County News

Mantorville Stagecoach Days

Photos by Karen M. Jorgensen Top, the Mantorville Art Guild tried something new this year, inviting residents to stop by and paint “quilt squares.” Two youngsters were the first to try their hands at painting, creating these two self-portraits. Second row, left, Mark Packard was hard at work...

Photo by Wayne Hendrickson Rows of pipes are lined up along Highway 57 in Kasson as work continues on street reconstruction and the installation of three roundabouts. Work began in April and is scheduled to be completed by late July or early August.

ALL LINED UP

Roundabout construction continues; completion several weeks away

Work continues on the construction of three roundabouts along Highway 57 in Kasson with the completion of the project anticipated late July or early August. The project was originally scheduled for a mid-July finish but a later than anticipated lifting of load restrictions led to a somewhat later...

Highway 14 J-turn near Byron now open

A Highway 14 J-turn at Olmsted Co. Rd. 3 east of Byron is now open, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation The safety improvement project will help reduce right-angle, highway-speed crashes, sometimes called T-bone crashes, which can result in serious injury or death. The J-turn...

File Photo A happy youngster enjoys the merry-go-round at the 2022 Dodge County Free Fair.

County Fair — highlight of summer in Dodge County

It’s the highlight of every summer in Dodge County — the Dodge County Free Fair. This year’s fair opens July 12 and continues through July 16 at the Fairgrounds in Kasson. An important note for those who plan to exhibit in the Open Class Building Exhibits, the registration entry day has been...

Fair Board moves Open Class entry day to Monday

In its 166th year this summer, the Dodge County Free Fair is the state’s oldest running county fair. Organizers say they’ll bring back fan favorites this July as well as a few new attractions. The 2023 fair is scheduled for July 12-16 at the fairgrounds in Kasson. The biggest change to the fair...

The Kasson American Legion Color Guard made stops at South Zumbro and the Mantorville Bridge and several other cemeteries during Memorial Day observances on Monday.

MEMORIAL DAY REMEMBRANCES

Photo: Abigail Erpelding was the speaker at the program at Kasson-Mantorville High School.

Photo by Nan Babcock The new location for community gardens in Dodge Center is at Fairview Care Center. On May 6, University of Minnesota Extension master gardeners worked with Fairview employees to remove sod from the location, which is large enough for 14 ten by ten foot garden plots. Carson Beaver ran the sod cutter while Mary Devroy, Don Pogalz, Pam Fuller, Nichole Erickson and Seanne Buckwalter moved the sod rolls. See story on Page 2.

Memorial Day observances planned in Dodge County

Memorial Day observances are scheduled in Dodge County communities and Byron on Monday. Kasson In the Kasson and Mantorville area, the American Legion will hold services at cemeteries beginning at 8 a.m. at Rock Dell. From there they will go to East St. Olaf at 8:15 a.m., South Zumbro at 8:30 a.m...

Community gardens change location

Dodge Center’s community gardens are changing locations this year for the first time in 15 years. Dodge County’s Extension Master Gardeners provide community gardens in Kasson, Dodge Center, and West Concord that are available for people to reserve to have a place to grow a garden. Dodge Center’s...

Alberts finalist for 2023 Princess Kay title

Dodge County Dairy Princess Mackenzie Alberts has been named a finalist for the 2023 Princess Kay of the Milky Way title. The 10 Princess Kay finalists were announced Sunday after a two-day leadership event. Alberts is studying agricultural communications and leadership at South Dakota State...