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Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

We’re halfway through November, and we are gearing up for the Tribune’s building-wide Progress kickoff and brainstorming session on Monday.

For those of you who may not be familiar with our Progress section, let me tell you a little bit about it.

Progress is our largest special section of the year that comes out at the end of February, and it’s something we work on for a solid three to four months every year.

Progress highlights not only all the good things happening in the community but also many of the people who go above and beyond to make those things a reality. It is the place each year that we unveil the Tribune’s annual Citizen of the Year.

In addition to stories, the Progress section highlights how long companies and organizations in the area have been in operation in our Down Through the Years section.

While we’re still in the early stages this year of the planning process, soon we will have a theme determined and we will have a list of potential stories written up that fit into the areas of art and education, economic opportunity, health and spirituality, people and demographics, and community.

In the last three years, our themes have been “The Sky’s the Limit,” “No Place Like Home” and “Moving Forward.”

While we generally come up with a pretty good list of stories as a staff, we need your help in coming up with more.

You are out in the community, too, and you may know people we don’t know and you may be aware of circumstances we have not seen in our own circles.

We couldn’t do it without you.

I ask that you reach out to me by email at sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com or phone at 507-379-3433 if you have any ideas, and once we have determined our theme for this year’s section, I will pass that along, too.

Though it is hands down our busiest time of year at the Tribune, as a journalist Progress is also one of my favorite times of year.

It is inspiring to meet people who are bringing about positive change in the community — many behind the scenes or without much recognition.

I look forward to sharing more with you as the section unfolds.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears in the Wednesday Tribune.