Fillmore County Journal

Growing up, Steve Snyder, of Lanesboro, never had a station wagon and rarely even rode in one. But he always thought they were cool — big, classic, and comfortable. Five years ago, when the opportunity finally arose, he decided to get one for himself. A friend mentioned a wagon for sale up in northern Minnesota: a 1988 Chevy Caprice Estate. He wanted a collector car to actually drive and enjoy with friends and family, rather than just look at in the garage. Station wagons also offered a more affordable route than muscle cars. One day he surprised everyone with his new station wagon when he pulled into the driveway. That single surprise purchase quickly grew into much more than Steve had … Read Story

Owners Keith Bradt and Bill Burk have owned Chatfield Body Shop in Chatfield since 1995. Keith’s dad had bought the business in 1978; when he became ill in 1989, Keith joined him in the business. Keith ran the business from 1990 to 1995 when he and Bill Burk, who already did body work at the business, decided to form a partnership. About 15 years ago, the duo expanded into service work as well. They now also do brakes, oil changes, tires and other maintenance. Since then, their customer base has continuously grown. Bradt says they have a good following. Just that day they had gotten a new customer whose sister has been a customer for years. They now have around 1,940 customers. Some … Read Story

Cade Christensen of rural Houston has been into cars since he was a 6-month-old baby, when the 1957 Chevy Bel Air station wagon joined the family. The car had been purchased in South Dakota by Cade’s uncle; when he chose to sell it, Cade’s dad Alan bought it. When Cade was 13, he started working on the ‘57 Chevy. The Christensens chose to do a “frame off” restoration in which the entire body of the car was removed. Young Cade did all the bodywork on his car; his uncle Nathan Christensen, who painted trucks for Remlinger Auctions, handled the painting with the very involved Cade observing. Cade now wishes he’d been able to paint the car himself. Cade currently works as a painter at Lewiston … Read Story

In 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt formed the Rural Electricification Administration (REA). A short year later both Hawkeye REC (Rural Electric Cooperative) and Tri-County Electric were formed in 1936. These two companies would later combine to form MiEnergy Cooperative in 2017. The merger of the two cooperatives was the natural next step for both. At that time, they had shared manager Brian Krambeer for eight years. The merger gave them a stronger cooperative; if there were emergencies to be dealt with, there was a larger pool of employees to work together. What is it about a cooperative that made MIEnergy a success? According to Brian Krambeer who has been the CEO for 26 years, it is due to … Read Story

High school sports are a big part of life for those in Fillmore County and now, for the first time, the homeschool community has their own team competing. Per Minnesota Statute 123B.49, Subdivision 4(a) homeschool students are eligible to play on public school teams in the district in which they reside, but it’s not always the best option for them. When Amy and Ryan Grabau moved outside the Forestville area in Fillmore County with their five homeschooled children in 2024, their daughters Amanda and Rebekah were disappointed to have to leave their volleyball team at Owatonna Christian School. The closest homeschool or Christian school team that they could play on was in Rochester, which … Read Story