In 1971, the Minnesota Legislature as part of the "Minnesota Miracle" gave school districts the ability to levy, with voter approval, for additional revenue to cover general operating costs for a district. Although it has gone through many changes, that option is still with us today as informed voters are well aware of, since three local school districts - Chatfield, Fillmore Central and Kingsland - will have a referendum on the ballot Nov. 2. Other area districts our newspapers cover already have operating levy referendums in effect. Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Although Mabel and Wykoff have their celebrations in the fall, the summer calendar is nearly full of town celebrations, the three most recent being Spring Valley, Chatfield and Lanesboro on consecutive weekends in August.
The weekend celebrations offer towns a chance to show off their communities and reconnect with area residents. They also offer opportunities for local residents and guests to have some fun at activities such as dances, contests, community meals and parades. Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Although Mabel and Wykoff have their celebrations in the fall, the summer calendar is nearly full of town celebrations, the three most recent being Spring Valley, Chatfield and Lanesboro on consecutive weekends in August.
The weekend celebrations offer towns a chance to show off their communities and reconnect with area residents. They also offer opportunities for local residents and guests to have some fun at activities such as dances, contests, community meals and parades. Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The end of my shoe just caught a branch and I almost went tumbling down to the pavement during the Western Days Stampede 10k race Saturday. I had veered just slightly to the side of the course and caught the large branch that had one end sticking just ever so slightly onto the street. Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The findings of a recent federal watchdog report that raised the most ruckus centered on the Treasury's misguided decisions to force the termination of auto dealerships at a time when the country was experiencing the worst economic downturn in generations and the government was asking taxpayers to support a $787 billion stimulus package designed to preserve jobs. Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I was well aware of how much work goes into organizing the Relay for Life event. After, all, monthly stories about the Fillmore County Relay for Life were published in our own Bluff Country Reader. The updates in the Reader started almost a year before the Fillmore County Relay for Life last weekend in Wykoff as it takes that much planning for such a big event. Wednesday, August 04, 2010
It took a federal watchdog to confirm what many business people in our area already knew without undertaking a comprehensive study Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Trailer Life, a magazine for recreational vehicle owners, featured Cherry Grove in its July issue. Columnist Bill Graves, who writes a column called America's Outback, presents a slice of life of one of America's smallest towns, highlighting the town's landmarks, its people, and, of course, its biggest event, the annual Fourth of July parade. Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Although it didn't have quite the excitement of basketball's LeBron James decision, the fate of Seattle pitcher Cliff Lee kept the baseball world intrigued for several weeks before the Texas Rangers made a deal last week to acquire the veteran pitcher for some younger players and prospects. The situation was of particular interest for Minnesota Twins fans because our club was rumored to be involved in the quest to land Lee. Thursday, July 15, 2010
Cities in Minnesota haven't been frantically adjusting their budgets to deal with unallotments this summer and Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who made the term unallotment famous, is about to step down. That doesn't mean all is well for cities, though, as a recently completed projection prepared for the League of Minnesota Cities by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota shows a bleak future for cities throughout the state if drastic changes aren't made. Thursday, July 08, 2010
Residents in Fillmore and Houston counties aren't very sinful. At least, that's the conclusion of Forum One Communications, a digital communications firm, which put together a website called County Sin Rankings that ranks counties based on the seven deadly sins. Wednesday, June 23, 2010
