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To new businesses opening downtown.

There has been some excitement in downtown Albert Lea this week with the opening of Jeni’s Fine Jewelers in the historic Bessesen building and the soft opening for Moms Bread Co. in the former location of Crescendo Fine Dining.

Jeni’s Fine Dining is owned by David and Keli Enser, who were both raised in the Albert Lea area and who named the store after Keli’s older sister, Jeni, who passed away in 2013.

The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

Moms Bread Co. is a bakery and cafe owned by Katie Erickson that will open for regular hours on Wednesday.

It will feature not only bakery items such as sourdough bread, muffins, cookies and bagels, but also breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups and salads.

It will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

We’re excited to see these businesses invest in our community and wish them success in the coming years.

To some big fish that have been caught on Fountain Lake recently.

If you like fishing, Fountain Lake is proving more and more to be a great place to fish during both the summer and the winter.

Circulating on social media this week through the Shell Rock River Watershed District’s Facebook page were photos of some monster fish that have been caught on the lake.

One was a 25-1/2-inch walleye; another was a 39-inch northern; and another was a 33.25-inch northern.

Seeing these photos is evidence that you don’t have to travel far for good fishing. You can have it right in our own community.

If you like ice fishing, bundle up and get out there. There’s still time to reel in a big one.

To the Albert Lea High School students who have been recognized for their writing.

Congratulations to Albert Lea High School junior Kae Bee and sophomores Hans Jeppson and Jaden Malkoski, who have been recognized for their writing in two separate contests.

A national platform that showcases student journalists from across the country recognized Bee for a sports feature she wrote for the Ahlahasa, and Jeppson and Malkowski were recognized as finalists in the Top of Iowa High School Creative Writing Contest.

We’re glad to see a love of writing continue on in both the journalism and creative writing settings, and we wish these students well in their future endeavors.