Avon Community Center organizers are seeking donations or pledges for a 6,000-square-foot, $2 million project. City leaders learned about the effort spearheaded by the Over the Hills of Avon senior citizens group Dec. 4 during a public forum presentation by Mike Appel.

Bright sunlight fills the living room of Norm and Cyrilla Euteneuer’s rural St. Martin home Dec. 12 where a tall Christmas tree is the centerpiece.  Filling their hearts is love — love for family, friends and their Christian faith; each has helped them through these past five months. 

Eighteen people gathered around a long table at JD’s Taphouse in Melrose Dec. 1. There was Jeron and LaVonne Hinnenkamp, Ted and Renee Kemper, Karl and Judy Klaphake, Janel and Rick Moening and Mike and Sharon Zierden of Melrose; Barb and Kevin Zierden of New Munich; Dave and Denise Croatt of Avon; Tom and Sandy Hellermann of Long Prairie; and Darlene and Alver Schlangen of Paynesville.

Avon Community Church congregation members will celebrate the real meaning of Christmas during their first ever living Nativity from 6-8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 22, at the church, 204 Avon St., in Avon.  They invite people to the Christmas reenactment put on by 70 adults and more than 40 youth from the congregation.   

ST. CLOUD — The Stearns County Highway Department warns that plowing or shoveling snow from your driveways or sidewalk onto a public road, pushed across a public road or dumped onto a public road right of way may be punishable as a misdemeanor.

Fargo, N.D. — Connor Patrick, son of Melissa and Brian Patrick, St. Joseph, received the North Dakota State University Provost Award. The award recognizes students who have a 3.65-3.799 high school GPA or have scored a 25-28 on the ACT and have a 3.5 or higher high school GPA. 

Thank you The family of Marie Kampsen would like to thank everyone for the support given to us during her passing. Thank you to Dr. Heller, Park View, Albany nursing home, Moments Hospice …

The Mark and Dawn Osendorf family and the Mark Osendorf Benefit Committee would like to say thank you to everyone that came out Dec. 9 to support Mark. It was overwhelming to say the least. The amount of love and support this community can show its utterly unbelievable. There are so many people to thank from the meal, to the band, to the baked goods, to the amazing silent auction items, to everyone that took the time out of their busy lives to come. We are all so grateful for each and every one of you. We are all honored and bless to be a part of it all.

“And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” — Luke 2: 4-7.

Avon council members approved its 2024 budget and property tax levy Dec. 4, at Avon City Hall in Avon, after completing a hearing and listening to concerns offered by two new city residents. Local governments must hold annual truth-in-taxation public meetings where budget and tax issues are discussed. 

The Holdingford City Council voted 3-0, with one abstention, Dec. 11, at city hall in Holdingford, to rescind and put on hold a decision about who operates charitable gambling at the Holdingford Municipal Liquor Store, also known as The Muni.  There were only four members of the council present with mayor Eric Berscheid absent. Councilor Jayme Opatz conducted the meeting.