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Community Voices

‘A climate superfund’ only hurts Minnesota families

Affordability is not an abstract policy debate in Minnesota; it is a daily reality. Consumer prices have risen nearly 2 percent over the past year, and while inflation has cooled from its peak, that offers little comfort to families still paying far more for groceries, utilities, insurance, and housing than they were just a few years ago. The cumulative impact of inflation has permanently raised the baseline cost of living, and many households have not seen wage growth that fully offsets it. Yet at this exact moment, when Minnesotans are tightening their budgets, Democrats in St. ...

Cooking for one requires creativity and consistent effort

Nutrition in a one-person household shouldn’t be taken for granted, but should instead be met with careful planning. Boulder Creek in Marshall is sponsoring a monthly Cooking for One program. It will enable participants to try out meals that are ideal for one person. They’ll be able to take the recipes home and use them to meet their own cooking needs. I know from experience the challenges that are involved in cooking for one. For 50 years I had dinner with my mom and dad. I never had to concern myself with what to put on the table. All that changed when my parents sold their ...

Read for the Record Day: Oh, the places we read

In honor of Dr. Seuss Day (March 2), we present this article written in his rhyming style: In towns big and small, in the sun or the snow,
Readers gathered to help children grow—
Not taller or wider or bigger in size,
But grow in the ways only reading supplies! For Read for the Record Day, what a marvelous sight:
Volunteers far and wide took flight with delight.
They opened a book — “See Marcus Grow” —
 And shared it with children who sat in a row. From schools that hummed softly with morning-time chatter, 
to day cares where crayons and snack cups would ...

Be aware colorectal cancer preventable and treatable

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the time of year when you’ll see lots of reminders about colon health and the importance of getting screened for this type of cancer – screenings that can prevent the second leading cause of cancer deaths. In fact, new data now reveals colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women under 50 years of age. Colorectal cancer is common with more than 150,000 new cases found each year. Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening because physicians can not only identify cancer in its early ...

Key city services accomplished by core city departments

This past year was a major one for city services, with City Council and staff leadership focusing on infrastructure, park improvements, continued focus on housing, and investment in capital equipment and services. To ensure this work is completed efficiently and effectively, cities have various departments each responsible for specifics functions in a city. In the city of Marshall, four major divisions carry out those functions: public works, public safety, community services and administration: • Public Works Division — Comprised of public works staff that include engineers, ...

Dairy questions answered

A reader recently emailed me, saying that they were distressed about how modern dairies operate. I replied with some insights gleaned from my six decades’ worth of dairy experience. The majority of America’s dairy cows live in confinement facilities. The cows remain indoors from time they give birth to their first calf. Many dairies milk their cows three times per day. When I dairy farmed I could only milk twice a day. My higher producing cows would often be leaving white puddles on the ground by the time they were milked. A stressed cow produces less milk. As such, confinement ...