On Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:46 p.m., Fillmore County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a 911 call of an adult male deceased on the Root River Bike Trail approximately two miles east of Preston. The investigation determined that a 63-year-old male from Iowa was riding eastbound on the trail ahead of a group of other riders, when a tree fell from the side of the trail onto the … [Read more...]
Pailey Gordon
Writer/Reporter
pailey@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Fillmore and Houston County Police Reports
Caledonia Police Department Jeffrey Allen Feine, 68, Caledonia, MN; 6/29/2026, Careless Driving - Operate Any Vehicle Carelessly on Street or Highway, Fine $100, Total Fees $175. Chatfield Police Department Peter Sylvan Hebrink, 22, Chaska, MN; 7/30/2026, Speeding (45/30), Fine $60, Total Fees $140. Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office Katharine McCarthy Anderson, 24, … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – A Jealous God
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free Jealousy is a deep and very real emotion. It bubbles up in ways that so often we categorize as negative. Being jealous over possessions, over a physical trait, talents, relationships, over all kinds of things we long for and indeed God commands us not to covet anything. But, and this is the most beautiful caveat you can … [Read more...]
Fillmore and Houston County Police Reports
Caledonia Police Department John Michael Luhman, 39, Caledonia, MN; 5/19/2026, Violate No Contact Order; Within Ten Years of the First of Two or More Convictions (Felony), Fine $50, Total Fees $200. Commit to Commissioner of Corrections, Minnesota Correctional Facility St. Could - 24 months (stay for five years). Local Confinement - 90 days. Credit for time served: two … [Read more...]
Fatal ATV Crash East of Fountain
On Saturday, August 15 at 2:15 p.m., Fillmore County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a 911 call of an ATV crash involving a 16-year-old male. The crash occurred on private property in Carrolton Township, east of the city of Fountain. Upon arrival by first responders, the male was unresponsive and was flown to St. Marys Hospital by Mayo 1. On Sunday, August 16, the victim died from … [Read more...]
Time in a Bottle?
By Angela Denstad Time and again we talk about the weeks flying by, we compare the current weather to that of past seasons, we remark on the changes we notice from year to year. Whether small talk or the most profound poetical musings, it all amounts to more or less the same thing: Time passes. And as it does, there’s comfort in predictability, a familiar grounding of … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Fair Non-Livestock Results
4-H Club Legend AHF - Arendahl Hi-Flyers, BC - Bloomfield Cloverleaves, CC - Carimona Cruisers, CW - Challenging Workers, HHH - Harmony Helping Hands, I- Independent, LL - Lanesboro Livewires, MBB - Mabel Busy Bees, NGG - Norway Go-Getters, RRR - Root River Rabbits Champion Aerospace: Porter Mathison, CC; Reserve Champion: Maverick Mathison, CC Champion Bicycle: Mae … [Read more...]
Letter about Harmony data center…
To the Editor, A 55-megawatt data center in Harmony would represent an enormous new electrical load. By rough annual consumption, it would use about 54 times as much electricity as Harmony’s municipal system and roughly twice the electricity currently used across all of Fillmore County according to available data. That scale deserves careful scrutiny before any commitments … [Read more...]
Jesus’ Parables: Storytelling, Improvisation, and Meaningmaking
By Rev. Anders Nelson Mabel-Henrytown Tri-Point Parish - Mabel First Lutheran Church, Scheie Lutheran Church and Henrytown Lutheran Church There’s something really beautiful and interesting in the way Jesus teaches his disciples and, through the beauty of the Living Word, us by means of creative storytelling and meaningmaking. Throughout these summer months, my parish has … [Read more...]
Correction
In the August 17, 2026, issue of the Fillmore County Journal, there was an error in the article titled, “Primary Sets the Table for November.” For the Spring Valley City Council, Luan Ruesink, Brent Kohn, and Greg Melartin were referenced to be included on the upcoming election ballot on November 3. Brent Eisenman will also be on the ballot for the November election. Voters … [Read more...]