where to go with the snow and how best to remedy the situation. Councilor Dave Gudmundson noted he’d been receiving calls. “Do we go … [Read more...]
Rushford approves new library director, preps for project assessments
The Rushford City Council has voted to approve a recommendation from the Rushford Public Library board to hire Beth Nelson to fill the shoes of current Library Director Susan Hart, who gave notice of her retirement late last year. She has served in the position for 20 years. Nelson is a local resident currently who had worked as a library aide for Rushford-Peterson School … [Read more...]
Rushford-Peterson Middle facility woes; board approves new bid on old building
The R-P School Board voted 6:1 to approve the sale of the former R-P Middle School facility, located in Peterson, at the February 25 meeting. The board appeared somewhat reluctant to approve the winning bid and did put contingencies on the purchase agreement. The Maplewood Group, represented by Roger Anderson, was the winning bidder. Last August, the board approved sale of the … [Read more...]