A new mural has been installed on the back of the National Independent Health Club Association (NIHCA) building in downtown Granite Falls. The idea came about when the NIHCA staff heard about the EDA’s announcement of the opportunity for businesses to beautify the town with their facade project. “We were excited to contribute to this effort,” says NIHCA Executive Director Holly Johnson.
The Chippewa County Historical Society hosted their annual Horse Power Event at Swensson Farm this past Saturday. There were many examples of how life was on the homestead in the early 1900s. There was also a pumpkin patch and kid’s activities. Dan Hanen, of Montevideo who was in attendance, said, “Watching the horse-drawn potato digger was my personal favorite to watch at the event.” There were also many people enjoying tours of the house as well as touring the famous red barn on the property.
Brad Hall, of Granite Falls, is one of the artists who will be exhibiting in the upcoming Meander Art Crawl on October 1st through the 2nd. Hall has been a part of the Meander Art Crawl since its inception in 2004, and was the first featured artist to have his work exhibited on the cover of the brochure and poster. Hall will be exhibiting in his home studio located a block from downtown Granite Falls on the corner of 10th Avenue and Prentice Street. The studio is located in a building that has served a number of purposes over the years, beginning as an Episcopalian Church in 1889, and then serving the community as the town library for over 50 years before becoming the Senior Center for a number of years after. It now serves as the studio space, and home of Brad Hall. “It is a very unique building that is full of beautiful light and open space,” says Hall. “Many Meander visitors like to stop by just to visit our lovely studio.” The space was new to Hall just before the first Meander he participated in. “I had only moved into our home shortly before the weekend. About the only thing I had for sale was work leftover from art school,” he says. Now, Hall works all year to build up his inventory for the annual event, along with others he exhibits in throughout the year. “My wife assists me in participating in art shows all summer throughout the Midwest, and I am pleased to be represented in a couple of Art Galleries,” he says.
Countryside Public Health September is Emergency Preparedness Month. Given events we have all experienced recently, from a pandemic shut-down to extreme weather emergencies, we have seen first-hand that it is important for individuals and families to be prepared for disasters.
Dakota Wicohan is celebrating 20 years of dedicated work in sharing Dakota language and lifeways with youth and families in Southwest Minnesota. A celebration dinner and Kahomni (Round Dance) will be held at Jackpot Junction Casino on Saturday, September 10th. Community members, elders, youth, families and allies will join in the celebration which will feature the next generation of community leaders and changemakers. 20 Community Leaders over 20 Days have been featured on the organization’s social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. This next generation of leaders who have participated in Dakota Wicohan over the years are now teaching and serving their communities and their families in various ways, carrying on the Dakota language and knowledge into the future. Dakotah Wicohan has remained grassroots and community based, supporting and nurturing leadership within its own homelands. “We’re excited to be celebrating 20 Years and to reflect on the huge ripple effect our work has had”, said Eileen O’Keefe, Executive Director and member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community. “We look forward to what the next 20 years will bring”.
The application period to become a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer is open through Oct. 1. Extension Master Gardeners bring science- based horticulture knowledge and practices to Minnesota, promoting healthy landscapes and building communities through volunteer efforts.
Yellow Medicine Soil & Water Conservation District After several years of partnership and consultation with Yellow Medicine County officials, the Yellow Medicine Soil and Water Conservation District is excited to publicly announce a virtual hub of maps and data with ties to the conservation of natural resources in our area. Simply visiting the map’s website will unlock a large amount and diverse array of GIS mapping at the click of a mouse.
Project Turnabout’s 30th Annual Golf Scramble is happening this month on Friday, September 16th at the Granite Falls golf course. The Project Turnabout Caring & Sharing golf scramble is a primary fundraising event benefiting our patients seeking treatment at our Granite Falls facility.
New online tool shares Minnesota natural heritage data A new online tool created by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources allows users to explore Natural Heritage Information System data for both conservation planning and identifying rare resources. The Natural Heritage Review process consists of identification of rare biological resources to determine and avoid potential impacts to those importance resources.
The YME Volleyball team took on MACCRAY in a home meet last Thursday for a 0-3 loss. Leaders in the game included Aria Peters who had 20 set assists, and one serving ace. Gracie Kleven also had one serving ace, four kills and five digs.