After news of the potential closing of CHS Inc. in Kasson leaked, an official released a statement about a plan to “optimize its assets.”
The Kasson location, along with the grain elevators in Ostrander and Wykoff, were named in an internal email to employees as the sites that will close.

STAFF PHOTO BY KAREN M. JORGENSEN

Cori Kennedy was the Friday night headliner at the “Spring into Summer” event at the Steele County Fairgrounds. She will return to Owatonna in August to perform at the Steele County Free Fair. 

STAFF PHOTO BY KAREN M. JORGENSEN

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith sits in the driver’s seat of a 1927 Model T that Jim Checkel is storing at his home. The federal lawmaker visited the Dodge County farm last week to discuss issues relevant to rural constituents. 

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.