On October 25, the Caledonia City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting from 6 p.m. to 8:24 p.m. in the Caledonia City Hall council chambers. Council members present includerd Mayor DeWayne “Tank” Schroeder, Amanda Ninneman, David Fitzpatrick, and Robert “Bob” Klug. Brad Rykhus was absent. Mayor Schroeder led the council and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. … [Read more...]
Houston County’s new highway facility nears completion
The regular meeting of the Houston County Commission was held from 9-11:08 a.m. on October 26. Commissioners Eric Johnson, Bob Burns, Teresa Walter, and Greg Myhre attended in person, and Commissioner Dewey Severson participated in the meeting remotely. Commissioners removed action item number 11 regarding the Environmental Services Director position from the October 26 agenda … [Read more...]
Andrea Hindt cultivating creativity in southeastern Minnesota
Andrea Hindt of rural Spring Valley has been expressing herself artistically since her elementary school days. “In third grade, I would draw pictures for my teacher and classmates,” says Andrea. “Growing up, the Sunday comic pages were the best! I loved to read them. My twin sister, Anji Bennett, and I would draw cartoons and we used to say ‘when we grow up’ we want to have … [Read more...]
Rushford approves new mill rate for fire protection
Rushford Fire Chief Chad Rasmussen presented the proposed contract and mill rate for 2022-2023 to the city council at its October 25 meeting. The volunteer department is the only known to conduct a bi-annual mill rate meeting for the 10 townships it provides fire protection to. Those townships include Arendahl, Norway, Preble, and the cities of Peterson and Rushford Village in … [Read more...]
A new bus for Houston Schools
The Houston School Board decided to proceed with the order of a new school bus (at a cost of $92, 943) at their regular meeting October 21. Superintendent Mary Morem informed the board that bus #7 had been in the shop three times since she joined Houston Schools this year and had racked up $11,000 in repair charges. Since the bus was so old, it qualified for a $20,000 grant … [Read more...]
Chatfield authorizes preparation for 2022 water improvement project
At the October 25 meeting of the Chatfield City Council City Engineer Craig Britton reviewed the proposal for 2022 water projects. Councilor Paul Novotny was absent. Britton said the proposal is for the provision of design and construction administration for the proposed Capital Improvement Project. Services include design, advertising/bidding assistance, construction … [Read more...]
Blood drive scheduled for December at United Methodist Church in Preston
PRESTON, MN – The Preston United Methodist Church will be having a blood drive on Friday, December 10, 2021 beginning at noon. If you would like to donate, please log into the following site to schedule an appointment: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time. Enter zip code 55965 and scroll down to the Preston United Methodist Church schedule, or call 1 (800) RED … [Read more...]
Jordan Township sawmill application discussed
At the October 21 meeting of the Fillmore County Planning Commission, Jeremiah Daggett’s application for a conditional use permit for a portable sawmill was discussed during a public hearing. The sawmill will be on his property located in Section 1, Jordan Township. Daggett explained the portable sawmill will have a 36-foot cut capacity with a 17-foot bed which will limit the … [Read more...]
Step into the new mural at Caledonia’s downtown pocket park
The beautification of downtown Caledonia continues. Volunteers, organizations, committees, and the city are working together to develop a strong sense of place that is unique and different from other communities in the area. The new pocket park in downtown Caledonia features the area’s first 3-D mural. The pocket park is located on South Kingston Street, one block from the only … [Read more...]
Red River Girl presentation at the Houston County Historical Society
As a student of local immigration history Jim Skree, who grew up in Bader Valley south of Houston, was asked to provide an article for a recent and very unusual publication titled Red River Girl - From Telemark to the Buffalo (River): The Art of Orabel Thortvedt. This fascinating book, published in 2020, is the result of a cooperative effort between the West-Telemark Museum in … [Read more...]