Letter about Juneteenth, Minnesota’s newest holiday To the Editor, This year, Juneteenth became a Minnesota state holiday to be observed on June 19. It honors that date in 1865 when enslaved Americans in Galveston, Tex., were finally told that they were free — nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Also called Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Summer is a wonderful time to take a drive through our state. In southern Minnesota you can enjoy beautiful lakes, bluffs and small towns. Chances are, you may already live in one of those small towns. Of the 173 communities in south central and southeastern Minnesota that comprise our region, only 13 have populations … [Read more...]

By Bonnie Haugen Canton, MN It takes a lot to get a farm girl off her farm, but a few weeks ago, I joined a fearless crew of farmers and advocates to make the journey to Washington, D.C. with other farmers from the Midwest. I made the trip to D.C. with the Land Stewardship Project and Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment as the current Farm Bill, which was … [Read more...]

Opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of the Fillmore County Journal. Letter about code of ethics... To the Editor, The recent news about Clarence Thomas’s financial entanglements with GOP megadonor Harlan Crow should be alarming to every American. This is what happens when the highest court in the land is given free rein to police itself. Clarence … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com This is the seventh consecutive year in which the Fillmore County Journal has recognized a Teacher of the Year from our coverage area, and I am so grateful to everyone involved in this recognition. When we initiated this idea, we wanted to show our appreciation for teachers during Teacher … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation As president of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) I travel across our region nearly every day visiting people and places in the 20 counties that we serve. Over the 16 years that I have worked at SMIF, I have watched farming practices change and adapt. As someone who comes from a farming family, I know … [Read more...]

By Daniel Wilson Rushford, MN On March 16 Senator Miller voted against a bonding bill that would have brought 4.86 million dollars to build the Center for Interdisciplinary Learning and Collaboration at Winona State University. This project would have brought jobs to the area and positioned WSU to attract more students while reducing overhead costs. He also voted against $2 … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Quite a few people in the area heard about the craziness happening in Fountain, Minn., a couple of Fridays ago.  The town went into lockdown, because there were two felons on the loose who happened to be wanted for murder.  It’s front page news this week, in case you missed it. On February … [Read more...]

Opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of the Fillmore County Journal. Letter about voting matters... To the Editor, Voting matters, in order to insure that Government “of the People, by the People, for the People “ will not perish from the earth! The future of our country depends on making “wise” choices if we wish to preserve our freedom. I was shocked … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation March is Women’s History Month, which is both a time to look back at the incredible accomplishments of women in the history of our country, but also a time to celebrate women who are doing amazing things today. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we know that there are countless women who … [Read more...]