BROOKINGS, S.D. – Dec. 18, 2018 – Emma Brumfield, a junior pharmacy major from Kasson, Minnesota, is the 2018-19 recipient of the J. Bruce Laughrey Scholarship at South Dakota State University.
 
She is the daughter of Jeff and Kathy Brumfield and a 2016 graduate of Kasson-Mantorville High School.
 
At State, she is involved in Student Collaboration for the Advancement and Promotion of Pharmacy.
 

Donald Ervin Boyum was born in Canisteo Township, on May 31, 1925, to Clara (Alrick) and Anthony Boyum. Don grew up on the farm in rural Kasson.  After high school, Don served for a short time in the Navy doing basic training in Idaho. After a medical discharge he returned to rural Kasson.

A memorial service for William A. “Buz” Fischer was held on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 at Byron Funeral Home in Byron.
William A. “Buz” Fischer, 79 of Kasson, died Monday, Dec. 17, 2018 at Seasons Hospice in Rochester,  after a long courageous battle with cancer.
Buz was born on Feb. 5, 1939 in Rochester,  to Charles and Alberta Fischer of Dodge Center.

In the early portion of the season, the win-loss record for the Kasson-Mantorville boys basketball team isn’t what they expected. With three losses dropping the KoMets to 1-6 on the season, it would be easy to say that things aren’t going the way they should.
However, K-M is showing improvement with each game and it believes that their work will pay off as the season goes along.

One of the concepts that is engrained into society is that once a student graduates high school, they must go to a four-year college and obtain a bachelor’s degree to find success. While a higher level of learning is beneficial to some graduate’s potential career choice, other jobs simply require a higher level of experience which can open their own doors to bigger and better things.
 

You’ve likely heard the phrase it takes a village (the work of many) to raise a child. The other night I felt like it takes a village to keep a Christmas tree standing.
As people were leaving a family Grinch holiday party that I hosted at my house, we looked over at the Christmas tree and nearly all sang in unison, “Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, You’re about to tip over.”

As I write my final column for 2018 I begin to reflect on the past year.
 
What a ride it’s been.
 
2018 is the first full year that I have lived in Minnesota and I have really settled in as a Minnesotan.
 
While I still will always be a city boy from Rhode Island at heart I now accept my role as a small town Minnesota guy as well.
 

One of the biggest supporters of local Students Against Destructive Decisions groups around the country is the local law enforcement personnel.
That’s why last week the K-M SADD group gave back to the Dodge County law enforcement through a meal at the Sheriff's Office.
After doing it for the first time last year their advisor, Cori Ronnenberg, explained that they were looking forward to doing it again this year.