Columns
- By Mavis Fodness, reporterMay 01, 2024Mother’s Day is just over a week away, and my thoughts have turned to what to do to honor that female parent in my life. Along the way, I’ve thought about what the definition of Mom means to me, and I’ve realized I have more than one Mom. … Because Mom is more like a list of characteristics beginning with the letter “L.” To me Mom is someone who learns, listens, leads, laughs and lives in the…
- By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 01, 2024So, I was reminded that it was time for the tick spot and heartworm treatment for my dogs the other day when my phone chimed in and told me so. The ticks are out in full force, and in the past two very short outings, I ended up removing five ticks. I was not in the grass for more than 10 minutes combined. Maybe the mild winter will make tick season all that much more entertaining this season. I…
- By Brenda Winter, columnistApril 24, 2024Not Our Cat has lived in our backyard for eight years. She is calico, fat and grumpy. In the dark of winter she moves into the garage where she remains Not Our Cat until warm weather returns. Melvin, a young orange Tom, staggered onto our deck a few weeks ago seriously injured and unlikely to live. But with shelter, a soft blanket, and food and water placed near his mouth, he pulled through.…
- By RIck Peterson, general managerApril 24, 2024About 15 years ago I had both of my hips replaced, and as with most metal moving parts. a little maintenance is required from time to time. It seems the titanium ball and socket in my left hip was showing signs of wear and tear. After a battery of tests, it was decided to replace the titanium parts with ceramic parts. Having traveled down the hip replacement road before, I had some idea what to…
- By Lori Sorenson, editorApril 17, 2024My sisters and I traveled to Austin, Texas, last week to view the total eclipse of the sun. The trip was a culmination of nearly a year of planning and several weeks of nervous anticipation as departure day grew nearer. In April 2023, nearly a full year before the big event, Linda announced she was traveling for the 2024 eclipse and invited us to join her. “It would be fun,” we agreed during a…
- By Mavis Fodness, reporterApril 10, 2024Steps through life are very straightforward. As children we’re told we’ll attend school when we’re old enough and we’re encouraged to achieve a high school diploma. Then we embark on a 50-year journey working at a job or advancing a career before retiring. Some of us get married, have children and become grandparents. And then we die. Instructions for the first three-fourths of my life have…
- By RIck Peterson, general managerApril 10, 2024My wife, daughter and granddaughters, not to mention a couple of Star Herald staff members, are sporting permanent bracelets these days. Personally, I had never heard of such a thing until just recently. Apparently, a permanent bracelet is just that – permanent. Go figure. If you’re in the dark on this like I was, let me clue you in on how this works. In my case, our daughter made an…
- By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolApril 10, 2024Question: I am puzzled as to why seat belts are mandatory in vehicles along with a fine for not complying, but our precious cargo in school buses are not required to wear them? Answer: School buses are one of the safest modes of transportation even without seatbelts. School buses are safer because of their large size and design. School bus interiors are designed on “compartmentalization”, which…
- By Scot Rall, Outdoor ColumnistApril 10, 2024It is sure starting to feel good outside. Temperatures in my neck of the woods this weekend are going to be in the high 60s. It makes me want to go fishing. The Minnesota opener is scheduled for May 10. Time to double-check to make sure the boat registration is up to date and that the motor starts without issue. I find it perplexing how you can put your stuff away for the winter, and without one…
- By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistApril 03, 2024By Scott Rall There is so much going on at the Capitol it’s hard for the average outdoor guy to follow it all. I have two issues I want to share. One will be this week and the second to follow in my next column. The first is of the native tribes and the land give-backs that have happened and several others that are proposed to happen if certain bills pass this session or any session for that…
- By Brenda Winter, columnistApril 03, 2024One of the last pictures of my mom is of her in the garden picking zinnias. We actually used it for the cover of her funeral folder. She’s smiling at the camera, clippers in one hand and a bunch of fresh-cut zinnias in the other. We had no idea that 12 short weeks later, cancer would take her from the garden and from us. Her beautiful silver hair glistens in the sunshine. Her blue eyes twinkle…
- By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 27, 2024Friday started cold and gray, but inside the elementary school gymnasium in Beaver Creek, the atmosphere was bright and festive. It was Pie Day (not the math day for pi), the day Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary kids could throw pies at the H-BC High School kids. It was a long-awaited and highly anticipated event following a weekslong Penny War between student councils — the littles vs. the teens…
- By RIck Peterson, general managerMarch 27, 2024Last month, February had an extra day, yet it always is the shortest month every year. March has its regular complement of 31 days as always, but for some reason it seems to have gone on forever. One thought as to why March seems to never end this year is because we’ve had a hint of four different seasons the last four weeks. Sub-freezing temps followed by mid-summer temps. Throw in a touch of…
- By Mavis Fodness, reporterMarch 20, 2024Next week the Star Herald will publish its annual Home, Lawn and Garden special section. For this year’s feature in that edition, I interviewed Madison Ziegler who recently started Carzel Interior Solutions in Luverne. Among other things, her business finds solutions to the clutter we tend to collect in our homes. After talking with Madison, I’ve decided to do some decluttering by joining…
- By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editorMarch 20, 2024Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Well, try reteaching an old(er) dog, (young)er tricks. After years and years of not playing golf, I (the older dog), have joined the Luverne Country Club and taken up golf (the younger trick) again. I was on the school golf team when I first learned the sport of hitting a small ball into a small hole that was placed far…
- By Scott Rall, Outdoors columnistMarch 20, 2024I recently did a podcast with Ron Shara Productions host Travis Frank about volunteering. If you would like to listen to it, search “The Flush Podcast.” We spoke for about an hour about what motivates a person to volunteer for 40 years to the same organization. This is the length of time I have been working on behalf of Pheasants Forever. I recently was named as the first-ever Pheasants Forever…
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