Less than two months after their teenage son died by suicide, a Blooming Prairie couple is hoping to turn the tragedy into something positive. 
Kristi and Jamie Jorgenson want to increase awareness of mental illness, a disease that their son, Alex, battled for three years prior to ending his life a day before his 16th birthday at the family’s home on April 13. 

On Thursday, May 28, Zachary Schumaker was awarded the honor of “Police Officer of the Year.” Moonlighter’s Exchange Club of Owatonna sponsored this recognition banquet, which was held at the VFW in Owatonna at 6 p.m. 
Many community members and members of the Owatonna Police Department attended this banquet to honor Schumaker and the outstanding service that he has extended to the Owatonna community. 

A 4-1 loss to Tri-City United ended the Panthers’ sub-section runs on Thursday, May 28, ending a season of ups and downs for the Panthers and their new coach, Drew Paukert. 
While the season may be over, Paukert says he hopes the season proved to be the first step toward years of excellent baseball under his tutelage. 

Senior Taylor Hagen became the second Blooming Prairie athlete to earn a trip to state competition.  She placed second in the shot put at the Section1A meet Thursday, May 28, to join sophomore Taylor Christianson, who had taken medalist honors in the Section 1A golf tournament just two days earlier. 

Many times parents with children whose birthdays fall within June through November have to make the decision of whether or not to send their children to kindergarten or to wait a year. However, this fall parents have another option. 
Kid’s Korner Educare in Owatonna is launching a new program, Kinder Prep, which aims to help children who fall within that group of being too young or missing the cut off date of Sept. 1. 

Even though store manager Jennifer Anderson has only been at the Dressbarn in the Medford Outlet Center for three years, she hopes to still be at the store for the 40-year celebration. 
In March, the store celebrated being located at the Outlet Center for 20 years. 

What a spectacular day it was for golf at the second round of sections at Rochester’s Eastwood golf course and for the two Triton Senior boys on the golf team, Preston Pflaum and Zach Otto who ended their last day of school on a win to go to the state tournament in Jordan, Minnesota, at the Ridges, June 9 and 10.    

With corn surrounding him and up to his neck for more than two hours, Christopher Johnson of Owatonna kept saying prayers because he didn’t think he would survive.

Despite the cloudy skies, families and friends filled the Blooming Prairie Servicemen’s Club to honor deceased veterans. 
The Blooming Prairie American Legion, the VFW posts and their Auxiliaries hosted the annual program.Veteran Tom Walters welcomed the crowd and VFW Chaplain Bev Holland read the opening prayer.