At the February 17 meeting of the city council, Preston Historical Society (PHS) President Sheila Craig remembered 2025 as a busy year. It was the year that the Depot Museum and Riverfront Center became a reality. It took six months to raise the $400,000 to build the new facility. Phil Eickhoff was general contractor. The facility is fully paid for and leased from the city … [Read more...]
Village Nears Program Revamping
After months of discussion, the Rushford Village Council is nearing the end of plans to update its longtime revolving loan program. Initially developed in 2012 after substantial flooding damage in the valley, the program sat stagnant for years. Admittedly different from other cities, with no downtown business district, the demand for the business loans has been slow to … [Read more...]
Reflections on RP’s Recent Referendum Vote
The Rushford-Peterson School Board officially canvassed the votes from the recent building referendum vote at their regular board meeting on February 17. The vote was 444 (37.34%) in favor and 744 (62.66%) against. 48% of the voters voted in the election compared to the typical low turnout of 15% and typical high of 25%. Superintendent Ben Bernard opened up a discussion of … [Read more...]
Spring Grove Looks at Locations for Community Garden
Spring Grove City Council members met Tuesday, February 17, at 168 West Main Street in room #100. Mayor Bryan Wilhelmson called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. then led with the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilors present included Wilhelmson, Trent Turner, Eric Ostern, and Morgan Buckland. Councilor Mike Hagen had been absent. City employees present included City … [Read more...]
Rushford-Peterson $24 Million Referendum Fails
In 2014, R-P School District voters approved the construction of a new school, which opened for the school year in 2017 at a cost of $33.5 million. Their previous school facility was considered to be one of the oldest in the State of Minnesota. On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, residents of the Rushford-Peterson School District took to the polls to cast their vote on a $24 … [Read more...]
Survey Finds Need for Public Transit in Harmony
At the February 10 Harmony City Council meeting, the consent agenda was approved and included the minutes of the January 13 meeting, the claims and January checks, the investment report, the cash balances, and the budget. A liquor license renewal for Kwik Trip was also approved with the condition that all required documents are received by the city. Brett Grabau from Stantec … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce Holds Annual Meeting
The Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC) Annual Meeting is an event that many area residents and businesses look forward to each year. Not only to look back at the past year and point out highlights and recognize where there could be improvements, but also to look ahead to the coming year with renewed enthusiasm. The meeting was held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, in … [Read more...]
Rural Health Innovation Study Highlighted at Whalan Council Meeting
The Whalan City Council gained knowledge of the Rural Health Innovation Study during the February 9 council meeting, courtesy of Alicia Pearson of Lanesboro, Minn., including how it could improve the lives of many area residents by strengthening access to healthcare on a more consistent basis. Present at the February 9, 2026, regularly scheduled council meeting were Mayor … [Read more...]
A Case of Unfortunate Timing Caused Boil Alert in Spring Valley
On Monday, February 9, 2026, the Spring Valley City Council gathered for their monthly meeting. Prior to jumping into their agenda the council invited Chris Rolli, from Spring Valley Public Utilities (SVPU), to discuss the recent water issues. On Wednesday, February 4 a hole was discovered in the water tower, then, in an unfortunate case of bad timing, the city suffered a … [Read more...]
Houston Plans for Stoddard Street and Spruce Street
The Houston City Council heard from Bolton & Menk’s Derek Olinger at their February 9 regular meeting. The city of Houston had received a letter from Gary and Vickie Frauenkron expressing interest in purchasing 10 lots currently owned by the city. The lots have been partially developed by a previous party before being forfeited. At this time, there is no cost estimate to … [Read more...]