Meet Caledonia’s go-to girl if you want to get something done. That’s how residents described Kristina Hauser, the driving force behind Emerald Lane, a vendor market co-op located at 211 S. Kingston St. The idea for the mall came to Hauser while she was driving home from La Crosse. “God literally dropped this idea in my brain,” Hauser said. “Everything just kept flooding in. … [Read more...]
Brownsville Council Reviews MnDOT Intersection Project Updates
Mayor Jean Meyer gave the latest updates to the Brownsville City Council at their July 1 on the proposed Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) project at the intersection of County Road 3 (CSAH 3) and State Highway 26. This is the entry point to Brownsville. Meyer said that she and Councilor Barb Hurley attended the June 29 meeting with MnDOT and other decisionmakers … [Read more...]
Maximizing the Value of Local Agriculture; Beef Tallow Skin Care
From their home in Lanesboro, Brian and Sue Roelofs have turned a personal health mission for their daughter into a business. Brian grew up near Greenleafton, Minnesota, and went to high school in Preston. He went to college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and moved several times throughout his career. Eventually, he ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he met Sue, … [Read more...]
Harmony Veterinary Clinic Receives Excellence Award from UMN
For the past 14 years, the Harmony Veterinary Clinic owned by Dr. John Rein and Dr. Jeff Collins has collaborated with the University of Minnesota to provide real life experience for future veterinarians. Recently UMN honored the clinic with its prestigious Clinical Training Sites of Excellence Award. Past recipients of the award have included Mayo Clinic, St. Luke’s Health … [Read more...]
A Celebration of Life in a Barn
On June 13, 2026, Katie Ruen’s celebration of life was held in an old barn that had been built in 1910 by local farmers near Lanesboro. Why was this barn chosen for such a purpose? What did that barn mean to Katie and her family? Katie and Ed Ruen had bought the family homestead over 40 years ago. It became a private retreat for family get-togethers. They treasured it and … [Read more...]
Stork Award for Rushford Ambulance Crew
The Rushford Ambulance crew had a surprise guest at their regular meeting June 15. Alex Catevenis, the executive director of Southeastern Minnesota Emergency Medical Services, came to their meeting for a special reason. Catevenis was there to acknowledge some of the crew for their participation in the delivery of a baby! Back on January 10, 2023, a call came in for a “woman in … [Read more...]
Rushford Depot Renovations Allow For Reopening
A Grand Reopening of the Rushford Depot occurred June 9. The reopening was a long time coming. After receiving a Legacy Amendment Grant totalling $254,953 to stabilize the foundation of the depot and improve the visitors’ center and the roof, work began on the depot in the fall of 2024. Soon it was discovered that the sill beams of the depot were rotting in place; they had … [Read more...]
Kleppe Forest Products Now Open in Preston
The former Root River Sawmill is once again up and running in Preston under the ownership of Jenny and Jason Kleppe. Originally Jason had gotten a call asking if he was interested in purchasing some equipment; he already owned other sawmills in the area. From there it snowballed until the Kleppes were purchasing the entire mill, set up and ready to go – totally turnkey. The … [Read more...]
James Loven, Veteran of the Oil-Misted Saudi Arabian Desert
If you live around the Preston area it’s likely you know or have heard of James Loven. His story spans from quiet farm fields in Peterson to the oil-misted deserts of Saudi Arabia. James was born in 1956 and was raised on his family farm outside of Peterson, Minn. He spent his years farming in the early 1980s – until the farm crisis led him to join the military for job … [Read more...]
Harmony Stateline Trail Officially Open
On June 6 at 10:20 a.m., six wagons full of 76 people started off from the splash pad in Harmony to Niagara Cave. The wagons took the new, recently completed Stateline Bike Trail from Harmony which also forks off to the Iowa border. Twenty workers helped with the ride as flaggers at road crossings, drivers, photographers, and lunch servers. For people who had traveled the Root … [Read more...]