To the Albert Lea girls’ swimming and diving team.

Congratulations to state champion Lindsey Horejsi and to her teammates for an excellent showing at state. Horejsi won the 100-yard breaststroke and set a state record. The Tigers placed seventh overall. The 200-yard medley team captured second place. The 200-yard freestyle team won eighth. Kari Kriewall was second in diving. Horejsi was third in the 50-yard freestyle. And two swimmers, Bailey Sandon and Anna Andersen, were knocked out in the semifinals. Still, that meant Sandon placed 24th in 100-yard backstroke and Andersen 19th in the 100-yard freestyle. The Tigers did a great job in the pool last weekend.

 

To the NHL players and owners.

Due to an impasse between players and owners at the bargaining table, the NHL lockout continues. In fact, on Friday the NHL canceled more games, including the All-Star game that was slated for Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 26 and 27. Now, more than a third of the season has been lost while owners negotiate with players for a bigger slice of $3 billion in revenue. What a mess! Our hearts go out to pro hockey fans everywhere — well, the ones that are left.

 

To the area’s roadside landmarks.

A story in the Thanksgiving Day edition highlighted the history of the giant walleye at the Gopher Stop at the Clarks Grove exit for Interstate 35. People placed bumper stickers on the tail of the fish to show where they have been. It’s one of several colorful landmarks in the area. Others that come to mind are Pitchfork Pete at the Fleet Farm Supply store in Albert Lea, the bull sign at the Freeborn County Fair and especially the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth. Of course, northern Minnesota is dotted with statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. It’s too bad the meat locker in Geneva no longer has that large bull atop its roof. We miss the charming beast.

Can you think of some other larger-than-life landmarks?