To outgoing United Way of Freeborn County Executive Director Ann Austin.

Hats off to former United Way of Freeborn County Executive Director Ann Austin, who served 10 years in her position before recently resigning.

Austin is a compassionate, hard-working person who has contributed much to the community during her time in the position.

We wish her well in her future endeavors and hope to see her in other leadership capacities in the community.

We also look forward to continuing to see the United Way have so many positive impacts on Freeborn County.

 

To the volunteers for the Governor’s Fishing Opener.

Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who donated their time and talents in both preparations and work this week for the Governor’s Fishing Opener in Albert Lea. This was a great event for the community, and we hope it showcased many of the wonderful things here.

Albert Lea has a spirit of volunteerism, and it really showed with this event.

 

To Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

Thanks to Minnesota’s governor and lieutenant governor, who took time to be a part of so many of the fishing opener events over the course of three days. It did not go unnoticed.

Whether it was the dinner Thursday night for fishing hosts, the media event Friday morning, the fishing event for Halverson Elementary School children, the community picnic or the actual fishing opener Saturday, these two were heavily involved and were personable on all levels.

This event will be remembered in Albert Lea for a long time.

 

To the three men who helped rescue a woman whose truck ended up in Fountain Lake on Wednesday.

Thank you to Mark Gilbert, Rob Rice and Ed Sharpsteen who jumped in Fountain Lake on Wednesday to rescue an 87-year-old woman whose pickup ended up in the lake.

These three showed extreme bravery and heroism in going out of their way to help this woman, and they deserve to be applauded.