Kenyon Market Sold to New Local Owners

After announcing earlier this summer the market was for sale or may close, Pete Wagner, owner of Kenyon Market in Kenyon confirmed a deal has been reached to sell the store to new local owners, …

Highway 56 and Goodhue County Road 9 Converted to four-way stop Sept. 21

MN DOT installed new signage on Highway 56 and County Road 9 east of Dennison on Monday September 21st, 2026 converting the intersection to a four-way stop.

DENNISON, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be converting the intersection of Highway 56 and Goodhue County Road 9 into a four-way stop on Sept. 21 as a way to reduce vehicle …

Chuck Schwartau Named to NACAA Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame Presentation: JJ Jones, NACAA President, Chuck Schwartau, Carol Schwartau

At the 2026 national meeting of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Chuck Schwartau, Goodhue, MN, was one of four members nationwide named to the association’s Hall of …

Non-emergency phone number changes with 911 Center move

The Rice & Steele 911 Center moves into its new facility at 118 Third St. NW, Faribault on Nov. 4, 2026. With this move, the center’s administrative/non-emergency/public phone number will change to …

K-W Noble Knights of the Week for 10-23-26

Front Row: Raina Christen KG Mrs. Cheryl Dahl Jaquereni Fontes Arvayo Gr. 1 Mrs. Katie Benbrooks River Prondzinski Gr. 1 Mr. Tony Donkers Caleb Yunker Gr. 2 Mrs. Deb Hinrichs Back …

Winter gear swap designed to keep everyone warm, promote sustainability

Faribault’s River Bend Nature Center hosts a Winter Gear Swap from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, an event in which community members are asked to bring clean, gently-used winter apparel and …

Things to do in the Fall garden

Are you ready to call it quits for the year in your garden? Well there are a few more things to do, before the tools and hoses get put away for the year. I was out planting some perennials in my …

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Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

We took a trip up the North Shore in September to spend a night in Thunder Bay, Canada. The scenic drive was spectacular as the leaves were turning color and the weather was perfect. One of the stops …

Spiritual Battle Plan

Eyes awaken; I see the bright rays of sun shining through the window. The exact opposite of the pain shooting through my abdomen. I quickly tell myself, “It will be okay, and it will pass.” I …

Apples and Healthy Weight

You have heard the rhyme, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But what does an apple really do for you? Does any apple work, or only certain kinds? A few answers can be found here. …

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Obituaries

Gilbert J. Truax

Gilbert J. Truax, age 99, of Faribault, MN, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on October 10, 2026. Gilbert was born on January 7, 1927, to Hazel and Larry Truax. He and his …

Lois Geneva Estrem

Lois Geneva Estrem, 82, of Kenyon, died on Monday, October 5, 2026, at her home. She was born December 7, 1943, in rural Sogn, Minnesota, to Everett and Gladys (Esterby) Hommedahl. She grew up …

Cathie Jo Spaulding

Cathie Jo Spaulding, age 66, of Faribault, Minnesota, passed away on September 29, 2026. Cathie was born on February 26, 1960, in River Falls, Wisconsin, to Milburn “Red” and Marlys Jackson. …

Gary David "Cecil" Hutton

Gary David "Cecil" Hutton, 74, of rural Kenyon, died Monday, August 24, 2026, at his home. Cecil was born February 18, 1952, to Cecil and Marian Hutton in Northfield, Minnesota. He grew up on the …

Harriet Wiederholt

Harriet Wiederholt, a cornerstone of the Miesville community and the beloved matriarch of the Wiederholt family, passed away peacefully on Tuesday evening, August 25, 2026, at the age of 102. A woman …

Mainstreet Messenger September 2026

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Community

Late October & November events, happenings and goings on at WildWood!

315 Main Street | Nerstrand | WildWoodofNerstrand.com Barre Class : October Series Thursdays, October 8, 15, 22 & 29 | 6:30pm | $12 for one class or $40 for all four Hosted by Barre w/Greta If …

K-W Noble Knights of the Week for October 9, 2026

Front Row: Ava Hendricks KG Mrs. Cheryl Dahl Salvador Giuliani KG Mrs. Mandi Kyllo-Lunde Colbie Sellers Gr. 1 Mr. Tony Donkers Mason Bauernfeind Gr. 1 Mrs. Katie Benbrooks Ruby Eggert …

To the Editor

*Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of The Messenger. Dear Mr. Ryan: Every once in awhile something comes down the pike that is so egregious that it is hard …

Community

Goodhue County Flu and Vaccine Clinics

K-W Noble Knights of the Week for October 2, 2026

Front Row: Jax Kiffmeyer KG Mrs. Cheryl Dahl Abranna Khaoone KG Mrs. Mandi Kyllo-Lunde Caroline Dahlgren Gr. 1 Mrs. Katie Benbrooks Leona Chang Gr. 1 Mr. Tony Donkers Emma Quam Gr. 2 …

Goodhue County Health & Human Services Employee Spotlight

Goodhue County, MN (October 2026)- Goodhue County Health and Human Services (GCHHS) Employee Spotlights are an opportunity to inform and educate our residents about the many programs and services we …

Self-Employed and Can’t Get a Mortgage? The Loan Type May Be the Problem

Many self-employed borrowers who are told they do not qualify for a mortgage are not actually unqualified. They are applying through a loan type that measures income in a way that works against them. …

A Seller’s Strongest Negotiating Position in Fairfield County, CT Starts Before the First Showing

The Fairfield County, Connecticut housing market heading into fall 2026 doesn’t fit neatly into a single headline. Some homes are drawing multiple offers above asking. Others, in the same county …

Mortgage-Dependent Buyers Are Being Squeezed Out of the Florida Keys

There is a growing divide in the Florida Keys housing market, and it runs along a single fault line: whether a buyer needs a mortgage. Cash buyers – many of them retirees and business owners from …

Massachusetts Appraisal Rules Change in November. Buyers Who Wait to Prepare Will Lose Deals.

Most Massachusetts homebuyers will not think about new appraisal rules until those rules delay their closing. By then, according to Colleen Barry of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, the …

Housing Is the Largest Asset Most Americans Own. It’s Also the Only One They Don’t Diversify.

Stock portfolios get diversified. Bond holdings get diversified. Even alternative investments get spread across categories and geographies. But the single largest asset on most American household …