To the Editor, Because of the people who work for the National Weather Service, I can check the weather forecast ahead of a planned outing and make an informed decision if it is safe for me to travel to the outing or not. Because of the people who work for the USDA, I can feel confident that the meat I am buying at the grocery store has been inspected and is safe for me … [Read more...]

To the Editor, I would like to address the question posed in your newspaper recently. It was “what has Congressman Brad Finstad done for us in Southeast Minnesota?” My answer is Brad voted to keep men out of women’s sports and women’s bathrooms. That is good enough for me! Carole Yenter Preston, Minn. … [Read more...]

To the readers of Fillmore County Journal: These quotations from President Theodore Roosevelt are more than 100 years old but crucially important today: “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” “To … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President & CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation One of the things I have enjoyed most about my 18-year tenure as president and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) is visiting with entrepreneurs when I travel across our region. At SMIF we support talented entrepreneurs with early-stage investments, loans, technical assistance, … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I recently watched “American Murder: Gabby Petito”  on Net-flix. I’ve talked to quite a few people who have watched this documentary. The biggest takeaway from this film was that anyone trying to get away with something nowadays is literally under a watchful microscope of technology, and … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President & CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Each February, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) opens the year with new possibilities for grant seekers. Since 1986, we have watched as $58,745,984 in grants turned into community vitality projects, accessible literature for young children, early care and education services, local … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com April is National Volunteer Month, and there’s so much that wouldn’t get done in our communities without the leadership and dedication of our selfless volunteers. There are parks, playgrounds, and public spaces dedicated to music, history, arts and entertainment -- all the work of … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal  jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Throughout this school year, our newspaper team has had the opportunity to connect with students from schools in our coverage area. Each year, we have anywhere from 15 to 25 high school students sign up to be a part of the “Journal Student Writing Project,” now in its 26th … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Okay, I guess us peasants working for a living need to name the five things we did in the workplace last week, to justify our existence in the economy, and send them, not to a Big Brother billionaire savant who knows nothing about what we do or how we do it, but instead to Congressman Brad Finstad who seems to be ignoring his oath to defend the Constitution – … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Please remember Insurrection Day, January 6, 2021.  We now have someone who has pardoned those who attacked the Capitol with brutal force, causing harm to those who tried to save our democracy.  Trump watched the fiasco for 187 minutes and did nothing to stop it.  Five officers died, 140 were beat up.  They were the true patriots.  We now have the Oath Keepers … [Read more...]

By Katherine Holbrook Houston, MN When Donald Trump first spoke of displacing Palestinians, my very first thought was of the Ben Gurion Canal project and that this must undoubtedly be the reason his administration was not stopped earlier in the campaign against so many odds. Donald Trump has a following, but there must other forces at work for so many legislatures to turn … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Apparently some people don’t know that some kids are born with both male and female genitalia.  The ancient Greeks wrote about this intersex phenomenon thousands of years ago so it is hardly some new WOKE thing.   Since this duality, this ambiguity, this variation occurs naturally in a biological way is it really so impossible to imagine that duality and … [Read more...]

By Sheriff Dan Marx Winneshiek County, IA To the people of Winneshiek County, With the recent news, chatter and happenings surrounding federal agents from three letter agencies including ICE, FBI and others, I have fielded a fair number of concerns about their tactics and questions regarding the level of involvement or role the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office would play … [Read more...]

To the Editor, For any new public building, it is important to learn how the payoff would be structured. Let us take the proposed Chatfield gymnasium bond referendum vote scheduled for February 11, 2025. If the referendum passes, it will be paid for using a technique called a wrap-around bond. That is, it would be wrapped around the current two bonds for the elementary … [Read more...]

By Ron Scheevel Preston, MN With the holidays in the rearview mirror, and the new year ahead, I feel the need to discuss a few things that we can do to make our great nation better.  First, most of us can do a much better job of listening. Someone once said, “If you’re talking, you’re probably not listening very well.” As a result, any alternate ideas are not heard or … [Read more...]