For the past several months, this newspaper has written about the EMS crisis facing communities including some in Dodge County.
Whether it’s West Concord struggling to find volunteers and or staff, or Dodge Center Ambulance dealing with coming up with needed funds to help pay for capital equipment it’s no secret the local ambulances are in trouble.

As September marks Kinship Care Month, we take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the essential role of kinship caregivers—grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and close family friends—who step in to provide safe, loving, and stable homes for children when their parents cannot.

The third annual Oktoberfest in Kasson is Sept. 28, with hundreds expected to attend.
Kicking things off is the Wurst Dog Derby at 1 p.m. at the Zumbro Valley Golf Course.

The descendants of Ole and Inger Fossum held their annual Fossum Reunion on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at the park at Hayfield. Two grandchildren, Deanna Bakke of Austin and Arlene Bjornson of Hayfield are still living.
Deanna Bakke said the Norwegian table prayer and a potluck dinner was enjoyed by all.

Kasson-Mantorville’s Lions Club will have a “scrap metal” drive from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lions Park in Kasson on Saturday, Sept. 28.
The club will be accepting any metal items including stoves, washing machines, dryers, lawn mowers, cans, tillers, pipes, vehicle batters and similar items. Refrigerators, freezers and electronics or freon-sealed units will not be accepted.

Dodge Center Foundation is seeking applications from organizations looking for funding from the foundation.
Local organizations interested in seeking funding should fill out a grant application and submit it to the Dodge Center Foundation Secretary Diane Page at dpageno2@gmail.com on or before Oct. 1, 2024. Or mail it to P.O Box 276, Dodge Center, Mn.

Construction will be getting under way soon on the Bandshell in Riverside Park in Mantorville with the project finished by the city’s Fall Festival, according to Tom Monson of MBT bank in Mantorville. The project got an added boost last week when MBT Bank’s owner’s foundation, the Hanson Family Foundation, made a $20,000 donation to the project.

With a 3.66 team overall GPA the Byron boys soccer team was one of 114 teams across the country to be 2023-2024 High School Team Academic Award winner.

The Triton football team was dominant from the first whistle against Blue Earth Area High School last Friday, winning 60-14.
“I believed this was going to be a dog fight, I thought our boys came out and played at a high level,” Head Coach Brandon Neseth told the DCI following the game. “To start the game with a pic 6 like we did by Graden Thomas really set the tone.”