We want to hear from you, but…

It’s now official, the election season is here. Filings closed Tuesday for the U.S. Senate and House of Representative, the state legislature and county offices. Filings will open soon for city and school board elections.

The DCI wants to hear from readers and would like to have a robust discussion on candidates and issues on the Opinion page. However, there are a few basic rules that need to be followed.

First, please keep all letters to no more than 300 words. Also, letter writes should refrain from personal attacks, derogatory comments, or inflammatory statements.

Letters should be the original work of the sender. That means we do not accept “form letters” that are prepared by candidates or political organizations and distributed to their supporters. Write what you have to say in your own words.

Also, don’t forget to include your first and last name, address, and phone number. This is for the DCI’s use if we need to verify a letter writer’s identity. Only the letter writer’s name and city of residency will be published.

Basically, keep them short and keep them civil.

Construction continues
in Mantorville

Work continues on Highway 57 through downtown Mantorville as the state prepares to reconstruct the roadway and the city is currently installing stormwater pipes and doing work on the curbs. Although the detour has been in effect since mid-April, the bridge over the Zumbro River will be closed next Monday, June 10, for a week, depending on the weather, to allow excavation work to be done at the end of the bridge.

According to the latest report from MnDOT safety is still an issue. Crews have reported that drivers are cutting through private property which puts both residents and workers at risk. Please respect the private property of others and also avoid speeding and dangerous driving in the work zone.

Hopefully all the work will be finished by mid- or late August and there will be a nice, new roadway to drive on.

For Mantorville residents and businesspeople, also remember that the contractor, Elcor Construction, meets in-person with the community every Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the County Seat Coffee House.

Graduated Seniors

On a final note, congratulations to all the seniors from Byron, Kasson-Mantorville, Hayfield, Triton, and the Area Learning Center at the Zumbro Education District. Not only congratulations on your past accomplishments as students but also wishing you the best as you move on to the next stage of life, be it college or other forms of higher education, the military, or the work force. Congratulations on a job well done.