It is that time of year where we are going to a lot of open houses celebrating graduations. I have listened to many warm, funny and nostalgic stories of senior years in high school. That took me back to my last year of high school, which totally revolved around sports, since that was my ...

As we enter the final month of the 2025-26 school year, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our Marshall community. Even though we’ve faced challenges this year, our students, staff, and families have shown remarkable resilience, collaboration, and joy. We are closing out a very ...

You might think that a town with a name like Orange City would have vast orchards of citrus trees, but you would be mistaken. So much for truth in advertising. This isn’t terribly surprising given that Orange City is in northwestern Iowa, far from the citrus-growing region. But Orange City ...

For too long, a common-sense solution to lower gas prices and support American energy independence has been tied up in red tape. Families and farmers in Western Minnesota and across the country have been subjected to frustrating, outdated, and unnecessary regulations. The House of ...

If our worth is to be measured by our lawns, I am in trouble. You’ve seen those perfectly manicured lawns in the nice parts of town. Then there are farmyards that look like the cover of Country Living magazine. Our lawn is there because something needs to grow between the buildings and the ...

Thirty years ago some of the most important topics I covered for the Independent involved renewable energy and rural development. The 1990s were an exciting time for it in the Marshall area and throughout the Upper Midwest. One reason was Minnesota Corn Processors, which became the world’s ...