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3 days ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
LAKE CRYSTAL — On May 28, Lake Crystal will lose its only pharmacy, operated by Madelia Health, as it closes its Main Street location. The closure comes fewer than two months after Lake Crystal Ace Hardware, just a block down the street, shut its doors. Located in the former First National Bank of Lake Crystal, built in 1902, the pharmacy also once housed Rexall Drug. The pharmacy had been open just short of five years, according to a news release from Madelia Health.
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5 days ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
David McCarl’s work has been on display on the stages at Minnesota State University for the last 40 years. Most people, if they passed him in the hallway, however, likely couldn’t tell you who he is. But for theater folks in the region, he has been a bit of an icon, regularly having costume designs invited to the Region V Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s costume parade and walking away with countless certificates of merit for individual show designs.
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6 days ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
The inspiration for his fourth book, “Ashes to Ashes,” due out on July 15, came from an unusual true event during Thomas Maltman’s first year in the small town of Morgan, Minnesota, where his wife had been called to pastor at a church. “Melissa had forgotten to order the ashes from a liturgical company in Texas that supplies them, and so the night before the Ash Wednesday service, we were out in the parsonage, at the garage, much like the novel describes,” he began.
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1 week ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
MANKATO — On Tuesday, Courtney Conroy seemed awfully calm for someone who is in charge of the equivalent of five parties with an expected guest list of about 8,750 people. On Thursday, as she is taking a moment to meet in Bresnan Arena with some of the speakers for Minnesota State University commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday, she lives the secret to her success: careful planning and competent helpers.
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1 week ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
Even through Zoom, the positive energy from Fanaka Nation and Robert Lehmann comes through, especially as they interact with each other from separate locations. In fact, that’s one of the things about Lehmann that Nation noticed when they first met. Lehmann had brought a group into Nation’s family’s restaurant, Tamu, in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis.
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2 weeks ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
MANKATO — Minnesota State University President Edward Inch shared a realignment of the “academic portfolio” with the campus community this morning via email. Actions include the suspension of 86 programs and certificates, the merging of others and the addition of a few. When completed, the university’s 306 degree programs and certificates becomes 216, which will affect 1.6 percent of current students seeking degrees and 0.8 percent for certificates, according to the announcement.
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2 weeks ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
In the world of young adult theater, “Treasure Island” seems to lean toward the adult end with themes and a storyline that, like life, don’t have any clear-cut answers. The time of pirates was not filled with perky red-headed orphans or fairy tale princesses, though. So, even though the sun is likely to come out tomorrow, you won’t see a collection of rum-swigging buccaneers sitting around singing about it.
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2 weeks ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
Heather Clark-Esser is thrilled by the new tile flooring added recently to the gallery and rotunda spaces at the Carnegie Art Center. It is helping the nearly 125-year-old building match the title of this weekend’s fundraising brunch event: Luminous. Organizers hope that money raised can continue to widen the facility’s use as canvas for a growing number of art forms now centered at the building on South Broad Street while expanding arts education possibilities.
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2 weeks ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
This year’s spring Minnesota State University dance concert has one piece that’s making a lot of noise. A loud drum kind of noise. Theater and dance faculty member Yukina Sato has paired up with Michael Thursby, director of athletic bands, to incorporate Japanese drumming and dance for a unique blend of disciplines and cultures in one piece. Discussions on this work began between Thursby and Daniel Stark, director of dance.
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2 weeks ago | 
mankatofreepress.com | Michael Lagerquist
ST. PETER — The secret to the success of the Pageant & Singalong Nation event is that there is no secret. It is literally friends getting together to sing and have a good time, say a couple of participants. Emily Stark and Rachel Maccabee, like the two Stevies (Wonder and Nicks) whose music is featured this year, are two people who may not appear on the surface to go together. In the right situation, however, the pairing is as natural, and delicious, as peanut butter and jelly.
