Minnesota State Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) will not seek reelection in 2026. Miller said, “After a tremendous amount of thought and discussion with Janel and the boys, I have made the difficult decision to not seek reelection after my current term ends next year. Other than marrying my amazing wife and the birth of our three wonderful boys, serving in the Minnesota Senate … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal  jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com One of the stories in this week’s newspaper relates to a USPS semi-trailer that burst into flames along Highway 52 north of Rochester.  The Oronoco Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire within a short window of time, so traffic could resume on Highway 52. At the time … [Read more...]

Following the horrific shootings at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis that took the lives of two children and injured many others, State Representative Greg Davids (R-Preston) said he supports a plan brought forward by House Republicans this week that seeks to better protect schools and communities. “Governor Walz has indicated he will call a special session in response to … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Thank you to the red and green truck drivers of Skyline Construction in my Carimona Township neighborhood in Fillmore County.  They drive with their lights on during the day as vehicles, especially heavy equipment operators, should.  Scheevel and Sons trucks also drive with their lights on. With dusty roads and curves at a premium in my neighborhood, it is … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com As of July 27, 2025, the city of Rochester only has one movie theater. CMX Chateau, one of the biggest movie theaters in Rochester, closed, leaving only Marcus Rochester Cinema left to serve a booming population currently approaching 124,000. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I wear a number of hats, besides working at the newspaper.  One of my jobs, which I thoroughly enjoy, is delivering copies of the Visit Bluff Country Magazine to locations all throughout Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. While recently making my rounds in Rochester, Minn., I stopped … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Many of you know me as a 94-year-old gentleman who often needs a cane to get around. That’s what I want to talk about. Many places where I go, and often the people don’t know me, I am offered help.  They want to help me get around or carry something for me. For this I am very thankful. I believe this shows how people really are, not how they are presented in … [Read more...]

To the Editor, “There has never been a more intimate connection between the amount of cheap, clean electricity a nation can generate for A.I. models and its future economic and military might.” (NY Times’ Tom Friedman in his July 3, 2025, opinion, “How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again”) Nations’ economic future and military might. It is what China … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Do you remember? Do you remember before the Nazis came? Before they banned books, then burned them? Before they wrecked your neighbor’s business, then took them away to a camp oven? Do you remember how you peeked out your curtain, glad it wasn’t you? Do you remember feeling ashamed for saying nothing? Do you remember before the Taliban came, saying they were … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Like millions of other Americans around the country I have been going to rallies to protest what Trump is doing.  The response from passersby is overwhelmingly positive: waves, thumbs up, “thank yous,” supportive honks.  Maybe only 5-10% scream profanities, flip the bird or spew out clouds of diesel fumes. At a recent rally on Memorial Day Eve, a threesome … [Read more...]