The Mayo Clinic Health System, in Albert Lea, will again be offering free sports qualifying physicals to area school athletes grades 6th through 12th. The physicals are available on Thursday, May 24 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the Health Reach campus, 1705 S.E. Broadway, Albert Lea.

Please join us!  Venem Family Benefit for Jaeger Venem, Saturday April 28, 2012 at Pub 69 in Twin Lakes, MN, Noon - 1:00am.

In December, 6-year-old Jaeger Venem was diagnosed with epilepsy.  He had been having numerous petit absence seizures on a daily basis.  After the seizures were not responding to medications, we began looking for the cause of the seizures, which is when in March they found the tumor.  There are two areas on the brain which are causing concern.  They will remove part of the tumor as they are not able to get at all of it.  They may also remove another section of the brain that was injured sometime after his birth, typical for premature babies.  Surgery will be done in 2 phases.  The two procedures will be done within a couple days of each other.  Jaeger will begin recovery in the hospital for about 7 days, after that he will be recovering at home for the next 6 weeks.  Jaeger Venem's family would like to t

On Wednesday, Albert Lea's Teacher of the Year was announced.  She is Kathie Lein.

Lein is a graduate of Albert Lea and has worked with the district for 19 years as a special education teacher.

Lein has been a previous Teach of the Year finalist in 2002 and 2010.