To the Editor, On November 3, residents of Preston will have a choice to vote yes or no for a referendum to build a new municipal swimming pool in Preston. Our current pool, which has served the community faithfully for almost 70 years, requires major repairs for it to be deemed operational by the MN Department of Public Health. Because of this, a City of Preston Pool … [Read more...]
Things To Think About
By Alissa Oppenheimer Lanesboro, Minn. I love this country. I love living in southeast Minnesota where I own both a home and land. Over the last 18 months in southeastern Minnesota, and the rest of the country, we have seen many changes: Mayo Clinic Health Systems closed six rural outpatient/primary care clinics, people are losing their Medicare Advantage plans, changes to … [Read more...]
Strange Bedfellows – Understanding the Most Bizarre Political Partnership in American History
By Jeff Erding Wykoff, Minn. Few things are more confusing than watching a Pride parade where LGBTQ participants carry signs that support Islamic causes and candidates. We struggle to understand how the secular progressive movement has joined forces with radical Islamists given the seemingly unbridgeable chasm in philosophy about women’s rights, LGBTQ status and religion in … [Read more...]
Letter about who will stay…
To the Editor, David and I purchased our home in the old Lanesboro school house 20 years ago. It was an empty shell but there was energy and vision. I love my corner of the old school house but I do not stay for my precious corner. I stay because this community cares for one another. Vote. We must vote on specifics not name recognition or past contributions. I value all the … [Read more...]
Letter about local candidates…
To the Editor, Dear Candidates...Thanks and Good Luck! Local candidates are putting themselves out there to be considered for election on November 3rd. Thank you! You’re committing yourself to spend hours (out of no doubt busy lives) to serve our communities. It ‘s not easy work. You’re to be commended. That needs to be said. But let’s underline something Mary Bell said in … [Read more...]
Letter about Voting: Popularity Contest or Hiring Process? …
To the Editor, It’s election season (again) and we’re hearing (again), “...this one really matters...your vote is important!” This time it really does. People in Lanesboro (as in neighboring towns) are facing challenging times. Locally the looming Highway 250 project threatens to add as much as $7 million to our local taxes (not to mention the financial stability of local … [Read more...]
Letter about water…
To the Editor, We have had a couple of 5-plus inches of rain this summer and we have seen the results which have not been good: trees down, high and overflowing rivers and creeks, and disaster wherever we look. It is not what we want, but much could be prevented. The good folks who own my farm have my give given up row crops and after even a 5-inch rain there is no run … [Read more...]
Legislative Report
By Jeff Erding Wykoff, Minn. One party has won every statewide election in Minnesota since 2006. This seems like a good time to determine the trajectory of our state by examining a timeline of some key economic and educational indicators. State spending starting in 2010, three categories. 2010 total budget 43 bil. Welfare spending 9.5 Bil. K-12 education 9.9 Bil. 2018 … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Leading Up to 2026 Election
It’s another election year, which means our office is a busy beehive. Our Journal team has been fielding questions from phone calls, e-mails and readers at the front desk, asking about the policy for submitting Letters to the Editor or purchasing an advertisement to endorse their favorite candidate. Here’s what readers can expect. Letters to Editor As has been our policy … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… 9/11: 25 Years Later
By Jason Sethre As we approach the 25 year anniversary of September 11, 2001 (9/11), it’s still fresh in my memory. And, I’m sure I’m not alone. On that Tuesday morning, while working for The Daily Journal newspaper south of Chicago, I was traveling from our office in Bourbonnais to the main newspaper headquarters in Kankakee. I was listening to the radio when I heard an … [Read more...]