Community

Salvation Army sees increase in help requests

It has been a busy year for the Dodge County Salvation Army as requests for assistance have increased as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The need is great, said Salvation Army volunteer Faye Wendland, but county residents have also been stepping up to help. The annual Christmas bell ringing...

2 people die from COVID in Dodge County

After going nearly nine months without recording any deaths, Dodge County experienced two COVID-related deaths within the past week. Public Health Director Amy Caron reported the first death on Dec. 2. She said a person in their 90s had died from the virus. A second death involving a woman in her...

Fred and Joan Asche pose by their Christmas tree. Fred made many of the ornaments on the tree.

Minnesota to California, Fred and Joan Asche came to Mantorville

Fred Asche grew up on a farm in the Clara City area in a family of three boys and four girls. Joan lived in rural Montevideo with three siblings. Fred and Joan grew up living 17 miles apart and they met while roller skating in Montevideo. They say people do not remember things when they are very...

BREAKING NEWS: Dodge County fire destroys hog barn, kills 2,000 pigs

A fire in southern Dodge County has destroyed a hog barn and 2,000 smaller pigs, Blooming Prairie Fire Chief Dean Naatz said. The blaze broke out around 8 a.m. Thursday at the Garness Farm located along Hwy. 30 between Hayfield and Blooming Prairie. It took firefighters from three area departments...

BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 claims first death in Dodge County

Nearly nine months after the pandemic began, Dodge County has recorded its first COVID-19 death. Public Health Director Amy Caron reported late Wednesday that a person in their 90s has died from the COVID-19 virus. “Our sincere condolences go out to the family during this difficult time,” Caron...

KoMet Pantry serves students in need

Three years ago, the KoMet Pantry opened at Kasson-Mantorville High School and has been serving kids in need ever since. The Pantry provides perishable and non-perishable food as well as personal items such as shampoo and deodorant. Students don’t need to provide any documentation proving they need...

KM KoMets finish their COVID season with a win

Kasson-Mantorville KoMets had their last volleyball game of the season on their home turf against the Jordan Jaguars last week. The first set started out with Jordan taking the lead 2-0 until Maddy Cummings and Shae Sands both received a kill tying the game 2-2. After a long back and forth round,...

Kasson Library Director Pat Schaffer-Gottschalk says she works with the best library staff there is. Staff members include, left to right, Nancy Hackenmiller, Barb Thompson, Pat Shaffer-Gottschalk, Kelly Bell and David Greenfield.

Kasson library director says staff is the best

Patricia Shaffer-Gottschalk grew up in Port Clinton, Ohio, about the size of Kasson, by Lake Erie with two sisters who still live in Ohio. The city has been nicknamed “The Walleye Capital of the World” due to the great fishing areas offshore in Lake Erie (wonder how Minnesota feels about that?)....

The staff at El Patron in Kasson was ready for business when the restaurant opened last week. Hard at work in the kitchen were, back, left to right, Frank, Adolfo Angel, Paco, Carlos Rodriquez; front Victor Lemus.

El Patron open for business Kasson

After delays in opening, El Patron Mexican Grill & Cantina opened Nov. 24 in the old Daniel’s Restaurant location in Kasson. The restaurant serves authentic Mexican food, with dozens of items on the expansive menu. Most popular menu items are the enchiladas supreme, cowboy fajitas and the...

Minneota dominates KM in volleyball

KoMets home game against Minneota started out pretty repetitive. KM’s Maddy Cummings got the first point of the match and Maddie Converse fed off of that energy with getting her eleventh Ace of the season. The score started its recurring ties at 2-2. Cummings gets another one down adding to the...