Is this Winter of the Walking Dead, or what?
It seems like everyone is sick. We're hacking away, battling fever, the chills and the hot sweats, taking medication and sleeping long hours, hoping whatever it is runs its course- STAT (from the Latin word ‘statum,’ or ‘immediately,’ according to medicinenet.com, which says this is “definitely a significant flu season in Minnesota”).

As we got dumped on with snow earlier this week, I primarily dtayed indoors and enjoyed the beauty of it all.
But soon panic overcame me as I looked outside to see massive amounts of snow- more than I recall seeing in quite some time.

The Kasson-Mantorville girls basketball team saw its offense take a step forward last week as they had balanced efforts against Zumbrota-Mazeppa and Triton. While K-M could only come up with one win in the two contests, the growth of the team is an encouraging sign as they head into the late stretch of its schedule.

Six to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow fell atop ice in southeast Minnesota from late Sunday through late Monday, and Tim Steffl was in his element.
The Minnesota WiFi field representative from Mantorville was shoveling his walk outside the downtown Kasson business for the fifth time late Monday afternoon, to ensure the snow didn’t build up.

Basketball players raced up and down the floor at Triton High School on Saturday, smiling, and never seeming to tire.
They did need a little help scoring. But only because they’re pint-sized players, in preschool through third grade.
It was Week One of Biddy Basketball. Quite the spectacle.

Bernice E. Thompson, 94, of Austin, died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018 at St. Marks Lutheran Home. 
Bernice E. (Braaten) Thompson was born on May 19, 1923 in Mower County. She was the 9th of 13 children born to Tom and Anna (Thompson) Braaten. She attended school in Austin, and married her sweetheart, Sylvester L. Thompson, July 21, 1942 in the chapel at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. 

Vivian E. Hjelmen-Eggert, 81, of West Fargo, passed away Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo.

James “Jim” Robert Schumacher, 35, of Hollandale, died Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018 at his residence.

Lawrence Allen Ingvaldson, 86, Ellendale, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 at Koda Living Community in Owatonna. 
Lawrence was born on March 2, 1931 to Melvin and Alma (Hendrickson) Ingvaldson in Newry Township near Blooming Prairie. He attended Newry Township country school. Lawrence was united in marriage to Marian Jean Hensrud on Feb. 24, 1952 and raised their family and farmed in Steele County.