Opinion
By Brenda Winter, columnistNovember 01, 2023With eyes big as saucers, our granddaughters surveyed the scene before them. We were at The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, about an hour from where the girls live. Grandpa and I had set aside time for this very adventure – a day trip to this “one-of-a-kind theme park attraction that showcases a full-size replica of Noah's Ark, the vessel that saved his family and all the animals…
By Rick Peterson, general managerNovember 01, 2023So on most Monday mornings around our office, conversation usually starts with “Did you have a nice weekend?” Oftentimes the response is based on the weekend weather or maybe how the Vikings did. This past weekend the weather wasn’t all that great, and while the Vikings won, they lost their quarterback for the season. My weekend, however, based on weather and football was nothing short of…- October 18, 2023Last week families and volunteers “Painted the Prairie Purple” for Dementia Awareness Week, which culminated with a Dementia Walk Saturday in Luverne City Park. The efforts are dedicated to increasing understanding and awareness of dementia, a condition affecting millions worldwide. Dementia is not a single disease, but a collection of symptoms that result from disorders affecting the brain.…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterOctober 18, 2023Members of the S7 Wellness Group (which includes me) have been challenged this month to get more individuals signed up for our virtual health group. For each new member we attract, we’ll receive $100 — that we can split with the new member. I thought I would give the challenge a try and completed the required Facebook posts about my own wellness journey that began a year ago. At that time, I…
By Rick Peterson, general managerOctober 18, 2023It’s funny how everything has changed. Some things you thought would never change – yet they did. Case in point, the pumpkin. Used to be one color choice – orange. Then the white pumpkin crept into the fold, and now you have a regular buffet of pumpkin colors to choose from. While I am not an expert of pumpkins, I am not sure if all the pumpkins on our front porch ARE pumpkins or if they’re…- By Sara Wahl, Southwest Crisis Center executive directorOctober 11, 2023Domestic violence affects millions of individuals, families and children — of every race, religion, culture and status every year. It’s not just punches and black eyes — it’s yelling, humiliation, stalking, manipulation, coercion, threats and isolation. It’s stealing a paycheck, keeping tabs online, non-stop texting, constant use of the silent treatment, or calling someone stupid so often they…
By Brenda Winter, columnistOctober 11, 2023After Mom’s passing last November, we were left with the massive garden she’d always tended. Dad had even added four new raised beds to the garden in the summer of 2022. So there we were last spring with lots of garden and no gardener. Dad and I adopted the family motto when facing a challenge – “How hard can it be?” – and decided to fill the raised beds. We’d plant one bag of potatoes. One “…- By Sue Abderholden, Director, the Minnesota Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental IllnessOctober 04, 2023The first week of October is Mental Illness Awareness Week. While we need to learn and talk about mental illnesses all year round, this week is dedicated to raising awareness, fighting discrimination, and connecting people to resources. This year’s theme is “Together We Care. Together We Share.” The U.S. Surgeon General released a report earlier this year on loneliness. In it he wrote, “People…
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 04, 2023Hiking the Grand Canyon has long been on my bucket list. As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the canyon is a spectacular feat of nature. It’s not the steepest or the longest canyon in the world, but it’s recognized as a natural wonder because of its collective scale and size combined with breathtaking color variations in its walls. It is 217 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile…
By RIck Peterson, general managerOctober 04, 2023If you follow the H-BC football team, you know they are pretty darn good and have been for some time. From what Mary and I observed recently, they are a polite group of young men, with a little help from the coach. The week before last we were coming home from Redwood Falls where we had watched our grandson’s football game. (By the way, the Redwood Valley Cardinals beat the Pipestone Arrows so I…- September 27, 2023National research shows about half of parents install their child’s car seat incorrectly, and more than a third of children under 13 who died in crashes were unrestrained. To help protect the youngest Minnesotans and motorists of all ages, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety recently coordinated a Click It or Ticket enforcement and awareness campaign. The…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterSeptember 27, 2023A teal-colored envelope arrived in our mailbox last week, days after our farm dog, Lucy, was struck by a car. The card inside read, “There will forever be a place in your heart for such a good and faithful friend.” Its message brought tears, and they spilled over to sobs when four squares of paper slipped out of the card. Inked on each square was a single paw print – for each of Lucy’s four…- By U.S. Senator Amy KlobucharSeptember 13, 2023The cost of prescription drugs has been too high for too long, and it’s hurt Americans’ health and bank accounts. Medicines don’t work if people can’t afford them. For far too many people, high drug prices can force difficult choices like whether to ration meds or food or not pay the electric bill during a hot summer. This is true even for seniors covered by Medicare. But after years of…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolSeptember 13, 2023Question: I know it’s discouraged, but is it actually illegal for students to be standing on a school bus while it is moving? Answer: Minnesota state law says no person shall stand in a school bus when the bus is in motion. In addition, the aisle and emergency exit of a school bus shall be kept unobstructed at all times when children are being transported. Stop for school buses: It's the law…- February 28, 2023Minnesota’s 1,777 townships will hold their annual meeting on Tuesday, March 14. Known as Township Day, these annual meetings take place every year on the second Tuesday in March and set townships apart from other forms of local government. At these meetings, residents of the townships will voice their opinions about local issues with other township residents, and they’ll vote directly on their…
- By Rick Birt, Students Against Destructive DecisionsJanuary 17, 2023In addition to the increased risk of dangerous weather with icy roads and snow during winter months, there is also a significant uptick in impaired driving during winter months. In fact, 40 percent of highway deaths during winter are alcohol-related, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Impaired driving is when someone operates a motor vehicle while under the…
You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.