Business & Work

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.

A classic small-town hardware store with a vintage gold-and-black sign reading “Hokah Hardware” painted across large front windows. The display window is filled with household items—glassware, pitchers, and metalware—while tables outside hold brightly colored bowls, tools, and small appliances for sale. The green storefront and wooden overhang evoke an old-fashioned Main Street charm.

Hokah Hardware Keeps Small-Town Spirit Alive

For 35 years, Carol Moore has made Hokah Hardware a Main Street gathering place alive with heart, history and hometown pride. Greg Lovell reports on the challenges this small town store faces.

A full house of farmers and ranchers sit shoulder to shoulder in the renovated Lanesboro Sales Barn’s theatre-style seats. Many wear baseball caps or straw hats as they watch the auction ring below. The tiered seating and upper-level balcony give the scene the look of a movie theater, with people leaning forward in concentration as bids are called out.

Lanesboro Sales Barn Completes Theatre-style Renovation

Tom Brudvig reports on the Lanesboro Sales Barn as it celebrates a renovation with theatre-style seating, digital upgrades and record-breaking sales.

A person with short gray hair and sunglasses stands behind a blue-covered craft fair table set up outdoors on a sunny day in a wooded park. The table displays handmade fabric crafts, including colorful quilted eyeglass cases, pot holders, and bags made from patterned cotton fabric. The vendor’s sign reads “TLT Crafts.” Wooden crates are stacked to create display shelves, and one holds an orange-and-white leaf-patterned tote bag. Dappled sunlight filters through green trees in the background.

From Quilts to Tote Bags: Twyla Thorson’s 30-Year Legacy of Textile Art

From quilts to tote bags, Rose Korabek profiles Houston County fiber artist Twyla Thorson celebrating 30 years of her unique holiday home boutique.

Black and white image on a digital pad of 5 men of all eras. Pad is on top of a brown deer hide.

Wiebke Fur & Trading Co. Marks 100 Years of Family Business

Rose Korabek profiles a local family-owned sporting goods business celebrating its 100-year anniversary.

A large screen behind a stage lined with people in chairs shows a womean sitting in a folding chair in her grassy yard.

Fillmore County Farmers Featured at Farm Aid 40

Local farming couple Vance and Bonnie Haugen were featured during the Farm Aid 40 events held in Minneapolis in September 2025. Root River Current‘s Julie Fryer was there.

An older man with gray hair, wearing a maroon tshirt with University of Minnesota in gold letters, stands on grass next to a field of corn that reaches well over his head. The sky behind the field is bright blue with white fluffy clouds.

Conservation Conversation with Farmer Duane Bakke

Alison Leathers reports on a local farmer’s conservation work including no-till planting. Part of a three-part series.

A group of people sit at a table with glasses of beer appearing to have a discussion.

Engage Winona Wants to Train People for Public Leadership

John Torgrimson reports on a new Engage Winona initiative to train and grow rural community leaders in Southeast Minnesota.

A man wearing a dark green tshirt with a logo on the front stand behind a counter and looks down at the register screen.

Farm to Fork: Hyper-Local Dining at the Free Range Exchange

Greg Lovell checks in on the new Free Range Exchange, a trailblazing kitchen in Houston County, serving up a menu of seasonal, local ingredients.

A man wearing a gray tshirt with a large cloth glove on holds a tube sandwiches in a form. His other hand (out of the image) is pushing down on a plunger attached to the tube.

Liquid Willowcat Revolutionizes Walleye Fishing

John Weiss reports on a unique business venture that combines scent, color and a love for fishing.

Ayoung woman in a navy blue shirt stands in an older home holding a blue real estate SOLD sign.

Angel’s House of Healing

Rose Korabek shares the story of Angel’s House of Healing, a new women’s recovery home, founded by a Caledonia native, open to women throughout the region. (First published by the Caledonia Argus.)

A large building with peaked roof and tall windows with a stone sign in the front.

Driftless Center a Must Stop on the Great River Road

John Weiss learns more about the Driftless region during a visit to a learning center just south of the Minnesota-Iowa border.

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