Welding Program

The summer welding academy offered at the Fairmont High School is once again underway. The classes are taught by Bob Bonin, who teaches several CTE classes at the school. Having started out in 2017, the classes attract interested students from around the area, even from across state lines.

The program is a great one, offering people a chance to pick up a much-needed skill that will help them find employment in the workforce. With these types of jobs needed in the area, the classes are one way to keep young people interested in working locally.

Mobile Health Clinic

The Mayo Clinic Health System is launching a new mobile health clinic that will expand services by increasing outreach and providing access to health care directly to patients in rural communities across Southern Minnesota. While only Sherburn will be serviced in the immediate future, MCHS says that will expand.

This is excellent news as many smaller communities do not have regular clinic facilities. Our rural areas need health services just as much as larger communities. In addition, the mobile health clinic also has the technology and equipment to connect patients virtually through video appointments with Mayo Clinic experts. A good move all around.

Multicultural Festival

From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. today, a multicultural festival and vaccination clinic will be operating in downtown Fairmont. The event has been organized by Alex Young-Williams, a Community Activator through Lead for Minnesota who is hosted by Project 1590.

Meant to help minority groups feel more welcome in the community, the event will feature a band performance, activities, games, food trucks, and information booths. We were glad to see a variety of local businesses donate and offer services for the event. Hopefully, this type of activity will go a long way in fostering a community-wide sense of inclusion.

Internship Program

The Minnesota Valley Action Council/Martin County Summer Youth Internship Program is underway for 2021. Recently several of the 15 students currently involved in the program were able to express their gratitude to the Martin County Commissioners for helping to fund the program. We would like to join in on expressing that gratitude.

The program is a great way to keep young people interested in our communities while providing a helping hand to local businesses at the same time. We appreciate the funding provided by County Commissioners to keep the program going, and we also thank Coordinator Tammie Hested for her ongoing efforts to match students and businesses for the best possible outcomes.