For the past few years, the Kasson Park Board and other community groups and members have helped beautify the community during the springtime.
That tradition will continue again this year as the JUST PICK IT UP litter campaign will be taking place on May 11.
The goal of the campaign is for community members to help pick up litter in town as a group.

The contents of the bills that will fund state government over the next two years are beginning to move forward in the Minnesota House. And from my perspective some of them are not good news for taxpayers.
We have already begun to work up the House transportation finance proposal. There are a lot of things in this bill that I find concerning.

Almost two years ago I moved from Rhode Island to Minnesota, I didn’t know a soul, and I didn’t know about many of the different food chains and stores that are out here compared to out east.
When I first to St. James in the summer of 2017, I was eager to try different things, and learn about things that I knew nothing about.

Marion Serbus, age 87, of Olivia, Minn. died Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Redwood Area Hospital in Redwood Falls.  
Mass of Christian Burial was April 4, 2019 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Olivia with Rev. Joe Steinbeisser as celebrant. Burial was in the church cemetery.  

David H. Colburn, 73, of Hayfield passed away on April 5, 2019 due to complications of pulmonary fibrosis.
David was born on Dec. 12, 1945 to Norman and Berdella (Ellefson) Colburn, the youngest of eight children. He attended Kasson-Mantorville schools. David married Connie Tjoland on July 3, 1966. They had two children and were later divorced.  

Henry Richard “Hank” Shawback, Jr., age 86 of Blooming Prairie, passed away peacefully Sunday afternoon, March 31, 2019 at Prairie Manor Care Center in Blooming Prairie surrounded by his loving family.  

Allan W. Madsen “Al” of Owatonna passed away on April 2, 2019 in Rochester at the age of 92.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church located at 1909 St. Paul Road, Owatonna. Family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Military honors will be provided by the Steele County Funeral Unit. 

James Michael Gleason of Owatonna died April 3, 2019 at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna.
Funeral services were held Monday, April 8, 2019 at St. Joseph’s Church in Owatonna. Burial was at St. John’s Cemetery in Owatonna. 

THe City of Byron signed a purchase agreement to sell a lot to Fareway Stores, Inc for a new grocery store, according to the City's Facebook page. 
The chain plans to build a 20,000 square-foot store which will be scheduled to open summer of 2020.
A full story will be in next week's DCI.