Julie Buntjer
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Julie Buntjer joined the Globe newsroom in December 2003, after working more than nine years for weekly newspapers. A native of Worthington, she has a bachelor's degree in agriculture journalism. Find more of her stories of farm life, family and various other tidbits at The Farm Bleat.
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LISMORE -- After years of municipal ownership, the Lismore Bar & Grill is now under private sector ownership, and with the change came a clearing out, a sprucing up and a few new additions to the menu. Steve Voss of Fulda is the new owner of the establishment, with Jennifer Peterson as bar manager and Dave Elkjer supervising the kitchen area and food service. The establishment reopened Halloween weekend after being closed for a month.
WORTHINGTON -- Increased truck traffic and vehicles designed to carry larger loads are creating a toll on Nobles County's bridges that were designed 30, 50 and up to 70 years ago. That toll is showing as new weight restrictions will be placed on nine bridges in the county this month. Another bridge, located south of Brewster, has a width restriction after a partial failure in October led to a milling machine plunging toward the creek below.
WORTHINGTON -- Nobles County Family Service Agency Director Nicole Names told county commissioners on Thursday the agency has begun the process of working with the county's daycare association to find compromise over a change in variance requests. Since its meeting more than a week ago with daycare providers and parents in Worthington -- a meeting in which emotions ran high and parents expressed outrage -- the agency's leadership has met with the daycare association and provided them copies of the draft policy. The policy, written by Names and Child Services Supervisor Beth Mahoney, calls fo
WORTHINGTON -- A trio of community fire chiefs came before Nobles County commissioners on Thursday in hopes of getting the county to reconsider its decision to cut the emergency management director position from full-time to three-fifths time as of Jan.
WORTHINGTON -- The Worthington Area Foundation presented checks Wednesday afternoon to seven local non-profits to help fund special projects in the community. In all, $5,000 was awarded from the foundation's general endowment fund, according to board member Beve Vajgrt. Despite the challenging year for its investments, the foundation "had a very successful fundraising drive," Vajgrt said, adding that the DeGroot family offered a match of up to $25,000 for all donations collected this year.
LUVERNE -- It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas with the new fallen snow and the twinkling decorations throughout town, and the community of Luverne hopes to kick the season off with style with its 13th annual Winterfest celebration Friday through Sunday. Several new events and a host of favorite traditions are on tap for the festival, which begins with a story hour and puppet show for the children at 10:15 a.m. Friday at the Rock County Community Library. The puppet show tells the tale of three little pigs and the adventures they encounter on their way to the North Pole.
WORTHINGTON -- When Justis Ostrem went to live with his grandparents in the first grade, Verlin and Brenda Ostrem signed him up for three things -- Sunday school, the Cub Scouts and swimming lessons at the YMCA. The now 16-year-old stuck with all three, and on Sunday will earn his Eagle Scout award. Ostrem, who has never missed a pack or scout meeting in his 11 years in the organization and has a "mountain of awards" to show for his efforts, had set his sights on the Eagle at an early age.
WORTHINGTON -- The mother-daughter duo of Molly and Stephanie Onken arrived in Worthington by 4 a.m. Friday to catch the biggest and best of the Black Friday specials. By 9 a.m., they still had smiles on their faces, bags in their hands and more places to stop to fill their shopping lists. The two have done this every year for at least the past decade -- and they love everything about it. "She hit Wal-Mart and I was at Shopko," said Molly Onken of Round Lake.
ROUND LAKE -- After the turkey has been eaten and the Black Friday shopping complete, a couple of communities in the region will ring in the sounds and sights of the season -- the Christmas and ice fishing season, that is -- this weekend. In Round Lake, organizers are looking forward to a bigger and better second annual Winterfest celebration on Saturday. Festivities include food, a fish house parade, tailgating, more food, door prizes and a dance. The fun begins at noon, with the Round Lake Legion serving brats and chips until 2:30 p.m.
WORTHINGTON -- In a meeting that grew heated at times as angry parents and discouraged daycare providers faced off against Nobles County Human Services officials Tuesday night in Worthington, it appeared as though little progress was made in finding a reasonable solution to a change in the issuance of variance requests. The meeting, hosted by the Nobles County Daycare Association, was conducted in response to the county's recent change to special exceptions that allow daycare providers to care for extra infants or toddlers as needed.