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Editorials

  • August 07, 2024
    Words can send a powerful message, and this is especially true during an election season. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 13, and it’s a good time to reiterate the message we editorialized on earlier this year: Be respectful, no matter how strongly you feel about a candidate or issue. In June we launched the “Respect Campaign,” which is a series of advertisements and messages reminding…
  • By Sara Wahl, Southwest Crisis Center executive director
    July 31, 2024
    For some people, growing older isn’t celebrated with much excitement and energy. At the Southwest Crisis Center, however, we are excited to say that this year, we turn 40! Our agency has been providing victim-centered services for 40 years in southwest Minnesota. As we look back over the last 40 years, we see all that has changed both within our organization and in how we as a society and…
  • By Karen Tolkkinen, Star Tribune columnist
    July 24, 2024
    Rock County is now considered part of the Sioux Falls, S.D., Metropolitan Statistical Area. What it means is the U.S. Office of Management and Budget has determined that based on 2020 census data, Sioux Falls, population 202,000, and Rock County, population 10,000, have a high degree of economic and social integration. Columnist Karen Tolkkinen shared her thoughts in a July 19 column in the…
  • July 17, 2024
    This is the week, folks, the “be a george week” in honor of the late George Bonnema who would have turned 75 on July 18. The T-shirts have been distributed, and if you bought one (or three), now’s the time to wear it. If you committed to the mission, now’s the time to ‘be a george.’ It’s an exciting week in Luverne and Rock County, where people are already known for their generosity. If you…
  • By Heather Johnson, founder of Luverne's 'Be a george' initiative
    July 10, 2024
    In case you missed Lori's lovely article in the paper a couple of weeks ago, or if you need a reminder, “Be a george” Week is coming July 14-20. Next week will be your opportunity to do something for someone else for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do. If you knew George Bonnema, you know he was always doing something for others … often without them even asking. In case you…
  • July 03, 2024
    It’s been a rough start to the summer of 2024, as many in Rock County have suffered the effects of devastating flooding. Some of us are reeling from crop losses, water-damaged homes and other flood-related disaster, and the realities of extreme weather are coming into focus. While it’s easy to get discouraged, the July 4 holiday is a good time to recenter life perspectives. Despite our recent…
  • June 26, 2024
    Words can send a powerful message, and this is especially true during an election season. But sometimes words — thoughts and ideas — are shared in a way that can be hurtful or damaging. Sometimes the truth is detrimental to somebody, and that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t share truths. But deliberately harming someone out of spite is counterproductive, and it seems social media and its anonymous…
  • By Nickohaus Hayes
    June 19, 2024
    Being a father is not easy; it takes sacrifice, which means being present for children and loving them unconditionally. The greatest joy for any father is seeing their children thrive. Yet kids and teens experiment with risks, and fathers have a responsibility to speak to them about drugs and alcohol and help them understand risks and consequences. Minnesota’s drug education and prevention…
  • June 12, 2024
    The origins of Flag Day can be traced to a resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, following a report by the special committee assigned to suggest the flag’s design. It recommended that the flag of the United States shall be of 13 stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of 13 stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation. Both President…
  • June 05, 2024
    Gov. Tim Walz is proclaiming June 2024 as Great Outdoors Month to encourage Minnesotans to get out in nature and enjoy the state’s outstanding outdoor opportunities. The proclamation points to investments in the state’s outdoor recreation system through the Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) initiative as an example of the critical importance of outdoor recreation to…
  • May 29, 2024
    May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Minnesota, and safety messaging can seem repetitive: Wear a helmet. Ride sober. Don’t speed. Some riders listen, some unfortunately don’t. Three motorcyclists have already been killed on Minnesota roads this year, and fatalities have increased in recent years. Helmet use, speed and impairment are often contributors, but ultimately the skill of the…
  • By Caroline Marion, Luverne
    May 22, 2024
    May is Lyme Awareness Month, and with a wet spring we can expect a big crop of ticks. Many people say, “I’ve never been bitten by a tick.” Well, one may not even be aware of a tick bite. When deer ticks are in the nymph state, they are the size of a pinhead. Sometimes they feed and fall off before you notice them. Twenty years ago I was bitten by a deer tick infected with the bacteria that…
  • By Tikki Brown, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services
    May 15, 2024
    Have you ever wanted to make a difference in someone’s life while filling a critical need in your community? If you have the capacity to open your heart to help, combined with a desire to create a safe and stable environment for children in crisis, foster care is a choice that can change their lives – and yours. The goal is always for children to remain safely with their own families, but when…
  • May 08, 2024
    In farm country, an old-fashioned notion persists about the disposability of pets — that they are only animals, and we are to treat them as such. It stems partly from the Biblical instruction in Genesis that “man has dominion over” animals and creatures. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem recently amplified this notion when she “disposed of” a hunting dog that wasn’t working for her. In Luverne we…
  • By Mark Jacobson, Peer Support Specialist
    May 01, 2024
    May is Mental Health Month, and talking about mental health can go a long way in improving mental wellness for those around us. Here are five reasons to talk about mental health: To reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. One of the biggest obstacles to mental health treatment is the stigma that surrounds it. Stigma can lead to shame, fear and discrimination, which can prevent people from…
  • By Sarah Stultz, Managing Editor, Albert Lea Tribune
    April 24, 2024
    A significant discussion is taking place at the state Legislature in reaction to the recent announcement that eight community newspapers will close at the end of the month. Under a proposal in the Senate Education Policy Omnibus bill (SF 3567), school districts would no longer be required to publish their proceedings in newspapers and could instead move them to their own websites. We believe…
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