By Benya Kraus President and CEO, SMIF July 23, 2026 - Who gets to own a piece of the future? Ownership – of land, of livelihood, of voice – was central to the American experiment. In southern Minnesota, it remains central to the work of building vibrant, resilient communities. And for many people, belonging begins with having the opportunity to shape what comes … [Read more...]
Letter about preparing for the next bad air alert …
To the Editor, A scratchy throat and itchy eyes aren’t the only results of wildfire smoke. Invisible 2.5 micron particles are so tiny they penetrate lungs and enter the bloodstream to organs, including the brain. Effects include inflammation, heart disease, lung cancer, COPD, and respiratory infections. Even on clear days, 2.5 PM levels can be dangerous (airnow.gov). Little … [Read more...]
Community Foundations
By Benya Kraus President and CEO, SMIF June 25, 2026 - In a world that often asks us to be in a hurry, Wendell Berry – a Kentuckian farmer poet – asks us to slow down and to pay attention. “We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it,” he writes in one of his essays. “But to take good care of it, we have to know it. And to know it and to … [Read more...]
We The People
To me, this country is ours because of the service men and women who fought for it, whom all gave some, and some gave all for what they believed in and willing to protect that right even if it meant dying for it, and they still did it! When we were young, like the history our our country, we learned right from wrong, we put our trust in the Lord, we were respectful of others, … [Read more...]
Land Legacy
By Benya Kraus President and CEO, SMIF During the summer of my junior year of college, I had what I now call my “quarter-life existential crisis.” I was 21 years old and spending the summer in Waseca on the family farm, a stark departure from the life I was living in Boston during the school year. Instead of cocktail bar hopping in the city with my new 21-year-old status, I … [Read more...]
Letter about Finstad’s folly…
To the Editor, Mr. Finstad recently posted an editorial in the Fillmore County Journal calling for additional airline service for access to the Mayo Clinic. It will make it easier for all of the international clientele and wealthy Americans who want the services of the Mayo Clinic. It does nothing to improve the medical care for the folks who live in southeastern Minnesota. … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – Are the Web Filters at Your School Too Restrictive?
By Alleen Erchoff-Costet Imagine this, you are doing a research paper for school about politics, history, or social issues on your school computer, and the website you’re looking at is blocked or you get kicked off without warning. Whether you’re a student now, or have been one in the past who used computers for school work, there probably were filters monitoring what … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Why Senior Year Goes By So Fast
By Savanah Huffman Senior year is arguably the most important year of high school. It’s the year when life starts to become truly serious. Senior year is the year for major decisions and forming paths to the future. It is supposed to be the longest, most exciting year of high school, but somehow it feels like it disappears in the blink of an eye. I used to think graduation … [Read more...]
Finstad Calls on DOT to Support United Airlines Service Between Rochester and Chicago O’Hare International Airport
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Sean Duffy, and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bryan Bedford, calling on the DOT and FAA to support United Airlines service between Rochester International Airport (RST) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) as … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project “Avatar” The Perfect Cinematic Journey
By Roland Bjerke How It Came To Be The “Avatar” movie series under the direction of James Cameron has been called by many critics “The Perfect Cinematic Journey.” As of today, there are three movies in the series, “Avatar,” “Avatar: Way of the Water,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” with the hopes of a fourth on the way. You might know the director James Cameron from other movies … [Read more...]