To all of the people who have stepped up to help the Clarks Grove family who lost their home this week in a fire.

It has been heart-warming to see people across the community step up and offer help to a Clarks Grove family whose home was badly damaged by fire on Sunday.

Within hours, co-workers of the family had set up GoFundMe pages, and other people started collections for clothes and other items for Todd and Heather Earl and their three children, who were able to safely get out of the house without any injuries.

The Earls said they have received dozens of calls a day from people who are offering their help.

It is great to see the community come together to support this family, and we encourage residents to continue that giving spirit into the holidays with other organizations that serve people in need in the area.

To a report of six people who were injured when a pickup swerved to avoid a deer over the weekend near the Mower County border.

This month is the peak time for deer-vehicle crashes in Minnesota, so it was sad to hear of a related crash that took place near the Mower County that injured six people.

The driver in that incident swerved to avoid a deer and instead struck an embankment.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation advises people to be alert when driving and to be extra vigilant during the low-light or dark hours of the day when deer are on the move.

Slow down and scan the sides of the road and ditches for animals when driving through forested land or near rivers or stream banks.

MnDOT advises people not to swerve to avoid a deer and that it is actually safer to strike a deer. Stay in your lane, brake firmly and hold onto the steering wheel.

To the reduction in the adult smoking rates in Freeborn County in the last seven years.

Congratulations to all who have helped lead the way in reducing the smoking rates in Freeborn County over the last seven years.

Rates have dropped from 23 percent to 15 percent, and the success is leaps and bounds above what reductions have been seen in surrounding counties. It is also below the state and national averages.

Some of the changes that have taken place in recent years that have contributed to this reduction are the implementation of tobacco-free city and county grounds, tobacco-freehousing and tobacco-free worksites.

We hope this trend  continues.