Culture & Community

Wide view inside the Chatfield Public Library showing three clear plastic STEAM activity bins displayed on a long bookshelf table. One bin contains colorful craft and sensory materials, another holds wooden blocks, and a third contains building toys and supplies. A bright yellow sign in the center promotes Yoto Players available at the library for children’s educational audio stories and music. Rows of children’s books fill the shelves below and behind the display. Large windows along the left side bring natural light into the modern library space while a patron browses books in the background.

Unique Library Programs Show Evolution of Borrowing

An older woman sits outdoors on a grassy hillside beneath budding tree branches while sketching in a spiral bound notebook. She wears glasses, a navy hooded sweatshirt, tan pants, and patterned slip on shoes. Bright spring sunlight illuminates the green grass, scattered wild plants, and rocky landscaping around her as she concentrates on drawing in a peaceful natural setting.

Houston County Artist Diane Crane Finds Beauty in Everyday Life

A group of about a dozen children stand together on a wooded trail during a conservation cleanup project in spring. The kids, dressed in hoodies, caps, gloves, and outdoor clothes, proudly hold large black trash bags filled with pulled invasive plants. One child lounges playfully in front while others wave and smile. Buckets and cleanup supplies sit nearby, and fresh green leaves cover the trees and forest floor behind them.

Conservation Crew at La Crescent-Hokah Middle School Tackles Invasive Species

A man wearing a brown knit hat, navy winter coat, and headphones around his neck smiles while talking with a woman whose blonde hair is pulled back with a large cream-colored clip. They stand inside a modern community space with a colorful abstract mural hanging on the wall behind them. Another person in a tan jacket is partially visible at the edge of the photo.

Inside The Landing MN’s Lifeline for the Rochester-area’s Unhoused Community

Three older adults stand inside a restored historic railroad-themed museum space in Preston, Minnesota. Behind them is a rustic wooden wagon filled with antique farm and railroad items, including old milk cans, crates, and tools. A weathered wooden “PRESTON” sign hangs on the wall above them, while vintage sleds and historic artifacts decorate the bright cream-colored room with wood plank walls and large windows.

All Aboard for History: Preston Depot Museum and Riverfront Center Celebrates Grand Opening

A group of about ten volunteers wearing bright yellow safety vests gather around a young tree in a grassy park. Several people kneel close to the base, gently loosening and spreading the tree’s roots before planting, while others stand nearby watching. A shovel is planted upright in the soil, and small clumps of dirt and grass surround the planting hole.

La Crescent Expands Tree Canopy with Free Boulevard Tree Program

A yellowed, aged newspaper front page titled “Fillmore County Pioneer” fills the frame, printed in bold, decorative serif lettering across the top. Beneath the title, smaller text reads “Carimona, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Thursday, June 5, 1856,” along with volume and issue numbers. The page is densely packed with narrow columns of small black text, including sections labeled “Business Cards” and “Select Poetry.” Advertisements for goods and services appear along the left column, while poetry and articles fill the center and right columns. The paper shows visible wear and discoloration, emphasizing its historical age.

What Happened to Small Town Newspapers?

A woman stands in the middle of a wide field filled with bright yellow sunflowers stretching to the horizon. Only her upper body is visible above the flowers. She wears a dark visor and smiles, surrounded by dense blooms under a hazy sky. The landscape is flat and expansive, emphasizing the vast sea of yellow flowers.

Citizen Scientist MJ Hatfield Fights Insect Decline

Several adults standing, sitting and talking in a conference room in Rushford, MN.

Honoring the Past, Building the Future: SMIF Celebrates 40 Years

A sepia-toned historical photograph shows six adult men posed in front of a stone building with large rectangular blocks and two windows. Four men stand in the back row while two sit in wooden chairs in the foreground. The men wear late 19th-century clothing, including dark suits, vests, long coats, and wide-brimmed hats. One seated man on the left has a long, full beard reaching down to his chest, while another man in the center has a thick mustache and a dark overcoat, standing with one hand slightly raised. The group faces the camera with serious expressions, typical of formal portraits from that era. The setting suggests a courthouse or civic building.

Mower County Pioneer Judge Sanford Washburn Finally Laid to Rest

A young woman with light skin smiles while standing outdoors in front of a historic red brick building decorated with patriotic bunting. She wears dark sunglasses and a light blue button-up shirt, with her hair pulled back. The background shows green grass, white fencing, and the restored building, suggesting a historic site setting.

Area Woman Brings Stories from the Past to Life

Woman with brown hair and blue eyes leans on her right hand. Behind her in the background is an enlarged photo of her book cover.

Local Story of Surviving Abuse Premieres Nationally on PBS

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