Breaking News

Opinion

Just a few divisive actions by Trump

Letters to the Editor

I recently read a social media post by a Trump supporter bemoaning the fact that liberals characterized him as “divisive” while having no substantial information about anything to support their claim. There is not enough time and space to detail all of the obvious things the (Trump) has done that are divisive, starting with his first campaign in which he bragged about sexual exploitation antics like a junior high miscreant. A conviction in this area has had little or no impact on this man’s treatment of women. He continues to exhibit all the qualities of a woman hater in his ...

Do we really need proposed transmission lines?

Letters to the Editor

Re: July 31, 2026 Independent) This letter is directed to those who might be attending the open house meetings Aug. 4-13 to discuss Xcel’s proposed 765,000-volt transmission line going across southern Minnesota. This project needs two permits from the state to start. 1. A ‘Certificate of Need’ from the P.U.C. stating why the project is needed. 2. A ‘Route Permit’; which is why they are holding these public meetings. They need public feed back concerning adjustments before they submit it in February 2027. So why is the line needed? They say because the coal fired ...

The pain of painting

Community Voices

The joys of home ownership are infinite. And by “joys” I mean “pain-in-the-patootie maintenance issues.” If a wife says to her husband, “I’m thinking about painting the living room,” what she really means is, “I want you to paint the living room.” The husband might reply, ...

Ask a Trooper

Local Columns

Question: I read in the newspaper about a person receiving tickets for no proof of insurance and no driver’s license in possession, what are the laws on these violations? Answer: Every driver is required to carry proof of insurance while driving. They must also produce proof of insurance when requested by an officer during a traffic stop or an incident such as a crash. You can be cited for no proof on insurance and the same rules apply as no driver’s license in possession penalties. The citation will be dropped if you provide proof of insurance to traffic court before the court ...

What recycling bins are for

Local Columns

Recycling bins have one simple job: collecting recyclables. Somewhere along the way, though, they've been mistaken for donation centers, garbage cans, and occasionally the final resting place for household items that have clearly lived long, adventurous lives. Old garden hoses, broken lawn chairs, faded kiddie pools, mysterious buckets with lids permanently sealed by the passage of time — you name it, someone has tried to recycle it. Unfortunately, recycling trucks don't come equipped with magical sorting elves or a machine that can turn every oddball item into something useful. When ...

On the Porch

Local Columns

For this column, I often share social news or the gossip columns from the old newspapers. The social news is always fascinating to read and a lot can be learned of local people and events from the communities in Lyon County. For this article, I’m going to share the classifieds from one of ...