To the winners of Albert Lea Economic Development Agency’s first-ever Tiger Cage contest.

Congratulations to Kim Olson and Dori Etheridge for their winning concepts in the Tiger Cage contest.

A competition designed to spur entrepreneurial activity in Albert Lea and Freeborn County, Tiger Cage was organized by the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency with assistance from other businesses, organizations and members of the community.

Olson, who has plans to expand her existing Grandma’s Gourmets business to include food packing for other small food businesses similar to her own, won for the existing business category.

Etheridge, who submitted a business plan for a food truck called the Peppered Cow, won for the new business category.

Three finalists in both categories pitched their ideas to a judges panel Thursday evening, and the winners were announced Friday morning.

Both Olson and Etheridge each win $10,000 to pursue their business plans.

Thanks for those who were involved in this effort. We think this is a fun way encourage entrepreunership and welcome new ideas to the community.

 

To the approval of the second contract for the Fountain Lake dredging.

We were pleased to see the Shell Rock River Watershed board of managers vote this week to approve the contract for the second phase of dredging on Fountain Lake.

The contract, for just under $4.99 million will be with J.F. Brennan Co. Inc., the same dredging and marine construction company that started the first phase of dredging on the lake last spring.

The second phase will be in Fountain Lake’s main bay and will include dredging approximately 604,000 cubic yards of sediment, along with operating the confined disposal facilities where the sediment removed from the lake is being taken.

The company submitted the lowest bid price.

We look forward to seeing each piece of the dredging completed.

 

To the closing of the Alden and Kiester clinics.

We were saddened to hear the news that Mayo Clinic Health System in Alden and Kiester will close their clinics by Jan. 25. The hospital system announced two months ago that it would no longer have on-site practitioners after Jan. 1 at the two clinics.

It is unfortunate that the residents in these communities will no longer have this resource.