First District Congressman Brad Finstad and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson were in Owatonna last week to discuss issues shaping the future of agriculture at an agribusiness luncheon. Finstad is a member of the agriculture committee and the chair of the Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee.

STAFF PHOTO BY TOM MURRAY
Dodge County residents attended an Xcel Energy open house on the proposed PowerOn Midwest transmission line.

Two Triton school facilities are officially sponsored by local businesses. They are the East Gym, which is sponsored by Heritage Bank and the Performing Arts Center, which is sponsored by Welsh Equipment.
The 10-year deals were unanimously approved at the July 20 school board meeting and include annual payments of $13,500 for the East Gym and $8,000 for the Performing Arts Center to the school district for signage of their sponsorship.

The 2026 primaries occurred last week for races big and small across the state. While Dodge County had no county-level primaries, its residents were able to participate in a number of races including those for Governor, the state legislature and congress.
Dodge County

Submitted Photo
Madysen Nelson (left) and Thackery Schar in the Mantorville Theatre Company’s production of “Dogsbreath Devereaux” which runs through Aug. 23 with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Mantorville Opera House.

Cori Kennedy returns to the Steele County fairgrounds Aug. 21, opening for Randy Houser at the grandstand.
Kennedy, a West Concord native, has been rising in the country music world since she was a contestant on NBC’s The Voice (Season 28) where she joined Team Reba McEntire and advanced through battles and knockouts.
She appeared in Owatonna earlier this year at the Spring into Summer event at the fairgrounds.