I remember about seven years ago, I was at the urgent care with my mom. I don’t remember what I was there for, some sort of illness or sports injury, but that doesn’t matter. 
What matters is I looked up at the TV in the waiting room, and saw nothing but pure sadness as the news broke that a shooting had occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School, less than 100 miles from my parents' home in Rhode Island. 

Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan last week  announced that the State of Minnesota was awarded a $2.5 million grant to implement a groundbreaking, evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum in middle schools across the state.

With about a month before the first day of school, the Kasson-Mantorville School Board approved a number of different personnel items during its board meeting last week. 

Ever since the Byron Sportsmen and Conservation Club was founded in 1983, they have had one mission. 
To help promote conservation. 
Thats why it's fitting that they were selected by the Dodge County Soil and Water Conservation District as this year’s Outstanding Conservationist award. 
“Since the establishment of the club, located in Section 13 of Mantorville Township, they have

Byron Public Schools have announced the hiring of two new building leaders at Byron High School. 
The moves came after former high school principal Steve Willman resigned at the end of the school year  to take a new position in Rochester. 

The Dodge County Planning Commission gave its approval to the revised county Comprehensive Plan last week following a public hearing.

An elderly man riding his bicycle died after being run over by a construction truck in Mantorville.
Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose identified the victim as Darrel Faulkner, 81, of Mantorville. He was killed instantly in the crash around 7:26 a.m. Wednesday.

A Christian music heavyweight ended up bringing church to the fair in Albert Lea last Friday night.
It was a welcome sight at the Freeborn County Fair as Casting Crowns brought church to the fair and packed in a large grandstand crowd. What made it even more extraordinary is that this was the first time the Freeborn fair, which has been well-known for its concert offerings for decades, offered a Christian concert. 

From the time I got picked up in Bloomington by my first publisher to visit St. James, there has been one thing that has constantly told to me. 
There’s only two seasons in Minnesota winter and road construction season. 
After living in Minnesota for more than two years I have realized that it’s completely true.