Gerald “Jerry” Dean Sackett of Dodge Center, passed away peacefully on May 14, 2026. He was born May 3, 1932 to Floyd and Wanda (Kramer) Sackett. He married the love of his life, Joann (Love) on October 28, 1953 and they had three children.

As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close and my time in the Minnesota Senate nears its end, I sincerely thank the people of Dodge, Olmsted and Wabasha counties for the trust you have placed in me over the years. You have become my friends, and it has been a joy to serve you.

When I first moved to Minnesota, one of the things I quickly realized was how much Minnesotans love their gas stations.
Everyone, it seems, has their favorite chain of gas stations.
Back home we love Dunkin’ Donuts, and after almost a decade of being with me, my Minnesotan wife may have finally realized what the hype is all about — so much so, she decided we’d wake up at 4 a.m. for it.

Every generation has older people who remind younger people how easy they have it, compared to when they grew up. The elder set tells the youngsters how they had to walk to school in snow and it was probably uphill both ways.
My generation was told how our parents didn’t have TV or air conditioning, and had to share rooms with siblings. Their homes were heated with wood or coal, and the upstairs was never warm.

Dear Seniors, 
As we come to the end of another school year, I find myself especially proud of all of you. You’ve had success in the classroom, through your activities, and most importantly, you’ve grown into great human beings.That matters more than anything.

STAFF PHOTO BY KAREN M. JORGENSEN

A row of flags lined the path from the road to the site of the West Concord Memorial Day program.

Following the abrupt retirement announcement from state Sen. Carla Nelson, a Republican who has represented parts of Dodge and Olmsted counties since 2010, four candidates have entered the race for the GOP nomination.
The list includes former Mantorville Mayor Chuck Bradford, former state Rep. Nels T. Pierson, Jesse O’Driscoll and Dan Sepeda.

The owner of a Kasson childcare center has been charged in federal court, where she is accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $425,000 in funding from a state program.
Jillaine Ann Mertens, of Hamel, is scheduled to be arraigned June 4 in Minneapolis. She operated Creative Stars I and Creative Stars II, which provided childcare for families in Rochester and Kasson, respectively.