The Caledonia City Council approved the proposal from Zenke Inc. to replace 400 feet of stormwater pipe, during its meeting on Monday, October 14, 2024. According to a staff report from Public Works/Zoning Director Casey Klug, the proposal entails removing 400 feet of rusted and deteriorating metal culvert pipe and replacing it with 48-inch HDPE pipe. This work will involve … [Read more...]
Police Officer Trainee Position Created for Houston
After four months of advertising for a second police officer for Houston with no applicants, City Administrator Michelle Quinn and Chief of Police Bret Hurley decided to think outside the box. At the regular city council meeting October 15, Hurley presented a proposed job description for a police officer trainee. The goal of presenting this was to help with retention of an … [Read more...]
Commissioners Interview for Position of Houston County Environmental Services Director
Lydia Gaunitz and Amelia Meiners interviewed for the position of Environmental Services Director on October 15 during the regular meeting of the Houston County Commission. The candidates were asked 10 questions and had 45 minutes to respond to all of them. The questions covered various topics, including the role of the director, their leadership style, and their skill set. … [Read more...]
New Teachers at Houston Schools
Houston Schools welcomed five new teachers this fall - Ethan Papenfuss, band; Samantha Michaelsen, elementary special education; Hailey Pierazek, MS/HS math; Abigail Allen, HS math; and Anna Dunnum, English and social studies. Ethan Papenfuss, an alumni of Houston High School, got into teaching because he himself had a wonderful experience as a student. He feels so … [Read more...]
Absentee, Mail-in Ballots; Anticipating Voter Turnout
Are people voting earlier with the option of mail-in and absentee balloting? Houston County Auditor/Treasurer Polly Heberlein shared, “At this point, I can tell you that absentee voting is becoming more popular. I do not have any definite numbers relating to vote-in-advance versus Election Day. When trying to compare, scenarios are so different now than there were in … [Read more...]
7 New Teachers at Rushford-Peterson
Rushford-Peterson welcomed a total of seven new teachers to its teaching staff this fall. The new teachers are: Lindsey Olson, K-8 counselor and district assessment doordinator; Emily Wahlberg, first grade; Ethan Jacobson, MS/HS business; Sophia Westcott, SPED; Kora Miller, kindergarten; Madlyn Ripka, MS/HS band director; Nathan Whitacre, MS/HS SPED. Here’s your chance to learn … [Read more...]
Spring Grove House Fire
At approximately 2:15 p.m. on October 7, 2024, Houston County Dispatch received an emergency call of a residence on fire at 512 2nd Ave. NW, Spring Grove, Minn. Houston County Sheriff’s Deputies and Investigators and Spring Grove Fire Department were dispatched. Spring Grove Ambulance, Caledonia Fire Department, Eitzen Fire Department and the Mabel Fire Department were also … [Read more...]
Meet The Candidates 2024
Gregory Davids Candidate for State Representative 26B Tell us about yourself. I’ve lived in Fillmore County nearly my entire life. I’m a financial planner and my wife Bonnie and I own the family farm. We also have three grown daughters. As your state representative, I’ve fought tirelessly to protect conservative values in southeastern Minnesota. I’ve served as … [Read more...]
Tasty Temptations Cookbook Deadline is October 25
It’s that time of year again. It’s time to start pulling out your favorite holiday family recipes for gatherings. In 2010, the Fillmore County Journal started publishing the first-ever “Tasty Temptations Cookbook,” full of recipes from the best cooks of Bluff Country throughout our coverage area. This year, 2024, marks our 15th annual cookbook, and we’re excited to share … [Read more...]
Debate Continues Over Proposed Ordinances Regarding Lanesboro Library
The October 7 Lanesboro City Council meeting opened with two public hearings. The first hearing was regarding the proposed city ordinances 31.80, 31.82, 31.82, and 31.83 about the library board. Multiple community members spoke out against the proposed ordinances. Anna Loney presented a petition with 178 names asking the council not to change the library board to advisory. She … [Read more...]