We hate to see you go too

THUMBS UP:

The Independent headline said “Leaving his mark.” There is no truer statement when it comes to Glenn Olson. He retired from the city of Marshall after serving as the city engineer since 2001. And during that span of time, Olson directed many construction projects that benefit the city to this day — and they will continue to benefit the city for years in the future. But it wasn’t just from City Hall that Olson left his mark. He also was a member of the Marshall Noon Rotary Club and volunteered in many projects with that organization. “I hate leaving, and it’s it’s time to go,” Olson said during his retirement reception last week. We hate to see you go too. Good luck Glenn on your retirement.

Give DREAMers a chance

THUMBS SIDEWAYS:

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling blocking President Donald Trump’s from ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Congress needs to get serious about immigration reform. Stop kicking the can down the street. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she’s pushing for that reform. “We cannot allow their fate to be decided by political whims — I will keep fighting for a permanent solution,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Thursday after the ruling was announced. Of course, immigration reform will be tough in this political climate of a divided nation. But when it comes to the DREAMers, they were brought here as children and only know the United States as their home. They serve in our military, work at our schools, and contribute to communities across the country. They deserve a chance to become U.S. citizens.

The virus continues to linger

THUMBS DOWN:

Well, at least it’s boiled down to three different scenarios. On Thursday, the Minnesota Health officials asked school officials to plan for three scenarios on reopening in the fall, but promised a decision by the week of July 27 on which on will be used. The delay in making decisions puts school districts in the same “Twilight Zone” predicament that everybody else trying to plan for a mode of operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everybody wants this to be over, but the virus doesn’t want to cooperate. Major League Baseball, the National Football League and college football are all trying to figure out how to either restart or launch seasons. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities held a conference call on Wednesday. A key message was delivered that college and universities will open this fall. But there was no clear consensus on what form classes will take on. Right here in Lyon County, the Minnesota Department of Health reports 250 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since Thursday. Meanwhile, an ongoing community testing event has been held in Marshall since Wednesday. As of Thursday, the positivity rate from these tests is at 7%, which is considered high for such a testing event. That tells us Lyon County is not immune from the virus.