The Lanesboro City Council met on July 6 at 6 p.m. for their regular meeting, which was held in the community center gym and streamed on Zoom. The COVID-19 response for public facilities discussion was revisited as it will be each month for the foreseeable future. The council decided to keep the community center closed for the time being. The city offices have been re-opened … [Read more...]
New Village Public Works Supervisor hits the ground running
New Rushford Village Public Works Supervisor Kyle Chiglo isn’t wasting any time digging into the workload. His hire was approved at the last meeting prior to the employment end-date of June 30 for resigning supervisor Travis Scheck. The council approved a water/wastewater retainer and on-call agreement for Scheck, to cover water and wastewater licensing requirements until … [Read more...]
Arrest made in Prosper
According to Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge, on Thursday July 2, 2020, at approximately 9:53 a.m., Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, along with Southeastern Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team Investigators executed a narcotics related search warrant at 10445 County Road 113 in the Village of Prosper. More than 10 grams of suspected methamphetamine and … [Read more...]
A new way to “Unwined” in Lanesboro
As summer gets into full swing, there is no better time to “unwined” when in Lanesboro, Minn., than a visit to Root River Unwined Wine Bar. The new and exciting business is just what people need to get out and explore something fun and relaxing. Owners Lori and Randy Rakosnik knew they wanted to purchase a building for their business somewhere in Minnesota, and after … [Read more...]
Knutsons turn ordinance issue into personal attack
Here’s a story about how social media posts can become a record of malice. On June 27, 2020, Canton resident Jamie Knutson made his intentions known with a post on his personal Facebook page. “Does anyone have ANY paint they would like to get rid of? Prefer bright colors any amount would be appreciated thanks,” the first post by Jamie Knutson. Later that day, “I’m putting … [Read more...]
Harmony veterinarian retires after 47 years
“If you like what you do, you never have to work a day in your life and that’s true,” Dr. Lynn Aggen said. Aggen spent 47 years working at the Harmony Veterinary Clinic and celebrated his retirement with an open house on June 18. It all started when a steer needed medical attention at his parents’ farm near Worthington, Minn. Aggen was able to watch the vet work on the steer. … [Read more...]
Fountain mulls over lingering issues
The Fountain City Council bounded through their brief July 1 meeting with a number of issues that have seen previous discussion. Amid these were zoning items and public works personnel. The Zoning Board met June 29 to discuss an application by Jody Wiza, co-owner of Beaver Bottoms Saloon, for a Conditional Use Permit. Wiza has done a number of improvements at the site and last … [Read more...]
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation awards 260 gallons of Ace Hardware Paint through Paint the Town Program
OWATONNA, MN, June 30, 2020 — Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) awarded $9,620 worth of paint from Ace Hardware to eight communities across the region through its Paint the Town Grant Program. This program is a partnership between SMIF and 12 local Ace Hardware stores and is designed to engage volunteers and build collaborative efforts that beautify communities … [Read more...]
Citizen science in action: Joan Redig on Paradise Valley Creek
By Cathy Malakowsky Information Officer, MPCA Intrigued by the changing conditions she saw in the creek flowing through her farm, Joan Redig of rural Houston County signed up for the Citizen Monitoring Program in 2017 after reading about the volunteer opportunity in a local newspaper. She monitors Paradise Valley Stream in the southeast corner Minnesota. This region is known … [Read more...]
Opening a new business at the beginning of a global pandemic
Envision spending two years preparing to open a financially laden business from the ground up nine days after the start of COVID-19, a global pandemic. That is what the owners of the Stinson’s Country Style Meats were faced with when they opened their business in the farming community of Houston, Minn., on March 20 of this year. Upon walking into the breakroom to interview the … [Read more...]