By Alan and Liz Mason Lanesboro, MN Dear Parents, I am writing, because we can no longer be silent. What if you knew someone was going to hurt your child? Wouldn’t you want someone to tell you the truth so you could protect them? We received the email from the school announcing that they were now allowed and giving the children 5 -12 years of age the shot. No, I will not … [Read more...]

It’s a cliché to say that everything’s connected. But we live in a world where this is clearly true. Ideas, goods, services, workers, tourists, commerce, communications, drugs, crime, migrants, refugees, weapons, climate impacts… and, of course, viruses: They all cross borders constantly. This is one reason I’ve come to believe that drawing a distinction between “foreign” and … [Read more...]

By Lee Hamilton One of the great privileges of teaching and working on a university campus is the chance to be in regular touch with young people. Even better, I sometimes get asked to give talks elsewhere and to meet with young people of all kinds and descriptions—sometimes one on one, sometimes in small groups, sometimes with as many as 50 or 60 people. Over the past few … [Read more...]

By Eric Leitzen Hokah, MN Food  should not be a business. Like clean water, clean air, dependable shelter and, yes, healthcare, food should be considered a public good that is guaranteed for everyone. When you look at something like a business, it becomes a competition, and when you have competition you have to have winners and losers. There should be no losers when it comes … [Read more...]

Letter about Convention of the States ... To the Editor, HELP!!! We need our government back in the hands of the people and the states.  Please learn more about Article V of the United States Constitution and a Convention of the States therein.  Our need is more important now than ever.  Ask Greg Davids, Jeremy Miller and other state legislative members to call for a … [Read more...]

Letter about Covid is not done with us... To the Editor, I was pleased to see a letter in your November 1 edition about attention to COVID-19 precautions. I don’t believe most people in Fillmore County realize that COVID-19 is currently more prevalent in Fillmore county than most any other place in Minnesota, including Rochester and Twin Cities. As of today (November 2) the … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation For me, autumn always signals a natural time to slow down and contemplate the past year as we bundle up and move indoors. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we use this time each year to reflect on the partnerships that have resulted in a brighter future for southern Minnesota. We do … [Read more...]

Letter about Fillmore County’s claim to shame... To the Editor, Last week the New York Times said that Fillmore County, Minn., is the hotspot for COVID in the United States. That is some claim to fame. We weren’t mentioned for our beautiful countryside or for our kind people, but for something dark and avoidable. We have had the most COVID cases per capita in the entire … [Read more...]

By Russell Smith Houston, MN The OHV trail proposed for Houston’s South Park is extremely unlikely to yield any significant financial benefit for the community. I’ve taught marketing and marketing research for 28 years, currently at Winona State University; I’ve also conducted a good deal of tourism-related research. Over the years I’ve seen my share of wrong-minded … [Read more...]