The American Legion Auxiliary Unit #4114 challenged members to work with their community to celebrate 250 years of independence. The goal was to incorporate the number 250 in a way that benefits veterans. Spring Valley American Legion Unit #68 along with the VFW Auxiliary challenged the Spring Valley community to collect 250 cans of soup to donate to the food shelf. Many … [Read more...]
Letter about preparing for the next bad air alert …
To the Editor, A scratchy throat and itchy eyes aren’t the only results of wildfire smoke. Invisible 2.5 micron particles are so tiny they penetrate lungs and enter the bloodstream to organs, including the brain. Effects include inflammation, heart disease, lung cancer, COPD, and respiratory infections. Even on clear days, 2.5 PM levels can be dangerous (airnow.gov). Little … [Read more...]
Steuart’s Natural Health Began With Teat Heal
In May 1982, Gary Steuart started making a single product in an apartment in Owatonna. The product? Teat Heal. Steuart had a friend who was an inventor who came up with the formula. Teat Heal was intended to be used on cows with sore teats. A dairy farmer decided to try it on his own badly cracked heels. Word spread that the formula worked well on people as well; soon orders … [Read more...]
Start With Your Shopping Cart
By Sara Mensink Over the last two years, my husband and I have slowly been making small changes to live a more sustainable life. This new way of thinking started while I was pregnant with our son. Having a child made us stop and ask ourselves what changes we could make to create a healthier, more intentional life for our family. There’s so many ways to go about this and … [Read more...]
Water Fun in Rushford
RFD put a post on Facebook that they would be bringing a fire truck to the Brooklyn field; the Ambulance Department soon followed with a notice that they’d be handing out freezies. Anyone approaching the field knew immediately something fun was happening there. Kids were squealing and excitedly running to the water. Fireman Evan Meier handled the fire truck hose, spraying … [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...]
Madi Schwanbeck Takes On Lymphoma
Last fall 13-year-old Madi Schwanbeck, daughter of Matt and Jessica, was looking forward to a typical school year at Houston full of classes, sports and friends. That changed Saturday, February 28 when Madi found a lump in her groin that was growing quickly. … [Read more...]
Beware: Counterfeit Car Seats on the Rise
Counterfeit car seats can seriously injure – or even kill – our most vulnerable children. The problem is growing, and WinnMed in Decorah, Fillmore County Public Health, and Houston County Public Health are actively working to raise awareness and reduce the risk. All three organizations have Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) who have completed a three- … [Read more...]
Supporting and Sharing Grief
Becky Stocker’s mom was healthy and active, living on the same farm as her daughter when she passed away rather unexpectedly. Becky had to care for her dad and was coping with the grief of losing her mom. She decided to attend a Mayo grief group in Rochester, but hated driving to Rochester for each meeting. Serendipitously, Becky learned from a friend about a grief support … [Read more...]
Amish Sexual Abuse Survivor Shares Story in PBS Documentary
Lizzie Hershberger, who grew up in the Amish community in southeast Minnesota, has spoken publicly about the sexual abuse she endured as a young teenager. Her story was first told in a book “Behind Blue Curtains,” which she authored, and is now the focus of a PBS Independent Lens documentary, “Keep Quiet and Forgive.” Her story will move you, and she hopes that it will … [Read more...]