A Grand Reopening of the Rushford Depot occurred June 9. The reopening was a long time coming. After receiving a Legacy Amendment Grant totalling $254,953 to stabilize the foundation of the depot and improve the visitors’ center and the roof, work began on the depot in the fall of 2024. Soon it was discovered that the sill beams of the depot were rotting in place; they had … [Read more...]
Houston Garbage Pickup Day Changed
At the request of the council, Jay Nieson of Waste Management visited the Houston City Council’s regular meeting on June 8 to discuss changing garbage pickup day from Tuesday to Friday. Waste Management proposed the change to provide better service. Currently service for Houston is from the La Crosse office which has a staffing shortage. With the change in pickup days, Houston … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Operating Referendum Possible
At their regular June 10 board meeting, the Lanesboro School Board heard a presentation about referendums from Aaron Bushberger, a representative of Ehlers Public Finance Advisors. A discussion about placing an operating referendum on the next general election followed under the leadership of vice chair Mark Holmen. Both Steve Snyder and Sarah Peterson were absent. In his … [Read more...]
Kleppe Forest Products Now Open in Preston
The former Root River Sawmill is once again up and running in Preston under the ownership of Jenny and Jason Kleppe. Originally Jason had gotten a call asking if he was interested in purchasing some equipment; he already owned other sawmills in the area. From there it snowballed until the Kleppes were purchasing the entire mill, set up and ready to go – totally turnkey. The … [Read more...]
Houston Hires New Superintendent
The Houston School Board approved a contract with new Superintendent Angi McAndrews at their June 4 meeting. McAndrews comes with experience in school administration. For the last eight years she has worked at Rochester Schools. For six years she was a principal; the last two years she served as a director at the district level. McAndrews lives in Houston County with her … [Read more...]
Harmony Stateline Trail Officially Open
On June 6 at 10:20 a.m., six wagons full of 76 people started off from the splash pad in Harmony to Niagara Cave. The wagons took the new, recently completed Stateline Bike Trail from Harmony which also forks off to the Iowa border. Twenty workers helped with the ride as flaggers at road crossings, drivers, photographers, and lunch servers. For people who had traveled the Root … [Read more...]
Houston County Commissioners Adopts MS4 Ordinance
The June 2 meeting of the Houston County Commissioners included time for a public hearing on the proposed adoption of an MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) ordinance. This ordinance regulates construction project stormwater, dumping of chemicals or pet waste within the MS4 boundary. For Houston County that boundary consists of the county right of way within the city of … [Read more...]
Celebrating the G.O.A.T. Dairy Month with MDGA
MDGA (Minnesota Dairy Goat Association) brought Dairy Month in with a bang as they presented their state dairy goat show on May 29, 30 and 31. Most people think of cows during Dairy Month, but many people feel goats are the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) providers of a great milk supply. Goat milk is used for drinking, making cheese and butter, and making soap, to mention a … [Read more...]
D & D Dairy Milks 1,000 Cows
When people drive by the D & D Dairy on Hwy. 43 outside of Rushford, they are sure to notice the huge silage pile on the farm. The pile measures 80 yards wide by 100 yards long and rises to a height of about 20 feet. When the pile is under construction, you might see four or five tractors on top of the pile packing the silage down. Once that pile is completed, it takes a … [Read more...]
SMIF’s Benya Kraus Addresses Houston County Commissioners
Benya Kraus presented information about SMIF (Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to the Houston County Commissioners at their May 26 meeting. Kraus replaced Tim Penny as president and CEO of SMIF a year ago in June. Kraus lives in Harmony with her husband and four-month-old daughter. She comes from a farm background; her father was a sixth generation farmer in the area … [Read more...]