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“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
Houston Holidazzle page
25
Admitting refugees page
4
Monday, November 30, 2015
Rushford approves assessments page
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Chatfield fees page
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Volume 31 Issue 10
County budget puts limits page
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Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
Deputy Keasling makes history in Fillmore County
Sheriff Tom Kaase and Deputy Samantha Keasling stand outside the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office in Preston, Minn. Keasling is the first full-time female deputy in Fillmore County. Photo by Barb Jeffers By Barb Jeffers barb@fillmorecountyjournal.com
As the first full-time female deputy in Fillmore County, Samantha Keasling will undoubtedly be in the record books of Fillmore County but she is making her mark in many other ways as well. Keasling decided at the young age of 18 that she wanted to go into law enforcement. She states that she knew she “wanted to help people” and also knew she “did not want to work in an office” where she would be sitting at a desk all day. I thought law enforcement would be “a good fit” states Keasling commenting that it has
“been a good outlet for me to get out and meet people and be social and help people without being stuck in an office” all day. Deciding on her career at such a young age has given Keasling the opportunity to make many great accomplishments in a short period of time. Keasling began her career in law enforcement in 2000, at the age of 19, working patrol for Anoka County in Minnesota. After attending Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn., Keasling received her Associate’s Degree in law enforcement and became fully licensed in 2002. Keasling then received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology say-
ing that she chose an area for her bachelor’s degree that would “enhance” the education she had already received. Currently, she is working on her Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice through Metropolitan State University and plans to graduate in May of 2017. Keasling notes that Metropolitan State University has one of the best programs for law enforcement and criminal justice, which is why she chose to make the drive to the cities once a week for classes. After working for Anoka County for six years, Keasling made the move to Fillmore County in 2010 and has been very happy See HISTORY Page 10
Kingsland single-site plan voted down By R ich Wicks rich@fillmorecountyjournal.com
The Kingsland School Board met in regular session November 23 in the Kingsland Cafe due to a large crowd estimated at 120, including TV news crews. All board members were present (Doug Plaehn, Deb Larson, Kristin Beck, Troy Asher, Gwen Howard, and Ann Oeltjen) as was Superintendent John McDonald. Ten citizens had signed up to address the board, and each had a turn at the microphone, giving an opinion regarding the board’s single-site proposal. Each spoke in opposition to the plan, with some voicing concerns regarding the performance of school administrators. Objections to the singlesite plan included the concern of too many students of all ages being “crammed” into one building, questions regarding the accuracy of repair estimates for the
Wykoff site, questions regarding the reasons for Kingsland continuing to lose students through open enrollment, and concerns about a perceived lack of communication between the school board and the community. Each of the ten citizens was met with applause from many in the crowd following his or her statements. One of the speakers, Dan Howard, delivered a petition, which he said had over 530 signatures. He read from the petition, stating in part, “We, the undersigned stakeholders of Kingsland District 2137 do hereby advise and require the school board to refrain from any action that would remove the students from the Wykoff facility…” Another speaker, Jeff Erding, commented, “There’s a lot of confusion,… and it’s justified confusion…”. He read statements from the 2008 and 2012 See KINGSLAND Page 2
Cheryl Krage named Director of Lanesboro Chamber of Commerce By Beth McM animon beth@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Cheryl Krage has accepted the position as the new Director for the Lanesboro Chamber of Commerce. Though she originally grew up in Milwaukee and spent some time working in Washington DC, she and her husband decided to settle in this area in order to join a family business. “We’ve been here for close to ten years now, so I’m getting used to the area,” Krage commented, acknowledging the difference between metropolitan and small town areas. “Small town life is definitely different, with everybody knowing each other, but I have come to enjoy it,” she added. “I’ve loved seeing how
things evolve in town.” Krage had worked in a number of non-profit organizations, and that experience led to a job at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center as a representative for the Chamber. “I have been involved in the Chamber in different ways over the last number of years, and when the situation presented itself, I didn’t think that I could pass it by,” Krage reported on her acceptance as director. “It’s a new challenge for me.” Krage further stated, “As the Director of Tourism, I’m working in the capacity of getting the word of Lanesboro out there and bringing them to town. I’ve been researching different marketing techniques since I’ve See DIRECTOR Page 14