Effective Jan. 1, Dan Kolker and Stephanie Haedt have joined the law firm of Peterson, Savelkoul & Benda Ltd. as shareholders.

Kolker focuses his practice in the areas of real estate, civil and commercial litigation and collections. Haedt concentrates her practice in the areas of family law, employment law, civil litigation and general business and corporate law.

Kolker grew up in Ipswich, S.D., and graduated from Saint John&8217;s University in Collegeville. He obtained his law degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law. He worked as a judicial law clerk for Judge David Christensen in Pipestone County and practiced law for three years in South Dakota and Wyoming prior to coming to Albert Lea. He is married to Angie Kolker, and they have one son, Jacob. He also serves on many community organizations, including the Freeborn County United Way Board of Directors and Kiwanis.

Haedt is from Austin and completed her undergraduate work at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. She obtained her law degree from Hamline University School of Law. She previously worked for the Cooper Law Firm, Chartered in Minneapolis, where she practiced primarily in the area of employment litigation. In 2003, Haedt won an Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Employment Discrimination Law from the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Haedt has made her home in Austin with her husband Dustin. They have a 1-year-old daughter, Brenna. Haedt is also a member of the Austin Human Rights Commission.

Both Kolker and Haedt are members of the Freeborn County Bar Association and volunteer their legal services through Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services.

They join current shareholders Henry J. Savelkoul, Douglas R. Peterson, Donald W. Savelkoul and Matthew L. Benda.

Jensales hires director of operations

Jensales Inc. announces Sara Steinhoff has been hired as director of operations. She started in her new position Feb. 11.

Steinhoff is a native of Austin and was previously employed as the legal office manager of Liberty Mutual Group&8217;s Minnesota field legal office. She is a graduate of Austin High School and earned a bachelor of arts degree in English writing from Concordia College in Moorhead.

Jensales Inc., which is headquartered in Manchester, has the largest and most diverse tractor and industrial manual library in the world, and serves individual and business customers around the globe. With more than 16,000 manuals, it offers titles for nearly every tractor made from 1900 to the present, as well as for industrial equipment from Caterpiller, Huber, Allis Chalmers and many others.

Paul Jensen has owned Jensales since he purchased the company from his father, Warren Jensen, in 2000. Warren Jensen began Jensales Inc. in 1989 after his own search for a manual for an International Harvester Farmall &8220;H&8221; tractor he was trying to restore as a hobby.

Give Kids A Smile helps 90 children

The sixth annual Give Kids A Smile volunteer outreach, which provided free dental care to children in need, was a success in Blooming Prairie as well as statewide and nationwide. Main Street Dental Clinics of Blooming Prairie location teamed up with the Minnesota Dental Association to provide free dental care to the underserved children in the area.

Overall, more than 90 children received free dental care provided by more than 30 volunteers. At Main Street Dental Clinic in Blooming Prairie, children received both preventive and restorative dental care as well as home care instruction. The Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public.