David Michael Wilcox, 55, of Mantorville, MN, died by suicide at his home on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Dave was born November 16, 1969, in Rochester. He graduated from Kasson-Mantorville High School. He attended University of Wisconsin-River Falls and, later, flight school in Dallas, TX, where he got his pilot’s license.

This summer, I celebrated our nation’s birthday in Harmony — a small town along the Root River in southeast Minnesota, and apparently home to one of the largest 4th of July parades in the region.

 
Growing up in Rhode Island, community festivals weren’t a major part of the summer.
Instead, there were a couple spread out throughout the summer months, including the Gaspee Days Parade, held in my hometown, which commemorates the bloodshed of the American Revolution.
Most summer days, when we weren’t playing baseball or training for other sports, were spent at the beach.

It’s the first weekend in August, which means it is time for Claremont’s Hogfest celebration.
The weekend gets underway downtown on Friday, August 1, at 5 p.m., when Beer Garden sales begin and the food vendors open their stands. Garden tractor pulls begin at 6 p.m., as does the kids scavenger hunt from 6 to 7 p.m.
The Old Country Boys will perform from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Triton High School graduate Luke Lutterman has worked for the district since 2016 as a principal and became the high school principal in 2019, when Craig Schlichting left that position to become the superintendent.
On July 1, he took over as superintendent, once again following in Schlichting’s footsteps.
“It’s been going exceptionally well,” he said three weeks into his new role.

Lynn Knutson has been named grand marshal for the 2025 Kasson Festival in the Park parade, which steps off on Sunday, August 10, at 1:30 p.m.
Knutson has been a resident of the Kasson area for the past 55 years.
When he retired from IBM in 2006 after a 39-year career with the company, he asked himself, “What will I do now?”