Make sure Chinese keep door open THUMBS UP: When it comes Wednesday’s trade deal signing by the U.S. and China, it’s a trust but verify situation for farmers. The announcement was indeed good news for the U.S. agriculture sector. However, a spokeswoman for Farmers for Free Trade, ...
If you doubt that too many Americans have become preoccupied with President Donald Trump, either favorably or unfavorably, consider a news report this week. It involved Russian computer hackers and Burisma, the Ukrainian natural gas company. “A cybersecurity company says Russian military ...
The nanny crowd – folks who insist only government is capable of protecting us against any hazard — wasted no time in criticizing proposed new federal guidelines for autonomous vehicle makers. “This is a science experiment playing out in real time on our roadways without any safeguards ...
With snow on the ground, it might appear to be an odd time to bring up ticks. But the suffering these small insects cause continues for years for thousands of victims. Minnesota had 950 confirmed cases of Lyme diseases in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But ...
Minnesota is balanced on the brink. By the end of this year, we are likely to have a claim on one less seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. A slowing population growth rate in Minnesota and gangbusters growth in places including Texas, North Carolina and Florida signal a coming shift ...
Prayers for wounded Waseca officer THUMBS DOWN: Our hearts break over the news a Waseca police officer was shot and gravely injured in a gun battle with a suspect. The details of that battle published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Thursday morning puts the spotlight on the type of ...
2020 is here, and by April 1, every home in America should receive an invitation to participate. When you get your census forms, it is important that you participate and be counted. There are a lot of things riding on it. A lot of big decisions will be made using the information collected in ...
Hundreds of clergy accused of sexually abusing children, including some convicted of crimes, were left off lists released by the Roman Catholic Church in reaction to a worldwide scandal, The Associated Press has found. In terms of rebuilding trust with those of the faith, the church seems to ...
As we Americans celebrate the beginning of a new decade, we continue to allow a serious challenge to escalate to crisis proportions. It is the national debt — $23.2 trillion as 2020 began. Thoughtful Americans understand the perils of a big national debt. It can increase inflation. It ...
A felony drug possession conviction might lead to a sentence of three years’ probation in Hennepin County. Cross the river into Ramsey County, and the same conviction might bring five years of probationary supervision. And if you’re found guilty of a similar offense in some Greater ...
The sign of the times in downtown THUMBS UP: The new large red light sign on the Gambler building is more evidence of the effort by merchants to make downtown Marshall a vibrant shopping, eating and entertainment destination. Workers erected the new sign Friday morning. According to AP ...
We have entered a brand new year. It can be a fresh start for all of us ... but there is a lot on the horizon. Choices to be made in 2020 will be monumental — not just for individuals who might be hoping to lose a few pounds or save a little money, but for our nation as a whole. Resolve ...
A new, large, bright red sign was erected over the front entrance at one of Marshall’s longtime downtown businesses on Friday. While Gambler owner Tom Pearcy told the Independent he’s hoping the sign will draw more business to his establishment, his facade improvement could also be a sign ...
A great deal of the consumer protection advice we receive during the holidays amounts to common sense. How could a reasonably intelligent adult fall for some of the schemes, after all? But some consumer protection watchdogs are offering an important reminder: Adults may have nothing to do ...
A common question around this time of year is, “Are you ready for Christmas?” It can be interpreted in a couple of ways. Sometimes, the query is whether we have all the gifts purchased, decorations both inside and out finished, donations to worthy causes made, and Christmas dinner food ...
St. Cloud State’s announcement that it is dropping its football program was no surprise to those who understand its financial straits and its inability (or unwillingness) to comply with Title IX’s gender-equity requirements. But considering SCSU’s decades-long status as the chief ...
CVB’s bid to regain trust a tough hurdle THUMBS SIDEWAYS: Marshall Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Lauren Deutz delivered a report to the City Council on Tuesday on the many accounting changes that have been made in the wake of the Darin Rahm embezzlement case. Rahm, the former ...
Commercial aircraft production is a high-stakes business in more ways than one. Federal regulators should stick to their position of emphasizing one of those stakes — lives. Boeing Co.’s 737 Max jetliners have been grounded throughout the world since March, when two of the craft crashed ...
The announcement that Democrats in the House of Representatives have reached an agreement with the White House on the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) is good news for Minnesota farmers, who have had very little news to cheer them recently. The agreement is intended to replace NAFTA, the ...
While the spotlight and debate continues over how migrants flooding along the U.S. Border in Mexico are being treated as they seek refugee status, we learn of disturbing news involving one particular illegal immigrant case. A Guatemalan woman named Olga Marina Franco del Cid was arrested on ...