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Ostrander Mayor Resigns; Council Prepares for Winter and Utility Needs

November 10, 2025 by Zech Sindt Leave a Comment

Mayor Stephanie Start, second from right, attends her final council meeting on November 4 as she prepares to resign her position. Councilmember Dan Hellerud will serve as acting mayor until a replacement is appointed. Photo by Zech Sindt

The Ostrander City Council held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 4, at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Stephanie Start called the meeting to order. All members were present, including DJ Start, Dan Hellerud, Jimmie Dean and Lyn Massey-Mills. City Clerk Wendy Brincks was also in attendance. The council opened the evening by hearing from Peter Thayer, representing Ostrander … [Read more...]

Harmony Man Gets Probation for Fatal Drunk Driving Crash

November 3, 2025 by Zech Sindt Leave a Comment

Brian Nelson

Judge Jeremy Clinefelter sentenced Brian Wayne Nelson, 50, of Harmony, Minn., to 10 years of probation for a fatal drunk driving crash that happened east of Granger, Minn., in August 2024. Nelson was found guilty of one count of criminal vehicular homicide for driving with a blood alcohol level over .08. The court dismissed six other charges as part of the plea … [Read more...]

Judge Sentences Samantha Petersen to Four Years in Fatal Crash

October 27, 2025 by Zech Sindt 1 Comment

Samantha Jo Petersen

Judge Jeremy Clinefelter sentenced Samantha Jo Petersen, 37, to four years in prison for criminal vehicular homicide and 23 months for criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm. He issued the sentence on October 16 after nearly two years of hearings that followed a September 2023 crash that killed two Amish children and injured two others in Fillmore County. The … [Read more...]

Ostrander City Council Schedules Review, 421 Minnesota Street Offer Accepted

October 13, 2025 by Zech Sindt Leave a Comment

Mayor Stephanie Start and council members discuss city business during the October 7 meeting in Ostrander, including the October 21 maintenance review and the 421 Minnesota Street purchase. Photo by Zech Sindt

The Ostrander City Council held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 7, at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Stephanie Start called the meeting to order. All members were present, including DJ Start, Dan Hellerud, Jimmie Dean and Lyn Massey-Mills. City Clerk Wendy Brincks was in attendance. The meeting lasted seven minutes, a record for the year. Council business moved quickly … [Read more...]

Investigators Say Harmony Woman Drained Father’s Account of $39,000

September 22, 2025 by Zech Sindt 1 Comment

Fillmore County Journal - Harmony, MN

A Harmony woman is accused of draining her elderly father’s bank account of more than $39,000 while serving as his power of attorney. Debra Ann Hebrink, 68, faces five felony counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and one felony count of theft by swindle in Fillmore County District Court. Her first appearance is scheduled for October 14. The Fillmore … [Read more...]

Wykoff City Council Reviews Infrastructure Projects, Finance Gains, and Market Proposal

September 15, 2025 by Zech Sindt Leave a Comment

During the September 8 meeting, the Wykoff City Council reviewed a new well house monitoring system, addressed culvert erosion near Highway 80, and heard a proposal for a 2026 growers and artisans market. Photo by Zech Sindt

The city’s money is earning more interest, the water system is getting smarter, and a new growers market may be on the way. Those were the big themes as the Wykoff City Council met at 7 p.m. on September 8. Mayor Ryan Breckenridge chaired the meeting with council members Jeffrey Hare, Barbara Fate, Jane Baker and Missy Musel present. City Administrator Becky Schmidt and … [Read more...]

Ostrander City Council Reviews Traffic Concerns, Scams, and Cleanup Schedule

September 8, 2025 by Zech Sindt

Fillmore County Journal - Ostrander, MN

The Ostrander City Council held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 2, at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Stephanie Start called the meeting to order. All members were present, including DJ Start, Dan Hellerud, Jimmie Dean, and Lyn Massey-Mills. City Clerk Wendy Brincks was in attendance as well. Fire Chief Jason Rice reported that the Ostrander Fire Department assisted with … [Read more...]

Convicted Killer David Engle Ordered to Serve More Time; Parole Continued Until 2028

September 8, 2025 by Zech Sindt

David Engle

The Minnesota Department of Corrections Supervised Release Board voted 4 to 1 on August 29, 2025, to deny parole for David Brian Engle, continuing his case for another three years. Engle, now 49, has been incarcerated for nearly three decades after being convicted of killing his step-grandmother, 86-year-old Gertrude Bestor, in Fillmore County in 1995. Engle appeared by … [Read more...]

Harmony Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal Drunk Driving Crash

August 25, 2025 by Zech Sindt

Brian Nelson

Brian Wayne Nelson, 51, of Harmony, has pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide in connection with a crash that left one man dead in rural Fillmore County last summer. The plea was entered in Fillmore County District Court on Monday, August 18, before Judge Jeremy Clinefelter. The charges stem from an incident that occurred shortly after midnight on August 4, 2024. … [Read more...]

Nathan Gossman Faces Extradition After High-Speed Chase, Stolen Truck Recovery

August 25, 2025 by Zech Sindt

Nathan Gossman

A Canton man with a lengthy criminal history was arrested in Rochester after leading law enforcement on a pursuit in Wisconsin and later being tied to the theft of a municipal vehicle. Authorities identified the suspect as 40-year-old Nathan Randal Gossman. He was taken into custody on August 18 and is being held in the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center. Olmsted County … [Read more...]

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