Four adults sit in a small meeting room during what appears to be a discussion or planning session, with one man speaking while holding notes and others listening or writing. A TV screen and flip chart are visible behind them. Below the photo, a teal graphic reads “Join A Visionary, Creative and Committed Board of Directors” with subtext about advancing regional news and information, alongside the Root River Current logo.
Get involved — help advance Root River Current’s mission to publish stories that ‘build community’ in Southeast Minnesota! Learn more: rootrivercurrent.org/join-a-visio...
10.02.2026 13:04 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Close-up of a person in a maroon “Minnesota” shirt examining a developing soybean pod in a green field; text overlay reads “Regional Soybean Production: Understanding What Happens When the Top Buyer Stops Buying,” with Root River Current logo and Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk byline.
Ahead of a February 19 forum on tariffs' impact on area soybean farmers, check out our earlier story on how halted Chinese soybean purchases, falling prices and a $12B relief fund are reshaping farming across the Midwest.
rootrivercurrent.org/soybean-mark...
08.02.2026 19:10 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Grain pours from a green auger into a trailer during harvest, viewed from above; text below reads “How Tariffs and China’s Global Investments are Reshaping Farming,” with a note about a virtual forum on impacts to U.S. farmers.
Tune in for a free virtual forum that will explore how tariffs and China’s global investments are reshaping Upper Midwest agriculture and soybean markets; in partnership with Mississippi Basin Ag & Water Desk. Learn more: rootrivercurrent.org/tariffs-chin...
06.02.2026 13:11 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A close-up of a person’s hand holding a small trout above clear, shallow water in a stream, with a fishing line and hook visible nearby; text below reads “Root River Watershed Sees Gains, Sets Priorities for Next Decade” by John Weiss, with the Root River Current logo.
Water quality in Minnesota’s Root River Watershed has improved over the past decade as officials plan the next 10 years of groundwater and soil protection. Read more at rootrivercurrent.org/root-river-w....
04.02.2026 12:55 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A collage of headshots showing members of the Root River Current board of directors arranged around the Root River Current logo, with the text “Join a Visionary, Creative and Committed Board of Directors” displayed on a dark green background.
Help advance Root River Current’s mission to publish stories that ‘build community’ in Southeast Minnesota! Learn how to get involved: rootrivercurrent.org/join-a-visio...
01.02.2026 21:45 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Woman wearing a beige sweater and knit winter hat smiles while standing at a snowy downtown intersection in Preston, Minnesota, with Preston Foods grocery store visible behind her. Root River Current graphic and headline text overlay promote the Bluff Country Business Academy supporting local businesses through a Preston–Lanesboro collaboration.
Preston and Lanesboro are partnering on the Bluff Country Business Academy, an eight-week program designed to help small businesses grow and thrive.
👉 rootrivercurrent.org/preston-lane...
30.01.2026 13:08 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A leather artisan from Grand Meadow stands indoors holding a handmade brown leather satchel, wearing a brimmed hat and scarf, with a Bluffland Leather Co. sign and finished leather goods displayed behind him.
Grand Meadow artisan Zech Sindt of Bluffland Leather Co. creates hand-stitched leather goods built to last a lifetime using traditional, sustainable methods.
Read the story by David Phillips: rootrivercurrent.org/leather-arti...
28.01.2026 13:08 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A woman sits cross-legged on a patterned mat, smiling while holding a frame drum and mallet, surrounded by colorful crystal singing bowls, metal bowls, gongs, candles, and natural decor in a calm indoor setting used for sound bath healing and meditation.
Discover how sound baths and vibrational healing help calm the nervous system, release stress, and restore balance in Southeast Minnesota. (Article at rootrivercurrent.org/unique-sound...)
26.01.2026 13:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Smiling farmer standing inside a large greenhouse at Featherstone Farm, with rows of organic greens growing under arched metal frames along the Root River in southeast Minnesota.
Discover Featherstone Farm, a Minnesota organic vegetable farm rooted in soil stewardship, fair labor and local food systems since 1994.
rootrivercurrent.org/featherstone...
24.01.2026 13:51 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A man wearing a blue GridLiance polo shirt stands smiling in front of an informational display about the planned Gopher-to-Badger Link power transmission project, featuring a diagram of a 765 kV transmission structure and details about regional power infrastructure.
Dairyland Power outlines plans for the Gopher-to-Badger Link, a proposed 765kV transmission line across southern Minnesota to strengthen the regional electric grid.
Read the article at rootrivercurrent.org/gopher-to-ba...
21.01.2026 13:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Two women stand in a grassy creekside area holding a sign that reads “2025 Outstanding Conservationist” from the Winona County Soil & Water Conservation District, recognizing landowners for protecting creek habitat in Winona County.
Landowners Claire Bender and Sue Ramthun are honored as Outstanding Conservationists for protecting land resources and restoring trout habitat along Trout Run Creek, a Root River tributary in Winona County, Minn.
rootrivercurrent.org/winona-count...
19.01.2026 17:47 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Winter sunset over the Root River Valley, with bare tree branches silhouetted against a pink and orange sky and the river below reflecting the colorful clouds amid patches of snow.
📸 During Southeast Minnesota’s darkest weeks, winter sunsets still glow. Explore Craig Johnson’s photo gallery of December skies and river scenes from Houston County’s Root River Valley: rootrivercurrent.org/photo-galler...
17.01.2026 14:38 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Horse-drawn Amish buggy parked along a rural road beside an “End Speed Limit 30” sign, with cornfields stretching into the distance; image highlights Amish buggies sharing roads with motor vehicles in southeast Minnesota.
In 2023, we reported on the dangers that Amish drivers face when sharing the road with vehicles. Our co-publisher, John Torgrimson, witnessed the aftermath of a deadly vehicle-buggy crash in front of his rural home and shared the story in this article: rootrivercurrent.org/a-slow-moving-vehicle/
16.01.2026 13:00 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Yellow Amish buggy warning sign with a flashing signal stands along a snowy rural highway in Fillmore County, alerting drivers to horse-drawn buggies on the road.
MnDOT installs flashing Amish buggy alert signs on Highway 44 in an effort to improve safety after two separate fatal vehicle-buggy crashes. Learn more: rootrivercurrent.org/first-ever-a...
14.01.2026 13:24 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Historic interior of Lanesboro’s State Theatre, showing rows of empty seats facing a softly lit stage, viewed from the center aisle. The image has a vintage, slightly faded look. Overlaid text reads, “Essay | Lanesboro’s State Theatre, From Silent Films to Center Stage,” by Don Bell, with the Root River Current logo.
A nostalgic look at the State Theatre in Lanesboro, Minnesota, tracing its journey from silent films to its rebirth as the St. Mane Theatre and a vibrant community arts space.
rootrivercurrent.org/essay-southe...
13.01.2026 04:18 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A group of community members bundled in winter coats, hats, and scarves pose and smile behind a green gate on a snowy woodland trail, with leafless trees in the background. Text below reads, “Build your community with our local events calendar!” alongside a calendar icon and the Root River Current logo.
Winter is an ideal time to sharpen your outreach plan and find your people. Make Root River Current your 2026 events promotion partner! We reach readers who are active, curious and live throughout southeastern Minnesota and beyond.
Our events calendar is free! rootrivercurrent.org/submit-an-ev...
10.01.2026 16:07 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A vivid winter sunset fills the sky with layered shades of pink, purple, and orange, silhouetting leafless trees and bare branches along the horizon in a quiet rural landscape.
📸 During Southeast Minnesota’s darkest weeks, winter sunsets still glow. Explore Craig Johnson’s photo gallery of December skies and river scenes from Houston County’s Root River Valley. View photo gallery: rootrivercurrent.org/photo-galler...
09.01.2026 13:05 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A man wearing a jacket and cap holds a rescued bald eagle inside a workshop or garage filled with tools and supplies. The eagle, with a white head and dark brown feathers, perches calmly on his gloved arm while looking up toward him. Overlaid text reads “Area Family Rescues Animals Year-Round,” with a subtitle noting a recent bald eagle rescue in Spring Valley and highlighting the work of The Rescue Connection, a family-run wildlife rescue serving southern Minnesota.
An injured juvenile bald eagle rescued near Spring Valley during a snowstorm sheds light on the work of The Rescue Connection, a family-run wildlife rescue serving southern Minnesota.
👉 rootrivercurrent.org/when-wildlif...
07.01.2026 13:16 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic promoting Local News Listening Sessions on January 7, with a teal background and the headline “Local News Listening Sessions.” Details list Winona from 2–4 p.m. and Austin from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Below are two photos showing small groups of adults seated at tables in community meeting spaces, engaged in discussion and listening to speakers. Logos at the bottom note the sessions are hosted by Momentum Advocacy in partnership with Press Forward Minnesota.
ICYMI 👉 The True North News Alliance is hosting community listening sessions in Southeast Minnesota on Jan 7: 2-4pm in Winona and 6:30-8:30pm in Austin. Open to anyone who cares about trustworthy local news.
Find details on our Local Events Calendar:
👉 rootrivercurrent.org/calendar
06.01.2026 20:27 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic promoting Local News Listening Sessions, showing two photos of community members gathered around tables in discussion. Text on the graphic lists January 7 sessions in Winona (2–4 pm) and Austin (6:30–8:30 pm), and notes the statewide news initiative is a partnership between Press Forward Minnesota and Momentum Advocacy.
The True North News Alliance is hosting community listening sessions in Southeast Minnesota on Jan 7: 2-4pm in Winona and 6:30-8:30pm in Austin. Open to anyone who cares about trustworthy local news.
Find details on our Local Events Calendar:
👉 rootrivercurrent.org/calendar
02.01.2026 12:12 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
An essay by Catherine Glynn recalling how the Covid lockdown changed lives, challenged thinking, and prompted creativity and connection. 👉 Read at rootrivercurrent.org/essay-the-ro...
30.12.2025 14:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Illustrated map of the Root River Trail and surrounding Southeast Minnesota communities above a dark green graphic with the text “Donations connect communities.” Below, smaller text reads: “There’s still time to give before December 31st! Trusted local journalism matters. Your support keeps it alive. Make your year-end gift today.” Root River Current logo appears in the lower right corner.
Trusted local stories connect our communities. Reading Root River Current is free—but producing independent local journalism isn’t. Your support keeps fact-based, community-focused reporting available to everyone. Donate today:
rootrivercurrent.org/donate
30.12.2025 02:27 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Historic black-and-white photo of a weathered wooden farmhouse in winter snow, overlaid with the headline “Southern Minnesota’s Near-Miss: The Children’s Blizzard Revisited” and the Root River Current logo.
With January approaching, history recalls the deadly Blizzard of 1888 – it came quickly and caught many by surprise.
Laney Smith recounts the intense story : rootrivercurrent.org/the-children...
28.12.2025 14:47 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Snow falls on a red barn behind a wooden fence and evergreen tree in a rural winter scene, with the words “Home for the holidays… you and Root River Current.”
Our traditions, values & stories connect us as a community. Root River Current shares fact-based, community-building journalism that serves the public good across SE Minnesota.
Help keep local stories alive—make a tax-deductible gift today:
👉 rootrivercurrent.org/donate
26.12.2025 11:36 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A towering Christmas tree decorated with gingerbread ornaments stands inside an ornate glass-roofed Italian gallery, with crowds gathered below; overlaid text reads “Buon Natale! Christmas in Italy: Traditions, Food and Family” with the Root River Current logo.
From La Befana to panettone, an Italian exchange student shares observations of Christmas at home — and how it compares to the holidays in Minnesota. A warm look at traditions across cultures:
rootrivercurrent.org/foreign-exch...
24.12.2025 11:47 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The CPKC Holiday Train rolled into La Crescent and other Driftless communities with lights, music, and a mission to support local food shelves. Discover how this holiday tradition brings cheer and gives back:
rootrivercurrent.org/cpkc-holiday...
23.12.2025 02:43 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A small historic stone church sits on a grassy prairie with trees behind it, next to a wooden sign reading “Lenora United Methodist Church.” Overlaid text says, “Where Frontier Faith Took Root: Lenora Methodist Church and Its Circuit-Rider Origins,” with a subtitle noting it was founded by Methodist circuit rider John Lewis Dyer, along with the Root River Current logo.
A quiet prairie church, founded by a Methodist circuit rider, still stands as a testament to faith and frontier life in SE Minnesota. Read the story of Historic Lenora Church:
rootrivercurrent.org/historic-len...
21.12.2025 15:02 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Three smiling older women wearing festive Christmas hats and red-and-green holiday outfits pose indoors, with vintage decor behind them. An orange overlay reads “Cold Weather Can’t Stop Christmas Cheer at Peterson’s Beloved Holiday Festival,” with a byline and the Root River Current logo.
Despite the bitter cold, folks came out to celebrate Norwegian Christmas traditions and community spirit.
Read the article at rootrivercurrent.org/christmas-no....
19.12.2025 12:02 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A group of middle school–aged students sit smiling on a school bus, facing the camera. Below the photo, a green graphic reads “Donations elevate voices” alongside the Root River Current logo, emphasizing support for youth and community storytelling.
In an era of information overload, Root River Current cuts through the noise—sharing local stories and elevating community voices across Southeast Minnesota. Local news is a public good, and informed communities benefit everyone. Support nonprofit journalism:
rootrivercurrent.org/donate
17.12.2025 14:59 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Youth and Creativity: Watching Talent Grow - Root River Current
Root River Current's 2025 review of youth arts stories.
From summer-arts camps to student photographers and chamber-music performances — we explore how local kids are embracing creativity.
Dive into stories of youth and art in our region at rootrivercurrent.org/youth-and-cr....
📸 by Jace Pinson
15.12.2025 12:50 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
