Immediately prior to Spring Valley’s city council meeting on October 14, a public hearing was held regarding a proposal for the city to vacate a portion of Griswold Street. The portion is described as “that part of Griswold Street which runs east of the intersection of Griswold Street and Highway 16.” No citizens commented during the public hearing, so it was then closed. … [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!"
There’s no stopping Pam Kunert
Although Pam Kunert says she is “of retirement age,” she has no plans to stop working anytime soon. For the past 10 years, she has worked at Traditions of Preston, an assisted living facility with a capacity of 26 residents. Regarding her time at Traditions, Pam explains, “I was the nurse here for eight years, and then I became the housing director and the nurse for two … [Read more...]
Michelle Quanrud finds her niche in web design
Like most people, Michelle Quanrud’s career path has not been a straight line. She’s worked in a variety of jobs, but since 2010, she’s worked for SMG Web Design and she recently took time to explain her job and what’s kept her at it for nine years. “Jason (Sethre) who owns the Fillmore County Journal also started SMG Web Design 10 years ago, and originally I came on just … [Read more...]
Pork is a Bergey family tradition
Brandon, Brock, and Brady Bergey have a fun hobby that allows them to combine family time, attending local celebrations, and savoring some awfully good food along the way. The three brothers operate as a team known as Bergey Boys Blazing BBQ, and they recently sat down to talk about their hobby. Having grown up on the family farm near Canton, Brady stated, “Our parents … [Read more...]
Kingsland addresses paraprofessional shortage
All Kingsland School Board members (Board chair Jackie Horsman, Maranda Emig, Natasha Howard, Tiffany Mundfrom, Leah Stier, Kyle Rader and Superintendent James Hecimovich) were present at the board’s monthly “work session” meeting on October 7. Principal Scott Klavetter was also on hand, and spoke to the board about an ongoing shortage of paraprofessional staff. Klavetter … [Read more...]
Mabel water/sewer rates to raise November 1
The Mabel City Council held a public hearing on October 9 to hear citizens’ feelings about a possible increase in the city’s water and sewer rates. No citizens asked questions or voiced an opinion on the matter, so the public hearing was closed, and the council then went into their regular monthly city council meeting. All members were present (Adam Wilder, Mayor Jim Westby, … [Read more...]
Samantha Payne looks to grow 4-H in county
Since May 30, Samantha Payne has served as the interim 4-H Extension Educator for Fillmore County, working at her office in the Fillmore County office building on Houston Street. As of September 26, the word “interim” has been removed from her title, and she says she’s eager to work in this role for a good, long time. In describing her background, Samantha stated, “I grew … [Read more...]
Ostrander Fire Chief resigns
The Ostrander City Council held a regular meeting on October 1, with all members present (Stephanie Start, Dan Hellerud, DJ Start, Mayor Pam Kunert, Vernon Thompson, and City Clerk Wendy Brincks). No citizens had signed up to address the council. Mayor Kunert read aloud a letter from Dustin Johnson, explaining that he and his family will be moving out of the fire … [Read more...]
F-C Dairy Judging Team wins nationals
Fillmore Central School in Harmony has some national champions in their midst, as the FFA Dairy Judging team competed on September 17, and came away winners. The team consists of Klaudia and Kelsey Biel (daughters of Kevin and Kelly Biel), Krista Jorgenson (daughter of Archie and Cheri Jorgenson), and Morgan Wingert (daughter of James and Randi Wingert) along with their … [Read more...]
Spring Valley sidewalk and junk complaints
The Spring Valley City Council met in regular session on September 23. Mayor Archer was absent, so Mike Hadland led the meeting. Other members in attendance included Luan Ruesink, Chris Danielson, John Dols, and City Administrator Deb Zimmer. Bryan Owens was present, and the council discussed the issue of negotiating an easement regarding his property at 412 West High … [Read more...]