Did you see accident?

To the Editor:

I am asking for your help. I was involved in an accident at 1 p.m. March 2 at the intersection of State Street and Blue Earth Avenue in Fairmont. Several other cars were present and I believe the drivers saw the accident. If you were one of them, please give a statement to our local police department at (507) 238-4481 or call me at (507) 230-2181. Without a witness, there is no justice. Thank you.

Gary Ricard

Fairmont

Masons offer thanks

To the Editor:

On behalf of Chain Lake Lodge 64 Martin County Area Masons, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the area businesses, sponsors and patrons for their donations, services and attendance this year, and also for making our 26th Annual Spaghetti Supper Scholarship fund raiser a success. Had we not received those generous monetary donations and the community support, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve our goal.

This year, with the assistance of matching funds up to $3,000 from the Minnesota Masonic Charities Community Scholarships Program, we will be awarding six $1,000 scholarships to Martin County area high school seniors pursuing higher education after graduation.

A huge thank you goes out to the staff and congregation of Grace Lutheran Church for again donating the use of their wonderful kitchen/dining area to prepare, cook and serve, our community scholarship fundraiser and appreciation open door meals March 2-4.

Scholarship applications opened March 1 and can be located at https://chainlakemasons.org/scholarship. Deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. April 15.

William Gunther Jr.,

Rick Lunz and James Freeman,

scholarship committee,

Chain Lake Masonic Lodge 64

Fairmont

Farmers would benefit

To the Editor:

A popular state loan program could soon be available to farmers thanks to recent action taken by the Minnesota House of Representatives.

With strong bipartisan support, the House voted to dedicate $50 million to the Rural Finance Authority loan program. I voted in favor of the measure, as the RFA ran out of funding on Feb. 21.

With spring just around the corner, farmers who are seeking financing from this popular program are facing a crisis. The House has now taken the first step toward replenishing this loan program, and hopefully the governor will have a bill to sign very soon.

The RFA is Minnesota’s main agricultural lending arm. It partners with agricultural lenders to provide low-cost financing to farmers on terms and conditions not otherwise available from other credit sources. The RFA portion of the loan is carried at a reduced interest rate to improve the cash flow of eligible farmers. RFA offer loans within the beginning farmer loan and seller-assisted program, agricultural improvement program, debt-restructuring program and livestock expansion programs.

The bill now heads to the Minnesota Senate for its approval.

State Rep. Bob Gunther,

R-Fairmont