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2013 “Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
SMIF brings people together Pages 11-13
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Monday, April 29, 2013
A Spring Sports Smattering
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Volume 28 Issue 31
Mike Urban appointed to Chatfield Council page
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Almanzo Bike Race coming to Spring Valley 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
Another sinkhole By Barb Jeffers barb@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Nick, Jackie, Creighton, Dave, and Theresa are excited about the Lyle’s Flooring America changes. Photo by Kirsten Zoellner
Rushford Floor Covering merges with Lyle’s Flooring America Horihan Insurance Agency, with locations in Rushford, Rochester, kirsten@fillmorecountyjournal.com and now Minnesota City, chang For years people have echoed es in consumerism keep them the sentiment that small town hopping. Following an instinct, businesses just can’t compete which started in early 2001, the with their larger counterparts. family opened their flooring Big box behemoths, ultra-com- operation adjacent to the existpetitive pricing, and gravitation ing insurance agency. In Janutowards internet browsing and ary 2008, the agency purchased sales have staggered the potential Ringler Insurance and opened its and growth of many mom and third branch office. Now, as of pop stores. Still, some of those April 1 of this year, the Winona locally-owned businesses can’t branch office of Linda Horihan be driven out, instead thriving Agency has moved to share space through it all and finding where with the Lyle’s Flooring America they can trump the competition - location in Minnesota City due service. to the Horihan family purchase The Horihan family knows of the Lyle’s franchise. Richard this first-hand. As owners of Horihan along with sons CreighRushford Floor Covering, as well ton and Charles are transitioning as Rushford Fireplace and Linda Lyle’s Flooring America with their By K irsten Zoellner
Dirty
Martini
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Rushford Floor Covering business to create two Lyle’s Flooring America locations. Creighton, who started working with his mother Linda in the insurance agency in 2002 and became president in 2005, says, “Coupling the flooring business with the insurance business in the same location has been a great combination in Rushford and we look forward to offering customers the same combination in Minnesota City. Charles and I are excited for the opportunity to expand our existing flooring business and ensure the future of Lyle’s.” Lyle’s has itself been a flourishing business for 52 years, including 20 years as Lyle’s Interiors, See FLOORING Page 6
As most passers-by on Highway 52, just North of Fountain, Minn., have noticed in recent days a fairly large sinkhole has opened up about a quarter mile outside of town on the West side of the road. Being conspicuously placed along the roadside it has many travelers turning their heads on their way to and from work or running errands. The sinkhole has a diameter of approximately 15 feet at this time, and is several feet deep. Schwarz Farms of Fountain rents the land and Jason Schwarz stated that “a sinkhole opened up there a couple years ago” but that one was “a quarter of the size” of the one that has now appeared. Jason stated that when it happened in the past they have “filled it in” but they “may have to re-vamp it a little” this time because of the way the water runs off in that spot. The owner of the property is Paul Walsh of Rochester, Minn. When Mr. Walsh was contacted
for a comment on the newly formed sinkhole he was unaware of the situation and stated that “there has been a sinkhole there for years” but he did not know it had opened up again and was larger in size than in the past. Mr. Walsh stated that he would “have to get down there and look at it” and see it for himself. Sinkholes are common in this area due to the karst topography, which according to the website for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, www.dnr. state.mn.us, “is surface developed by solution and subsidence into underground drainage, sinkholes, and caves” such as we have here in southeastern Minnesota. The website also explains “the cavernous tunnel systems in Fillmore and Olmsted counties” and how they were formed. National Geographic describes sinkholes in a way that is easy to understand on its website, http:// education.nationalgeographic. com, where it states: A sinkhole is a hole in the ground that forms when water See SINKHOLE Page 10
MnWARN coordinators visit Fillmore County for presentation always a possibility of such a tragic disaster, it is never a bad idea to mitchell@fillmorecountyjournal.com prepare and have a plan in place Nearly six years later, the vivid to ease the effects when tragedies images of the devastating floods like the 2007 floods occur. of 2007 are still fresh in the minds Minnesota Water/Wastewaof many across southeastern Min- ter Agency Response Network nesota, especially those who lived (MnWARN) region one coorin the community of Rushford at dinator Steve Bushman, along the time. Even though seventeen with region six coordinator Marty inches of rain falling within a Glynn and Jeff Dale of the Min24-hour period is an extremely nesota Rural Water Association, rare event, no one can guarantee delivered an informational presenthat something similar will not tation on the benefits of belonging happen again. And as there is See MnWARN Page 7 By Mitchell WA lbridge
Spring 5 Course Wine Dinner
Monday-Wednesday - Closed Thursday - 4:30-8pm Friday - 4-9pm Saturday - Noon-9pm Sunday - Noon-8pm May 4TH at 7pm • Reservations required 109 S. Parkway, Lanesboro, MN 55949 See full menu online! www.riversideontheroot.com Sponsored by Chiggy Liquor in Peterson and Vinocopia Wine & Spirits