The numbers are in; last month, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kasson collected 784 shoe boxes in an effort to make a difference this Christmas. 
Each year St. John’s along with various other locations throughout the county and the nation collect shoe boxes and fill them with gifts, school supplies and personal items that are distributed to children worldwide through Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse. 

The choirs of Triton Middle School and Triton High School will present an evening of choral music on Monday, Dec. 14, in the Triton Performing Arts Center.
The evening will be divided into three concerts in order accommodate the large audiences.

t has been a mild fall so far but snow will be arriving any day now so it is a good time to review the winter parking and snow removal ordinances in Kenyon.
The winter parking rules are that it is unlawful for any person to park a vehicle on any city street after a continuous or intermittent snowfall where there has been an accumulation of two or more inches of snow. 

The old Wasioja Baptist Church will come alive again this Saturday as the Dodge County Historical Society sponsors its annual Christmas service at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12.
The service will feature Pastor Barb Streed from Faith Lutheran Church in Dodge Center giving the message and Barb Hanson from Concord providing the musical accompaniment for the singing of Christmas carols.

Skyrocketing student fees. High transportation costs. Rising health care costs. And incomes not keeping pace with inflation.
Those are just some of the reasons why families raising children today are struggling. America has an economic dilemma that is hitting the middle class especially hard.

Palmer G. Johnson, 87 of Oronoco, Minnesota died Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 at his residence.
Palmer Glen Johnson was born on April 29, 1928 to Lancey and Cora (Hanson) Johnson in Lemond Township in Steele County.  Palmer grew up on the family farm and graduated from Stewartville High School in 1946. 

June Eleanor Johnson, 85, passed away on Friday morning, Dec. 4, 2015, at Susie’s Place in Hayfield after a lengthy battle with Alzheimers.  The family is thankful for the loving care she received from Susie’s Place. 

Cora Ann Sippel Murphy, 77, of Byron passed away Dec. 1, 2015 in Rochester.  

The funeral service for Gary “Swede” Ronald Peterson was held Dec. 4, 2015, at the Faith Lutheran Church in Dodge Center.
Swede, 77, of West Concord, died on Nov. 30, 2015, at Field Crest Care Center in Hayfield.
Swede was born on Jan. 17, 1938, in Dovray Township, Murray County, to Carl and Marguerite (nee Sollinger) Peterson.  He graduated from West Brooke High School.