On November 9, the Wykoff City Council met in regular session. All council members were in attendance (Lyle Morey, Richard Gleason, Mayor Al Williams, Mary Tjepkes and Mary Sackett) as well as City Clerk Becky Schmidt and Deputy Clerk Luann Hare. The meeting was held at the community center, which allowed for social distancing. All in attendance wore face masks. The … [Read more...]
Rich Wicks
Reporter
rich@fillmorecountyjournal.com
What's an Iowegian doing writing for the Journal? That's a mystery. All
we really know is that Rich lives in Cresco (Iowa), and when he's not
working, he can often be spotted chasing his wife and kids around the
neighborhood, hollering, "Uff da, slow down!"
Spring Valley raises sewer rates
The Spring Valley City Council met November 9. Members present included Luan Ruesink, Chris Danielson, John Dols, and Mayor Tony Archer. Also attending was City Clerk/Administrator Deb Zimmer. Council member Mike Hadland was absent. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, masks and social distancing practices were in use by those attending. A proposed increase in the city’s … [Read more...]
Kingsland technology issues discussed
On November 2, the Kingsland School Board’s scheduled “work session” meeting was postponed, due to unexpected technical difficulties at the school. The school board meeting was rescheduled to November 4. But the Strategic Planning meeting was held as scheduled on November 2, with members attending via remote technology from their homes. During the Planning meeting, input … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton discusses learning models due to COVID surge
The Mabel-Canton School Board held a regular meeting on October 20. One area of significant discussion was the ongoing increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the county and school district. As decided at the board’s September meeting, the Incident Command Team (ICT) has been given the authority to make decisions regarding which of the various learning models (in-person … [Read more...]
Wily coyotes in Ostrander
By Rich Wicks The Ostrander City Council met on October 6, with all members present (Stephanie Start, Dan Hellerud, DJ Start, Vernon Thompson, Mayor Pam Kunert, and City Clerk Wendy Brincks). There was discussion that several citizens have reported coyotes coming into town. Council members said that although there is little risk of a coyote attacking a person, there is a … [Read more...]
Kingsland football ticket plan explained
The Kingsland School Board held a “work session” meeting on October 5. Board members in attendance included Jackie Horsman, Noella Lund, Natasha Howard, Maranda Emig, and Kyle Rader, as well as Superintendent Jim Hecimovich, Principal Scott Klavetter, Athletic Director Mark Fitzpatrick, and Business Manager Amber Herbrand. Tiffany Mundfrom was absent. During these “work … [Read more...]
Spring Valley squad car needs discussed
The Spring Valley City Council met September 28 with all members present (Luan Ruesink, Chris Danielson, Mike Hadland, John Dols, and Mayor Tony Archer). Also attending was City Clerk/Administrator Deb Zimmer. The council heard from Sheriff John DeGeorge, who addressed the council, saying, “Deb had mentioned that the city was interested in exploring the idea of the county … [Read more...]
Fall sports a challenge for Kingsland and all MN Schools
During the Kingsland School Board meeting on September 21, one of the main topics was the Minnesota State High School League’s (MSHSL) sudden reversal of decision regarding football and volleyball seasons. In August, the MSHSL had announced that these two sports would be allowed to have a brief “fall practice” season, but that their competition seasons would be in the … [Read more...]
Spring Valley Council declines pay increase
The Spring Valley City Council met September 14 with all members present (Luan Ruesink, Chris Danielson, Mike Hadland, John Dols, and Mayor Tony Archer). Also attending was City Clerk/Administrator Deb Zimmer. Zimmer brought up that the council could consider a pay increase for themselves. She said if a pay increase is implemented, it would be effective after the upcoming … [Read more...]
Wykoff mulls CARES Act funding uses
On September 14, the Wykoff City Council met in regular session. All council members were in attendance (Lyle Morey, Richard Gleason, Mayor Al Williams, Mary Tjepkes and Mary Sackett) as well as City Clerk Becky Schmidt and Deputy Clerk Luann Hare. Maggie Ramaker addressed the council on behalf of Wykoff Commons. She spoke about a request that was also outlined in a letter … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton preps for possible COVID-19 changes
On September 15, the Mabel-Canton School Board held a regular meeting. One of the main topics was how to handle the potential need to make changes to the learning model, if/when COVID-19 cases increase in the area, especially in the school population. Superintendent Gary Kuphal said he’d like to add a school board member onto Mabel-Canton’s Incident Command Team. He … [Read more...]
Kingsland opens with COVID steps in place
The Kingsland School Board held a “work session” meeting on September 9, with some members participating via remote technology means, due to current social distancing guidelines. All board members were in attendance (Jackie Horsman, Tiffany Mundfrom, Noella Lund, Natasha Howard, Maranda Emig, and Kyle Rader), as well as Superintendent Jim Hecimovich, Principal Scott Klavetter, … [Read more...]
Ostrander skid loader options mulled
The Ostrander City Council held a brief special meeting on September 8, with all members present (Stephanie Start, Dan Hellerud, DJ Start, Vernon Thompson, Mayor Pam Kunert, and City Clerk Wendy Brincks). The first portion of the meeting was a “work session” during which the council discussed uses for some of the city’s CARES Act funding. Public Works Director Jeremy Runkle … [Read more...]
Ostrander considers social media presence
The Ostrander City Council met on September 1, with all members present (Stephanie Start, Dan Hellerud, DJ Start, Vernon Thompson, Mayor Pam Kunert, and City Clerk Wendy Brincks). There was discussion that some citizens have suggested the city have a presence on social media, such as Facebook, as a way for citizens to stay informed of city news and events. Stephanie Start … [Read more...]
Pay increase and hirings for Spring Valley Fire Department
At their August 24 meeting, the Spring Valley City Council approved a pay increase for members of the fire department, beginning September 1, and effective when they are paged out for calls. Council member Mike Hadland made the motion, stating that after the city’s recent increase in EMT pay, “I would like to see the hourly wage raised for the fire department.” He suggested … [Read more...]