Year: 2025

photo montage of arts activities

Celebrating Regional Arts & Artists – Again!

Check out Root River Current’s 2025 review of Regional Arts & Artists included in this year’s reporting on arts and culture in Southeast Minnesota.

Display case featuring Brevet Brigadier General Judson W. Bishop’s Civil War sword, informational placard, and small U.S. flag at the Fillmore County History Center in Fountain, Minnesota.

Civil War Hero Judson W. Bishop, Instrumental in Building Fillmore County’s Future

On the occasion of Veterans Day, Laney Smith uncovers the story of Chatfield’s Judson W. Bishop whose legacy includes Civil War leader, engineer, newspaperman and visionary who helped shape Fillmore County, Minn.

river valley in autumn

Autumn Colors in the Driftless

Root River Current photographers capture a range of fall colors for our November photo gallery.

prairie seeder in the field

Farm Programs Support Permanent Prairies, Wetlands and Sensitive Groundwater

Agricultural projects from Mower and Houston counties advance land preservation and water quality initiatives – updates from our county ag professionals.

woman and man on stage during theater production

Profile | John B. Nicol: Lanesboro’s “Jack of Arts”

Meet Lanesboro artist John B. Nicol whose career blends theater, photography and history into his special role in rural Minnesota. Steve Harris has this profile.

An older woman with gray hair and glasses sits under a large tree on a sunny day, playing a nyckel harpa—a wooden instrument resembling a violin with keys and strings. She wears a blue T-shirt with a colorful abstract print and a Star of David necklace. The scene feels peaceful, with soft sunlight on green grass.

Houston Arts Resource Council Celebrates 27 Years of Creativity

Now in its 27th year, the Houston Arts Resource Council (HARC) remains the heart of Houston, Minnesota’s creative community. Rose Korabek reports on their work supporting local artists by sponsoring the Parade of Owls, Meadowfest and the Houston Arts Festival.

A large Channel One Regional Food Bank truck is parked beside a red brick building with boarded windows. A worker in a gray hoodie unloads boxes on a lift gate, while two people stand near the open door labeled “Food Shelf.”

Local Food Shelves Stepping Up to Meet Record Demand

David Phillips reports on food shelves across southeastern Minnesota facing record demand in 2025 as inflation, high costs and reduced SNAP benefits strain family budgets.

picture of book cover

Returning the Sword: New Book Chronicles Local Man’s Gift to Japanese Family

Minnesota author Caren Stelson’s latest picture book focuses on the story of a Lanesboro man’s efforts to reconnect a World War II souvenir with its rightful owner in Japan.

Artist standing beside a series of framed black-and-white linocut prints on a dark gray gallery wall. The artist wears a deep red silk shirt and striped pants, smiling with arms crossed. The prints feature expressive portraits and detailed hands, showing strong linework and emotional realism. Exhibition lighting highlights both the artwork and the artist’s face.

Profile | Printmaking with Heart: Kelly Ristau’s Artistic Journey

Delia Bell profiles Minnesota artist Kelly Ristau, whose bold printmaking explores intimacy, identity and healing through art rooted in rural life and community.

A close-up of an old arched window framed in peeling white paint above a weathered wooden door. Bare tree branches partly obscure the view, and sunlight highlights the cracked glass and faded blue-gray siding.

Essay | Haunted by Time: Southeastern Minnesota’s Forgotten Schoolhouses and Farmsteads

John Weiss explores Fillmore County’s time-haunted schoolhouses and farmsteads where fading paint and sagging walls still teach lessons.

A full gymnasium filled with about 100 people seated in rows of folding chairs for a community meeting. The audience consists mostly of middle-aged and older adults, chatting and holding printed handouts. The room has basketball hoops, beige block walls, and fluorescent lights overhead.

Harmony Annexes 60 Acres for Possible Data Center

John Torgrimson and Julie Little report on community meetings surrounding a potential data center coming to Harmony.

Two people, Barb and Joel Mielke, stand in front of rolling prairie and oak savanna on their Fillmore County property, smiling in the sunlight.

Barb and Joel Mielke’s 37-Year Quest for Biodiversity in Bluff Country

Part three of Alison Leathers’ series on local conservationists features Barb and Joel Mielke who’ve restored prairie and oak savannah in Fillmore County, fostering biodiversity and creating habitat that’s now home to one of the region’s largest bat colonies.

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