Pointing out that they had “more heavy metal than any of the other bands” the Forward Brass Band took first place in the Battle of the Bands competition in front of the grandstand at the Steele County Free Fair.
D-KO, of Rochester; Riptide, from Albert Lea; 9th Planet Out, from Rochester; Discord Curse, from Owatonna and Forward Brass Band all took to the stage Wednesday night all playing before an enthusiastic crowd.

Heavy rain on the first day of the Steele County Free Fair did not dampen the enthusiasm of those attending the induction of three local farmers into the Steele County Livestock Hall of Fame. The newest inductees include Barb Kasper, Howard Schoenfeld and Donald Sloan.

The Owatonna Huskies opened their 2015 football season with a 28-6 loss at Mankato West in a game with plenty of mistakes and missed opportunities by the Huskies. 
The Mankato West Scarlets sacked Huskies quarterback Alex Emanuelson five times, blocked a field goal and owned field position for most of the game. 

Two teams with a winning history battled the heat and strong winds in the season opener, and the Awesome Blossoms finally prevailed 8-6.  The game on the Blooming field featured an earlier start with the threat of bad weather looming later in the day, but the wind and the heat probably played a part in the outcome, as well.

Krisi Lillie, of Blooming Prairie, is using her paintbrushes to help fight cancer. 
The local artist is currently selling limited edition prints, featuring Blooming Prairie’s iconic water tower, and proceeds will help benefit the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group. 

Thrill seekers searching for food, fun and screams will hit the jackpot beginning today (Tuesday) as Minnesota’s best and largest county fair gets underway in Owatonna.
The Steele County Free Fair officially opens the gates at 5 p.m. today and runs through Sunday. In keeping with a tradition started back in 1927, admission to the fair will remain free. 

On most Thursday afternoons, upstairs in Trinity Lutheran Church, one will find eight or so individuals poring over their wood sculptures as they laugh and talk with one another. As they carve away at their hunk of wood, they manage to find something beautiful. 
This handful of individuals are the Southern Minnesota Woodcarvers. They meet most Thursdays of the year from 1 to 3 p.m. 

On Saturday cars, trucks, bikes and tractors cruised to the third annual “Classics and Customs” car show, held at the Blooming Prairie Servicemen’s Club. 
Tiffany Peterson, who helps organize the show, said that there were between 60 to 70 cars and bikes participating in the event on Saturday. Peterson said that she was very happy with the turnout, as there were also other car shows taking place in the area that afternoon. 

This July, four local students took time out of their busy summer schedules to make a difference in Accompong, Jamaica, with other members of their youth group.