ORONOCO, MN, May 2, 2013 (update – 5:00 p.m.) — People’s Energy Cooperative (PEC) crews continue to repair electrical system damage caused by wet, heavy snow, which brought down overhead power lines and tree limbs. Tri-County Electric, a neigh
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"Where Olmsted County News Comes First"
Online Edition
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Volume ∞ Issue ∞
- 5:36:49, May 15th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - Though I hated to see you reference Glenn Beck by name [Three Times ... [Read More]
- 11:42:07, May 10th 2013 - yenken - I feel very sorry for those who have commented do far, as when you stand fa ... [Read More]
- 12:10:25, Apr 26th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - Mr. "Cabtrom's" garbage-out[burst]--in response to Ms. Reisner's w ... [Read More]
- 9:51:50, Apr 24th 2013 - jeff pischke - To Jerry Grehl, the number to the fillmore county sheriffs office is 7 ... [Read More]
- 9:27:24, Apr 22nd 2013 - Cabtrom - Blah blah blah, garbage in garbage out! ... [Read More]
- 7:00:49, Apr 11th 2013 - Donald Pierce - Col. Stan Gudmundson hit most of the important nails squarly on the h ... [Read More]
- 12:44:54, Apr 4th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - My compliments to Ms. Hammer for giving us well-crafted "Rachel Rea ... [Read More]
- 5:09:06, Apr 3rd 2013 - truthiness - I see this is dated April 1. That explains it! ... [Read More]
- 12:04:33, Apr 3rd 2013 - Frank W. Hawthorne - Say WHAT?!? Stan's American-Pie [In SKY] is Falling--Not Again? ... [Read More]
- 12:40:21, Mar 29th 2013 - Jacob - It's a shame that so few people care about making their voices heard. If we ... [Read More]
Rochester couples plan their long-awaited wedding days
Mon, May 20th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Features
Posted in Rochester Features
Comments
Joe Nix and Bob Werner are engaged after celebrating 20 years together. Photo submitted
In April, Bob Werner and Joe Nix celebrated twenty years together. Werner says they realized in 1993 that this relationship was the one they “had been hoping for and dreaming about.”
After Minnesota became the 12th state to recognize same-sex marriage when the Freedom to Marry Act was signed into law last week, Bob and Joe exchanged engagement rings and are making arrangements for their wedding day.
They have chosen August 1st, the date marriage equality becomes law, as their big day.
While many of the state’s same-sex couples traveled to one of the states preceding Minnesota in recognizing their marriages, including more than 1000 in Iowa, Werner said that he and Joe waited to be recognized by their neighbors.
“We’re Minnesotans,” he said. “We want to get married in our home state.”
Bob and Joe’s relationship has been blessed in a ceremony at their church and they registered as domestic partners in Rochester as soon as the option was available to them in 2010. They have been careful to put both of their names on their property and shared finances.
Still, they look forward to enjoying the same legal protections and benefits as heterosexual couples in Minnesota.
“This is what being a first-class citizen feels like,” said Werner.
Werner recalls the emotions associated with an attempt to place a ban on same-sex unions in Minnesota’s Constitution through a ballot initiative in 2012. While the process was difficult, Werner was heartened by the effort that resulted in Minnesota defeating the effort, the first in the nation to do so, and feels that he and Joe would not have the opportunity to have their marriage recognized if the issue had not been brought to the forefront.
“Writing discrimination into the Constitution is wrong. When they started attacking our families and lifelong relationships, that crossed the line and there was a backlash,” he said. “There were so many heart-to-heart conversations between families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, about who we are. It moved the whole issue forward.”
Werner believes that Minnesotans had a disposition to move toward marriage equality handed down through a sense of fairness found in Scandinavian values.
“Minnesotans really believe in The Golden Rule,” he said.
Bridget Fritz and Barb Davis of Rochester will celebrate .....
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After Minnesota became the 12th state to recognize same-sex marriage when the Freedom to Marry Act was signed into law last week, Bob and Joe exchanged engagement rings and are making arrangements for their wedding day.
They have chosen August 1st, the date marriage equality becomes law, as their big day.
While many of the state’s same-sex couples traveled to one of the states preceding Minnesota in recognizing their marriages, including more than 1000 in Iowa, Werner said that he and Joe waited to be recognized by their neighbors.
“We’re Minnesotans,” he said. “We want to get married in our home state.”
Bob and Joe’s relationship has been blessed in a ceremony at their church and they registered as domestic partners in Rochester as soon as the option was available to them in 2010. They have been careful to put both of their names on their property and shared finances.
Still, they look forward to enjoying the same legal protections and benefits as heterosexual couples in Minnesota.
“This is what being a first-class citizen feels like,” said Werner.
Werner recalls the emotions associated with an attempt to place a ban on same-sex unions in Minnesota’s Constitution through a ballot initiative in 2012. While the process was difficult, Werner was heartened by the effort that resulted in Minnesota defeating the effort, the first in the nation to do so, and feels that he and Joe would not have the opportunity to have their marriage recognized if the issue had not been brought to the forefront.
“Writing discrimination into the Constitution is wrong. When they started attacking our families and lifelong relationships, that crossed the line and there was a backlash,” he said. “There were so many heart-to-heart conversations between families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, about who we are. It moved the whole issue forward.”
Werner believes that Minnesotans had a disposition to move toward marriage equality handed down through a sense of fairness found in Scandinavian values.
“Minnesotans really believe in The Golden Rule,” he said.
Bridget Fritz and Barb Davis of Rochester will celebrate .....
[Read the Rest]
A life lost too early: Byron High community plants tree
Mon, Apr 29th, 2013
Posted in Byron Features
Posted in Byron Features
A purple flowering crabapple tree was planted at Byron High School in memoriam of the beloved senior student, Deianerah Jean Logan, “DJ,” on Friday, April 26. DJ died in a car accident on the first day of her senior year, distracted by a text me
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MnWARN coordinators discuss serving Olmsted County
Mon, Apr 29th, 2013
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
Nearly six years later, the vivid images of the devastating floods of 2007 are still fresh in the minds of many across southeastern Minnesota, especially those who lived in the community of Rushford at the time. Even though 17 inches of rain falling
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Rushford Floor Covering merges with Lyle’s Flooring America, expands business
Mon, Apr 29th, 2013
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
For years people have echoed the sentiment that small town businesses just can’t compete with their larger counterparts. Big box behemoths, ultra-competitive pricing, and gravitation towards internet browsing and sales have staggered the potential
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Tippi Toes dancers perform at Harlem Globetrotters game
Mon, Apr 15th, 2013
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
Tippi Toes Dance Company has grown and expanded in southeast Minnesota in the last few years. Tara Cassmann of Harmony has been a dance instructor for Tippi Toes for three years now, and she recently had the pleasure of taking the dancers to Rochest
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Stammer wins Lyle Weed “Live for Others” Award
Mon, Apr 15th, 2013
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
Janet Stammer was the 2013 recipient of the 2013 Lyle Weed “Live for Others” Award. Stammer has volunteered with the Olmsted Area Breastfeeding Coalition for 13 years. She also volunteers with Rochester Public Schools and the local dietetic asso
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Rochester comic convention defines mythic fiction
Mon, Apr 1st, 2013
Posted in Rochester Features
Posted in Rochester Features
The Mayo Civic Center housed the Fabletown and Beyond comic convention March 22-24. The theme was mythic fiction, a genre that defines Fables, Sandman, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman and others.
But what is mythic fiction? Luckily, one of
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Rochester March for Babies
Mon, Apr 1st, 2013
Posted in Rochester Features
Posted in Rochester Features
A baby’s first steps are one of the most precious moments in life, and the March of Dimes believes every baby deserves a healthy first step. Take your own first steps by joining March for Babies and make sure more babies get that chance. Join us
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