By Tim Penny - President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation This time of year is traditionally a time of giving. Minnesotans in particular are known for their charitable contributions – a fact that was solidified recently during Give to the Max Day when Minnesotans set a record by giving more than $30 million to local schools and nonprofits. In addition to November … [Read more...]

Publisher Fillmore County Journal This past couple of weeks has been chock full of anxiety. Reports of a rise in COVID-19 cases has put people on edge.  Even without any government restrictions, people have taken it upon themselves to prevent the spread of the virus. And, while all of the national media attention is laser focused on the coronavirus, there’s another very … [Read more...]

To the Editor, In my family, we started a tradition on Thanksgiving of tracing our hand on construction paper, cutting it out and writing something we were thankful for on it. Initially, the hands were supposed to have eyes, beaks and feet to make it look like a turkey but now they are just hands with many thanks. It is fun and interesting to look at them through the years … [Read more...]

To the Editor, As we wait for Governor Walz to start the next wave of restrictions, a thought occurs to me. We as Minnesotans have done everything he has asked, including lockdowns and mask wearing. But the COVID numbers keep going up. After listening to his press conference a few weeks ago, l feel that he is ignoring the elephant in the room. He said that we were doing good … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I don’t often endorse movies in my column.  But, when I do, it is with great conviction. One of my brothers-in-law recently told me about a Netflix movie titled The Social Dilemma. He said he sat down with his two teenage children and watched the movie, as he wanted them to see it as … [Read more...]

By James Gilmer Houston, Minn. I am a 65-year-old deer hunter who has never hunted deer with a gun. To steal a phrase, I am a “dyed in the wool” bow hunter. I have been hunting deer for 44 years. The last 38, I have hunted deer strictly with traditional equipment. For the uninformed, that means I hunt with the old fashioned long bow and recurve. I moved to Houston County … [Read more...]

Like any American who cares about this country, I have a deep interest in the results of this election. But as a politician (I think one never really retires from that job), I take a professional interest, as well. Not only for policy or partisan concerns, but because I’m always interested in how people make up their minds on how to vote. This is an occupational hazard, I … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Now that we’ve cast our votes in the 2020 election, there’s one more election that might be more important. This upcoming election is called Small Business Saturday, and it will be held on Saturday, November 28, 2020. I hope you’ll mark your calendar, and hold on to your holiday … [Read more...]

By David Webb, MD Lanesboro, MN There are now two conflicting strategies for dealing with it. One, advocated by the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and virtually all public health professionals is containment and mitigation. In the context of infectious disease, containment means readily identifying and isolating infected persons, tracing and … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Autumn, with its changing colors and temperatures that encourage us to move indoors, is a natural time to slow down and contemplate life. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we use this time each year to reflect on the partnerships that have resulted in a stronger southern Minnesota. We do this by … [Read more...]