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.

Kasson:
8 a.m. Rock Dell Cemetery
8:15 a.m. East St. Olaf Cemetery
8:30 a.m. South Zumbro Cemetery
8:55 a.m. Maple Grove (Kasson)
9:20 a.m. Milton Cemetery
9:45 a.m. Berne Cemetery
10:10 a.m. Mantorville Bridge
10:25 a.m. St. Margaret Cemetery
10:35 a.m. Evergreen (Mantorville)
11 a.m. KM High School Auditorium
Ceremony at Kasson Mantorville High School Auditorium:

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Carla Nelson announced on Tuesday she would be resigning from her senate seat. She has served in the legislature serving Dodge and parts of Olmsted County since 2010.