The Whalan City Council announced at their June 12 meeting that they have received a positive response to the city’s drinking water. Residents can rest assured knowing that their tap water is safe to consume. Present at the meeting were Mayor David Hallum along with council members Owen Lewis, Thore E. Johnson, Sheila Higbe and Kim Berekvam. City Clerk/Treasurer Michele … [Read more...]
Fillmore County hears property valuation appeals
County Administrator Bobbie Hillery swore in members for the Fillmore County Board of Appeal and Equalization at the June 13 meeting. Members included the five county commissioners and Auditor/Treasurer Heather Broadwater. County Assessor Jason McCaslin gave an overview of changes for the 2023 assessment. He noted he appealed a calculation of 12.5% inflation for residential … [Read more...]
Broadway Project moves into design phase
Discussions continue for the proposed Broadway Project during the June 12 Spring Valley City Council meeting. During the council’s previous meeting, Spring Valley Business Alliance representative Dan Freeman approached the council to propose the creation of temporary seating areas throughout the downtown area in order to restrict the flow of traffic, making the area safer for … [Read more...]
Wykoff purchases new light poles
The Wykoff City Council met on the evening of June 12. All council members except Kaleb Himli were present at the meeting. After the approval of minutes, time was taken to listen to the comments of Wykoff citizens. Todd Northway spoke to the council about his concerns with the state of the emergency sirens in town. The sirens were first installed in the early eighties and … [Read more...]
Houston Ambulance staff shortage
Anna Frauenkron of the Houston Ambulance visited the Houston City Council meeting on June 12 to ask for help in the struggle with summer day time coverage for the local ambulance. With some people on vacation and teachers not available during the summer hours, only two people will be around to cover on-call for the ambulance for a solid two-week period coming up. Frauenkron … [Read more...]
Timeline for Adam Fravel’s crimes against Madeline Kingsbury
On June 7, 2023, 29-year-old Adam Taylor Fravel of Mabel, Minn., was taken into custody for the alleged murder of Madeline Kingsbury, 26, of Winona, Minn. The Winona County District Court made court documents publicly available on June 9, 2023, revealing a Statement of Probable Cause to support charges against Adam Fravel for two counts of Murder in the Second Degree. Both … [Read more...]
Rushford eyes downtown beautification
The June 12 Rushford Council meeting primarily discussed notices and miscellaneous reports. Still, two items of general business did garner some comment. First up, new Rushford Ambulance Director Joey Busse was present, along with retiring director Lynn Humble, to meet the council. Humble’s time with the service ends this month after 39 years with the crew and 13 years in the … [Read more...]
Totaled Caledonia squad car to be repaired
On June 12, the Caledonia City Council accepted the recommendation from Police Chief Kurt Zehnder and Sergeant Jim Stemper to accept the insurance settlement of $22,150 and keep the damaged squad car as a backup. According to the staff report, “In April a police department squad car received damage in a snow related crash, it was a single vehicle crash, and nobody was hurt. … [Read more...]
Play ball in Eitzen!
Eitzen council members agreed, at their June 13 meeting, that seeing all the activity scheduled at the town’s ballpark this summer is good. “Next Tuesday is the first Pee Wee game,” announced Mayor Jeff Adamson. “Every Tuesday in June, and once we get into July, there’s going to be Tuesday and Friday night games for the first three weeks in July after the 4th. That will be … [Read more...]
Licensing for sale of hemp products required in Fillmore County
At the June 13 meeting of the county board, County Attorney Brett Corson noted the county’s ordinance requires a license to sell cannabinoid/THC products in the county effective July 1, 2023. The ordinance regulating the sale of hemp derived cannabinoid products was approved at the board’s May 23 meeting. “No person, bar, restaurant, business, or other entity shall sell, … [Read more...]
Pasture management
By Tanner Marquardt Student Intern University of Minnesota Extension PRESTON, MN — With the grazing season upon us, here are a few tips for good pasture management. Check your fencing to ensure it is in good condition with no openings or down fences for animals to escape. Also, check for things like broken or missing posts, broken boards for wooden fences or loose wire on … [Read more...]
Fundraising events for Father’s Day weekend
This upcoming Father’s Day weekend is going to be extra special. Dads like cars, and dads like helping people. This Father’s Day weekend will bring it all together. Caledonia Founder’s Day is scheduled for June 15 through June 18 in Caledonia, Minn. On Saturday, June 17, the Randy Klinski Memorial Car Show will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This 10th annual event, … [Read more...]
Bunge request for rezoning denied
Developer Andy Bunge’s request to rezone the four Park Lane development parcels from R-2 (One and Two Family Residential) to R-3 (Multi-Family Residential) was considered at the Preston City Council’s June 5 meeting. Planning and Zoning had recommended approval of the zoning request after a May 31 public hearing, contingent on Bunge purchasing the parcels and obtaining a legal … [Read more...]
Juneteenth, an official holiday for Houston County employees
Houston County commissioners approved Juneteenth as an official Houston County holiday at its June 6 meeting for both non-represented employees and members of the following labor unions: Law Enforcement Labor Services No. 415, Licensed Lieutenant Unit-Law Enforcement Labor Services No. 237, Licensed Deputies Unit-Law Enforcement Labor Services No. 60, Jailer/Dispatcher … [Read more...]
MPCA agreement ends for Fountain
Amid several comments of celebration at the June 7 council meeting, the City of Fountain finally saw its stipulation agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) end. As reported in the Fillmore County Journal in August 2017, the agency approved the new plant in 2009 and began operation the following January. In 2015, MPCA notified the city of a violation. The … [Read more...]