The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced today that the agency has fully implemented the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides a 13 week extension of unemployment benefits for eligible applications. PEUC was authorized by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which … [Read more...]
Recycling 101: Cancelling Household Hazardous Waste and COVID-19 changes
By Drew Hatzenbihler Solid Waste Administrator This time of year, I would normally be writing about spring cleaning and what to do with all the materials you find in your basements and attics, however, this year has been anything but normal. Due to COVID-19 most people have been adjusting to a new way of life; working from home, changing routines to stay home, and socially … [Read more...]
COVID-19 financial assistance for veterans now available
Veterans and their spouses who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are now able to access a pair of state government programs that were created to provide them with financial assistance. “During troubled times in our country’s history, our veterans put their lives on hold to do what was best for our state and our country,” said State Representative Greg Davids … [Read more...]
First COVID-19 death reported in Fillmore County
On April 23, 2020, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) confirmed Fillmore County’s first COVID-19 related death. It is connected to a congregative living facility outside of Fillmore County. Information on congregative care facility exposure by county can be found on MDH Situational Update page. More information about coronavirus is available website at … [Read more...]
Kappers’ Big Red Barn expands home milk deliveries
The Kappers family has always churned out creative ideas for their dairy. “Bob always had a plan. He’s an outside of the box thinker,” said Jeanette Kappers proudly in a 2017 Journal feature. Nestled into the community of Chatfield, the micro-dairy operates with the complete on-site production, processing, and packaging of their milk, as well as value-added products. In … [Read more...]
Non-profits facing lean times during stay-at-home
Fillmore County is home to a number of non-profit organizations which, like everyone else, are feeling the impact of the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus mitigation practices currently in place. The Journal reached out to several of these organizations recently to get a glimpse into how they are “weathering the storm.” When asked about the immediate impact on his … [Read more...]
County takes measures to ease COVID-19 impact
At the April 14 meeting of the Fillmore County Board via Webex, commissioners took steps to lesson the impact on their constituents. County Auditor/Treasurer Heidi Jones noted the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) has provided some guidance on possibly giving some property owners, who are struggling due to closures, some relief. She said she has received a handful of … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Pre and postCOVID – being thoughtful Do you ever get stuck on a phrase that you can’t shake? Well, I know I have…. and some of you who know me may agree that I have been using and probably overusing the word Awesome for 30+ years. My prediction is there are a couple of phrases that will be used for a very long time are “preCOVID” and “postCOVID.” Anyone taking inventory of … [Read more...]
Facing COVID-19
“Early last week, I received a call from my daughter, who is a physical therapist at a local hospital, telling me they were running low on face masks. My other daughter, also a physical therapist in home health, also mentioned they were very low on masks. Then shortly after that conversation, Pastor Dan (Christ Lutheran Church in Preston, Minn.) shared a post on the church … [Read more...]