At the November 4 Lanesboro City Council meeting, Philanthropy Director of SMIF Aaron Johnson reviewed what SMIF does for Southern Minnesota with the council, noting that $14 million has been invested in Fillmore County so far. SMIF supports entrepreneurs, early childhood development, and community vitality. Johnson thanked the city of Lanesboro for its support over the years … [Read more...]
Meet the New Fillmore Central Teachers
Belle Berg, the new Third grade teacher at Fillmore Central, graduated from Chatfield High School and earned a degree in Elementary Education with a Reading Endorsement from Luther College. She was inspired to become a teacher by her late grandmother, Linda Schulz, who was Berg’s elementary school secretary. “She touched so many lives, and I can only hope to make a difference … [Read more...]
Rushford Transitions GIS
At the October 28 meeting, the Rushford Council welcomed City Engineer Derek Olinger of Bolton & Menk. Onlinger discussed the mandatory migration of the city’s Global Information System (GIS). The proposal transitions Rushford’s current web GIS platform to ESRI’s ArcGIS cloud-based server. According to Olinger, the city currently has a corporate subscription through … [Read more...]
Caledonia Approves 50-Cent Increase in Ambulance Standby Pay, Effective 2025
The Caledonia City Council approved an increase of 50 cents in standby pay for the ambulance department at the October 28, 2024, regularly scheduled meeting. Mayor DeWayne “Tank” Schroeder called the meeting to order promptly at 6 p.m. followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. He then announced that all members were present. The council unanimously approved the minutes from … [Read more...]
Chatfield Approves Street Equipment Replacement Purchases
Public Works director, Brian Burkholder detailed plans to replace three pieces of street equipment at the city council’s October 28 meeting, as recommended by Burkholder and the Personnel/Budget Committee. Burkholder explained they have been working on the replacement of a 2008 Pelican Street Sweeper for a year. It was due to be replaced in 2024. They looked at 7 to 8 … [Read more...]
Stantec Engineer Reports on Preston’s Wastewater Treatment Facility
Stantec Engineer Peter Daniels reviewed a preliminary engineering report regarding the city’s wastewater treatment facility at the city council’s October 21 meeting. Preston Public Utility Commission (PPU) members were also in attendance. Past major projects to improve the facility were completed in 1962 and 1986. In 1997 a sludge storage tank was added. The Minnesota … [Read more...]
Wolf’s Den Hurricane Helene Relief Drive a Success, But More Aid Still Needed
The Wolf’s Den in Ostrander held a Hurricane Helene Relief Drive on October 13. Everything gathered at the relief drive was taken to Parrotsville, Tenn., near the North Carolina border, to help victims of Hurricane Helene. The Wolf’s Den Owner, Lynne Dempewolf, says she felt the need to do the relief drive after watching the news and seeing some posts on social media about … [Read more...]
Motorcycle Accidents on the Rise in Southeast Minnesota
By Zech Sindt Motorcycle accidents across the state are on the rise this year. So far there have been 71 fatal crashes in Minnesota, compared to 64 fatal crashes last year. In just two days, on October 19 and 20 this year, there were six accidents in southeast Minnesota. One of them was fatal. At 5:18 p.m. on October 20, Robert Allen Markwardt, 60, was riding a Harley … [Read more...]
After Board Approval, Kingsland Seniors Succeed in Shortening Their Academic School Year
At their October 21 meeting, the Kingsland School Board reviewed a proposal from the 2025 senior class, which asked the school to consider allowing the seniors’ last academic day be May 16. “Effectively we would be forgiving three academic days for them,” Superintendent Scott Klavetter stated. According to the proposal, the class believes this would save students from … [Read more...]
Spring Grove School Board Approves Construction Bids
The Spring Grove School Board unanimously approved by roll call base construction bids totaling $2.4 million at its October 21 regularly scheduled meeting. Chad Pike, Senior Project Manager at Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, reviewed the bids in detail before the board voted. He noted that the bids went out as planned this fall, with bids due at the beginning of … [Read more...]