WELCOME — I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day. On to the New Year 2026 I hope it is a good one for all.

Circle of Faith parishes will have a joint service at 9 a.m. on Dec. 28 at First Lutheran Church in Trimont. St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Sherburn will have a New Year’s Eve service at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31. St. Paul’s Community Church in Welcome has Sunday services at 9:30 a.m. Area residents are welcome to join any of these churches for services.

The Sherburn Lions will have a steak, shrimp or pork chop dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 30) at the Sherburn Legion Hall, with snacks available at 4 p.m.

The Sherburn Theatre will show “David” at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday.

There will be a Christmas Tree Recycling opportunity for the real trees from the area from Dec. 26 to Jan. 10, sponsored by the Prairieland Recycling. Drop-off points are the City Shop on Margaret Street in Fairmont and at the Sherburn Nursery in Sherburn. Please drop off only real trees. No artificial trees, wreaths or roping. Please watch for tree stands, ornaments and lights and remove them before recycling. For further information, contact Andy Geiger at (507) 776-3232.

Martin County West (MCW) Schools are on Winter Break until Jan. 5, but the boys and girls basketball teams will participate in the Windom tournaments on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30.

The American Red Cross Blood drive will be on Dec. 30 at the American Legion Hall in Fairmont. Call 800-red-cross (800-733-2767), go online to www.redcrossblood.org or text BLOODAPP to 90999 to make an appointment or for further information. There is a critical need for blood now so give if you are eligible.

Condolences to the family of Diane Evans who passed away recently. The holidays are hard when family and friends are missing someone.

The affidavits of Candidacy for Township offices are due from Dec. 30 to Jan. 13. Contact the township of your residency.

Upcoming events include:

The CREST Lunch and Learn will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 7 at Sherburn’s Sinn Family Celebration of Life Center. These programs are free to senior citizens in Martin County. CREST appreciates a free will donation for the lunch.

Friendship Club from St. John’s Lutheran in Sherburn will meet at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 for snacks and fellowship.

The Ruby’s Pantry grocery distribution will be on Jan. 19 in Sherburn.