Houston County Commissioners signed a letter of intent to enter into an agreement with the City of Spring Grove to provide law enforcement services at its July 12 meeting. Sheriff Mark Inglett, Chief Deputy Brian Swedberg and Spring Grove City Clerk/Administrator Julie Amundson were on hand at the meeting to answer commissioners’ questions regarding the letter of intent … [Read more...]
Canton City Council appoints new mayor following resignation of Nick Prestby
The Canton City Council appointed Cindy Shanks to be the mayor of Canton on Wednesday evening, July 13, following its acceptance of Nick Prestby’s resignation. Prestby had submitted his resignation as mayor on July 5, to be effective immediately, citing health issues that would prevent him from continuing to serve. “It has been an honor to be able to serve the city for the last … [Read more...]
Chatfield approves 2022 crack-filling plan
Brian Burkholder provided a list of streets that are scheduled to get crack-filling maintenance at the city council’s July 11 meeting. Streets to be crack-filled are those that had been overlayed in the years from 2017 to the present. A bid from Durst Outdoor Services in the amount of $27,892.80 was approved. The plan from Widseth to crack-fill streets from years one through … [Read more...]
Harmony resident voices concerns over utility billing process
Lisa Miller addressed the Harmony City Council at their July 12 meeting about her utility bills from the month of May. She owns six properties in Harmony and typically receives her bills via email and then a mailed late notice if they are not paid promptly. However, in May, she said that she did not receive any notifications at all about her bills. She didn’t realize it until … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Airport to receive $950,000
At the July 11 Fillmore County Board meeting, airport manager Pam Schroeder reported that the Fillmore County Airport will be awarded a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant in the amount of $950,000. It is one of four grants to be received by Minnesota airports. The federal funding is part of the bi-partisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into … [Read more...]
Spring Valley approves dump truck purchase
The Spring Valley City Council held a regular meeting on July 11. All council members were present (Mayor Tony Archer, John Dols, Chris Danielson, Luan Ruesink, and Greg Brooks), and City Administrator/Clerk Deb Zimmer participated as well. A proposed purchase of a new dump truck for the city was discussed. A 2006 Mac dump truck was shown in a photo, available for $85,000. … [Read more...]
Lanesboro School considers new bus garage
Superintendent Matt Schultz brought up the need for a new bus garage at the regular Lanesboro School Board meeting on July 13. The current bus garage is over 50 years old and has outlived its usefulness. Two buses must be stored outside the facility and a third extends beyond the doors because it is too long. The garage is too short and narrow for today’s buses. Care has been … [Read more...]
Whalan Mayor Tuftin will not seek re-election
The mayor of Whalan, Minn., Marlys Tuftin, announced at the July city council meeting that she does not intend to run for re-election. Tuftin has been mayor of Whalan since 2017. Present at the July 11 Whalan City Council meeting were Mayor Tuftin, council members Owen Lewis, Thore E. Johnson, Kim Berekvam, and Sheila Higbe, as well as City Clerk/Treasurer Michele … [Read more...]
Wednesdays are fun in Spring Valley
On the third Wednesday of each month, June through September, the downtown area of Spring Valley is transformed into a family-friendly farmers’ market/community center. The event is coordinated by the Spring Valley Economic Development Authority (EDA), and Justin Mlinar recently answered a few questions about the “Wednesdays on Broadway” events. Mlinar explained that, “How … [Read more...]
USDA funding available to help low-income individuals and families buy or repair homes
USDA Rural Development has funding availabile for very low- and low-income individuals and families seeking to purchase or repair a home in a rural area. The Direct Home Loan program offers financing to qualified very-low and low-income applicants that are unable to qualify for traditional financing. No down payment is required, and the interest rate could be as low as one … [Read more...]