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To the Maple River/United South Central wrestling team.

It’s a feat when any team makes it to the state wrestling tournament, but to make it to the tournament after only the first year of the new co-op between Maple River and United South Central is quite impressive. 

The team won the Section 2A championship last weekend and will go head to head Thursday with some of the best teams in the state at the Minnesota State High School League Class A State Wrestling Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 

Congratulations on the collaboration and on coming together to earn this success. 

We wish the team the best. 

To the Tribune’s annual Progress edition.

We’re proud to present in today’s edition our annual Progress special section. 

This year’s theme is “There’s No Place Like Home,” and in this section we recognize people in our community and in the surrounding area who represent exceptional brains, heart and courage. 

We feature people who are making a difference in schools, the business community, the medical profession and in emergency response, along with many others in-between. 

We hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as we enjoyed talking with the people for them, and we look forward to hearing your feedback on your favorite stories. 

As always, thank you to those who allowed us a glimpse into their daily lives for this section.

We are honored to tell these stories. 

To news of new retailers going into the former Shopko building at Northbridge Mall.

We were pleased to hear news that national hardware retailer Harbor Freight Tools will be opening in a portion of the former Shopko building. 

Mall owner The Carrington Co. purchased the building in September and has been working to recruit retailers to the space. 

A representative with the company said in addition to Harbor Freight, Carrington is also in advanced negotiations with a second national retailer for a larger amount of space in the building. There will also be room for a third retailer. 

It is good to see this economic activity happening in the community, and we hope it continues to spur more down the road.