Phyllis Jane Kruckeberg, 87, of Owatonna, died Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 at Birchwood Cottages. 
She was born Nov. 10, 1930 in Owatonna the daughter of Rueben and Elizabeth (Hybl) Carlson. Phyllis graduated from Blooming Prairie High School in 1949 and attended one year at Austin Community College for secretary training.  

One person was injured March 8 in a vehicle rollover near the Al-Corn Clean Fuel ethanol plant in Claremont.
The semi-truck driver, Donyell Tyrone Roberts, of St. Paul, was heading to the plant when his vehicle rolled on the frontage road near Highway 14 at 120th Avenue (West Street) and 621st Street, according to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.

James A. Srsen, age 82, of Blooming Prairie, passed away peacefully Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna, surrounded by his family. 

Jeffrey L Ditlevson, 54 of Mantorville, passed away Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 at his home.
Jeff was born Dec. 17, 1963 in Owatonna to Lynwood and Donna (Allen) Ditlevson. He graduated from Blooming Prairie High School with the Class of 1982 and then went on to attend Mankato State University.  

Dodge County authorities have arrested a student from Triton High School in connection with social media threats of harming people at the school.
Sheriff Scott Rose said his office received information indicating the student had advised other students both verbally and via Snapchat that they better not come to school on Friday because he was going to harm people.

Kasson-Mantorville Middle School’s drama department students presented Patrick Derksen’s detective comedy, “A Lighter Shade of Noir,” Feb. 23-25 at the Minnesota WiFi Performing Arts Center at Kasson-Mantorville High School. 
This is the school’s first comedy, and the students did an excellent job learning their lines and the accents needed for their parts. 

Mark Matuska was attending a training event in Nashville when he learned about America’s latest school shooting.
A young man named Nikolas Cruz is charged with killing 17 students and injuring 14 more on Feb. 14 at his former high school in Parkland, Fla.

As a journalist covering news stories of all sorts, I know first-hand how quickly things can change in life.
Just when you think things are moving forward in a positive direction, life gets in the way and changes everything very quickly. Such has been the case at the Steele County Free Fair over the past several months.