Last month, I got a call from Jackie, one of the members of Minnesota’s Beyond the Veil telling me of a trip they made to Mankato.

Now that American Idol's meanest and nicest judges have left, loyal watchers have to be wondering who the heck might be sitting at the judges' table for Season 10.

Most of us had just got used to the idea of no Simon Cowell next year when along comes funny lady Ellen Degeneres statement last night confirming that she, too, was bowing out from the reality TV powerhouse.

So what happens next? We can't honestly be expected to endure the likes of Randy "Dawg" Jackson and Kara "Cougartown" DioGuardi alone, can we?

“Beautiful small-town America with a strong sense of community,” was the winning entry in the city’s recent “Best Reasons to Live and Work in Chaska Contest.”

This and 36 “honorable mention” entries are listed here.

Personally, I’m partial to the one “Herald” shout-out. Thanks!

However, I thought the best way to analyze these entries was a “by the numbers” approach, so here goes:

37: Number of entries listed

This morning I stumbled upon this YouTube video that is just too sweet not to share. It tells the short, yet moving, story of a pair of 81-year-old high school sweethearts, reunited after 62 years apart.

Watching Jack's nerves bubble up as the time draws nearer to meet Betty is mesmerizing. And seeing the years melt away as the two embrace proves that good love stories never grow old. Enjoy!

Lately, I’ve had a few folks come to me about motivation issues.

Summer time can be tough. While it’s great to get outside and exercise, the warm weather can be a distraction for many. People just want to head out to the lake and chill on the water. BBQ’s are abundant and the nights get later.

Well, Craig Ballantyne (he did a post last Monday on HIIT) sent me a killer article on motivation that I thought would be perfect to share you.

Whether motivation is an issue for you or not, I highly recommend you read this.

11 Ways to Stay Motivated in Your Fat Loss Program

Well here's a little something (or two little somethings) that give a whole new meaning to BYOB. Tired of being without your beer or wine during trips to the mall, school concerts, meetings? Now you can carry your own adult beverages with you wherever you go - and nobody has to know about it except you.

Please see attached the done for you press release.

Sara Bischoff, our resident gluten free guru, is back this month with an extremely important post about supporting a gluten free diet.

As an active person with Celiac Disease, I find it essential to take vitamin supplements to ensure I am getting enough of the nutrients I need to keep my body healthy. As a Celiac, you do not absorb everything you eat or ingest, so there is a great importance of taking vitamins and supplements.

It's summer time!

If you are 16, Do you have an concept on what occupations you are involved in already?

If you are a 16-year-old who likes a job and don't have any concept about what job you might gaze for, would you brain looking at teen occupations and making additional money?

Yes, even you are just 16, you can still find summer jobs. Instead of going online to dedicate your time to playing video sport for hours, why not manage certain thing profitable?

Each week we publish a detail of a local building. The next week we identify the building. Post your guess, or send it to [email protected]