Things look a little bit different in downtown Austin now. The color guard of Austin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1216 raised a 12-by-18-foot American flag outside Farmers & Merchants State Bank in Austin Friday morning.

It’s the second largest flag in Austin, and the project is a good addition to the downtown area.

Mower County is filled with veterans and is also the home of active military who put their lives on the line for our country and make us proud.

It’s nice to have such a large patriot symbol right in the heart of our community, and we thank our local hometown heroes for their service .