The completion of the last segments of the Highway 14 expansion project got a boost last week with the announcement of details of Gov. Mark Dayton’s transportation plan.
Highway 14, which is a major east-west roadway across southern Minnesota, has been an issue for years. Work on expanding the entire highway to a four-lane status has been accomplished in small pieces over the years with two major sections remaining.

This week brought several milestones to the high school sport’s scene.  Senior John Rumpza reached a significant plateau when he scored the 2,000th point of his career. That is a goal that not too many high school basketball players achieve, and that is really a mark for which to take pride.

Leonard Kramer died Monday, Feb. 9, 2015 at Sunwood Good Samaritan Care Center. He had attained the age of 96 years, nine months and five days.
Leonard Lawrence Kramer, the son of Michael and Julia (Pistulka) Kramer, was born May 4, 1918, on the family farm in Vesta Township, Redwood County. 

Sharon M. Katzung, 70, of Owatonna, died Friday, Feb. 13, at Homestead Hospice House. 
She was born Jan. 12, 1945 in Owatonna, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Wanous) Ptacek. She attended rural school district 87 and then graduated from Owatonna High School with the class of 1962.  During high school she worked at the Central Bakery.  

Alice J. Henry, 96, lifelong resident of Owatonna, entered her heavenly home on Feb. 4, 2015, at the Medford Care Center. Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, February 9, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Owatonna with Rev. John Sauer presiding.

As one of the most distinguished educators in the country, Michelle Krell is busy running an elementary school, but she doesn’t forget where her roots started.
Krell was involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA) all throughout her high school years while growing up in Blooming Prairie. 
And even to this day she still gives back to the organization that she credits for molding her into the person she has become. 

Blooming Prairie native Elisa “Lisi” Wright has always had a love for music and started to pursue it at the young age of five when she began taking violin lessons with Marlyn Shroeder. 

The Kasson-Mantorville-Triton Komets competed in their first ever sectional tournament last Saturday, and there were definitely some highlights for the first-timers. 
The Section 1A event was hosted by Austin High School and included 10 teams. Though the Komets placed 10 of 10, with an overall score of 121.425, the gymnasts performed well in their first section tournament.

Walking with a cane in hand is about the only way Jonathan Isenor can get around these days. It’s a far cry from the way he was able to maneuver while acting on stage in high school and college. 
Isenor, who grew up in Blooming Prairie, went on to St. Cloud State University where he majored in theatre. He worked for a while at a theatre company in the Twin Cities and eventually went on to get his law degree and become an attorney.