News

Healing Hearts at the Barn fundraiser brings in a crowd

Guests checked out silent auction items at the Healing Hearts Night at the Barn fundraiser at Lee-Mar Equine Center in rural Granite Falls. The event featured a silent auction, games and raffles, as well as a dinner, general raffle and live auction. Photo by Jessica Stolen-Jacobson

University of Minnesota Dean’s list announced

University of Minnesota Twin Cities The following students have been named to the 2021 fall semester Dean’s List at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the university announced recently. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3.66 grade point average.

Community Matters: A letter from Multimedia Sales Executive Kelly Hosek

I’m Kelly Hosek and I’ve been living in Montevideo for 16 years; I grew up just a town over. I’ve worked for Montevideo American News for almost 7 years and have seen a lot of change and transition. The one thing that hasn’t changed, is that I am and will always be, a small-town girl. Being a part of Montevideo American News has allowed me to be a real part of the community and get to know my community members. Working with our business customers has allowed me to know my community in a very personal way.

The Dryer Doctors LLC offer expert service knowledge

Dryer Doctors LLC found its beginnings in 2017, when Josh Bauman, John Keller, and Leon Fokken, all co-workers at Custom Ag left to work for Northern Grain, and only a year and a half later, Northern Grain closed its doors. “We had calls from farmers saying we don’t care if you’re working at Walmart - you’d better figure this out because this fall when we have harvest, you’re going to be in my yard,” says John Keller. “So out of necessity for the farmers, we just said ok.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, March 24th: Introductory webinar held through Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission on Child Care FAcility Grants available in the area for child care centers, family child care providers and legal unlicensed providers. Webinar held at 6:30 p.m. Register through Zoom. More info on firstchildrensfinance. org/for-business/grants/

Art’s Dairy Freeze opened

Art’s Dairy Freeze opened for the season on Saturday, March 12th to a steady flow of locals who came out in their winter jackets despite the cool breeze to enjoy the first taste of the hometown classics on offer. News of the restaurant’s opening shared on the newspaper’s Facebook page was met by a number of comments by those sharing excitement and memories, with one commenter recalling visiting the popular local hang-out since 1962. Photo by Jessica Stolen-Jacobson

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, March 17th: The Annual Patty’s Parade will be on Thursday, March 17th at 5:30 throughout Main Street, Downtown Montevideo. Friday, March 18th: IV Play live show at the American Legion Post #59.

School Board discusses Fine Arts Center future

The Fine Arts Center was one of the topics of discussion at Monday evening’s Montevideo School Board meeting. The board recently advertised a request for proposals, and the end result was one proposal submitted. The proposal was at a cost to the district of $189,000 for the deconstruction of the building. For perspective, the 2020 referendum estimated the cost of deconstruction at around $360,000. “It seems weird to get a bid for this property that actually costs money, but when you look at the big picture it’s actually a cost savings. Especially knowing that we have to do this at some point,” says Superintendent Wade McKittrick.

New energy co-operative subject of recent webinar

Earlier this month, Montevideo-based CURE (Clean Up the River Environment) hosted a webinar to spread the word about a new cooperative solar garden that’s currently in development in an area West of Clara City, to benefit Xcel Energy customers in both Yellow Medicine and Chippewa Counties among others. The cooperative solar garden is being developed by a company called Cooperative Energy Futures that only produces cooperatively owned community solar installations. “Rather than other models of community solar projects, they develop community solar projects as member-owned cooperatives,” explains CURE Energy Democracy Program Director Erik Hatlestad. Several years ago, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission required that Xcel Energy accept community solar projects such as this. “So you’ve seen a lot of different projects that have different kinds of ownership structures and different kinds of actual owners of the projects,” explains Hatlestad. “You’ll see a lot of those large companies, but we really believe as an organization that normal people, rural residents should be making more decisions about what the future of electricity looks like. So community solar is a really great opportunity for residents and renters, and normal folks to participate in clean energy when they might not have otherwise and be a part of a system that is democratically owned by people who are actually being served by it rather than a company from far, far away.”