By Nancy Huddleston, Editor 

Ask Jack Gerten how the new farmers’ market is going downtown and you can’t get him to stop talking.

Several area students were awarded undergraduate or graduate degrees from the University of St. Thomas in May.

May 19 marked the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater's commencement day for spring 2007 graduates. A total of 1,212 students received their diplomas.

Local students earning degrees include:

Carissa Panning of Burnsville recently was honored as a graduate of the Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Several local students are among the more than 5,300 students who received degrees during the University of Wisconsin-Madison's spring commencement ceremonies May 19-20.

They include:

Celeste Moshier of Savage is among the 1,264 students at University of Wisconsin-River Falls honored on the spring semester dean's list.

The College of St. Scholastica has named 590 students to its spring semester 2007 dean’s list.

Nicholas Laursen of Savage has been awarded a Carl and Eloise Pohlad Scholarship for the 2007-08 academic year at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Myranda Howard of Burnsville was one of 62 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students initiated into the university’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.

More than 4,690 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the spring 2007 semester.

Local students among the honorees include: