To the approval of a tobacco-free policy for most Freeborn County-owned property.

We applaud the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners who unanimously approved a policy that makes several county properties tobacco-free.

The policy affects the Freeborn County courthouse, the Department of Human Services building and the county highway shop. It does not include county parks or the Freeborn County Fairgrounds.

We believe this decision will continue to build on the success of similar efforts undertaken in recent years by the Albert Lea City Council and other workplaces in the area. We hope the smoking rates will continue to drop in the coming years.

To the decision not to allow a jury to see the car tied to the upcoming homicide case.

We disagree with a judge’s decision made earlier this month to not allow a jury to view what we believe to be a key piece of evidence in the upcoming trial of David Michael Easter. Easter, of Brownsdale, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Spencer Daniel Brown, who was living in rural Freeborn County at the time of his death.

Brown was found dead last August in a locked 2001 Audi station wagon in a parking lot near Big Island pavilion at Myre-Big Island State Park. Easter reportedly admitted to shooting Brown, but claims it was done in self-defense.

We think having the vehicle at the scene would give jurors a clearer view of the scene the night of the incident.

Freeborn County District Court Judge Steve Schwab ruled that instead of having the car in the lot when the jurors come to the state park during the trial, authorities will place four cones in the lot to depict the location of the car.

Jury selection is slated to begin on Tuesday, with the actual trial to begin the following Monday.

To the NRHEG boys’ basketball team.

Congratulations to the NRHEG boys’ basketball team, which competed in the state tournament this year. After losing their first game, the Panthers won the next two games — beating Breckenridge and Lake City — to win the consolation championship for fifth place.

In the fifth-place game, NRHEG’s Oakley Baker scored 40 points and eclipsed the 2,000-point barrier in his career. The senior forward also set a state tournament record for consecutive free throws made (21) and finished perfect from the line (21-21) in the three games.