To the move of labor and delivery services from Albert Lea at the end of October.

Mayo Clinic Health System officials on Thursday announced a bumped-up transition of labor and delivery services from the hospital system’s Albert Lea campus to Austin.

Originally slated for October 2020, labor and delivery services will now begin to move the week of Oct. 28 of this year, with the consolidation aiming for completion by Oct. 30.

The hospital system cited an urgent staffing shortage as the reason the transition was moved ahead by about a year.

We are sad to see this service leave the community and know that it is a critical piece of health care for many young families.

 

To organizers of Rock ’n’ Roll the Lakes.

Thank you to all the people who played a part in organizing the second annual Rock ’n’ Roll the Lakes in Albert Lea this weekend.

The event invites people to check out the city by bicycle through one of three routes, a 10-, 25- to 30- or 50-mile ride. Riders were slated to begin anywhere between 8 and 10 a.m. Saturday.

The event not only encourages healthy living, but it also encourages camaraderie and promotion of our beautiful city.

This year, in addition to the Saturday ride, a moonlight ride was scheduled for Friday evening around Fountain Lake.

We welcome those people from outside the community who are taking time to check out this fun event. We hope you enjoy your time in Albert Lea.

 

To the Albert Lea Public Library’s summer programs.

Whether it’s a special event such as the Zoo Man’s visit on Thursday, or other events such as storytime, Art Zone, Science Blast, Lego Time or book clubs, Albert Lea Public Library sure is a busy place to be in the summer.

Thank you to the library staff for all they do to make reading fun for the city’s children year-round. Through these events, children get excited — not only about reading, but learning, too. This is especially critical during the summer months, when most children are not in school.

We also give a special thanks to Friends of the Library, which provides funds for many of the library’s special events.