Dan Studier, right, keeps a smoker going while he and his son, Drew, take the cap off of one of their 12 hives. The smoker keeps the bees calmer so that they’re less likely to sting. -Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
Jim Baldus, owner of Jim’s MarketPlace in Austin, stands in Nelson’s Market Place in Albert Lea in May. Baldus purchased Nelson’s after its former owners announced in April they would close. – Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune
Sei Ko stands at the end of one of the aisles in his grocery store, which opened for business March 1. – Tim Engstrom/Albert Lea Tribune
Green Mill Restaurant and Bar General Manager David Mord pulls a beer from Third Street Brewhouse in Green Mill’s bar area in April. At the time, Green Mill had 24 taps, 16 of which contain craft beer. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
Despite being a rather unique item, the Elbow Room’s owner, Vic Nelson, said many people order the Limey burger just to try it out. – Hannah Dillon/Albert Lea Tribune
Chiropractor Matthew Tubbs purchased the former Freeborn County American Red Cross building on Fountain Street with plans to move his office there in April. -Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune
Echo Step instructors Trisha Wayne, co-owners Dustin Boyer and Jessica Johnson, Holly Page and Kevin Sarmiento stand in the studio which opened on Feb. 3. Other instructors teaching in the studio are Amber McCornack, Sherry Jensen, Jasmine Estarda and Marcie Sailor. – Brandi Hagen/Albert Lea Tribune
Danielle Elg shows an exam room during a tour of the new community-based outpatient clinic in Albert Lea. The clinic had its grand opening April 25. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
Joel Brown of St. Louis Park checks out a cutting board in the new Copper Kitchen store in downtown Albert Lea in March. – Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune
Tom Lenort has owned and operated Tom’s Taxidermy in Clarks Grove since 1990. He first ventured into taxidermy when he was 13, and by the time he graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1983 he had a fulltime business on his hands. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune