A list of the 100 best small towns in America has been released. That list includes two small towns in Iowa, both with a population of less than 10,000.
Eden Valley is a small town in southwestern Stearns and northern Meeker counties in Central Minnesota. The town has a population of 1,027 as of the 2020 census. It can be found along the intersection of Highway 55 and Highway 22.
Clearwater is a town in northwestern Wright County with a small portion in Stearns County in Central Minnesota. Clearwater is located along Interstate 94 and State Highway 24.
WJON's Small Town Friday series took us this time to Rice, Minnesota. Rice is a community of 1,275 people, located in Benton County north of Sauk Rapids. For this feature I talked with Mary Ostby from the Benton County Historical Society, Rice Mayor Brian Skroch and Rice Police Chief Ross Hamann.