Feature

After months of consideration, State Sen. Steve Dille said he’s formally decided to not run for re-election. When his current term ends on Jan. 3, 2011, Dille will have served 24 years in state government. The longtime Republican legislator from rural Dassel says it’s time for him to refocus his life on personal matters, including his farm.

Robert and Mavis Schwanke of Hutchinson knit winter scarves for people in need. Three years ago, they added caps to their production. To date, the husband-and-wife team have produced a total of 11,000 items. For the complete story, see the Nov. 17 print edition of the Leader.

Linda Betker was all smiles as she shared the story of her missing cow picture. She drew it more than 50 years ago as a first-grader at Hutchinson Elementary School. It went missing for all those years and was recently found by her former teacher, Mrs. Harriet Wixcey. For the complete story, see the Nov. 17 print edition of the Leader.

It has been a somewhat slow, but still promising start to a program that is designed to save the lives of people with such medical issues as Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia, Down syndrome and autism. Project Lifesaver, a countywide program overseen by the McLeod County Sheriff’s Office, operates in Hutchinson under the guidance of Police Chief Dan Hatten, above, and Fire Chief Brad Emans. It kicked off about two months ago.

Nov. 11, Veteran's Day, is a day for Americans to honor the men and women who fought for their country. Retired National Guardsman and Hutchinson resident Delbert "Del" Bitzer, pictured here while on duty in Sicily circa 1941, plans to mark the day by dining out with his wife, Dottie. He'll avail himself of a free entree at a local family restaurant. For the complete story, see the Nov. 12 print edition of the Leader.