Month: February 2025

Two adult women stand on either side of three high school students wearing medals around their necks. The boy in the middle is holding a crystal plaque.

Stand Up, Speak Up

Now in her 25th year of coaching, Rachel Schieffelbein shares what it takes to compete in high school speech.

Visitors to Peterson, Minn., will appreciate gnome murals added to the Peterson post office building for years to come! The project was coordinated by Friends of Peterson and supported by a 2022 Paint the Town Grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). (Photo courtesy of SMIF)

Time Again to ‘Paint The Town’

Learn how your community can benefit — and beautify — from a 2025 Paint the Town Grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (applications accepted through March 31), and tour some of the recent projects in southeast Minnesota.

Black and white photo of an old two-story rectangular building with windows wrapping around the building.

Before Social Security, Fillmore County Poor Farm Helped The Poor And Aging     

With Congressional conversations underway regarding Social Security, Amy Jo Hahn takes us back in history to the “poor farms” that helped address poverty and aging prior to when Social Security was enacted in 1935.

A tiny trout floats in water surrounded by groups of tiny bubbles.

Trout in the Classroom | Opening a New World To Kids

John Weiss introduces us to high school students and their hands-on learning about rainbow trout and the delicate balance of conditions needed to grow them into big trout.

Two men, one older and one younger, play cribbage on a wood table in front of a red brick fireplace.

Neighbor Helping Neighbor

Greg Lovell visits Neighbors in Action, a La Crescent nonprofit working to keep seniors in their homes.

A bright pink, purple, blue, and green sky of Northern Lights shine behind a plexiglas and wood sauna.

Things Are Heating Up at New Spring Grove Sauna Business

John Torgrimson ‘warms us up’ to a public sauna business in rural Houston County.

Pair of eagles sit on a snowy river bank on a sunny day.

Original Photography…Winter Scenes

Original photography from southeastern Minnesota featuring nature scenes and community activities.

Girl wrestlers pair off as they warm up on the mat in a high school gym.

Girls are Wrestling in Southeast Minnesota—and Loving It!

Tom Brudvig explores the growing sport of girls’ wrestling in southeast Minnesota

A man in a brown shirt and woman in a light blue sweater stand in front of dark green cabinets and small pieces of art.

Art Center Serves as a Hub for Winona Artists and Community

Inside the Winona Arts Center: John Torgrimson introduces us to activities available to the southeast Minnesota region.

Pyramid shaped Haystacks in rows in a snowy field.

Essay | 150 Pairs of Boots

An excerpt from the book “Buggy Land” about life in Amish country by author Mary Swander.

An old fashioned metal windmill stands above a field against a sky of pink and blue clouds at sunset

Poetry | Clouds Awakening

Nature inspires Berta Aug’s poetry. Two new poems from this local author.

Black and white photo of a group of downhill skiers holding their skis upright in front of them with dark uniforms and large white labels on the front with their team numbers.

Ski Jumping In America Had Its Roots In Southeast Minnesota

At the turn of the 20th century, ski jumping was a growing sport in Southeast Minnesota. Steve Harris and John Torgrimson follow the history to its roots in Lanesboro.

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