Although budget discussions are still ongoing, Dodge County officials are anticipating a 2016 budget increase in the neighborhood of 5.2 percent, county board members were told last week.

Now that school is back in session, Kasson-Mantorville students have to adjust to the construction. Even though a good portion of the project is complete, there is still a fair amount of work left to do before the entire high school project is complete.

The School Resources Officer (SRO), the new library, the preliminary budget and tax, levy, backflow preventers and the city administrator search were all among topics discussed at last week’s city council meeting.
During the public forum section resident Chris McKern asked councilman Coy Borgstrom if he planned to answer his questions that were posed at the last city council meeting. 

 
 
Breaking News: Car crash claims life in Steele County
 
 
A car crash in Steele County has taken the life of an Owatonna man.
Sheriff Lon Thiele identified the victim as Jason Jeffrey Ost, 30. He was driving a vehicle that hit another vehicle at County Road 45 and 58th Street about five miles south of Owatonna Monday around 7:30 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

During the grind of a season, it can be hard to keep a team focused week in and week out. This leads to what some people call “trap games” as a team that might not be playing as well can come out of nowhere and score an upset.

I am a survivor.  I have survived being ambushed. No, I didn’t dodge a sniper as I was tracking down a hot news tip. Sadly, that happens from time to time with journalists and did just last month in Virginia. But, rather, I pulled myself together enough to survive an emotional ambush. Barely, though.

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. This September, the American Red Cross is teaming up with Sports Clips Haircuts in hopes to make a difference. 

Joseph “Joey” Patrick Ptacek, age 78, of rural Owatonna, passed away Sept. 6, 2015, at the Homestead Hospice House.

Donald Charles Kasper, age 83 of rural Owatonna, passed away Sept. 3, 2015, at Homestead Hospice House. Don was born June 3, 1932, in Owatonna, to parents Charles and Marie Kasper. He grew up on the family farm and attended country school. He graduated from Owatonna High School in 1950. After high school he went to work on the family farm. In 1953 he joined the Army where he served for two years being honorably discharged in 1955.