After years of debate, Dodge County publisher Rick Bussler is asking a judge to decide whether the Claremont, Dodge Center, West Concord, Kasson, Mantorville, Hayfield Messenger is qualified to print legal notices as an official newspaper.

The 2026 Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference was held March 5-6 and saw record-breaking membership with over 2,500 members from 80 chapters across the state competing.

Gary Martin Landers, 85, of Dodge Center, passed away on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Mayo Clinic St. Marys campus in Rochester.

Leslie John Rosecke, age 74, passed away at his home in Richfield on Sunday, March 8, 2026. 

Dean Schuette, president and CEO of Claremont Area Chamber of Commerce, received the “Lone Ranger Award” at the Feb. 18-19 Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Executives Annual Meeting in Saint Paul.

The North American Farm & Power Show returns to Owatonna next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 19-20, at the Four Seasons Centre on the Steele County Free Fair grounds.
This year marks the 24th year the event has been held in Owatonna, said Dan Slowinski of show sponsor Trade Expos in Austin.

The Hayfield/Schaeffer Academy girls basketball team’s season came to an end last week, after losing to NRHEG 64-62 in the Section 1A championship game.
Despite trailing 37-32 at halftime and losing leading scorer Camryn VanMaldeghem to an injury late in the first half, NRHEG still found a way to rally and outscore the Vikings 32-25 in the final 18 minutes to shock the Vikings.

The Dodge County boys hockey team’s season came to an end last week after two games at the Class A State tournament in the Twin Cities.
The opening round game against top-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm was a 0-0 game at the end of the first period.
In the second period, Hibbing/Chisholm scored three goals to take a 3-0 lead going into the third period.
Both teams traded goals, and Hibbing/Chisholm picked up the 4-1 win.

Grief is a complicated thing.
My late maternal grandmother was a first generation American, with both her parents coming from Ireland.
She grew up as a devoted Catholic, so it meant Saturday night or Sunday morning church, and of course fish and chips on Friday nights. (We don’t do fish fries back home, a column for another day.) It also meant going to a lot of funerals and wakes.