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On the Porch

Summer in southwest Minnesota has a different meaning for everyone, but most people this summer will consume ice cream, which is especially tasty on hot summer days. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice ...

Immigrants old and new should practice old country customs

These days it seems that the nationwide controversy over immigration will never end, that it will continue at least until President Trump leaves office. I’m surprised that in 2026 we have national leaders (Trump, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and others) who make negative comments about ...

Churning for crappies

The churn of a recreational lake doubles when the wind blows from your side on the hottest days of summer. The roll of waves from wake boats, pontoons and jet skis is nonstop as the temperature climbs into the 80s and lower 90s, and people seek the calm side of the water to cruise, see and be ...

Those good old days

Ah, those good old days! Weren't they so much fun? Filled with laughter and festivities? All was wonderful back then, right? Well maybe I better lay off from consuming so much coffee for awhile when I note how those good old days were nothing but good. Allow me to remove some of the sugar coating from those good old days and introduce some reality to the subject. I like to think of those good old days as a rose bush —beautiful flowers but with prickly stems. First of all, what are we referencing when we talk about those good old days? Naturally, it all depends on our personal ...

Art is everywhere

Art is everywhere you look, especially if you’re at a large and artsy gathering such as the Brookings Summer Arts Festival. The Summer Arts Festival attracts enough people to Brookings fill a stadium. We’re talking about a stadium that’s packed to the rafters as in a fiery World Cup ...