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Local Columns

The Vietnam War – Marland Burckhardt – Battalion Command

We have been following Marland Burckhardt, a Russell High School graduate who married his Russell sweetheart in college and began an Army career focused on Military Intelligence and Special Forces operations. He deployed to Vietnam in January 1970 and then he and Barb had assignments at Fort ...

A message on Veterans Day

Editor’s Note: Because of the federal holiday and no mail delivery on Tuesday the Independent will not be publishing a printed paper on Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s column is running in the weekend edition ahead of the Veterans Day holiday. On this and every Veterans Day, our nation ...

Edmund Fitzgerald: a lasting legacy after 50 years

There’s something special about landmark anniversaries and the media coverage that they attract. We’ll have one such event on Monday. It’s the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald. It sank to the bottom of Lake Superior in a fierce storm that ...

On the Porch

The American Legion was chartered by Congress on Sept. 16, 1919 as a patriotic veteran’s organization, focused on service to veterans, service members, and communities. Earlier in the year on March 15-17, members of the American Expeditionary Force convened in Paris for the first American ...

Parenting and financial decisions: New research offers some tips

Few life milestones are as emotionally and financially transformative as becoming a parent. While this chapter is often filled with deep joy, it can also bring new worries as each stage of parenthood can present fresh challenges. It’s only natural to wonder whether the financial decisions ...

It’s open enrollment season – here’s what to know

Fall brings cooler weather and football games, and it’s also the annual time to ensure you have the health insurance coverage you need for 2026. Open enrollment on the federal Marketplace at healthcare.gov — as well as Minnesota’s marketplace MNsure at mnsure.org — runs through Dec. ...