ST. PAUL, MN – With Federal VA funding recently committed, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is moving ahead on planning for three new State Veterans Homes projects to be located in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston. Wold Architects & Engineers and Perkins Eastman are the architects for all of the new homes. They have been working on these projects for … [Read more...]
OHV trail project brings in full house
The regular meeting of the Houston City Council on April 12, 2021, brought in a full house of visitors to protest the proposed OHV trail in Houston. Anticipating a crowd, city employees set up as many socially distanced chairs as possible in the community center for the meeting; International Owl Center’s Karla Bloem set up mikes and a sound system to ensure all could hear the … [Read more...]
Collaborative effort rescues Eastern Screech-Owl
The morning of February 16, 2021, started off like any other for Andy Bunge of Preston, Minn., but how quickly things can change. “It was early in the morning, about 6:30, and the sun really hadn’t come up yet, but there was snow on the ground and we have these large picture windows in the house... and I heard this thud on the window,” explains Bunge. “I thought, what bird … [Read more...]
Schaeffer Academy eighth grader is the Southeast Minnesota Spelling Bee Champion
Twelve spellers (six from each Regional Spelling Bee) competed in the Final Spelling Bee on Tuesday, March 23, at 9 a.m. at the Southeast Service Cooperative in Rochester. These 12 students were narrowed down from 36 students from 20 districts in Southeast Minnesota who participated in the two Regional Spelling Bees on March 9, 2021, coordinated by the Southeast Service … [Read more...]
Minnesota’s unemployment rate dips to 4.3% in February Minnesota continues 2021 job gains
ST. PAUL – Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.3% in February, down from 4.5% in January, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The decline in the unemployment rate was due to more people finding work and a decrease in the number of unemployed people, which resulted in another … [Read more...]
Minnesota gas price update
April, 5, 2021 – Minnesota gas prices have fallen 1.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.73/g today, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 2,856 stations in Minnesota. Gas prices in Minnesota are 2.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.03/g higher than a year ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Minnesota is priced … [Read more...]
Rushford Village receives bridge report; preps for road tour
The annual bridge report from Fillmore County garnered the majority of discussion at the April 6 Rushford Village Council meeting. Public Works Supervisor Trenton Chiglo noted he’d reviewed the report and it appeared correct with his assessments. One bridge, on the east end of Ridgeview Road, had specific deficiencies noted. “It has settled and there’s a section of iron … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Council addresses pothole issue
At the April 5 Lanesboro City Council meeting, Public Works Director David Haugen noted that there’s been a lot of concern from the public about potholes in the city streets. He explained that potholes tend to develop while plowing snow during the winter. They will be patched with hot mix, but the plant that makes that isn’t open until May so he and the city crew have been … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Jail needs information on YouTube video
The Jail Needs Assessment Committee and subcommittees have been meeting for more than a year to gather data and to analyze that data to determine what is the best course forward for the county jail. The 17 minute video was presented at the county board’s April 6 meeting. Sheriff John DeGeorge has been presenting information at city council meetings and plans to speak to other … [Read more...]
Fountain gets updates; hears citizen concerns
In February, Fountain’s City Council received notice from Sara Sturgis, Executive Director at Fillmore County Historical Society, that the society was requesting the Historical Center also be designated as the Fountain Visitor’s Center. The center, which is housed in the former Fountain Elementary School, is operated by the society. While the center is within the city, it’s … [Read more...]