Nov. 13—The Free Press

A new documentary examining incentives driving health care pricing and inequities in access and treatment will be shown 7 p.m. Wednesday at Wallenberg Auditorium in the Nobel Hall of Science at Gustavus Adophus College in St. Peter.

"American Hospitals: Healing a Broken System" also identifies innovative solutions to restore hospitals to their historic focus on community health at affordable cost.

The film's showing is sponsored by the student organization Association for Underrepresented Awareness, in conjunction with the nonprofit Health Care for All Minnesota-Greater Mankato Area.

More information about the film is available at: fixithealthcare.com.

Reading festival set for Saturday

Greater Mankato Area United Way's annual reading festival is slated 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in Mankato Family YMCA Blue Gym, 1401 S. Riverfront Drive.

This year's event is themed "Go Wild For Reading!" The free event sponsored by Capstone Publishing will feature more than 20 local organizations as a way to promote literacy and celebrate reading.

Free books will be distributed and attendees may participate in activities such as craft stations.

The Reading Festival is an initiative of United Way's Books for Kids program. For more information, go to: MankatoUnitedWay.org/books-kids.

Panel to feature local authors

Six Minnesota writers will take part in an authors panel 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 219 at St. Peter Community Center, 601 S. Washington Ave.

Participating authors include Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Julie Gassman, Julie Gilbert, Rachael Hanel, Geoff Herbach and Barbara Luker.

There is no admission fee for the Friends of the St. Peter Public Library event. The organization has slated a brief annual meeting prior to the authors panel.

Second half of property taxes due Wednesday

Owners of manufactured homes and agriculturally classed property should pay the second half of their property by Wednesday to avoid a penalty, said a press release from Blue Earth County Property and Environmental Resources Department.

Blue Earth County residents have the following options:

Mailed payments must be postmarked on or before Nov. 15 and should be sent to: Blue Earth County Property and Environmental Resources, Box 3567, Mankato, MN 56002-3567.

In-person payments may be made 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays at the Property and Environmental Resources office on the second floor of the Government Center, 410 S. Fifth St. Drop boxes are near Door B of the government center and at Cub Foods, 1800 Madison Ave.

Payments by credit card may be made on the county's website: www.blueearthcountymn.gov.

Current year tax payments may be at the following banks: MinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal and St. Clair State Bank.