Albert Lea firefighter Darion Peterson listens to instructions as the Albert Lea Fire Department conducts a controlled burn for training purposes in August. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

A corn pit was available for children to play in on Halloween during downtown Albert Lea’s Halloween Spooktacular. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Trace Adkins sang a variety of his songs during his concert in August at the Freeborn County Fair, including his first single, “There’s a Girl in Texas.” - Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Reuben Schaus holds his toy porg — a character from the movie “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Reuben, now 11, was diagnosed with autism when he was about 2 1/2 years old. He and his family were a part of a September series on those living with autism. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

An Alden Fire Department team member fills a bucket for the bucket brigade competition, which he passes to a teammate as it travels down the line to a waiting barrel. Teams competed to fill the barrel the fastest during June’s Morin Lake Days festival. - Sarah Kocher/Albert Lea Tribune

Lester Perschbacher poses for a picture with Crimson, one of almost 200 cows he tests on Jon and Ann Larson’s Larcrest Holsteins dairy farm in Freeborn County. Perschbacher was featured in the Tribune’s first A Day in the Life recurring photo series in May. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Scott Christenson, a conservation technician with Shell Rock River Watershed District, and Mary Newman, an environmental scientist with WSB, catch carp on Fountain Lake in June in order to tag them for tracking purposes. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Spencer Dahl has been the grounds manager for the Albert Lea School District since 2014, but has been an employee there since his freshman year of high school in 2002. He was interviewed for a Prairie Profile in September. - Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr. celebrates with his wife, Marilyn, after finding out he was re-elected while watching results with supporters on election night in November at 112 on Broadway. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Minnesota State Patrol troopers place a suspect into a squad car earlier this month who was allegedly involved in a high-speed chase that started near Wells and ended in Albert Lea. - Sam Wilmes/Albert Lea Tribune