During the March 10 Whalan City Council meeting, the council approved a resolution on the sale of hemp and cannabis, following suit with other local communities. Present at the regularly scheduled monthly council meeting were Mayor David Hallum, and council members Thore E. Johnson, Sheila Higbe and Kim Berekvam. City Clerk/Treasurer Teresa Grossell was also in attendance. … [Read more...]
Caledonia Renews Soft Drink Licenses
The Caledonia City Council convened on the evening of March 10, 2025, to discuss and deliberate on various issues concerning the city. The meeting, held at city hall, attracted two Caledonia residents who were eager to participate in the civic process and to stay informed about the city’s progress and challenges. The meeting commenced at 6 p.m. with Mayor Jeremy Leis calling … [Read more...]
Houston Receives a “Clean” Audit
Andrew Forliti of CPA firm Smith Schafer appeared before the Houston City Council at their March 10 regular meeting to present an audit recap of the financials for Houston for 2024. Smith Schafer issued a “clean” opinion on the December 31, 2024, financial statements which means the financials are free from “material misstatement.” Forliti met previously with city employees … [Read more...]
Chatfield Hears 2024 Audit Presentation
Kali Lentz, CPA/senior manager at Smith, Schafer & Associates, Ltd., reviewed the 2024 audit for the city of Chatfield at the council’s March 10 meeting. Councilor Mike Urban was absent. Lentz noted the financial statements are in draft form as the final PERA reports for the Statewide Volunteer Fire plan have not yet been received. The city was given an unmodified “clean” … [Read more...]
Brownsville City Council Approves 3% COLA
On March 11, the Brownsville City Council unanimously approved a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all city employees. Prior to the vote, Mayor Meyer urged the council to keep in mind whether the increase aligns with similar-sized cities, noting that raises in comparable areas were from 3-5%. City Clerk Steve Schuldt reminded the board that the city’s budget had been … [Read more...]
R-P Valley Chamber of Commerce Meeting Full of Updates
President Jerad Brown called the annual meeting of the Rushford-Peterson Chamber of Commerce to order on March 6 at the American Legion. After reviewing the minutes of the previous annual meeting, Brown updated the members on the financial status of the Chamber. Distributing a detailed spreadsheet, Brown declared the chamber “very healthy” with “solid balances.” An anonymous … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Contracts for Assessor Role
At the March 11 meeting of the county board, the operation of the Assessor’s Office during this interim period without an assessor was discussed. Commissioner Duane Bakke was absent. Action was taken approving an agreement with Dodge County to provide needed assistance in the assessor’s department. Matt Naatz will work as an independent contractor eight hours every other week … [Read more...]
Houston Robotics Presents at School Board Meeting
The Houston Robotics program came from a humble beginning in 2014 with a storage space in a closet in the shop classroom. At the Houston School Board meeting March 6, Coach Bob Carlson and students William Carlson and John Lee demonstrated their most recent robot to the board. The robotics team had just recently returned from a three-day regional tournament held in Duluth. … [Read more...]
Rushford Ambulance Growing Opportunities
Rushford Ambulance Director Joey Busse updated the Rushford City Council at the March 10 meeting. He included details on legislative progress, personnel, training, recruitment/retention, and equipment and vehicle updates. “I’ve done quite a few things with the service so far,” began Busse, who has been in the role since June last year. “A lot of the things I’m doing is trying … [Read more...]
Audits and Cannabinoids Top Spring Valley Council Agenda
The Spring Valley City Council welcomed Kali Lentz of Smith Schafer as she shared the annual audit report during their March 10 meeting. According the Lentz, the city received and unmodified clean opinion for the 2024 audit. The audit showed the general property tax levy represented 43% of the total governmental revenues in 2024 with $1,815,949. The tax increment financing … [Read more...]
Chatfield School Board Approves Proposed Budget Reductions
At the March 12, 2025, school board meeting, board members David Sovinski, Josh Thompson, Tom Keefe, Jill Harstad and Mark Johnsrud and Katie Priebe were present. Also present were Superintendent Ed Harris, principals Eric Nelson and Shane McBroom, and Student Senate representatives Lexi Kivimagi and Lucy Allen. Reports Student Senate representatives explained that they … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Board Hears HVED Update
Deb Marcotte, executive director of HVED, attended the Lanesboro School Board regular meeting March 12 to update the board on the progress on the remodel of the former Winona Mall into a centralized location for HVED services. HVED (Hiawatha Valley Education District) provides special education services to area schools. Marcotte informed the board that she is putting a … [Read more...]
M-C Superintendent Kuphal Addresses Canton Council on Bond Referendum
The Canton City Council met at 6 p.m. on the beautiful spring evening of March 12. After approving the consent agenda, the board heard from Mabel-Canton Superintendent Gary Kuphal regarding the upcoming bond referendum for the M-C district. The previous referendum passed in 2020 didn’t go as far as they had planned due to post pandemic inflation on building materials, and … [Read more...]
New Peterson Public Works Director
On March 12, the city of Peterson unanimously approved the hire of Jeff Rein as Public Works director following the resignation of former Director Tim Hallum in late February. Rein has seven years of experience in the role having previously worked for the city of Mabel. While he no longer has his water license, he will begin the process of regaining it. “He is well certified … [Read more...]
Fillmore and Houston County Police Reports
Caledonia Police Department Nicholas Michael Douglas, 27, Houston, Minn., 1/1/2025, Driving After Revocation, Fine $200, Total Fees $275. Chatfield Police Department Keaton Oakley Moulton, 23, Menomonie, Wis., 1/30/2025, Speeding (39/30), Fine $40, Total Fees $125. Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office Brandon Sean Cole, 33, Ostrander, Minn., 12/22/2024, Driving After … [Read more...]