Destroying pumpkins

Thumbs Down: In a letter to the editor Thursday a boy, 4, tells of how someone or some people continue to destroy pumpkins at his daycare. Why destroy pumpkins outside a daycare? What's the point - to show a bunch of little kids how mean or funny you can be? If the people responsible read the letter, hopefully they are humiliated enough to not have the desire again to destroy another pumpkin.

Courthouse security

Sideways thumb: There is a need for more security in the court area of the Lyon County Government Center. County commissioners are taking steps to separate court defendants from the general public and to increase the presence of law officers or corrections officers to beef up security and security checkpoint at an entrance will also be added. This is sideways because while it's good the county is pursuing increased security, it's not enough to address the changes needed in the court area. Commissioners need to take a hard look at the courtrooms and changes needed in those. The size, the structure and even the interior look don't fit today's needs. While the county is adjusting the court area to adapt to security needs, it would seem wise to look at the court area as whole and consider a bigger project now, rather than later., That way the county could better ensure itself that changes made today won't need to be modified in a few years.

RTR, Lynd sharing teachers

Thumbs Up: The Lynd and RTR school districts are using a grant to share a shop teacher and an art teachers on its campuses. Sharing allows each district to increase course offerings to its students. The schools needed to cooperate to get the grant and then, to adjust class schedules so that resources could be shared in the best way possible.

The weather is a concern for all

THumbs down: Thankfully, there were a few breaks in the clouds in the past several days. Some farmers were able to get back in the fields. As we said last week, all this rain and cloudy weather means the harvest window gets shorter with each passing day. Yields decline, the expectation of higher costs related to drying grain increase and so does the potential for safety dangers as farmers hurry to complete harvest. We are heavily dependent on the agriculture economy and a harvest season such as this should be a cause of concern for all of us. Gov. Tim Pawlenty said this summer local government budget reserves were for rainy days and it was raining. No, it's raining now. Those reserves which were left

pretty much intact by most of our local governments including cities and schools may look very, very good in 2010 if this rough harvest weather continues. The economy has been tough folks but if the harvest in Illinois, Iowa and other states goes well, the economy could get even darker here.