Murder Mystery and Fundraiser at NUACS Friday

NEW ULM — Lake Life is the theme of the annual New Ulm Area Catholic Schools Fundraiser on Friday, Jan. 24. The fun starts at 5 p.m. with brats, soup and chips for $7 in the NUACS Cafeteria, serving until 7:30 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., bingo, games and raffles will be held in the St. Anthony Elementary Gym, with concertina music, and silent and live auctions.

For a special treat, a murder mystery dinner theater, “Murder on Greyhound Lake,” will be held in the Holy Trinity Middle School gym, 514 N. Washington. A socialhour will be held at 5 p.n., with the dinner theater starting at 5:45 p.m. Everyone gets to be a detective.

Blood Drives in the area

ST. PAUL — The American Red Cross has extended its urgent call for donors of all blood types to give blood. With influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross now has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves.

Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood available for patient emergencies and medical treatments. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type.

Blood drives being held in Brown County include:

Comfrey

Jan. 23: 12-6 p.m., Community Center, 120 Brown St.

New Ulm

Jan. 24: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., New Ulm Community Center, 600 N. German St.

Feb. 6: 12-6 p.m., Redeemer Lutheran Church, 700 S. Broadway

Feb. 7: 12-6 p.m., Woodstone Senior Living, 2020 Meyer Drive

Feb. 13: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 201 North State St.

Songwriting Sleuth at the library

NEW ULM — Who saved countless people from the horror of the Hinkley Fire? How did it feel to be on a sinking frozen ore boat just yards from shore in Duluth during the Mataffa storm? What was it like to lead over 50 African-Americans out of bondage in the largest mass escape in the history of the Civil War?

Charlie Maguire, “Minnesota’s Songwriting Sleuth,” has the answers to these and more stories in gripping songs and ballads he has researched meticulously over the years. Maguire will perform those songs at New Ulm Public Library on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. This free public program is made possible by a grant provided by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative and funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Call 507-359-8331 for more information.