To dedicated bell-ringers.

Thank you to the people who dedicate their time this holiday season to ring a bell for the Albert Lea Salvation Army.

The organization rings bells every year in December as part of its Christmas fundraising effort. Money raised goes toward helping Freeborn County residents throughout the year with programs like a daily meal program, a food pantry, utility assistance, an after-school program, counseling and others.

While the bell-ringing is only part of the Salvation Army’s overall fundraising effort, it is still an important part.

As of this week, the organization only had 25 percent of its two-hour bell-ringing slots filled.

If you have a little extra time this holiday season and want to give back, consider signing up to ring. Many people will thank you.

To Albert Lea City Attorney Lee Bjorndal.

Albert Lea City Attorney Lee Bjorndal’s last day with the city was Friday.

Over the last nine years, Bjorndal has worked approximately 1,500 cases per year, prosecuting gross misdemeanors, misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor cases. He has also provided advice to the Albert Lea City Council, City Manager Chad Adams and city employees and tackled other issues, such as dilapidated housing and vehicle forfeiture cases, and attempted to secure a development agreement for the Freeborn National Bank building and Jacobson Apartments.

Thank you for your service to the community. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.

To identity theft.

Identity theft can happen any time of year, but the holiday season is a time of year to stay extra vigilant in protecting your personal information.

According to the 2017 Identity Fraud Study released by Javelin Strategy & Research, an estimated 15.4 million U.S. consumers were somehow affected by identity theft in 2016, which is up by about 2 million from the previous year. 

Albert Lea Police Department Detective Ben Mortensen said he deals with three or four claims of identity theft a week — whether its local instances where a friend or relative used a credit card without permission or whether it came in the form of a scam.

He advised people to never give out personal information over the phone to anyone who has contacted you and to stay on top of reviewing credit card billing statements and your credit report.

Shred documents with sensitive information before disposing them and use a secure internet browser to shop online.

Mortensen also recommended considering having a card that sends alerts every time it is used.