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Community Voices

Digging for treasure

My brother Les, his son Dustin, and I recently embarked on a treasure hunt. We didn’t have a map like the Count of Monte Cristo, so there was a certain amount of random digging involved. Not by hand, of course. Les and I have reached the age where “work smarter, not harder” isn’t just ...

On the Porch

The Lyon County Historical Society’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Program is Thursday, April 9 at the Lyon County Museum. Doors open at 5:30 pm. The annual meeting is at 6:00 pm, and the speaker, Dr. Anita Talsma Gaul, is at 6:30 pm. This event is open to the public and light refreshments will ...

Signs of spring as Easter arrives

Spring comes in spits and sputters. A beautiful sun-basted day is followed by howling northwest wind, followed by snow/rain, followed by south wind, leading to a beautiful sun-basted day. Winter is slow to let go its grip. March can be unsure of its season. But it is April. Spring will win ...

First AI glance didn’t measure up to the art of writing

In the past week I had my first chance to experience AI (artificial intelligence) through my email server. Messages from my sister and friends now come with a suggested AI reply. All it takes is one click and you can reply to the message. There’s nothing wrong with the messages the computer ...

A number of administrative priorities in 2026

While there are many capital park, street and wastewater projects happening in the city this year that were highlighted in my monthly column a couple of months ago, there are also a number of administrative priorities and work that also will make up a big part of city’s year ahead. While ...

Getting our priorities straight

As a parent, I spend a lot of time thinking about our family’s budget. Do we take a spring break trip, or contribute to the kids’ college fund? Do we eat out less to offset rising health insurance premiums? Every day, we weigh wants against needs and make choices based on what ...