Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 14, 2023.    Reprinted with permission and gratitude. By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy   Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently approved 23 grants totaling $206,000 to support small towns of 10,000 or less in SMIF’s 20-county region. The Small Town Grant program was launched in 2017…

Continue Reading Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation awards $206,000 in Small Town Grants ~ Milestone surpassed: More than 100 grants to support small towns awarded since program began

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 14, 2023.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude. By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy   Greg Melartin never gets tired of working on cars. There’s possibly an occasion when he’s feeling that it’s time for new tread, but never a day when taking them apart and putting them…

Continue Reading Melartin at home in driver’s seat at Matt’s Body Shop

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 7, 2023.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.   Dana Simmons wanted to be knit, so she joined the Knights. “I came to Kingsland because I missed being part of a smaller school in a close-knit community. I am from a small town, so Kingsland feels…

Continue Reading Kingsland’s new principal intertwines in community’s fabric

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, July 27, 2023.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude. By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy   So shiny, even the crows know it’s automatic. “It is a fully automatic car wash with a separate drying bay,” said Midwest Sales representative Stacey Rath, speaking of the new @ The Car…

Continue Reading It’s squeaky clean @ The Car Wash in Spring Valley!

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, July 27, 2023.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.  by Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy    Spring Valley’s library board got stucco this past Thursday evening on whether to use specific funding to repair the library’s exterior or to wait and find out whether the Spring Val[1]ey Public Library…

Continue Reading Spring Valley Library stumped by stucco ~ Repair of building’s exterior remains a mystery

On July 10, the Spring Valley City Council held a public hearing prior to their regular meeting to discuss the proposed noise ordinance. The ordinance states “it is unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise or any noise which either annoys,…

Continue Reading Spring Valley battles noise with new ordinance