To the local Shop with a Cop program.

Children from the area met up with law enforcement officers from the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and Albert Lea Police Department Thursday at Walmart as part of the annual Shop with a Cop initiative.

Through the program, the law enforcement officers accompany area underprivileged youth on a Walmart shopping spree. Each child is given a set amount of money to spend, and some spend it on family and friends and some splurge on something for themselves.

The program is funded through a grant from the Walmart Foundation. While it provides holiday gifts for less-fortunate families, it also is an opportunity for positive interaction with law enforcement officers.

This is a great program for strengthening relationships out in the community.

To the area snowplow drivers.

With winter weather officially here, we would like to say a special thank you this weekend to all of the snowplow operators who venture out into the snow to keep the roads clear and safe. We recognize this requires a lot of time away from your own families at this time of year.

Thank you for your efforts. They do not go unnoticed, especially on weekends such as this one.

To outside interest from people into Albert Lea’s efforts with the Blue Zones Project.

We were pleased to hear news that two Irishmen visited the city last week to find out more about Albert Lea’s progress with the Blue Zones Project.

The men shot video of the community during a three-day visit and got a pick at aspects such as potluck moais, pickleball, schools, the dog park, sidewalk improvements and pathways and Brookside Boathouse, to name a few.

The men said not only were they impressed with the improvements they saw, but they were impressed with the people they met.

Congratulations, Albert Lea on the successes that have taken place in the community. This is not the first time someone has come to town to learn from our successes and it won’t be the last.

To dashed plans for a special session.

Hopes of a special session faded Friday during a rare public meeting between DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt.

The session was critical as rates on the individual market are set to jump by as much as 67 percent next year. It also left $1 billion in construction projects and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax relief unfinished.

We are disappointed state leaders could not reach a compromise on these issues, and we hope this is not a sign of how things will take place when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

We ask our local legislators to emphasize to their party leaders of the importance of seeing some action on these items.