Steven Patrick Clark, 74, of Medford, MN, passed away unexpectedly on July 7, 2025. He was a proud and loving husband, father, grandfather, friend, and veteran.

Charles August Stoelk, 92, of Hayfield, MN, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at Mayo Clinic Methodist Hospital in Rochester. He was born on April 30, 1933, in Audubon County, IA, the son of Charles and Augusta (Paape) Stoelk.

Loretta Marie Himle, 99, of Kasson, MN, passed away peacefully Thursday evening, July 3, 2025, surrounded by her family at Field Crest Care Center in Hayfield.

In a profession where stress is constant and silence is often the norm, the Kasson Police Department is taking steps to change the conversation around mental health.

Kasson-Mantorville 2025 graduate Caisen Thome is heading to the University of South Dakota to play Division I football, continuing a family legacy that began with his father.
“Being at USD and following in my dad’s footsteps means a lot,” Thome said. “He’s someone I always looked up to, and now I’m living it. It’s a special thing.”

I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at my email last Tuesday, while putting together the paper, to find an email from Karen Jorgenson, editor of the DCI.
Earlier that day, she had gone in for heart surgery to replace her aortic valve.

This so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” is nothing more than a handout to billionaires—forcing working-class families and our most vulnerable neighbors to sacrifice so the ultra-wealthy can get even richer. It’s cruel, and it does nothing to help make America great.

Recently, I attended the candlelight vigil for Speaker-Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and paid my respects at the Capitol as they lay in state. I was heartened to see the incredible turnout at both events. Thousands of Minnesotans came together to honor their lives and legacy.