The Albert Lea Police Department responded to the local Minnesota National Guard Armory in response to a peddler scam concern. 

It was reported that someone was going through several neighborhoods, soliciting financial donations in support of Blue Star Moms. It was reported that the money obtained was to go towards the purchase of backpacks for troops overseas.

A person matching the description given was located near 506 Ulstad Avenue – the 20 year old, white male, 601”, 180 lbs, short Sandy Blonde Hair, provided Arkansas identification. 

The Reporting Person’s check was recovered and returned. 

The City of Albert Lea does not currently have a Peddler’s License requirement. If citizen’s have concerns regarding peddlers soliciting, it is recommended they do their research before donating &/or purchasing items. 

Cancer is a deadly disease that effects millions across the nation. In late 2011 it hit my family.

In November last year, my grandma was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

There was nothing I could do to make things better. In all my life I’ve never felt so helpless.  

That’s why I decided to take a stand.

For the past few months I’ve been training to run my very first marathon attempting to raise money for cancer research.

So far I have met countless people with touching stories of perseverance and survival.

Coming this May I will share these stories as well as my own in a five part series titled “A Reason to Run.”

Stay tuned to ABC 6 News and kaaltv.com for updates on this ongoing series.

To join the cause visit this website and make your donation. Every little bit counts in this race to beat cancer!

Steve Bowron, dean for institutional advancement and Laurie Minehart, associate director of the Riverland Community College Foundation, recently met with Shirley Wright to thank her and her sons George and Charlie for the recent $50,000 donation to the Riverland Community College Foundation to establish a scholarship to honor the memory of Shirley’s husband and their father, Stephen C. Wright.

Stephen C. Wright was Valedictorian of the first graduating class of Riverland Community College (then Austin Junior College) in 1942.   Wright served in World War II as a first lieutenant in the Army Air Corps for 16 months in the Pacific.  He returned from the war, received his degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University, and spent more than 40 years working as an engineer for Hormel plants nationwide.  Wright retired from Hormel in 1987.