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September 23, 2026

On My Mind: Goodbye Summer

September 22, 2026

There's a sad kind of goodbye that happens on my deck every year, and I never quite get used to it. The pots that have been full and spilling over with color since May —...

Crashing the Fish Fry at the Old Folks Home

September 16, 2026

Part 4 “Money Mona and “Milk Maid Mary”. “I remember Mona at the city office; I was a kid, but I’m not sure about Mary. Why did they call her...

Home Cooking: Game Day Snacks

September 15, 2026

At the Bergman house, fall officially arrives with the Minnesota Vikings home opener. That happened this past Sunday, and the Vikings won. Game day usually means it's my...

Community Focus

That means the impact of the project could reach far beyond the children who walk through its doors each morning.
Reliable child care allows parents to work, helps local businesses retain employees and gives young families another reason to put down roots in a rural community. LifeCare Medical Center President and CEO Keith Okeson highlighted that connection when LifeCare contributed $25,000 to the project in 2025, pointing to reliable child care as important to both families and the economic stability of the community.
Lil’ Chompers leaders have also envisioned the facility as something more than a place where children spend the day.
Its location near LifeCare Greenbush Manor opens the door for intergenerational programming that will bring some of the community’s youngest and oldest residents together.
“We are taking an intergenerational approach,” Lil’ Chompers President Karen Dvergsten told the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, explaining that the neighboring facilities will allow children and Greenbush Manor residents to learn and interact together.
Those interactions could ultimately become one of the most special pieces of the project—giving children additional adults to learn from and build relationships with while giving Manor residents regular opportunities to connect with little ones growing up in their community.
Lil’ Chompers has already demonstrated that its vision extends beyond the walls of the future center. This summer, the organization hosted a free Dollipops children’s concert at Legion Park, an event made possible through Northwest Minnesota Arts Council funding and open to families throughout the community.
Getting to this point, however, has taken years of persistence.
The project has been supported through a combination of government funding, grants, donations, fundraising and community support. Earlier this year, Lil’ Chompers reported securing $1 million in congressional funding and $240,000 through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, in addition to private donations and grants.
In February, the project reached another major milestone when construction bids were opened. Months later, construction equipment is on site and what once existed on architectural drawings is becoming something families can actually see.
There is still work ahead. Roof trusses, sheathing, roofing, windows and exterior finishes remain among the work underway or approaching. The Sept. 15 construction report also notes preparations for mechanical and electrical work, exterior lighting and the eventual installation of the facility’s propane tank.
But for a project that began years ago with a group of people recognizing a need, each new wall represents progress.
Child care may happen inside a classroom, but its effects ripple throughout an entire community. It can mean a parent accepting a job instead of turning one down because care isn’t available. It can mean a family deciding they can stay in their hometown. It can mean children beginning school already connected to their community—and, through Lil’ Chompers’ plans for intergenerational programming, perhaps making a few unlikely friends along the way.
For Greenbush, the wooden framework rising from the construction site represents more than another new building.
It represents an investment in the people who will fill it—and in the future of the community they will call home.

A Final Salute: AJ Pulczinski’s Honor Flight Experience Inspires...

September 22, 2026

By: Samantha AlmeFor Adrian Joseph “AJ” Pulczinski, service to country was more than a chapter in his life story. It was something he carried with...

Low water levels create challenges for boat launching, retrieval

September 10, 2026

Minnesota DNRThe Minnesota Department of Natural Resources advises boaters to take extra care at public water access sites throughout Minnesota, where ongoing drought...

Aric Berg and Troy Hanson were among those who took part in the Prayer Zone Tour, traveling across Minnesota to pray over schools, students and staff.

Miles, Motorcycles and Prayer: Local riders take part in statewide...

September 9, 2026

A motorcycle, an open road and a simple mission brought together more than 30 riders from across Minnesota this summer as they set out to offer...

Harry's House

Debbie and Carla with Carla's Coconut Cake

Home Cooking: Doctoring Up the Box: Two Cake Mixes That Prove a...

September 22, 2026

There's a certain kind of confidence that comes with age, and for me, part of it has been giving myself permission to start with a box of cake mix...

'I will pray for you; will you pray for me?'

September 16, 2026

By The Rev. Devlyn BrooksCHARLESTON, S.C. -- “Will you pray for me? I will pray for you. … And we will watch God change things!” shouted the Rev. Dr. Eric S.C. Manning from...

"Go ahead and gawk at the clouds; a crazy pastor approves"

September 16, 2026

The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” -- Psalm 19:1I’m sure more than one passerby wondered what...

Newfolden woman killed in Pennington County crash

September 22, 2026

A Newfolden woman died Sunday evening in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 32 in Pennington County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.Sharlott Dawn Olberg, 68, of...

Looking Back from the past issues of the Greenbush Tribune, Middle...

September 22, 2026

10 Years Ago (2016)Greenbush-Middle River High School Spanish teacher Mara Gust, after two earlier tries, won a $3,000 Education Minnesota grant that put 17 Chromebooks...

Horse pull teams showed their incredible strength pulling sleds weighing 6,000 pounds.

Chilly Weather Doesn’t Stop Northland Threshing Bee Crowd

September 16, 2026

By: Samantha Alme Cool temperatures may have had people reaching for an extra sweatshirt or jacket this weekend, but they certainly didn’t keep...

Looking Back from the past issues of the Greenbush Tribune, Middle...

September 15, 2026

10 Years Ago (2016)The Greenbush-Middle River School District moved forward on a project to resolve a drainage problem along Park Ave properties on the west edge of the...

Allen Brazier, 84

Obituary/Allen Brazier, 84

September 22, 2026

Allen Orval Brazier passed away peacefully on July 16th, 2026. Born February, 1942, in Greenbush, MN. Allen married Bonnie Wahl (d. 2026) and...

Board of Education Badger ISD 676Wednesday, August 12, 2026

September 16, 2026

Minutes of Regular Meeting Board of Education Badger ISD 676 PO Box 68, 110 Carpenter Avenue East, Badger, Minnesota 56714 Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 6:00 P.M. in the...

Greenbush-Middle River ISD #2683 Greenbush-Middle River School...

September 10, 2026

Greenbush-Middle River ISD #2683Greenbush-Middle River School Board Regular MeetingMonday, July 20, 2026Greenbush Middle River School Library, 401 Park Avenue West,...

photo by Valerie Truscinski
Quarterback (#9) Will Foss looks downfield for an open receiver during the first quarter of action. The Gators defeated Underwood at home in their season opener 36-0.

September 9, 2026

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