Question: I see a lot of people not wearing their seat belt correctly. Several of them, have the shoulder belt worn underneath the shoulder/arm. Can you provide some education on this? Answer: Seat belt use is required with a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt, including both the shoulder and lap belt when the vehicle is so equipped. You are more likely to survive a car … [Read more...]
Berlin Township’s 107-Year-Old Man From County Kerry
I visited five cemeteries in one day. Four of them would be called rural cemeteries, and the fifth one was in a city with a population inching past 300. What was I doing in five cemeteries? Well, I wasn't in all of them at the same time. That would be a weird superpower to have – the ability to be in five cemeteries at once. "Hold on, I'll save you! I don't know how, but I … [Read more...]
74th Annual Community Celebration Brings History to Life
The Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days celebration, scheduled for September 10-13, will bring community history to life through displays, demonstrations, parades, food, and longstanding local traditions. Mabel Historical Preservation, a committee of the Hesper-Mabel Historical Society, continues to help residents and visitors connect with Mabel’s history. The Larson Hardware … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – White Beaver and Buffalo Bill in Lanesboro
From Lanesboro to Europe? Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show was the largest and most attended live, traveling outdoor performance that reenacted scenes of the American west along with exhibitions of sharpshooting and daring horsemanship in both the United States and Europe for three decades, beginning in 1883. Lanesboro historian Cecil Ward claimed the inspiration and sometime … [Read more...]
Rediscovering Myself, One Hobby at a Time
By Sara Mensink One of my goals this year was to find some new hobbies while rediscovering a few old ones. Now that my son is sleeping through the night (mostly), I have a little more “me” time and a whole lot more energy! Over these last few months I’ve thought to myself, what do I actually want to do with my free time? One thing I knew for sure was that I wanted something … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – A Warm Fuzzy or a Cold Prickly?
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish of the UMC Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston, and Spring Valley: Faith Churches (and Lenora) When I was in seminary, I had many blessed moments studying theology, Biblical studies, pastoral counseling, preaching, church administration and the various things needed in parish ministry. I had many talented and well-learned professors … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Everything is Free, Including the Teeth Extraction
In the latter decades of the 1800s, frontier settlers, including those in southeast Minnesota, were eager for entertainment that was not homegrown. There was not yet radio, motion pictures or television. Even if a more urban area was available, there were not yet automobiles or paved roads for convenient travel. Traveling entertainers made a living in rural areas be they … [Read more...]
Kenny Might Have Been Wearing Substandard Bowling Shoes
The tire blew. It was louder than loud. I was waiting to walk across a road when a truck pulling a flatbed trailer carrying a backhoe had a trailer tire blowout as it went past me. The world became quieter. It reminded me of bowling. Before pickleball, there was bowling. Our phy ed teacher, in an effort to oust us from our opaque corners, decided our steep learning … [Read more...]
Ask a Trooper
Question: I am seeing more and more of these “J-turns” in Minnesota. Can you explain those to people who might not be familiar? Thank you. Answer: J-turns are used to decrease fatalities and injuries caused by broadside crashes on four-lane divided highways. At a J-turn, drivers on the side street approaching the divided highway always make a right turn. To cross the highway … [Read more...]
The Tastes of Summer
By Rose Korabek It’s wonderful living in the Driftless Region where the seasons change. Summer brings farmers markets and plentiful gardens. There are so many summer tastes to enjoy! Who doesn’t love a fresh ripened peach? You bite into it and the juicy peach drips all over, but it’s a little taste of heaven to savor as summer winds down. Restaurants offer peach milkshakes, … [Read more...]