St. Johns Lutheran School in Wykoff has traditionally taken part in Wykoff’s annual Fall Fest with a bake sale, but this year is extra special for the school as it is celebrating its 150th anniversary. St. Johns Lutheran Church was started in 1874 and just a year later, the school opened for its first students. The first and only parochial school in Fillmore County, it … [Read more...]
FCJ Earns General Excellence Award
At the annual Association of Community Publishers conference, held in Mobile, Ala., the Fillmore County Journal was recognized with nine awards. Best Self Promotion (Other Media) - First Place Best Front Page-Cover (Special Section) - First Place Best Self Promotion (Community Service) - Second Place Best Self Promotion (Awards) - Third Place Best Educational … [Read more...]
Good Shepherd Lutheran Home Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Good Shepherd Lutheran Home (GSLH) in Rushford celebrated its 60th Anniversary on August 27, 2025. Scrapbooks and pictures containing the history of the home were on display. Guests enjoyed cupcakes, sandwiches, chips and lemonade as well as musical entertainment by Chad Cagle of Winona. Many former employees and families of residents attended to reminisce. The nursing home … [Read more...]
Village Farm and Home Celebrates 40 Years in Business
On Saturday, September 20, the Manning family and their team at Village Farm and Home invites the community to join them in celebrating the store’s 40th anniversary. For four decades, Village Farm and Home has been a trusted source of products for residents, businesses, and visitors in Mabel and throughout southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. The store carries a wide … [Read more...]
Celebrating 10 Years of Bringing Joy to the Community Through Preston Floral and Gifts
For over 40 years, Preston Floral and Gift has been a staple for those looking to celebrate or remember loved ones, find just the right gift or for those in search of a sweet treat. Ten years ago, Preston native Ashley LaFleur bought the shop in hopes of continuing her family’s legacy. “My grandma (Rita Simonson) owned the shop for 30-plus years. I helped her on the … [Read more...]
Making the News for Over 40 Years
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! This is a special edition of the Fillmore County Journal as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of publishing this community newspaper. What makes this so special is that we have an opportunity to celebrate something that rarely happens with community newspapers – especially these days. While corporations have gobbled up community … [Read more...]
New Location for Maple Leaf Services
Dean Aug, executive director of Maple Leaf Services, had been looking for a new building in Preston for years and then one seemed to drop into his lap. Maple Leaf Services had been sharing a rented office space a block from the downtown area of Preston, but was ready for a change. Aug brought up his search to Dan Christianson, CEO of F&M Community Bank in Preston and … [Read more...]
SMIF CEOs Visit Preston
The Preston community hosted newly retired SMIF (Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation) CEO Tim Penny and SMIF’s new CEO Benya Kraus July 18 at F&M Community Bank. Penny and Kraus were on the third day of their six day road trip to visit the 20 counties served by SMIF. Penny, who recently retired as SMIF CEO, introduced his replacement, Benya Kraus. Penny shared that … [Read more...]
State Highway Project In Chatfield
Paul Zager, project manager, reviewed the final layout for Trunk Highway 52 mill & overlay project through the city of Chatfield at the city council’s July 14 meeting. The state project will run from the southern city limits for about 1.2 miles through the city. Councilors Josh Broadwater and Pam Bluhm were absent. Zager said the project includes the overlay of TH 52 and … [Read more...]
Labor and Industry Announces 2025 Youth Skills Training Grant Recipients
Seventeen partnerships across Minnesota will receive funding to develop and expand programs to offer meaningful career exposure and paid work experience for students 16 years of age and older. The grants are part of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s (DLI) Youth Skills Training (YST) program that was signed into law in 2017 with bipartisan support to create and … [Read more...]









