For almost 15 years, the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission (EDC) has been working hard to serve as a catalyst for economic growth in its region. In 2017, Business in Focus took a closer look at this dynamic organization and all of the great initiatives the EDC was working on in partnership with other sectors to make the City and County a vibrant and attractive place to live and do business. Read the entire article on the EDC and Kandiyohi County featured in
NEW LONDON—Construction and development of the Glacial Lakes Trail and it’s 6.5 mile extension from New London into Sibley State Park continues to progress as scheduled with several key milestones recently reached.
Last week construction crews installed a box culvert (a concrete tunnel) at the intersection of Highway 71 and County Road 40, which will allow those using the trail to pass safely beneath the roadway rather than risk crossing the heavily trafficked roadway.
The tunnel runs diagonally
WILLMAR—Homes located on the northside of downtown Willmar and businesses within the downtown business district will soon be able to apply for no-interest, deferred loans for eligible rehabilitation projects.
The city’s application for a Small Cities block grant of $1,205,177 was approved earlier this summer by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
“This project is for assisting homeowners and business in the downtown area on district heat, to help them with
WILLMAR—When he looks at the herd of 100 Angus cows and their frisky spring calves grazing in a pasture of belly-high grass, Cullen Fischer still can’t believe his lifelong dream of raising cattle is coming true.
“It’s kind of a pinch-me thing,” said the 31-year-old from Lake Lillian about his good fortune of taking over ownership of the well-established cow-calf operation from a retired farmer he met just a few years ago—a man who will continue to be his mentor.
“I
RAYMOND—If you’re craving a fresh yak steak and can’t make the trip to the Everest Steak House Restaurant in Kathmandu, Nepal, take a short ride over to Raymond.
That’s where you’ll find the Hot Disch Farm, home to Shawn and Craig Dischinger and their assistants, sons Jack, age 5, and Peter, age 3. They’ll happily sell you ground yak, or yak roasts, steaks, brats and sticks.
Their yaks thrive on the lush grasses of the Minnesota prairie, where the harshest of winter
NEW LONDON—Since the first breaking ground on the District 345 building projects August 22, 2016, the NL-S Performing Arts Center officially received its Certificate of Occupancy last Friday having completed all facets of construction save for minor punch list items.
Following student-led tours of the facility during Monday evening’s “Sneak Peek” event, the PAC saw use in its first official capacity during Wednesday evening’s Honors and Awards Program.
Subsequent upcoming events scheduled
In 1998, when John Keller joined the St. Paul-based Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) as an immigration attorney, he would often drive to Worthington, where hundreds of low-income immigrants and refugees depended on the organization’s free legal services.
“We would do workshops, answer a bunch of questions, do in-takes and represent whoever we could help,” said Keller.
Then one day in 2006, a year after he was named ILMC’s executive director, federal immigration agents raided a meatpacking
WILLMAR—For those who think that walleye are the star of the show when the Willmar Lakes Area hosts the 2018 Governor’s Fishing Opener, try again.
It’s really an opportunity to showcase all of the attractions the area offers, and let people know why this is a great place to visit or call home.
Organizers are expecting 125 media guests during the four days of activities May 10-13, according to Beth Fischer, executive director of the Willmar Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
WILLMAR—With the approval Tuesday night of a tax increment financing district, the 15th Street Flats apartment project in Willmar has cleared one of its last hurdles and is now on schedule to begin construction in June.
“The city and the EDC have been working with Commonwealth Development for approximately a year to bring this project to the table, to fruition,” said Bruce Peterson, Planning and Development director.
The resolution creating the district was approved by the Willmar City
It was back during the November elections in 2016, the Raymond Assisted Living project was passed by public vote to approve financing for construction and equipping a 12-unit home for the aged by the city of Raymond. With the question passing by the Raymond community with 70 percent support, the Raymond Assisted Living Committee began the next phase in bringing an assisted living home to Raymond. Now in 2018, the project has stalled, but not for lack of trying, in fact, it has stalled so that the
