At their October 2 meeting, the Houston School Board heard from all the administrations of the Houston Schools about the goals that have been set for this year. Houston Preschool set a goal to focus on Mat Man. Using scaffolded instruction, the teachers will work with students to draw Mat Man, a line drawing of a person. This helps with school readiness for the … [Read more...]
Rushford Begins Steps on Cooperative Site
At the December 21 meeting, the council discussed future work at the site of the former Farmers Win Cooperative site, starting as early as this winter. After the recent community engagement session, held December 3 at Rushford-Peterson Schools, the Economic Development Authority (EDA) is now beginning the process of preparatory steps at the site. This includes turning some of … [Read more...]
Houston County Levy Set With 6% Increase
The Houston County Commissioners met December 23 with a full agenda. A guest at the meeting was Spring Grove’s Mayor Williamson who had watched the previous commissioners’ meeting and wanted to answer some questions that were brought up during discussions about the policing agreement with the city. Williamson explained that Spring Grove was having some budget issues; this was … [Read more...]
Dispose of Holiday Greens and Christmas Trees Correctly to Protect Minnesota’s Trees and Forests – Invasive Pests Can Hide on Festive Foliage
ST. PAUL, MN: Holiday greenery and Christmas trees bring joy throughout the season, but they can also hide dangerous pests. Diseases and invasive species can make their way into our landscapes on trees and boughs brought into Minnesota from other states. To protect our environment, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is asking residents to take these steps to properly … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Wraps Up 2025 Business
End of the year business dominated the agenda at the county board’s December 23 meeting. The 2026 final levy was approved in the amount of $14,551,646 which represents a 5.99% increase over the 2025 levy. This is unchanged from the preliminary levy approved in September. A resolution was adopted approving the 2026 total budget in the amount of $44,949,276, which … [Read more...]
Village Nails Down Contract Decision
For months now, the Rushford Village Council has poured over the budget and levy, including what to do with a proposed contract renewal from Community Economic Development Associates (CEDA). At the December 16 meeting, the council welcomed CEDA Community and Business Development Specialist Jayme Longmire and Regional Manager, Community Support Program, Laura Qualey. Longmire … [Read more...]
Spring Grove School Receives “Clean” Audit and Approves 6.7% Levy
The Spring Grove School received a clean audit from CLA and approved a 6.7% tax levy during its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, December 15. The regular school meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. in the school library. The board held its annual Truth in Taxation hearing prior to the regular school board meeting. During the required presentation led by Senior … [Read more...]
R-P Building Bond Information Shared
At the regular December 15 Rushford-School Board meeting, the board heard updates about the upcoming building bond referendum. The board officially reviewed the Review and Comment document from the state; R-P received a positive review from the state. Informational meetings were set for December 17, January 7, 2026, and January 21, 2026. All of the meetings will be held at … [Read more...]
Preston Adopts Comprehensive Plan
At the December 15 meeting of the Preston City Council, a resolution was adopted approving the new comprehensive plan. Emily Herold, assistant planner at MSA Professional Services, gave a brief overview of the plan. On November 17 a public hearing was held during a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. The commission recommended final adoption of the 2045 Comprehensive … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central Approves 2026 Levy
The December 16 Fillmore Central School Board meeting began with the annual Truth in Taxation presentation given by Superintendent Heath Olstad. The presentation included charts that detailed where the funding for the school comes from and how it is used as well as information on how tax levies work. The board approved the 2026 levy at a total of $2,304,078.75. $1,614,055.37 of … [Read more...]