Four Blooming Prairie youth wrestlers recently qualified for the state youth wresting tournament at Rochester. The meet went from Thursday, March 26, through Sunday, March 29, and included literally hundreds of young athletes from around the state.

Over 100 golfers enjoyed the improved Brooktree Golf Course in Owatonna Thursday, as it opened for the season at  12 p.m. 
According to Owatonna Director of Parks, Recreation and Government Buildings Jim (Corky) Ebeling, the opening was a week or two earlier than usual, but nice weather and anticipation for showing off improvements motivated the early opening. 

About this time last year, the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School District was celebrating a state basketball championship – the girls’ second  consecutive title. This year the Panthers won another highly competitive competition and it wasn’t in basketball or in any other sport, for that matter.

Christ has risen!
Christians across the world celebrated Holy Week and Easter to mark the most significant event in human history—the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
My parents always instilled in me the importance of Easter going back to my childhood days of getting up in the wee hours of the morning to attend sunrise services at 5 a.m. at our country church. 

Westfield Township residents met last week to discuss whether the township should establish its own zoning ordinance. But the meeting generated more questions than answers as the two sides now debate whether the meeting that was held was the one that was advertised.

Steele County businesses now are required to collect a new sales-and-use tax.
The 10-year, 0.5 percent Steele County tax took effect April 1. It’s in addition to the 6.875 percent state sales tax and is aimed at funding road improvements.

A body was found Monday afternoon near interstates 35 and 90 at Albert Lea, and authorities say foul play might be involved.A property owner found the body shortly after 6 p.m. off I-90 just east of Highway 13 and called 911, said Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag.

Whether it is glasses, braces, red hair or freckles, Medford students performed the musical “Freckleface Strawberry” to show kids that they are special just the way they are. 

Medford students and staff members donated 61 pints of blood during last week’s American Red Cross blood drive sponsored by the National Honor Society. Those units have the potential to save up to 183 lives, as one pint can save up to three lives. 
Senior Matthew Anderson knows the importance of donating all too well. Recently his brother had to undergo a blood transfusion after he suffered complications from weight-loss surgery.