At their regular June 21, 2021, meeting, the R-P School Board adopted their 2021-2022 budget totaling $8,078,143.00 after a short presentation by Superintendent Jon Thompson. At the beginning of last school year, overspending of $100,000 was anticipated; COVID increased that amount when a number of parents decided to homeschool their children. The proposed budget will have an … [Read more...]
Houston School Board: auditorium dreams
Sara Guyette and Ben Tillman of Sitelogiq presented a pre-design summary of a 250-seat auditorium addition to the Houston School Board at their June 17 meeting. Krin Abraham, as one of her last acts as Houston Schools superintendent, had arranged for the presentation of the plan. Although the board does not have funding at this time for an auditorium, they wanted to consider a … [Read more...]
John Fuchsel, true Renaissance man
A Renaissance man by definition is a person with many talents or areas of knowledge – and South Ridge, Houston County, resident John Fuchsel is truly a Renaissance man! Fuchsel has retired from a life in sales, first with Badger Corrugating in La Crosse and later 12 years with a home improvement business specializing in exterior remodeling, but he isn’t your typical retiree. He … [Read more...]
Triplets at Dead End Dairy
Josh and Steph Dahl should have played the lottery Wednesday, June 16; that day they had a set of triplets, two sets of twins, and two single calves all born in less than five hours on their farm, Dead End Dairy. While twin calves are relatively common with a set born every 29 births, triplets occur much more rarely – once in every 105,000 births according to the internet. With … [Read more...]
Houston City Council: DNR presents overview of OHV Trail History
The Houston City Council meeting on June 14 began with a presentation by the MN DNR detailing the history of the proposed OHV Trail thus far. Joe Unger, DNR OHV trail planner; Kelli Bruns, DNR Parks and Trails regional manager; and Karen Umphress from the Amateur Riders Motorcycle Association collaborated to present the information and answer questions from the mostly anti-OHV … [Read more...]
Houston School Board — concerned parents
The regular June 3, 2021, Houston School Board meeting brought in a number of concerned parents wishing to address the board. Board Chair Tom Stillin went through the rules of the board before the group spoke, and had Superintendent Krin Abraham chronologically recount the event that the parents were upset about. An emailed proclamation from Governor Walz called for nine … [Read more...]
Quail Forever
The Quail Forever group held an activity for Spring Grove High School students the afternoon of May 28. Unfortunately, due to a scheduling snafu, the students didn’t end up coming out to Dean Emmingson’s property for the afternoon. Thurmond Tucker, Minnesota State Coordinator, and Eric Ressel, Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist and Certified Conservation Planner, had created an … [Read more...]
Time for a new rescue rig for RFD
Chad Rasmussen, Rushford Fire Chief, visited the Rushford City Council Meeting May 24 to get approval for a replacement rescue rig truck. Rasmussen had been searching for a replacement for quite some time, hoping to find a rig in the $25,000 to $30,000 range with no luck; the COVID pandemic has pushed vehicle prices up and availability down. The current 1984 brush/grass rig … [Read more...]
Houston School Board year end updates and decisions
Joe Ruskey of Dependable Solutions appeared before the board at the regular Houston School Board meeting May 20, 2021, to update them on the district’s technology. Ruskey told the board that they were trying to set a four- to five- year rotation for Chromebooks with about $33,000 spent this year and $48,000 to $50,000 in the following years. In addition, $5,000 will be spent on … [Read more...]
In memory of Denise Jacobson Evans
Some of the members of RPHS class of 2002 gathered at the R-P Softball Field on May 23 to remember a well-loved classmate, Denise Jacobson Evans, who passed away June 28, 2020, from complications of diabetes. Denise was the R-P team pitcher; she loved and excelled at softball — she loved all sports. Her classmates thought it only fitting to plant a Norway Maple tree in her … [Read more...]