Thirty years ago, in 1991, Jim and Debbie Kitchens made the decision to purchase Nordic Lanes in Rushford. Jim made the move first from Alaska to Rushford while Debbie tied up loose ends in Alaska and followed later with their daughters Donata and Danielle. They had been looking for an empty building to buy for a bowling center in North Pole, Alaska, but even in the 1980s such … [Read more...]
Virginia Arnold turns 104!
On October 1, Virginia Arnold turned 104 years old; as a baby, Virginia was either born or left at the Henke (Grandview) Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. Virginia never knew her mother. By the time she was nine months old, she’d been taken to the Lutheran Hospital; she was adopted from there by Archie and Tillie Dent who lived about 10 miles west of Rushford on a farm. Virginia … [Read more...]
Kingsland welcomes new staff
Two new teachers have joined the staff at Kingsland School this year — Cierra Ulwelling, the new 3-4 & 4-5 preschool teacher and Ariana Caddell, the new fourth grade teacher. Cierra Ulwelling It was natural for Cierra Ulwelling to become a preschool teacher; she had worked in child care ever since she turned 16. She loves working with preschoolers and enjoys … [Read more...]
Rushford-Peterson greets four new teachers
Clay Olstad, 2nd grade Clay Olstad will be joining the 2nd grade team at Rushford-Peterson which should be a great fit for him since he’s always enjoyed being part of a team and working with people in education. Olstad declares, “I like to share my passion for learning and making ourselves better one day at a time. Teaching gives me great opportunities to develop relationships … [Read more...]
Houston schools’ new teachers
Daneka Romportl, special education Daneka Romportl always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Her father was a public school teacher for 38 years, and her mother has been teaching music in her own studio for over 35 years. Romportl comes from Taylors Falls on the St. Croix River. She attended WSU for special education and child advocacy. The last three years she taught at … [Read more...]
Houston School Board: Parents bring quarantine questions
Concerned parents filled the audience at the regular Houston School Board meeting on September 16. Only a few weeks into the school year, quite a few students have been quarantined due to close contact with a positive case of COVID. The parents had expected to be added to the evening’s agenda. Chairman Tom Stilin suggested that they ask the questions they want answered. The … [Read more...]
R-P changes close contact and quarantine policies
With board members Matt Helgemoe and Jeff Michel joining via Zoom, the Rushford-Peterson School Board met Monday, September 20, 2021. The board looked at current school COVID data and made a change to their definition of close contact at school and required quarantines. If students were wearing masks, they would not be considered a close contact nor would they need to … [Read more...]
Noise test completed for Houston OHV trail
The long-awaited noise test for Houston’s potential OHV trail has been completed, and Alex Bud presented a preliminary report to the Houston City Council at their regular meeting September 13. Bud, a former engineer at Harley Davidson for 33 years, retired in 2009 and began his own business which tests noise levels at race tracks and off-road systems. He is a master track and … [Read more...]
Back to school COVID procedures update
With local school boards making the decision on masking and COVID policies for their schools, there are now a variety of policies regarding COVID. One constant is the federally mandated policy for masking on buses and reporting of positive COVID cases. Here are the most recent policies of each of the eleven local schools: • Caledonia: Masks are strongly recommended. Mask … [Read more...]
Houston Schools’ health and safety measures approved
After a failed resolution at the previous board meeting, the Houston School Board approved a revised health and safety plan for the 2021-2022 year, at their September 2 meeting. Before the approval, several members of the public commented once again on the masking and Covid procedures of the school. Tara Klinski spoke against contract tracing; Kendra Van Grundy wanted the … [Read more...]