Roughly 300 people filled the Mabel Community Center on the evening of January 13 for an event organized by the Fillmore and Houston County GOP groups, coming from communities in Fillmore and Houston Counties along with Decorah, Rochester, Winona and communities in the Twin Cities area. After attendees participated in the Pledge of Allegiance and prayed during an invocation, … [Read more...]
DFL-Led Protesters Voice Their Concerns in Chatfield
On a typical blustery Minnesota winter January day with windchill bringing the temperature down to the normal zero degrees for this time of the year, a group of nearly 25 protestors gathered at the only stoplight in Fillmore County, Minn. Chatfield, Minn., known as the gateway to Bluff Country, presents a golden opportunity for protestors to take a stance from the park every … [Read more...]
Fillmore County’s New Year Business
County Administrator Bobbie Hillery opened the board’s first 2026 meeting held on January 6. Randy Dahl was elected as board chairman and Mitch Lentz was elected as board vice-chair. Citizens Input will be held at 9:05 a.m. from now on. Commissioner Duane Bakke suggested citizens shouldn’t be giving their opinion on an item that is on the day’s agenda, because it is not … [Read more...]
Minnesota Department of Health Honors Mary Zaffke
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recognized Houston County Public Health nurse Mary Zaffke on December 12 with the Betty Hubbard Maternal and Child Health Leadership Award. Presented annually since 1990, the award honors the legacy of Betty Hubbard, a founding member of the Maternal and Child Health Advisory Committee and a lifelong advocate for the health of mothers … [Read more...]
CodeRED Cyberattack
Fillmore County, along with many local governments/public safety agencies nationwide, learned that the Onsolve CodeRED notification service had suffered a cyberattack in November 2025. This notification service allowed public safety agencies to send out public safety announcements to protect their communities. The cyberattack has led to data breaches and forced the system … [Read more...]
The Lights Shine Brightly in Harmony
On Sunday, December 14, all were invited to Harmony’s Cancer Memorial Park to remember those who have lost their battle with cancer and those who are fighting the fight. The 20-foot spruce tree in the park will shine brightly every evening throughout December in remembrance of those who have lost their lives and to honor those who are battling cancer. The group explains the … [Read more...]
The Adventures of Sweet Strawberry and Salty Peanut Fresh Off the Press
Local authors Mason and Nicole Howard have been busy writing books the past year featuring the interactions of two friends aptly named Sweet Strawberry and Salty Peanut. Sweet Strawberry is a sweet character while Salty Peanut is a grouchy, salty character. The mother and son duo came up with the idea of writing a book last winter, wrote it in the spring and self-published it … [Read more...]
Cara McCoy, Harmony’s New Library Director
Cara McCoy took over as the Harmony Public Library’s director in September; on November 24, the library held a meet and greet for their new librarian. Cara, who has been a librarian for six or seven years, grew up in Waukon and attended Iowa State, earning a degree in history. After graduation, Cara worked at a Living History Farm and at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in … [Read more...]
Kelly Ristau: An Artist’s Journey
Earlier this year, I sat down with Preston Native Kelly Ristau, at Paddle on Coffee & Maker Emporium in Lanesboro, Minn. for an interview. The assignment was to write a story about Kelly work as a muralist. It did not take long to realize that there was much more to this artist, and what began as a conversation about murals evolved into a much richer portrait of a young … [Read more...]
Rushford- Peterson Voters Will Decide Building Question
At the November 17 Rushford-Peterson School Board meeting, the board approved in a 5 to 1 vote to call for a vote on the proposed building referendum. The decision followed a lengthy discussion by the board with each member explaining their thinking before voting. Chris Grindland shared his research on future enrollment and population projections in Fillmore County. “Based … [Read more...]