Columns
By RIck Peterson, general managerMay 28, 2025This is the third installment in my series of columns about what I consider growing trends of having too many choices in making simple decisions. I so far covered barbecue sauces and paint, and now we’ll cover dog food. Pet food choices are off the charts, and for this column I am zeroing in on dog food. Our local Bomgaars is where I buy my dog food, so I did my research there on the plethora…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 28, 2025There seems to be a new sheriff in town when it comes to operating a boat or personal watercraft in Minnesota waters. There are new regulations starting July 1, 2025. These new rules require both youth and younger adults to be certified in watercraft safety if you were born after 2004. The new rules are being phased in. If you were born after 2004, the requirements begin on July 1 of this year…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editorMay 28, 2025Another school year has come and gone, and another group of Luverne Cardinals and Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots senior athletes made an impact on their sports events. No matter how big or small their presence throughout the years, you all played with pride and will be missed. Some will move on to continue their sports careers at college while others hang up their gear for academic or real-world…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMay 21, 2025When Marcella Prokop, co-owner of The Cidery at Blackshire Farms near Beaver Creek, called and asked if I, Brenda Winter, could judge a rhubarb contest at the Cidery on Saturday, June 7, I said I could not, but I knew who could – Marlene and Darlene. Marlene and Darlene are two imaginary elderly sisters created for the stage by DJ Luethje and me. The sisters hail from Leota, Minnesota. They…
By Scott Rall, Outdoor ColumnistMay 21, 2025There seems to be a new sheriff in town when it comes to operating a boat or personal watercraft in Minnesota waters. There are new regulations starting July 1, 2025. These new rules require both youth and younger adults to be certified in watercraft safety if you were born after 2004. The new rules are being phased in. If you were born after 2004, the requirements begin on July 1 of this year…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMay 14, 2025There once was a little candle whose flame was beginning to dim. Her light is dimmed by clouds of hardship: a D-minus in math, social media bullying and the recent loss of her grandmother. She tries to push the clouds away, but as other hardships accumulate, she begins to lose hope. The darker and heavier the clouds, the more tired she gets, and it appears her flame might go out entirely.…
By RIck Peterson, general managerMay 14, 2025This is the second installment in my four-part series of columns on how I feel we have too many choices. My last column dealt with the onslaught of choices regarding barbecue sauces. This week I was overwhelmed by the choices in the world of paint. Our local Ace Hardware is ground zero when it comes to paint choices: brands, color, sheen, and now even texture. First, brands. At Ace you can pick…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 14, 2025So how many of you have even heard of the Land and Legacy Amendment? Of those of you who recognize the term, how many of you are familiar with what it is and how it operates? I am so surprised how the average Minnesotan is so disconnected from this title. Let us give you a little background. It was during one of the biggest recessions of the past 40 years that the citizens of Minnesota made a…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterMay 07, 2025Yukon Cornelius is the name of the Arctic prospector in the animated holiday special, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It’s also the name we’ve given to our new-to-us GMC Yukon sport utility vehicle. Like the animated character, our Yukon has become a trusted friend, especially after a recent drive to California to visit our youngest son. My husband and I spent nine days, 3,676 miles and an…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 07, 2025The smoke is in the air. Anyone who has been driving around the countryside lately will have seen lots of smoke. The different departments of wildlife agencies have been very busy doing prescribed fire. Yours truly has been doing the same, mostly for private land owners who have acres enrolled in CRP. It seems that no matter how many times I include the rationale for spring burning, I always…
By Brenda Winter, columnistApril 30, 2025Her brow furrowed in disapproval, my nine-year-old violin instructor releases another exasperated sigh. “Gra-maw! Your ‘second’ finger!!!!” She reaches for the instrument and again demonstrates the finger progression required “to tell Aunt Rhody the old gray goose is dead.” We are in Kentucky where children play the violin and call their grandmothers “Gra-maw.” I have been a violin student…
By RIck Peterson, general managerApril 30, 2025Sometimes coming up with a topic for my column takes more time than actually typing it out. So the other day when I was throwing column ideas around in my head, I stumbled across writing a series of columns on how I think we have way too many choices. The first topic of overabundance of choices will focus on barbecue sauces to choose from. My area of research was conducted standing in front of…
By Scot Rall, Outdoor ColumnistApril 30, 2025I will open with a question. How many walleyes do you think an angler should be able to keep each day? Across the state of Minnesota that would largely be six walleyes per day. Lakes with special regulations do vary from this number. The possession limit, the total number of fish that can be in you possession at any one time, is also six walleyes. If I catch six walleyes today, in order to be…
By Lori Sorenson, editorApril 23, 2025How was your Easter? It’s a fair Monday morning question following the Easter Sunday holiday. My short answer: I ate too much ham and cheesy potatoes and enjoyed my favorite people. My longer answer (which no one had time for after a three-day weekend): It was blessed (the two-syllable version of the word, bless-ed). For many reasons. First, there was the miracle in the riverbank at the…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistApril 23, 2025I can remember many decades ago that my local chapter of Pheasants Forever decided they needed some kind of a local project to let folks know we existed and to maybe get a little bigger footprint in the local community. We decided that if we adopted a section of Highway 60 between Worthington and Bigelow, Minnesota, we would get our name on the sign the Minnesota DOT would put up. It worked, and…
By Mavis FodnessApril 16, 2025My youngest daughter is getting married next Saturday, and she’s asked me to give a little speech at the event. I’m happy to oblige. It’s not very often that children ask parents what they think, let alone listen to what they have to say. Thoughts about what I’ll say are still being formed, as Lyndsey has taken a very long route in the choices of how she’s living her life. I’d liken Lyndsey…
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Columnists
