Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

To the entries in this year’s Third of July Parade.

Thank you to all of the people who donated their time and energy to take part in this year’s Albert Lea Third of July Parade. Whether you were in the parade representing a business, individual or organization, you contributed to making Albert Lea a fun place to be for the Fourth of July holiday.

Thank you also to the organizers, who stepped up with the departure of former Chamber Director Shari Sprague to make sure this event happened smoothly.

To the community support for the Corey Goodnature Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic.

Hundreds of people ventured out in the heat last weekend to take part in the 19th annual Corey Goodnature Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic, on what was the 20th anniversary since Goodnature’s death.

In addition to the golf game itself, there were live and silent auctions, a dinner and plenty of opportunities to give back to the foundation in Goodnature’s name.

The event since its inception has given out $500,000 in scholarships to local youth who are going on to pursue their education. That is no small feat.

We appreciate all those who have organized this event over the years and for the long-lasting impact it will have on the community.

To a hot and humid Fourth of July.

After a few days of relief this week from the heat, the hot and humid weather was expected to return just in time for the Fourth, with heat index values in Albert Lea slated to hit 95 and 96 degrees on Thursday and Friday.

The conditions also brought another chance for severe weather into the area.

While we’re sure this is only one of several hot and humid days we can expect for this season, we remind people to take the necessary precautions to stay cool in the heat and to be prepared to receive weather alerts if anything ramps up into something worse.

Also, make sure to stay hydrated and do what you can to limit activity when possible.