Root River Ag Services expands to Fountain page
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First Southeast Bank completes remodel page
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Peterson eyes strategic plan
Progress Edition 2013-2014 Community
Preston businesses anticipate veterans cemetery page
PRSRT STD ECR WSS US. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 70 MADELIA, MN 56062
Root River Market Coop provides for Houston
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ersar Business Anniv history of service
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Celebrating a
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Ryan Hoefs greets customers
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Siskow Deli and more in Ostrander
Deli in Ostrander, Minn. Photo by Barb Jeffers
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Arts Campus Initiatvie takes root in Lanesboro
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POSTAL PATRON
ts in the an area for consignmen By BarB Jeffers building. com The deli offers breakfast, barb@fillmorecountyjournal. Breakfast Minn. lunch and dinner. The city of Ostrander, busi- items include waffles, breakfast new is fortunate to have a business, sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, ness in town. The Siskow, cereal, muffins, and other favorowned by Amanda 2, 2013 ite breakfast foods. been December opened on Daily lunch specials have “hot Siskow, and has been the newest “very popular,” said enjoying the spot” in town. busi- with area residents The new combination and variety of noon meals that have Deli ness is called Siskow deli and been offered. Siskow stated that A are mostly Blown Away Salon. may the lunch specials as hot beef such salon in the same building food comfort not be an ordinary combination sandwiches, turkey with potaextraordibut for Siskow it is be work- toes and gravy, goulash, and over biscuits nary. She is happy to she loves creamed chicken ing two careers that them in to name a few of the lunches the and being able to do deli has offered. approxthe same place. Siskow said she serves right are per day As if the deli and salon Siskow imately 20 lunches not enough to stay busy, 10 items and See SISKOW DELI Page convenience has also
Rack’s Bar and Grill my contributes to local econo
The length the and project standards. concerns months after purchasing schedule also in poor to be of the project By JacKie Horsman building. “All the contractors By K irsten Zoellner The project is expected and many, but City Administrator no way we .com kept telling us there is by then, l.com massive. Upgraded utilitiesstreets Steve Sarvi has attempted to reasjackie@fillmorecountyjournal open kirsten@fillmorecountyjourna ownpur- could be ready to we completely reconstructed the public and business can Steve and Karla Tart April but we kept saying yes we will all it will be long-term sure “This is not something in chuckled having and sidewalks city, but for a ers that the city will do chased their business and yes we can,” Steve want to do. If we weren’t do positive for the to move the project along. to be 2013, but their vision had start- as he reminisced. And they did. utility problems, we wouldn’t last city still recovering, the impact Still, the city appears and ed way before that. For years the They opened with a completely mood The total cost stride it.” That was the overall in customers staggering. project been room. seems the had dining state Highhovers just over taking in remodeled bar and positive a Tart family fall of the impending is cozy to run of the project the city’s share attempting to put as Novem- at Tootie’s, a bar and grill, The feel of the restaurant way 43 project scheduled in $3.5 million with on it as possible. In Valley. Three of four and warm, very picturesque like including assess- spin the city hired long-time mar- Spring through the heart of Rushford the busifollow- at $1,695,858, lodge. years prior to buying assessment ber, 2014. Since September, Foster, Steve a true Minnesota went ments. The estimated consultant Sally Ryman The assess- keting the city with commu- ness from Tootieseriously conWith all the work that the ing the results of a preliminary Engi- costs are $337,142. to assist Karla had into the finished product,credit feasibility report by Otomo of the ments are expected to be shared nication and marketing for the and the decision they ultito give neering that detailed someproject, over 64 properties, with the prop- business community. Ryman has sidered made. Karla explained, Tarts are quickand friends who the to their family determined as those years of her mately potential $3.5 million went to Tootie’s after we helped with demolition and coming to erties to be benefit. MnDOT spent more than 30 “We gradually as has such city the with the most career with companies through recongames at Kingsland and them. grips with what’s before painfully will contribute $1.5 million to Minnesota Rural Electric Asso- kids’ to see it continue to be stood by them and Karla take Steve wanted more. struction. no Viafield, The city was already bring but O’Lakes, could of some the project, in the ciation, Land Co-op Elevator in a place where you Tarts have pride in knowing they hired aware of the conditions Businesses have grown and Farmers family.” The contractors and under the of the utilities that lay news of last seven years, with several new Rushford. “I’ve got an extensive your just that with a separate local building supplies stretch of roadway when from upstarts, but the potential effect background in getting people done room area that closes at purchased building “I believe all of could have some reelthe project trickled down better,” notes dining with the understanding locally as well. were from right of the util- the project dealing with having to work together it’s 9 p.m. in a our contractors the state level. Many with the Ryman. “For the community, e. that children do not belong to light ing. Already here in Spring Valley the city’s main thority issues were brought inconvenienc setting in the evening. the exception of the plumber who flooding in to give up the duration of the a headache; an is their life- bar by and worsened by pipe works oughfare forcommunity is essen- For businesses, this Their vision was so strong 2007, including 1885 project, the Rack’s for business We need to work together RACK’S Page 12 blood. opened See deteriorating Tarts state the rapidly of mercy which are 8 on June 5, 2013, just a few short inflow and tially at theto alternative routes See RUSHFORD Page and causing excessive as well is regards infiltration to the system, which are as a series of 1959 pipes
Check out the 2013-2014 Progress Edition in today’s Journal
“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
M-C student representatives give report page
Monday, January 27, 2014
I shoulda been a kicker
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Volume 29 Issue 19
Master’s heroics annul Manning’s page
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Rushford Village receives pavement management plan page
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Canton l Chatfield l Fountain l Harmony l Lanesboro l Mabel l Ostrander l Peterson l Preston l Rushford l Rushford Village l Spring Valley l Whalan l Wykoff
Power and money Who is paying the most for electricity? The lowest electric rates in the nation in 2012 came from jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com the great state of Louisiana. But, Power costs money. When while the electric rates were 8.37 residents and business owners cents/kWh, the consumption of Fillmore County receive their was nearly 39 percent above the monthly utility bills, they see national average. Tri-County Electric firsthand the cost of their conCooperative sumption. But, how does your utility In the Fillmore County area, bill compare with others in the Tri-County Electric Cooperaregion and the nation? Specifi- tive (TEC) directly and indically, this article is going to focus rectly serves the most number of customers of any electric utility. on residential electric rates. According to TEC State and National Averages President/ The 2012 average monthly C E O bill (residential) in the UnitBrian ed States based on a report Kramprovided by the U.S. Energy beer, Information Administration was $107.28 with an average monthly consumption of 903 kilowatt hours (kWh) at a rate of 11.88 cents/kWh. In Minnesota, the average monthly consumption in 2012 was 793 kilowatt hours at a rate of 11.35 cents/kWh for an average monthly bill of $90.06. In neighboring states like Iowa, the rate was lower at 10.82 cents/ kWh, and Wisconsin was much higher at 13.82 cents/kWh. Obviously, the higher the kWh rate, the higher your electric bills are based on comparable consumption. serve If you were lucky enough to “We live in Hawaii in 2012, your about 11,000 average monthly electric bill m e m b e r s would have been $203.15 at a and have about rate of 37.34 cents/kWh. But, 13,000 active accounts.” since you would have been liv- Tri-County Electric Cooping in Hawaii with the highest erative, which employs 51 indielectric rates in the U.S., surely viduals in their service territory, your electric bill would have operates out of Rushford with been the least of your concerns. outposts in Caledonia, Harmony and Spring Valley. After all, you’re in Hawaii. By Jason Sethre
They serve the rural areas of Houston, Fillmore and Winona counties, including the cities of Brownsville, Canton, Fountain, and Houston. According to Krambeer, they “also serve wholesale power to the cities of Caledonia, Eitzen, Harmony, Lanesboro, Mabel, Peterson, Rushford, Spring Grove, and Whalan.” With TEC, they do have seasonal rate fluctuation, so the months of June, July and August are considered peak summer months for energy consumption. The most common residential rate for TEC customers (rural service) is 13.00 cents/kWh during the months of June, July, and August. During the other months out of the year, when energy consumption is less, the rate is 10.5 cents/kWh. So, based on the 2012 average monthly consumption of 793 kWh in Minnesota, your average Tri-County Electric Cooperative bill would run $106.27 per month for city service or $115.27 per month for rural service. TEC also offers “city, suburban, small commercial, large commercial and industrial service rates,” according to Krambeer. According to the TEC rates effective May 1, 2012, a city service (single-phase) basic monthly service charge is $23, while a basic monthly charge for rural service (single-phase) is $32. Krambeer did indicate See POWER Page 20
Preston supports current Renewable Fuel Standard By K aren R eisner karen@fillmorecountyjournal.com
The Preston City Council at their January 21 meeting authorized City Administrator Joe Hoffman to draft a letter on behalf of the city council to the Environmental Protection Agency to be signed by Mayor Kurt Reicks asking for continued support for homegrown biofuels. Councilman Robert Maust was absent. In November of last year, the EPA proposed reducing volume obligations set by Congress. The proposal would reduced the total renewable fuel volume from 18.15 billion gallons to 15.21 billion gallons for 2014. The EPA also has proposed reducing the volume of advanced biofuels, those required to be “at least 50 percent improvement to gasoline for greenhouse gas emissions,” from 3.75 billion gallons to 2.2 billion gallons. This advanced pool of biofuels would include a proposed 17 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol and 1.28 billion gallons of bio-based diesel. These additional proposals would
reduce the actual amount of grainbased ethanol to 13.01 gallons (last year’s number for grain-based ethanol was 13.8 billion gallons). The EPA proposals have been presented for public comment (60 days) until January 28. POET asked the city council for their support. They suggest the reduction in the volume would cause the plant to scale back on its production. Mayor Reicks had attended a meeting with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and noted the concern that the reduction in volumes would have a negative economic impact and result in a loss of jobs. The MDA forecasts that there could be a loss of 1,500 jobs related to biofuels across the state and a $610 million economic loss. Reicks said any individual interested in sending comments can do so. ADA Crosswalks Fillmore County has proposed “bump-outs” to meet American See PRESTON Page 14
Houston School Board looks at “World’s Best Workforce” include six parts. The first parts needed are clearly defined disangie@fillmorecountyjournal.com trict and school site goals and The Houston School Board benchmarks for instruction and held a meeting on January 21. student achievement for all stuAt the meeting, Superintendent dent subgroups. Rick gave an overview of the Secondly, a process for assessdistrict strategic plan to sup- ing and evaluating each student’s port teaching and learning that progress toward meeting state is aligned with new legislation’s and local academic standards “World’s Best Workforce” initia- and identifying the strengths tive. and weaknesses of instruction According to the Minnesota in pursuit of student and school Department of Education, the success and curriculum affecting district’s strategic plan must See HOUSTON Page 18 By A ngie Rodenburg