By Kirsten Zoellner At the July 17 meeting, the R-P School Board pulled a recommendation by administration to rehire of former varsity boys basketball coach Tom Vix from the consent agenda for special consideration. The district had sought applications for the position and both Vix and current assistant coach Chris Drinkall had applied. Typically, the district hires from … [Read more...]
County Jail inspection report discussed
Sheriff Tom Kaase reviewed the Fillmore County Jail inspection report at the board’s August 22 meeting. The Minnesota Department of Correction’s (DOC) annual inspection of the facility was conducted from May 10 through May 16, 2017. Inspectors found that the “jail does not provide a properly trained food service provider at the facility.” The DOC requested an immediate plan to … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central ready to start the school year
Fillmore Central is gearing up to start school on September 5. Numbers are up from the last school year at 351 students currently enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade versus 345 last year. Open house for the high school and K-6 are on August 30 from 4-6 p.m., along with an open house for SAC and daycare. The open house for Pre-K will also be held on August 30, but … [Read more...]
Whiteout front page draws attention to importance of local news Still wondering why our front page was blank last week?
Did the city council pass the resolution? Was anyone injured in that car crash? When does the festival start? Who won last night’s high school game? These are typical questions often answered through the pages of daily or weekly newspapers. But what if a community didn’t have a printed newspaper? The blank front page of last week’s Fillmore County Journal is a glimpse to … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton moves forward on hiring new superintendent
Mabel-Canton School Board offered Gary A. Kuphal the position of Superintendent for Independent School District #238. After a closed-door session, the school board unanimously approved offering Kuphal the position at $500 per day for 105 days, and contributions made to his 403(b) retirement fund. This offer is contingent on Kuphal’s formal acceptance. Kuphal would replace … [Read more...]
Ten years later, Rushford steadfast in gratitude
The night of Saturday, August 18, 2007, torrential rain began to fall in Fillmore, Winona, and Houston Counties. By the early hours of Sunday, the community of Rushford was flooded with water. The community of 1,800 was awakened by emergency sirens and emergency personnel going door to door. Emergency crews evacuated the city, leaving an infamous “X” on every structure … [Read more...]
Rushford EDA looks to cut deficit
The Rushford Economic Development Authority has been a productive force within the City of Rushford, as a source and manager of flood recovery loans and a catalyst for increased economic stability and growth. However, unknown variables throughout each annual cycle make budget predictions challenging. To avoid dipping into further reserve funds, while facing a $31,000 deficit, … [Read more...]
Spring Valley streets completed, under budget
The Spring Valley City Council met in regular session August 14, with all members present (Tony Archer, Todd Jones, Mayor Jim Struzyk, Jessy Betts, Mike Hadland and city administrator Deb Zimmer). A letter was received by the city, from Trout Run Ginseng and Shrimp LLC. It explained that the firm plans to start an indoor shrimp production facility, and explained why this … [Read more...]
Lawsuit over for Rushford-Peterson Schools
The long-awaited decision on the fate of a lawsuit against the Rushford-Peterson School District is in. August 14, Fillmore County District Judge Matthew Opat handed down his findings in favor of the district. “It is a relief to have the ruling behind us and to be able to have this matter resolved. The district is looking forward to cooperating with the scope of the access … [Read more...]
Chatfield to “See what the voters want” in November
At the August 14 meeting of the Chatfield City Council, a long discussion ensued concerning the construction of a new swimming pool. Councilor Joshua Broadwater was absent. Julie Henry, co-chair on the swimming pool committee, presented results of a survey conducted by Community Perceptions, an independent research organization. The survey was conducted in July with a 28% … [Read more...]