Allen Dennis Johnson, 93, of Blooming Prairie, passed away Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 at Prairie Manor Care Center in Blooming Prairie. 
Allen Dennis Johnson was born on Jan. 2, 1925 in rural Blooming Prairie on the family Century Farm to Elmer and Edna (Dennis) Johnson. He attended District 47 country school and Blooming Prairie High School. At a young age Allen’s father died and he began working on the farm. 

My baby cousin, Harper, was born exactly a week befroe my birthday. Between Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 I feel as if I'm allowed to celebrate for a week straight.
Harper is a lot like how you would imagine most 4-year-olds, but somehow she's just a little bit more. I don't typically hang out with children, but somehow Harper makes complete sense to me.

Today, Feb. 8, is national Laugh and Get Rich Day, according to the good folks at timeanddate.com, a website featuring good-humored holidays for every day of the week. (Jan. 7 was “Old Rock Day,” Jan. 17 was “Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day,” Jan. 20 was “Penguin Awareness Day,” and Jan. 21 was “Squirrel Appreciation Day”).

Minnesota’s high court will soon face a major decision regarding cameras in the courtrooms across the state.  
For more than two years, a pilot project has allowed news organizations to capture video and photographs inside some sentencing proceedings - mostly murder trials and other high profile cases around the state.  

The Dodge County boys hockey extended its winning streak to four games last week with the latest installments coming against La Crescent and Windom Area. The winning streak is the Wildcats’ longest winning streak of the season and is part of a stretch of six wins in the past eight games.

The annual KoMets vs. Cancer campaign is off and running.
More than $2,200 was raised during a Dodge County Wildcats girls hockey game on Jan. 26, the initial event sponsored by Kasson-Mantorville High School winter sports and activities programs.
Upcoming events include a K-M wrestling match (Thursday, Feb. 8), a girls basketball game Friday, Feb. 9, and a boys basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 13.

Dodge County Emergency Management director Matt Maas has undertaken an added position as Public Safety Answering Point (911 Dispatch Center) director in a merging of the two departments.
Maas, Emergency Management director since 2009, replaces Mike Burton, who left the PSAP position after about 10 years to work in radio programming with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.

Even within a public safety agency it sometimes takes a while for the real facts to surface.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office found that out recently when it discovered only one of two deputies involved in saving a man’s life back in 2010 had been recognized.
Deputy Scott Prins had previously been honored with a lifesaving award, but not another deputy who also played a crucial role in the incident. That’s until now.