This week I am going to give you a little guided tour to this edition of the Faribault County Register.

First off, on the front page, you will note a couple of stories about this somewhat mysterious CARES Act money that is suddenly flowing into counties and towns around the country.

In Faribault County and its cities and towns, this money totals around $2.5 million. That is a number that can make an impact in the relatively small county and small towns that we have here in Faribault County.

These funds are all part of the federal government’s attempt to mitigate the impact the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns have had on the country. Of course, some of us cynics are wondering where all this money for relief is coming from, but it is hard to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Also, please read all of those stories about the County Board and Blue Earth City Council as there are details about everything from the meeting.

Next, you will note a story on the front page about the start of school this year. I can’t really comment on this one too much, because at the time this column is being written, that space on the front page is blank. You see, the BEA School Board work session was Thursday evening and the story about it is one of the last things going into this week’s newspaper before it goes to press Friday morning.

But, I do know the administration and staff at our local schools have had a busy summer trying to figure out how schools are going to operate safely this year.

The other story on the front page deals with filings for positions on local city councils and school boards and the fact there have not been many so far.

Filings close this coming Tuesday, and that is only a few days away. City staff and school officials in the county expressed some concern that in many cases no one has yet filed. They are hoping some folks will step forward this week.

For my two cents worth, having once served on a city council, it is not an easy job and you might take some grief about it sometimes, but it also can be rewarding when you can help make some improvements in the community you call home.

You will find some stories about the Primary Election on page 2 this week. It will be interesting to see what the voter turnout will be this coming Tuesday. As usual, I urge you to exercise your right and get out and vote. Maybe you already have, as there have been many who voted early. But grab your face mask and head to the polls on Tuesday if you have not voted early.

And remember, you need to follow instructions and vote for candidates in just one party. Don’t cross over or your ballot won’t count.

On this page 4 you are reading now, there is a cartoon about not planting seeds from China. Maybe you saw the story about this in area newspapers.

The cartoon shows a man-eating plant, which is a take off of the musical/movie “Little Shop of Horror,” which happens to be a favorite of mine. It is hard to forget Steve Martin as the dentist, or the classic line “Feed me, Seymour!”

Next, for those of you who enjoy reading letters to the editor, you are going to have a heyday this week. We have a lot of letters for your reading enjoyment, spread out over three pages, no less.

Granted, there are several of what we call political endorsement letters. As with all of our letters, we have a few rules, and one of those is that we allow only one endorsement letter per person per election season. We also reserve the right to edit letters for content and length, and reserve the right to not run a letter at all if we feel it is libelous, has unsubstantiated accusations or is not germane to the interests of our local community. We also give preference to letters written by our local residents, and not by someone who is sending a letter to every newspaper.

Next, you will find a story on our sports pages about how high school sports will be held this year at our local schools. While some decisions have been made, others are still a bit in flux.

Rounding out our little tour is the back page and an interesting photo of local artist Ross Pollard and the bronze sculpture of Donald Deskey. Now, maybe you are aware of Donald Deskey, a Blue Earth native son, or maybe you have no idea who he is. But, if you don’t, he is worth Googling and learning more.

And one more thing. Don’t miss our Relay for Life magazine included in this issue. There are some very interesting stories inside, including all the information about how the Relay will be held this year.

That is it, tour’s over. We once again did our best to bring you a newspaper that is filled with information about your community. And once again, thanks for reading us.