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 farmbleat.areavoices.com.
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- Member for
- 5 years 4 months
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LUVERNE -- The Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) honored a Luverne man for his dedication and service to the Luverne HRA during its annual conference in Duluth recently. Michael Engesser, president and CEO of First Farmers and Merchants National Bank in Luverne has served on the community's HRA board since 1991, and is now in his second year as board chairman.
ROUND LAKE -- Dennis Duitsman pumped his fist in appreciation as a neighboring farmer drove passed with a couple wagon loads of grain Wednesday morning on a minimum maintenance road near Spafford. The farmer was among nearly 30 neighbors and friends to come to the aid of the Duitsman family after Dennis' dad was hospitalized late last week.
WORTHINGTON -- Greg Ponto of rural Reading is feeling really good about this year's harvest, but it pains him in a way. Other farmers in southwest Minnesota weren't lucky enough to escape mid-season hail storms and late-season drown-outs. As some bring in below-average yields -- if they have yields at all -- Ponto is harvesting some of the best corn and soybean crops he's seen in a while. "The yields are fantastic," he said.
WORTHINGTON -- Unseasonably warm temperatures and clear skies have been a perfect combination for farmers working to get this year's crop into the bins, but they have also lead to a later-than-usual algae bloom on Lake Okabena. Since Saturday, visitors to the eastern shore of Worthington's lake have encountered a foul smell and a layer of slime that, except for its color, could mirror an oil slick.
LISMORE -- Mark and Shari Lenz of rural Lismore will be recognized at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts annual convention in early December as the Nobles County Conservationists of the Year. The award recognizes individuals who have implemented conservation practices on their land during the past year.
WORTHINGTON -- At least 1,230 students in District 518 schools are receiving their flu vaccination this week thanks to a partnership between Sanford and Avera Worthington Specialty clinics in Worthington, and funding from the Worthington Regional Healthcare Foundation. School nurse Wendy Donkersloot said Thursday that more than 500 students at Prairie Elementary, and another 600-plus students at Worthington middle and high schools received their vaccinations on Wednesday. Additional flu clinics were either conducted or are planned at St.
LUVERNE -- The Carnegie Cultural Center in Luverne will showcase its recently completed interior facelift on Sunday in conjunction with an artist reception for Ellsworth painter Dorothy Hocking. The center, originally constructed as the community's library in 1904, hasn't had any interior improvements for at least 15 years, according to Cindy Reverts, a member of both the Council for Arts and Humanities in Rock County (CAHRC) and the Luverne Fine Arts Association (LFAA) -- organizations that spearheaded the project.
LUVERNE -- When Dorothy Hocking was a little girl in grade school in South Dakota, she loved her Fridays. It wasn't because it was the last day of school before the weekend, but because it was the day her teacher set aside for art.
BREWSTER -- Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be in Nobles County today to survey damage caused by flood waters of a couple weeks ago. The FEMA visit is the second within a week, and will likely lead to federal disaster aid for portions of the county. During Tuesday morning's Nobles County Board of Commissioners' meeting, county emergency management director Dan Anderson reported that nearly $114,000 in damages to roads and culverts had been sustained in the county. The figure is anticipated to increase, as township officials have until 4:30 p.m.
WORTHINGTON -- Nobles County Commissioners on Tuesday received a report from Ron Ringquist, owner of Ron's Appraisal Service in Redwood Falls, regarding the process for moving forward with redetermination of benefits on the county's ditch systems. Ringquist explained the "mass appraisal" process that is used to determine who benefits from a particular ditch system. Through the use of soil and contour maps, parcel mapping and soil tests, he establishes a grid to show benefits on the land.