Afton native Jessie Diggins has said that she feels most dangerous in a World Cup cross country ski race when she’s happy stepping to the start line. She prioritized that emotion in particular heading into this season after revealing in the fall that she had experienced a relapse with her eating disorder.

She spoke publicly with the goal of helping others who might be struggling with something similar. She vowed to put her mental health at the forefront regardless of circumstance. She was willing to skip stuff along the way if she felt she wasn’t in a good head space.

All of those things helped Diggins stay happy each time she stepped to the start line, so maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she just put the finishing touches on the most historic stretch of her career. After winning the 20-kilometer freestyle in Falun, Sweden over the weekend, Diggins has officially clinched the World Cup Nordic skiing overall title.

“I just wanted to leave it all out there,” she said during her post-race interview. “I know when I do that, I can walk away proud. To me, if I’m first, if I’m last, it doesn’t matter. If I give it everything I have. I’m going to be proud of what I put out there.”

This is actually the second time that Diggins has won the World Cup overall title and hoisted the Crystal Globe that goes to the winner. That has never been done by a U.S. cross country skier. She was dominant this season and won six races. That also has never been done by a U.S. cross country skier.

It’s fitting that Diggins ended this season with a victory.

“I wanted to ski a brave race and put my whole heart out there, and that’s what I did,” Diggins told reporters in Falun. “I’m really proud of how the season ended; I’m even more proud of my team for being there for me. It’s been a lot of ups and downs, and it hasn’t been easy. It’s been a hard year, and that’s why it’s so special that we did it together.”

This accomplishment for Diggins came about a month after she finally got to compete in a World Cup race on home snow. She called the Loppet Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis the highlight of her career. It’s safe to say finishing this season with another World Cup overall title is right up there with it.

The biggest thing Diggins can be proud of this season, however, is the fact that she remained true to herself through it all.

She was happy each time she stepped to the start line. She was happy each time she was on the course. She was happy each time she crossed the finish line.

Just like she promised.

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Members of the Scandia Heritage Alliance, a nonprofit group leading the effort to create an arts and heritage center in Scandia, are asking people to weigh in on what displays and events they would like to see at a new arts and heritage center.

The Water Tower Barn Arts and Heritage Center site will include space to “celebrate Scandia’s rich history with an outdoor amphitheater, a water garden play area for kids, and a wetland overlook and trails,” said Susan Rodsjo, the chairwoman of the board.

Anyone interested is asked to fill out an online survey before March 24. They will be asked for opinions on different aspects of the center — from exhibit ideas to amenities, Rodsjo said.

Answers will help the board prioritize exhibit ideas. Among the suggested ideas: how the city’s Water Tower Barn impacted life, immigrant stories over the decades, social clubs and gatherings, the progression of agriculture, a failed bank robbery in 1914, and Ingrid Bergman’s visit to Scandia during WWII.

The survey also will influence programming development, such as theater, music, art classes, dance lessons and more, Rodsjo said.

For more information or to request a printed copy of the survey, go to http://bit.ly/42WXBuY.

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Jeff Lynne’s ELO will return to St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 30. It’s a stop on the band’s 27-date tour that they say will be their final outing.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster. Neither the promoter nor the venue announced prices.

With a sound that blended Beatles-esque pop and classical arrangements, the Electric Light Orchestra was one of the biggest bands of the ’70s with a long list of hits that include “Showdown,” “Can’t Get it Out of My Head,” “Evil Woman,” “Strange Magic,” “Livin’ Thing,” “Do Ya,” “Telephone Line,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Shine a Little Love,” “Don’t Bring Me Down” and “Last Train to London.”

For most of ELO’s initial run, the sole consistent members were vocalist/songwriter Jeff Lynne, drummer Bev Bevan and keyboardist Richard Tandy. While they continued to have the occasional single break through in the early ’80s, the public’s interest in the band began to wane, particularly after they stopped touring in 1982. Lynne dissolved the group the following year, but briefly reunited them to record the contractually obligated 1986 album “Balance of Power.”

Lynne went on to work as a producer for George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison. He also formed the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Harrison, Orbison and Petty. He released a new ELO album, “Zoom,” in 2001. But plans to tour were canceled due to poor ticket sales.

In 2014, Lynne returned to the road with a group now billed as Jeff Lynne’s ELO. In the time since, they have released a pair of new albums and toured the world, including a well-received stop at the X in July 2019.

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FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Twins were aware of the injury risk Anthony DeSclafani carried with him when they acquired him in a trade this January. After all, the veteran starter hadn’t pitched in a game last year after July 23 because of a right elbow flexor strain.

But it was a risk the Twins were willing to take on — he had, after all, rehabbed from the injury and entered camp in a good spot.

Now, they’re staring at the potential of a season without him. In the coming days, DeSclafani will travel to Texas to visit with Dr. Keith Meister, who will assess what the Twins are calling a forearm strain. In recent years, Meister has performed Tommy John surgery on starters Kenta Maeda, Chris Paddack and Tyler Mahle.

DeSclafani had been behind his teammates in his build-up after feeling some soreness in his elbow earlier in camp. He had finally ramped up to the point where he was able to throw in a game, competing in a minor-league tilt on Saturday. But he walked away from that feeling soreness yet again.

“All options at that stage are obviously on the table, but we just want to make sure we get a much better sense of where he’s at,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “Obviously, disappointing for him. He had a really good offseason. He was throwing the ball well early in camp. Things were tracking in a good direction, but it’s unfortunate that he’s dealing with the flexor soreness again.”

Tommy John surgery, which would take him out for the entire season, is the worst-case scenario. The best case would be some sort of option where he could rest, rehab and build back up to return at some point later in the season.

“We’ll do whatever we can to get him back. I still think he can be a very important piece for us this year,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Clearly, a tough time for him having to deal with this all over again. … We’ll get an opinion and see exactly what we’re dealing with. Before we can do anything else, we have to figure that out.”

DeSclafani’s injury opens the door for Louie Varland, who has yet to allow a run in 11 innings this spring, to step into the rotation. Varland made 10 starts for the Twins last year before returning at the end of the season and pitching effectively out of the bullpen.

“He has put himself in a really nice spot, and I think he’s prepared to take a place in our rotation from the beginning of the year,” Baldelli said of Varland. “He looks really good right now.”

Roster cuts

The Twins optioned both infielder Jose Miranda and outfielder Trevor Larnach to Triple-A on Monday. While they will begin the season with the Saints, they will both likely see major league time at some point in the season.

Miranda had offseason shoulder surgery last year after what essentially amounted to a lost 2023 season. He struggled at the plate at the major league level but tweaked his swing over the offseason, and Falvey said he was “swinging the bat better than he was a year ago,” this spring.

Larnach broke camp with the Twins last season but was eventually passed on the depth chart by Matt Wallner. He played in 58 major league games last season, hitting .213 with a .727 OPS.

“I think those guys are going to help us. They’re going to help us win this year. We’re going to have to call upon them,” Baldelli said. “We’re going to need them. We’re going to need them to be ready to play at a high level when we call them up. I assume that’s going to happen. You just don’t know when.”

Additionally, the Twins reassigned pitcher Jordan Balazovic to minor league camp. Balazovic, once the Twins’ top pitching prospect, was removed from the 40-man roster earlier this year. With the cuts, 41 players remain in major league camp.

Buxton scratched

Byron Buxton was originally in Monday’s lineup, but the center fielder was scratched with lower right back tightness. Baldelli said he took a “little tumblesault,” during pregame defense drills.

Though he did not play in the game, Buxton hit in the cage. The issue is relatively minor, and the Twins will see how he feels after Tuesday’s off day.

Briefly

Zack Weiss, who is dealing with a teres major strain, will begin the season on the major league injured list. But the Twins hope to get him in rehab games close to the time the Triple-A season begins at the end of the month. … Matt Canterino is dealing with a shoulder issue and will start the season on the Triple-A injured list.