Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and readers will find a section in this issue of the Fillmore County Journal that includes recognition of the fifth annual Teacher of the Year. Stacy Fritz, ag teacher and FFA inspiration for students at Chatfield Public Schools, was named the 2021 Teacher of the … [Read more...]

Letter about Houston OHV trail... To the Editor, City of Houston, Minn., and certain OHV clubs have introduced an OHV trail on lands adjoining Southside park and residential lands within the city. Consider the impact on the environment and well being of residents within this area. Discussions among DNR Parks and trails, Houston city,county and OHV groups led to the … [Read more...]

By Harley Doering Caledonia, MN On Monday, May 10, at 6 p.m., the Caledonia City Council will be holding a public hearing at the Caledonia Auditorium concerning the future of the Sprague Woods Natural Park Preserve. The park is located on the northwest edge of the Caledonia City limits. This parcel of land was originally donated and deeded to Caledonia Green in 1995 in … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Anyone who knows me well knows that I regularly champion the benefits of living in rural Minnesota. Not only was I born and raised here, but I have served Greater Minnesota for many years, first during my time in the U.S. Congress and now as the president and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). Now … [Read more...]

Letter about bald eagles are soaring in Minnesota... To the Editor, Readers taking in Mary Bell’s April 5 commentary, “The death of one bald eagle,” should also read the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s April 1 news report titled, “By any metric, Minnesota is at the center of bald eagles’ rebound.” The first line gets to the point: “The bald eagle population in Minnesota is … [Read more...]

By David Webb, MD Lanesboro, MN From observation and personal experience (although a nonnative, I have lived and worked in Minnesota for more than 20 years), I believe that “Minnesota Nice” is real and not just limited to Lutheran church basement gatherings. I do perceive, however, that as this state, as this country, as the world has become more politically polarized, as … [Read more...]

Letter about king of your own town.... To the Editor, “It’s Good to Be King” is a song by Tom Petty.  Looking back on the 2020 Harmony street project and all of its parts and pieces, area 2 (which is 3rd St SE) and area 3 (which is 5th Ave., 6th St., and 7th Ave), received a “mill and overlay surface improvement” according to the summary used in the final public hearing.   … [Read more...]

As Washington turns its attention to infrastructure and other matters of policy, the Senate filibuster isn’t commanding quite the same headlines as it did a few weeks back. But that’s only because the issue is percolating behind the scenes. At some point, it will return to the limelight. And when it does, you should understand what’s at stake. Because as obscure as it seems, … [Read more...]

By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free It’s 7 p.m. The chores are done,  our baby is tucked in for the night, and our dogs lounge about snoring softly.  Gathering up a few toys and clearing off a chair, my wife and I sit down at the small round table in our home. We light a candle and begin to read scripture.  We are reading the Bible in a year.  It can be … [Read more...]

Letter about January 22, 2021, nukes outlawed... To the Editor, On January 22, 2021, the Treaty on the Prohibition of “Nuclear Weapons” entered into force and became international law.  They are now prohibited weapons of mass destruction, along with chemical weapons and biological weapons. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which received the … [Read more...]

By Stan Gudmundson Peterson, MN The 1964 march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., was tremendously important in the crusade to end racial discrimination was it not?  There have been many rough spots since, but that march was imperative.  Furthermore, a special day should be set aside to memorialize that struggle.  Martin Luther King deserves the honor of being named for it.  … [Read more...]

For more than 12 months, we’ve been navigating a pandemic.  A major hurdle that caught us off-guard was how to keep our children moving forward with an education system administered via distance learning or hybrid scenarios. It’s been difficult for students, parents, and teachers alike -- and that’s putting it lightly. None of us signed up for this. If we have learned … [Read more...]

There’s not much question where the Biden administration’s domestic priorities lie. Getting the pandemic health crisis under control and moving past its attendant economic crisis were always going to be the first order of business for the new White House.  It’s what comes afterward — where the administration wants to head, how the American people respond, and what Capitol Hill … [Read more...]