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To letter carriers in the area.

We’re grateful for letter carriers every week but this week we’re especially thankful.

Not only have the carriers contended with snow, but they are also carrying some extra precious cargo for us: the Tribune’s Progress edition.

And that is no small feat.

A regular Saturday paper in Albert Lea weighs 2.8 ounces. This weekend, however, it weighs 13.27 ounces — or almost five times heavier than the usual weekend.

This weight can add up in a carrier’s sack as you think of all of your neighbors getting their Albert Lea Tribune this weekend.

So if you see your carrier, remember to express gratitude for their hard work in delivering this once-a-year gem.

To the Albert Lea area United States Postal Carriers, we thank you.

To those people featured in the Progress edition.

Thank you to all of the people who allowed us into their homes, organizations and businesses this year for our annual Progress edition.

Our Progress theme this year is “The Sky’s the Limit,” and we have enjoyed meeting with people who go above and beyond to help their communities and who do not let anything stand in their way of improving their own lives or the lives of those around them.

Thank you for sharing your stories with us, and even more importantly, thank you for what you do.

It’s people like you who make Albert Lea and the surrounding area a wonderful place to live, and it has been an inspiration getting to know you all.

We hope you enjoy reading about these people just as much as we did writing about them.

Another case of major drug trafficking in the area.

It’s the second week in a row to see court hearings for major alleged drug trafficking in Freeborn County.

Last week, it was the case of two men who had reportedly been arrested after transporting 44,000 fentanyl pills from California to Minnesota. The men were pulled over in a traffic stop and found with the pills.

Another man was sentenced to prison time after he was found with almost a pound of meth in his vehicle during a traffic stop. That meth was also believed to be from California.

This week was a case of an Albert Lea man who allegedly sold more than a pound of methamphetamine to a drug task force informant. According to the federal court complaint, the man reportedly told the informant during the transaction that he had “about 20 left,” which authorities believe referenced him possessing an additional 20 pounds of meth elsewhere.

We are grateful for all of the law enforcement personnel who are investigating these cases, and we are glad these drugs are being taken off the streets.

To Albert Lea basketball player Kendall Kenis.

Congratulations to Albert Lea girls’ basketball player Kendall Kenis, who broke another record last weekend when she reached her 1,000-point milestone.

Kenis also has set school records this year for the most three-point shots made in a single game, as well as the career three-point shot record for the school.

Great job and hats off for achieving these milestones.