Todd Jones of Spring Valley Ace Hardware is a dog lover, and he especially loves Doberman dogs. But when his most recent pet Doberman died, fate had a change in mind for the Jones family. Todd said, “I’ve always had Dobermans in the past. And we had a fire, and the last one died in the fire.” So they bought a “fixer-upper” house, and fixed it up good as new. Then Todd … [Read more...]
This Dozer not for sale
Harrington Enterprises, located on Highway 63 midway between Chester (Iowa) and Spring Valley, sells and services lawn and garden equipment. But lately, a Dozer has been garnering the most attention at their location. But this particular Dozer is definitely not for sale, because he’s a dog. Chad and Camri Harrington, who operate Harrington Enterprises from their home, have … [Read more...]
Lucy is a common sight at the Commonweal Theatre
When stopping at the box office of the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, Minn., there is usually a furry friend named Lucy who will greet you. Lucy’s owners are husband and wife team Adrienne Sweeney, Associate Artistic Director/Director of External Relations, and Hal Cropp, Executive Director of the Commonweal Theatre. Lucy has become a member of the theatre group and loves … [Read more...]
Meet Emerson, the Greek desert tortoise
Slow down a spell and stop at the Rushford Public Library to visit their in-house pet, Emerson, the tortoise. No need to be in a hurry, as she is always there waiting for attention. Emerson is a female Greek desert tortoise who came to live at the library in October of 2014 when a local family whose son was going away for college and would not be able to care for her … [Read more...]
A veteran’s service – American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars remember
We see them marching, flags held high while commanders call out drill commands. We see them somber at the funerals for soldiers who’ve passed on; standing with the color guard, trumpeting out a bugle’s song, firing the heart stopping three-volley salute. We see them, but who are they and what do they represent? At current count, there are 13,807 American Legion posts … [Read more...]
Honor Flight journey worth the wait for local vets
Since its inception in 2005, the Honor Flight Network has flown an estimated 159,000 thousand veterans to Washington, DC to view their respective war memorial. While the number may seem staggering, organizers can’t get flights fast enough. More than 29,000 veterans are on the ever-increasing waiting list. Recently, two Rushford American Legion members had the privilege of … [Read more...]
Patriotism led Spring Valley man to serve his country
When Gabe Kohn was asked why he joined the service, he said, “I’ve always been a patriotic person and knew that serving my country would be something I’d want to do one day.” That patriotism has taken him on a journey that has been good for both him and our country. Kohn is a staff sergeant with the 8th Fighter Wing of the U.S. Air Force. He has been stationed in South Korea … [Read more...]
Thanks for your service, Brandi Mayer
On Veterans Day, as you think about those who have served our country, you may think of the thousands of headstones in Arlington National Cemetery. You may conjure up a stereotypical image of an elderly soldier who fought in Korea or Vietnam. You may think of someone who’s taken an Honor Flight to Washington, DC. Those are all valid images, but there are other examples, and … [Read more...]
New veterans memorial honors veterans in Fountain
“I think practically every town around here has a memorial, and I thought Fountain should have one too,” Fountain resident and military veteran Larry Hunt remarked. When Hunt first came up with the idea of constructing a veterans memorial in Fountain, he approached the city council about it. They agreed that the city should have one to recognize and honor military … [Read more...]
Local veteran goes on the trip of his lifetime
By Annette and Deb, daughters of Art Callanan What started out as our family working together to get dad the Ambassador of Peace medal for his humanitarian efforts during the Korean War, turned into a trip of his lifetime. He was able to go on the Honor Flight on October 10, 2017. On Sunday, October 8, 2017, we were able to surprise dad at a sendoff lunch at Baker’s … [Read more...]