“The reality is the Affordable Care Act is no longer affordable for an increasing number of people,” stated Governor Dayton on October 12, 2016. I keep hearing about how much more people in Southeast Minnesota are going to have to pay for health insurance premiums. A friend of mine in Fountain just told me that his premium is increasing to $3,000 per month ($36,000/yr) with … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Are doctors on commission?
“The reality is the Affordable Care Act is no longer affordable for an increasing number of people,” stated Governor Dayton on October 12, 2016. I keep hearing about how much more people in Southeast Minnesota are going to have to pay for health insurance premiums. A friend of mine in Fountain just told me that his premium is increasing to $3,000 per month ($36,000/yr) with … [Read more...]
Youthful coulrophobia craze
There has always been a percentage of the population consumed with an overwhelming fear of clowns. While there isn’t any official data regarding how many people struggle with coulrophobia, some estimates indicate around 12% of U.S. adults suffer from this irrational fear of clowns. However, recently, coulrophobia has become the norm among school-aged children. Back in late … [Read more...]
Got drugs?
“Most abused prescription drugs come from family and friends. You could be a drug dealer and not even know it.” That’s the message the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Department wants to share as they approach the DEA National Take-Back Initiative day of Saturday, October 22, 2016. The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Department will be staffing six locations throughout Fillmore County … [Read more...]
A 90% chance
What should a person do if there is a history of cancer in the family? At age 32, Angie Serfling was facing a life-altering decision. She knew that her mother had breast cancer when she was 42-years-old. And, she knew that she had two other family members that had died from breast cancer or ovarian cancer. “It had been something I had always been concerned about,” shared … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Our youth, future leaders
Recently, I experienced something refreshing that I never never anticipated. Our daughter was challenged with the assignment of reading a local newspaper and pointing out specific references in the article. When I saw my 11-year-old daughter intensely reading the Fillmore County Journal, I had to ask her what she was reading. She has looked at the newspaper, but not … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Mobile viruses
On Sunday, September 11, 2016, I received my first of what will probably become numerous spam text messages. “Your friend XXXX XXXXXXX just recommended you check out your photos on Everalbum. Link expires tomorrow: (and then there was this link).” The number had a 910 area code, and was not a recognizable contact within my phone. Something seemed fishy. So, I sent a … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Echo chambers
In last week’s issue of the Fillmore County Journal, there was a Letter to the Editor crafted by Aaron Bishop of Harmony and he concluded his piece with the statement “Avoid echo chambers. Cheers.” I’ve been meaning to write a commentary about echo chambers, a newer phrase (to me) I first heard on Minnesota Public Radio about two months ago. During a talk show on MPR, one … [Read more...]