Dodge County girls hockey team manager and K-M freshman Eric Fagerlind was sitting in the Kasson-Mantorville High School Learning Center when he got the text he’d been waiting for.
It simply read: “The grant is ours.”
Fagerlind couldn’t believe it.
            “I was astonished, to say the least. This was something long awaited and I was shocked,” he said.

Sometimes the more schools that offer scholarships to a student-athlete, the harder it can be for them to choose the right one, but that wasn’t the case for Byron’s 6’4” basketball star Sacia Vanderpool.

The Kasson-Mantorville school board discussed an expected partnership between the high school and CHS Inc., the option for students to take this quarter’s classes as pass or no credit and changes to the schedule at K-M Middle School among other subjects at its monthly meeting on Monday, May 18. Superintendent Mark Matuska said CHS is interested in getting involved with Kasson-Mantorville High School’s agricultural program.

Kasson Police Chief Kent Berghuis, who is retiring the end of June, grew up in Marshall, where his parents were on the school faculty. He participated in football, some wrestling and was a member of the DeMolay youth organization in the community, plus he liked hunting and fishing.   

The Minnesota State Fair has been cancelled for this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“It’s unfortunate, but we saw it coming,” said Steele County Fair President Dan Deml in response to the State Fair’s decision. “It’s inevitable, but incredibly unfortunate.”

Madelon M. Collette, age 93 of Austin, died Sunday, May 10, 2020, at St. Mark’s Living in Austin. 

Thomas Richard “Dick” Jelinek passed away peacefully at his home in Pequot Lakes after a short illness with stomach cancer on Friday, May 1, 2020.
Dick was born on Jan. 3, 1938 in Austin to Tom and Christy Jelinek. Dick was raised in Blooming Prairie where he resided most of his life. He graduated from Blooming Prairie High School in 1956 and loved working on the reunion committee.

Mary Jean Kaplan, 90, of Owatonna, died Saturday, May 16, 2020 at Owatonna Hospital.
Mary was born Feb. 2, 1930 in Nevada, Iowa the daughter of Henry and Margaret (Cartin) Kotlaba.  She was also baptized in Nevada. They moved to Blooming Prairie in June 1930 where Mary attended school from 1936-48. She received her college education from Winona State University and graduated in 1950 with a degree in elementary education. 

Ramon Salinas, age 59, of Blooming Prairie, passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by many loving family on Saturday, May 9, 2020, after a four-year battle with cancer.
Ramon was a fighter and fought cancer on his terms. His family and friends supported him through the battle of cancer. He entered heaven as a champion.