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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HERON LAKE -- The Heron Lake Watershed District (HLWD) accepted the 2006 Environmental Education award Wednesday at the Minnesota Environmental Initiative's 13th annual banquet in Minneapolis. The honor, considered the Academy Award for environmental service, was presented to the district for its Watershed Assistance Through Education and Resources (WATER) program.
ROUND LAKE -- When soldiers go off to war, their families are left behind to wait for their return -- and to wonder what they can do to help in the effort. Such is the case for Lori Lanphere Kruger, whose husband, Scott, is a sergeant with the B-Battery of the 1-125th Field Artillery, a National Guard unit based in Jackson and Fairmont. Since her husband left for Iraq in March, Kruger and the Family Readiness Group she leads have pondered what they could do to help deliver hope to the Iraqi people. Thanks to a recent newsletter sent to families of soldiers in the 125th (also known as the Re
KENNETH -- More than eight months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, those who have visited the region know how badly people need help rebuilding their homes and communities. Yet unlike those who have sent money or goods to help the residents of the coastal region rebuild, a rural Kenneth man has taken a different approach. He's delivering helping hands where they are needed most. Bill Spieker founded Reviver Bus Co. a year ago in hopes of providing transportation for church groups and organizations wanting to do mission building.
LUVERNE -- More than a year after the search process began to hire a new director to lead Nobles-Rock Public Health Service, the agency is heading in a new direction. Board members on Tuesday authorized the NRPHS interview committee to begin working on a contract between the agency and Sioux Valley Visiting Nurses Association (SVVNA), a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based business. NRPHS chair Karen Pfeifer said SVVNA is interested in contracting with Public Health to provide administration for the agency. "They will do everything that (former director Bonnie Frederickson) used to do," Pfeifer said, ad
WORTHINGTON -- For the second year in a row, the Worthington High School FFA Chapter boasts a state proficiency winner. Jason LeBrun, a WHS senior, earned the top spot in the landscape management proficiency at Minnesota's FFA Convention last week in Minneapolis. He was presented a plaque shaped in the state's outline, a certificate and $250 for the top award in his proficiency area. Proficiencies, or Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAEs), involve FFA members maintaining records on their ag-based job, on-farm work or livestock ownership.
WORTHINGTON -- They stayed home from work, school and stores in hopes of making a stand for immigration reform in America. What they didn't count on, however, was the anger that would boil up from the hard-working American citizens who did go to work, attend classes and spend money in Worthington stores Monday afternoon. "It's been really nice and peaceful," said one local store clerk of the lack of Hispanic families who would otherwise be out shopping on a Monday afternoon.
WORTHINGTON -- Like many companies in the business of meatpacking, Worthington's Swift & Co. executives looked long and hard at their options after learning of a planned boycott by immigrant workers on Monday, officially declared as National Day Without Immigrants. James Hamilton, Swift's human resources director, said that with "well over a majority" of the company's workforce being non-Caucasian, executives weren't certain they'd have enough employees on hand to perform the work.
WORTHINGTON -- If it were up to Jose Comparan to reform immigration in the United States, he would hand out work permits to every undocumented worker living in America -- as long as those individuals can show they are contributing to society. He doesn't understand why the federal government makes it so difficult for today's immigrants to acquire the proper papers so they can find a job, open a bank account, buy a car and simply live without fear of deportation. Surprisingly enough, Comparan said becoming an American citizen is not a high priority for many of the undocumented Mexican people l
WORTHINGTON -- He taught himself to play the piano and drums by ear and, while in high school, became proficient in guitar. His musical talents don't end there, however. Worthington High School senior Jorge Evasku is in the school's 24-member mixed ensemble, Trojan Express, and maintains a spot on the elite, all-male VOX (Latin for voice) group.
WORTHINGTON -- Gene "Pucky" Sandager peered through the window of his tractor cab in far southwestern Rock County to see the neighboring fields void of activity Wednesday morning. It wouldn't be that way for long, he said. Farmers across southwest Minnesota were taking advantage of the much-needed sunshine to work up the soil and plant the seeds for what they hope will be another highly productive crop season. Sandager is planting corn about a week later than he has the past couple of years -- delays created by Mother Nature and her 4-inch rainfall of two weeks ago. "It's wet and it's cold