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To the owners of Albert Lea’s Anytime Fitness.

Hats off to Bill and Shawn Bromeland, who are transforming the former Sterling Pharmacy building on Bridge Avenue into the new location for their business, Anytime Fitness.

This building has been for sale for many years, and it is great to see it be put back to use.

We look forward to seeing the building transformed and wish the Bromelands success moving into the future.

To the 18th annual Corey Goodnature Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic.

This weekend marks the 18th year of the Corey Goodnature Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic, which was created to honor the life of Corey Goodnature, a pilot for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment who died after the helicopter he was flying was shot down in Afghanistan in 2005. Goodnature and 15 others in the MH-47 Chinook helicopter were responding to a call of a team of Navy SEALS that had come under intense fire in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. All of the others in the helicopter also died, along with all but one of the SEALS they had attempted to rescue.

In the midst of their grief, Goodnature’s parents, Don and Deb Goodnature, created a golf tournament to not only help remember their son but to also help the community. It has continued since.

Throughout the years, the annual event has raised a little under $500,000 in scholarships for Albert Lea, Alden-Conger and Glenville-Emmons students.

We thank the Goodnatures and all those involved in this event for giving back to the community in this way.

This weekend as you’re going about your activities, we encourage you to pause for a moment and remember Goodnature for his sacrifice.

To the Minnesota Congressional Delegation’s support for a Major Disaster Declaration following last weekend’s flooding.

The entire Minnesota bigpartisan Congressional Delegation is urging the Biden Administration to approve the state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help communities working to recover from severe weather and flooding.

We join our voices in the approval of this action, and we know that the effects of the flooding are far from over.

Once the declaration is approved, the federal government can provide disaster assistance.