Chatfield News

Find beauty within as Wits’ End Theatre presents another timeless classic

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 07/29/2019 - 11:28am

Find beauty within.

Then check out the (family-friendly) sexy candlestick.

“‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a fantastic story about finding beauty within,” stated Mariya Maragos-Chase, who will take the Potter Auditorium stage this Western Days to portray Belle, the “Beauty” of “Beauty and the Beast” as Wits’ End Theatre (WET) and director Kathy Keech present the timeless tale.

Distracted driving measure among many new state laws effective Aug. 1

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 07/29/2019 - 11:24am

Several transportation rule changes are among new Minnesota laws passed during the 2019 regular and special legislative sessions that take effect Aug. 1.

The biggest change will be an expanded distracted driving law that aims to take phones out of drivers’ hands as Minnesota will join a growing list of states with prohibitions on holding cellphones and other wireless communication devices while behind the wheel.

Local economy, jobs, healthcare biggest issues for southeastern Minnesota in latest Rural Pulse

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 07/29/2019 - 11:23am

More than three quarters of southeastern Minnesota’s residents say they are optimistic about their community’s future, according to the Rural Pulse survey of more than 1,560 Minnesotans just released by the Blandin Foundation.

Letter: ‘Day-brightener’ will be missed

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 07/29/2019 - 11:21am

Dear editor:

Love of history brings new leadership to Fillmore County History Center

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 07/23/2019 - 3:16pm

They were hired, and the rest will be history.

“My first interaction with the history center was many years ago when I caught the genealogy bug from my mother, and the irony was that I was here researching my husband’s family, trying to find out if the Sturgises in Chatfield were related to the Sturgises that founded Sturgis, S.D., but it turns out that they’re not…our Sturgis family was one of the founding families of Chatfield,” explained Sara Sturgis.

Relay for Life fundraising surpasses goal, raises hope

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 07/23/2019 - 3:04pm

Take THAT, flying cancer monkeys!

“I know that we surpassed our goal of $86,000, however, I have not heard a final total yet,” stated Michele Peterson, co-chair of the 2019 Fillmore County Relay for Life.

This year’s event, held in Lanesboro on Friday, July 12, followed the theme of “There’s No Place Like HOPE,” a nod to “The Wizard of Oz.” Walkers took to the track around Sylvan Park to raise funds for cancer research through the American Cancer Society (ACS).

David Phillips: ‘Challenge of our time’ not so easy to identify

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 07/23/2019 - 2:40pm

The exchange between letter-writers in the Bluff Country Reader on President Donald Trump’s lies and other polarizing traits may be interesting, but it is unlikely to change anyone’s mind about the man holding the highest office in the land. That’s because one statement by Trump that rings true today is when he told a crowd in Iowa on the campaign trail in 2016, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, OK? It’s, like, incredible.”

Fountain celebration notes 150 years of community

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Thu, 07/18/2019 - 8:36am

The small town of Fountain, Minn., has staying power that many other locales would envy. Fountain turns 150 years old in 2019 and will have a big celebration July 26 to 28. If one has never been there, the town sits just 30 miles south of Rochester. Scott Rustad of the First Bank of Fountain is in charge of the committee that’s organizing the celebration.

Chatfield Council reaffirms practice of reciting Pledge of Allegiance at meetings

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 07/16/2019 - 2:43pm

The Chatfield City Council and Mayor Russ Smith renewed its commitment to begin meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance as is customary. The mayor made a statement regarding such at the council meeting on Monday, July 8.

Chatfield School Board prepares for upcoming school year

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 07/16/2019 - 2:42pm

Chatfield School Board members and staff paused to notice the calendar’s date during the July regular meeting, observing that time is short before the next school year begins and that there is plenty to be done, though not as much as there was at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year when construction at the high school was coming to an end.

Chatfield Superintendent Ed Harris spoke about how work to hire staff for the school year is hopefully winding down at the elementary so that principal Shane McBroom can focus on getting his staff ready to welcome students.