Spring: A breath of fresh air
Say goodbye to winter doldrums: Spring officially arrived early today.
RELATED CONTENTIt’s that time o’ year ... Communities plan celebrations in honor of St. Patrick’s Day 
Parts of west central Minnesota are looking a little greener this week.
RELATED CONTENTCommunity meals fill a need for food and fellowship 
Vi and Kelly Klucas of Willmar were among nearly 200 people at Calvary Lutheran Church who recently waited on a Sunday night for volunteers to serve plates of cheesy chicken casserole and crunchy coleslaw, along with fruit salad, dinner roll, cookies and beverage. Calvary and other churches are participating in a program of serving free meals every month to hundreds of people in the community, including the Klucases.
RELATED CONTENTUp with People: A Montevideo encore 
New cast and show, but sandbagging will again be part of the repertoire
RELATED CONTENTDance, song, desire to help lead them to Montevideo 
Living in a winter landscape and taking on the challenge of filling 100,000 sandbags will be among the “firsts’’ for many of the young performers coming to Montevideo as part of the “Up with People’’ cast.
RELATED CONTENTYikes! Valentine's Day is tomorrow 
Pink and red have been on display since before stores were even clearing out the red and green, yet somehow it’s Feb. 13 and — still no plans for Valentine’s Day. An encouraging 27 percent of Web poll respondents answered “absolutely” when asked whether they plan something romantic for the love holiday. Luckily for the remaining 73 percent of our readers who didn’t think ahead to make dinner reservations, it’s not too late to plan a great date. Oh, and, by the way, 58 percent of those said “if opportunity strikes,” so here you go …
RELATED CONTENTBoy Scouts of America celebrates 100 years 
Local clubs mark longevity, accomplishments of Scouting
RELATED CONTENTDouble Chocolate-Orange Scones 
Sweetened with mini chocolate chips and orange marmalade, then drizzled with chocolate when cooled, these easy breakfast scones are a special treat any time of the day.
RELATED CONTENTSpicer woman is finalist for Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest 
Pillsbury asked: What’s the one word or phrase that best describes your recipe? Michelle said: A sensational new twist ... An Amazing Scone sweet and smooth like no other that keeps you wanting more!
RELATED CONTENTLions and tigers - on the wall? Oh my! 
Entering the home of Donna Jean Carver of Willmar, one may think they’ve been caught up in an African safari.
RELATED CONTENTSometimes, the best discoveries are made right at home 
Smithsonian-worthy collection gains renewed attention in Pope County
RELATED CONTENTFish gone wild 
Spicer borrows fishy idea from Alaska to generate enthusiasm around town
RELATED CONTENT2009 Year in Review 
While a number of stories played a part in shaping the region during 2009, the deployment of 500 troops from the region, along with an area soldier’s death, ranked as the No. 1 local news story. Several stories had local impact — like the U.S. Senate recount of regional ballots that seemed to drag on for months and the national health care debate — but the Tribune news staff deemed those more state and national stories, as opposed to regional stories when it came time to vote on the area’s Top 10 news events of the year. Following is a list of the stories decided on as the area’s Top 10 as determined by the Tribune news staff.
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