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...]
Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council Awards $345,985 in Organizational Grants To Support Arts Programming Across Southeastern Minnesota
ROCHESTER, MN – On May 13, 2025, the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC) Board of Directors announced the awarding of $345,985 in arts programming grants to nonprofit organizations and schools throughout Southeastern Minnesota. These grants will support diverse arts and cultural programming and strengthen creative communities across the region. The funding includes: … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Approves Three-Year Contract with LELS
The county has been in contract negotiations with Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS) for a few months. At the July 1 meeting of the county board a three-year union contract was approved pending the union’s approval. Bobbie Hillery, county administrator, and Lindsi Engle, human resource officer, met with the LELS team with input from David Drown & Associates to … [Read more...]
Village Audited; Wades Through Public Works Items
At the July 1 meeting, the Rushford Village Council welcomed Bill Sherry from Engleson & Associates. Sherry presented the summary findings of the 2024 audit. The village was issued a clean audit. Limited segregation of duties was noted as a risk, as is noted annually. “There’s not a whole lot going on,” said Sherry. Total cash and investments increased $100,000 last … [Read more...]
Emergency Resolution Approved After June 25 Storms Caused Over $120K in Damage
Chairman Eric Johnson called the July 1 regular meeting of the Houston County Commission to order at 9 a.m. All commissioners present at the July 1 meeting: District 1 - Cindy Wright, District 2 - Eric Johnson, District 3 - Kurt Zehnder, District 4 - Bob Schuldt, and District 5 - Greg Myhre. During the meeting, Houston County Emergency Management Director Mark Olson … [Read more...]
The Hazel Family’s Legacy of Soil and Sustainability
When driving through the countryside north of Lanesboro, keep an eye on the road – especially near the Hazel farms. “Watch out for the worms!” pleaded Brian Hazel with a grin. “They do our tillage work.” The Hazel family’s deep ties to the land date back to the Great Depression. Brian’s grandfather, co-signed a note with a friend for property near where the bike trail now … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Public Health Office Upgrades
At the June 24 meeting of the county board, Jessica Erickson, director of nursing, asked the board to consider new office structures to improve operational needs in her department. Erickson said additional revenues from state and other sources could offset costs of the upgrade so there would be little or no effect on the department’s budget or levy. Three quotes were … [Read more...]
Caledonia Considers Land Purchases, Hears Downtown Parking Concerns
The Caledonia City Council went into closed session during its regular meeting on June 23 to discuss offers related to the purchase of property, in accordance with MN §13D.05. Following the closed session, City Clerk/Administration Jake Dickson announced that the council had discussed strategies for acquiring land from the school district for the North Warrior Avenue … [Read more...]