If one were to have a conversation with Chris Abts, it wouldn’t take long to realize that he has a life-long passion for racing. Ever since he was a kid, Abts has spent a majority of his life around a racetrack, particularly the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin.

Farmers rarely get to show off their old tractors.
“If we didn’t have the tractor parade, they might just sit in the weeds,” said Bob Senjem, one of the two founding fathers of the Dodge County tractor parade. He, Frank Ness and Frank’s nephew, Tom, spearhead the event each year. The three men thought the parade had been held for eight years or so. It’s only been completely rained out once, said Ness.

Al-Corn in Claremont is continuing to do preliminary work in preparation for its upcoming expansion as the company awaits issuance of an air permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
The plan, said CEO Randall Doyle, remains that construction will start as soon as the permit is issued.
“As soon as the permit is issued,” he said, “we’ll begin. I’ll have the permit in one hand and a shovel in the other.”

Summer often brings changes to schools and this summer is no exception as a new principal has taken the helm at Triton Middle School.
Principal Mark Raymond left the district at the end of June, returning to the Austin school system to assume his new duties as HR director.
His replacement at Triton Middle School is Luke Lutterman, a 2000 graduate of Triton High School, said Triton Superintendent Brett Joyce.

harm this week as Dodge Center City Administrator Lee Mattson informed the council that Jared Oscarson has accepted the city’s offer of employment and plans to start his new position as ambulance director on August 8.
Oscarson was chosen after the city reopened the job search after Brett Rima and the city could not reach an agreement on compensation.

Tom Heymann, 67, of Kasson, passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on July 4, 2016, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s Disease with Lewy Body dementia. He was diagnosed in 2003.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the period for filing affidavits of candidacy for the office of school board member of Independent School District No. 204 shall begin on August 2, 2016, and shall close at 5:00 o’clock p.m. on August 16, 2016.
The general election shall be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. At that election, four (4) members will be elected to the School Board for terms of four (4) years each.  

Notice is hereby given that the filing for Mayor and City Council will open Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at 8:00 am and close Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 5:00 pm.  Offices to be filled; 
One (1) Mayor - 2 year term
Two (2) Council Members – 4 year term
One (1) Council Member – 2 year term

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the period for filing affidavits of candidacy for the office of school board member of Independent School District No. 2125 shall begin on August 2, 2016, and shall close at 5:00 o’clock p.m. on August 16, 2016.
The general election shall be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.  At that election, three (3) members will be elected to the School Board for terms of four (4) years each.