Slayton City Council met on Monday, May 2nd. The agenda was approved and the minutes from the April 18th meeting were reviewed and approved.

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 64 of Slayton will be distributing Poppies in the community on Thursday, May 26th. The money collected will be used to support Veterans programs. When you see members of the Auxiliary with Poppies remember what our Veterans have done to keep this nation free. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice and so many still struggle today. Please be generous and give from the heart. Thank you for your generosity and for honoring our Veterans .

Maps are now available at the Murray County FSA Office for 2022 acreage reporting purposes. You can stop by and pick them up anytime during business hours, the office is open. If you wish to receive your maps by e-mail, please call our office at 507-836-8567 or email us at mnslayton-fsa@one.usda.gov

CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH, Slayton, MN. Pastor Darby Lawrence.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13 NIV The ultimate beginning and end of all things is one and the same. God, as the ultimate source of all things, is responsible for where it is all heading.

On April 27, 2022, Hospice of Murray County held their Annual Spring Benefit. In years past, many might have remembered the spring benefit being an auction, but it had changed to dueling pianos, a play, a magician and even a comedy duo. The last couple of years, due to COVID, Hospice had to get creative. Just because COVID hit our area and our ability to gather was limited, Hospice of Murray County never stopped visiting and caring for their patients. Our staff was still “Front Line Workers” providing care to those people who were in the end stages of a terminal illness. Which is why our communities have seen the Annual Spring Benefit switch gears again to a Drive Thru Burger Meal – in which Hospice has partnered with the Murray County Cattlemen’s Association to provide a tasty grilled burger and sides.

Monday, May 16: Chicken Fried Steak and Mashed Potato w/Gravy, Green Beans, Bread/Margarine, Dessert, Lowfat Milk. Tuesday, May 17: Chef Choice Entree, Vegetable, Fruit, Bread, Dessert, Milk.

The Chandler American Legion Auxiliary met on Tuesday evening, April 19 with President Patsy Buys presiding. The meeting opened in usual form. Chaplain Audrey gave the devotional and prayer. For old business, the treasurer reported the donations for the Gift Shop and $5 Bill Shower to the State Dept. was not received. The checks were never delivered and they never cleared in the bank. It was assumed that the Postal Service did not deliver them. The Auxiliary voted to try sending the donations to the State Dept. again. It was reported that the yearly reports were filled out and last year’s history was written and both were sent in. The Auxiliary voted to send $50 to Hospice of Murray County. They also voted to send $200 to Samaritan’s Purse. This group is bringing aid to the people of Ukraine. Plans were made to have Poppy Day on Wednesday, May 25 in Chandler. Watch for children distributing poppies. The Memorial Day program is planned for Monday, May 30th. Watch for time in the local newspapers.

Trap, skeet, sporting clays, and other shooting programs provide several benefits for youth when incorporated into school programs. These programs provide physical activity, teach discipline and responsibility, educate students on recreational shooting and hunting, encourage the safe handling of firearms, and serve as a primer for real-life hunting scenarios. (as quoted from the website congressionalsportsmen.org.) Eighteen years ago the Minnesota State High School League began a Clay Target League for 7th-12th grade students and the coed sport quickly grew. On the website: www.mnclaytarget.com one can read the full history describing declining numbers of shooting clubs and the dwindling participation of young people enjoying the sport. As a result, enthusiasts organized to form clubs and compete as a school extra-curricular activity and the response has been encouraging. This year, 337 high school teams are assigned to nine classes and forty-three conferences based on team size. In our region, the sport is offered at the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton school and Amy Rubin, a chemistry teacher at TMB, coaches the clay target team. “I’ve been trap shooting my whole life,” she said. “I shot during the ten years I was in the military, but I enjoyed the sport when I was a kid too.” Several students asked Ms. Rubin if she would consider coaching a team. “I worked with the school board and we’ve had teams since the 2015/16 school year.” The TMB team practices and competes at the Tracy Sportsmen Club near Currie. Coach Rubin said, “We don’t have to travel for our competitions. We meet at the club every Sunday afternoon and the students each shoot fifty rounds. If they aren’t happy with their score, they may shoot another fifty rounds.” The scores are then posted online. The league uses True Team Scoring which emphasizes the team score over individual scores. There are rarely limits on the number of students who can participate and all skill levels are encouraged to join. Coach Rubin added, “It’s awesome to get these kids out shooting and promoting gun safety.” Last year, the TMB team placed first in their conference. “We graduated a lot of seniors on the team, but this year we have twenty-six students and they are doing really well,” stated Amy. The energetic coach starts planning each year in February so the team is prepared to begin competing for nine weeks in early April. There is a tournament in Alexandria in mid-June and the state tournament is held in the Twin Cities at the end of June. One of the challenges a team faces is raising funds for supplies. “We used to spend about $2,000 a year on shells, but the cost has more than doubled in the past couple of years,” said Amy. “Now I need at least $5,000 for shells.” She is grateful for the many organizations and businesses who sponsor the team and contribute to their expenses.

The Murray County Central School Board met on Monday, May 9th. The agenda was approved as were the consent agenda items. Those included the meeting minutes from April 11th, the financials for the month, as well as, the personnel changes presented by Superintendent Joe Meyer. He first reported that Dee Regan will be taking a leave of absence, as well as, Bridget Kluis should the Board approve the request. They have hired Mandy Berglund and Mike Oliver as food service and custodial to fill Bev Johnson’s position. Tammi Paulzine was reassigned as the Elementary Math Masters Coordinator. Resignations were accepted from Sue Bau as Knowledge Bowl Head Coach, Kate DeLong as Head Volleyball Coach, Karen Hildebrandt – Secondary English Teacher, and Adam Neubarth – Elementary Teacher and Assistant Football Coach. Patrick Freeman was hired as the Elementary Principal and resigned his Social Science position, assistant track coach position, National Honor Society and junior/ senior advisor positions. Meyer did comment that with the resignations, they were able to make the Elementary position full time and will now look for a school counselor. Meyer also reported that they have come to agreement for the MCC EA 2021 – 2023 contracts and the MCC Paraprofessional 2021- 2023 contracts. Meyer were set as the designated IOwA for the MDE websites this is a required item each year.