News

Construction begins on Hwy 57 in Mantorville

Construction work officially began on Highway 57 in Mantorville Monday as MnDOT crews began removing pavement and a detour went into effect. In anticipation of the project’s beginning, a large crowd of residents turned out Friday for a public information session at the Dodge County Government...

Man dead after chase through two counties

A Cannon Falls man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after authorities say he led law enforcement on a chase after a traffic stop in West Concord. Adam Michael Lawrence, 48, has been identified as the driver of an SUV that came up behind the squad of the West Concord officer about 7:40 p.m....

Five named as Dodge County Dairy Princesses

Five young women in Dodge County have been named Dairy Princesses for the coming year. They were crowned at the annual Dodge County Dairy Princess Banquet last Saturday evening. The 2024 princesses include Olivia Baskett, Alita Rinehart, Elyssa Robinson, Ellie Sauder, and Cadence Spearman. Baskett...

Family time important to Ben Langan

(Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of Wayne Hendrickson’s conversation with Ben Langan.) A project Kasson is very proud of is being named Tree City USA for the last 43 years. This program started in 1976 and Kasson is one of the longest participants in Minnesota. Each year trees have been planted for...

I Was Thinking... Questionable Learning

Growing up, I was a child of early television programming. My view of the world was influenced by what I saw in the shows I watched. As I look back now, I’m sure this exposure explains a lot about my lack of critical thinking skills. Watching early TV is a lot like looking at Facebook to get your...

Literature & Art kicks off library celebration

Kasson’s Public Library kicked off a year-long celebration of its 125th anniversary last weekend with a Saturday night reception, a Sunday open house, and the opening of a new exhibit, Literature & Art: A Classic Combination. The library has been displaying artwork by Mantorville Art Guild...

Kasson library prepares for 125th anniversary

From a fashion show to high tea, the Kasson Public Library has it all going on in celebration of its 125th anniversary this year. It all began April 7 with an open house at the library. Next up, on May 5, there’s a high tea and fashion show with fashion through the ages showcased, said David...

Annie Comes to Hayfield:

Top, the cast of the Hayfield Community Schools Spring Musical “Annie Jr.” Above left, Ellie Harthan as Grace Farrell and Raygen Smith as Annie. Above right, Ellie Harthan, Raygen Smith and EJ Austin as Oliver Warbucks. The musical featured a variety of well-known songs including I Think I’m Going...

Gambling rolls in $224K for Claremont Chamber

Charitable donations given by the Claremont Area Chamber of Commerce increased sharply by $40,000 over the previous year. In 2023, organizations, churches and benefits throughout Steele and Dodge counties received $224,000 from charitable gambling proceeds, according to Dean Schuette, president of...

Construction projects on Highways 57, 14 set to begin

Construction is set to begin in days on both Highway 57 in Mantorville and Highway 14 between Dodge Center and Byron. Minnesota Department of Transportation has scheduled a public information meeting for tomorrow, Friday, April 12, to learn more about the Highway 57 reconstruction project. The...