This is what Veteran’s Day is all about

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Veteran’s Day is one of those yearly observances that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle of our busy lives. Here’s a reminder to take a few moments and thank a military veteran for their service.

Health care will be on the ballot

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Health care will be one of the hot topics for the 2020 general election. According to Thursday’s Minneapolis Star Tribune, health care in Minnesota increased by 5.9 percent last year. Total spending per patient per month was $596 in 2018, compared to $563 in 2017. Of course, one of the major culprits: prescription drugs. There was also a wide divide among medical clinics when it came to costs. According to various reports, health care was one of the major talking points for Andy Beshear — the winner in the Kentucky gubernatorial race. And health care will resonate with voters in other upcoming races as well.

High school athletes show true grit

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Two inspirational stories jumped out of the high school sports scene last weekend as teams and individuals battled for state titles. In Tuesday’s edition, sports columnist Jake Przytarski wrote about Marshall High School’s Kate Buchar who competed as a cross country runner and volleyball player last Saturday. That morning, she finished 58th at the state meet in Northfield with a time of 19:12.70. After the race she traveled 148 miles back to Marshall to join her volleyball teammates to compete in a sectional tournament game at Southwest Minnesota State University starting at 6 p.m. Her team swept Minnewaska to clinch its third consecutive state berth. Przytarski appropriately described Buchar’s adventure as a “marathon day.” In Monday’s edition Sports Editor Sam Thiel wrote about Morgan Gehl, who also ran in Northfield for Murray County/Fulda. Thiel described how Gehl crossed the finish line with tears streaming down her face because she had just won the race and became her school’s first cross country champion. Congratulatons to both athletes.