After several months without a County Assessor, Scott County is trying out one of its own.

Mike Thompson, who has worked as an appraiser for Scott County since January 2005, was appointed Dec. 1 to a one-year term as County Assessor.

Thompson spent the last half-year in a supervisory role, being groomed for the position after the county lost a previous hire.

Scott and Carver counties’ transit services merger has a new name: SmartLink Transit.

The merged service also bring some changes to the previous bus services offered in Shakopee, Prior Lake and other Scott County cities. As of Jan. 1, SmartLink transit will be available for pick-up and drop-off between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays.

Marissa Angell, 20, of Savage, entered God’s arms at her home on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, from cancer.

Visitation will be Tuesday, Dec. 22, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, 4565 Pleasant Street S.E., Prior Lake, from 4-8 p.m. and one hour prior to the mass at church.

Funeral mass will be Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 11 a.m. at the Church of St. Michael, 16311 Duluth Avenue S.E., Prior Lake.

Cindy Iverson, 60, of Prior Lake, passed away after a brave struggle with cancer. Her talking and laughter left us Wednesday, Dec.16, 2009.

A celebration of her life will be held at Hope Community Church (County Road 46) in Lakeville on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Visitation is from 5-7 p.m. and the service from 7-8 p m.

Arrangements by White Funeral Home Lakeville, 952-469-2723. A guest book may be signed at www.whitefuneralhomes.com.

Raymond Geis, 74, of Jordan, passed away Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009 at St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

Visitation will be Tuesday, Dec. 22, from 4-8 p.m. at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Jordan, and also one hour prior the service at church.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 11 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan.

Arrangements by Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Jordan. www.ballardsunderfuneral.com

Deloris Hayes, age 88, of Prior Lake, entered God’s arms Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009 at her home.

Visitation was Sunday, Dec. 20, from 3-7 p.m. at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Prior Lake, and also one hour prior to the mass at the church.

Mass of Christian Burial was Monday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. at the Church of St. Michael, Prior Lake.

Arrangements made by Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Prior Lake Chapel. www.ballardsunderfuneral.com

Dale Droll, 91, of Prior Lake and formally of Spencer, Iowa, passed away Friday, Dec. 18, 2009 at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.

Celebration of Life Service is Monday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service, all at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, 4565 Pleasant St. S.E., Prior Lake,

Arrangements made by Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Prior Lake Chapel. www.ballardsunderfuneral.com

The Three Rivers Park District will be operating aeration systems in four lakes beginning the week of Jan. 11, including Murphy Lake in Murphy Hanrehan Park Reserve in Savage and Cleary Lake at Cleary Lake Regional Park in Prior Lake.

This will result in unsafe ice conditions on portions of those lakes for the duration of the winter. Other lakes with aeration systems include: Lake Rebecca in Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, Rockford and Hyland Lake in Hyland Lake Park Reserve, Bloomington.