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Community Voices

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 suggests. They’re very well-rounded reactions. Still I don’t use them. I feel that I as a professional writer can do better than a machine. I can make a message more detailed and more descriptive. I can introduce new subjects that a computer can’t anticipate. Letter writing used to be a ...

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 certainly not all, below are some of the work priorities that Administration and our city leadership are working on: Finish the completion of a master park plan. This year the city hopes to complete a master park plan. A master park plan is a road map for planning and completing park improvements ...

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 really matters. We ought to do the same thing at the Legislature when we’re spending taxpayer money. But right now, priorities are way out of whack. When it’s your own paycheck, the decisions are clear. When it’s public dollars, things get blurry and sometimes warped. Take the $40 million ...

Controlling how much we eat

A challenging situation that psychologists may encounter is someone who wants to lose weight. They may sincerely want to lose weight, but they then find many ways to sabotage their progress. For many people, controlling how much they eat presents a major struggle. Their self-control melts away when faced with something tasty and delicious. Regulating how much they should eat is out the window. When the food is in front of you, and you are free to eat as much as you want, a large amount of food may be consumed.: Part of the challenge is controlling how much you eat, while you are ...

Forty-five years on

My wife and I recently marked our 45th wedding anniversary. This is a mathematical impossibility as I feel as though I’m not a day over 40. But maybe that’s just my intractable immaturity talking. My wife was 22 and I was 23 when we were wed. Knowing what we know now, we know that we were too young to know what we didn’t know. Plus, it means that we’ve been married for two-thirds of our lives. Will that fraction keep creeping upward until it reaches 100%? Time will tell. I can’t help but feel that my wife and I are hopelessly out of style. Why? I’m ashamed to admit ...

Spring in Southwest Minnesota — a season of renewal and community impact

As spring arrives in southwest Minnesota, it brings a welcome sense of renewal — and a moment to reflect on the work that strengthens our communities. Each year, United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) takes this season to thank our Community Partners and look ahead to the opportunities the next Community Impact Grant cycle will bring. UWSWMN’s community impact grants support programs that expand youth opportunities, build healthy communities, promote financial security, and strengthen community resilience. We extend our sincere appreciation to our 2025–26 community partners, ...