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Community Voices

Is there trouble ahead for farmers?

I’ve had conversations with farmers this summer that include, “This is the best crop I’ve ever seen.” Then we quickly remind each other that nothing is in the bin yet. Farmers can never appear to be exuberant. Restraint must be shown. Being a farmer means you are an odd mix of hopefulness yet filled with dread. You plant a crop or buy some feeder cattle. In either case, you’ve gone long in the market. You hope for the best. All the while, you’re aware of a hundred things that can go wrong. While there is time for harmful weather, pestilence, disease, terrorism, ...

Marshall and meaning of community

These past few months, through celebration, and even sometimes challenge, Marshall has been an example of what makes a great community. In June, the city sponsored, for the second year, the celebration of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. The date and meaning of Juneteenth are relatively new to some of us since it has only been a federal and state holiday since 2021 and 2023 respectively. Even so, it was an opportunity to bring people together with food and music in hopes of creating a new community of people honoring a time in ...

Leave No Trace speaks out strongly for resource protection

This weekend we embark on the last big weekend of the summer, the three-day Labor Day weekend with all of its normally nice weather and fun times. Many of us will spend at least part of the holiday outdoors. We’ll camp, hike, swim, go boating or fishing, or have a picnic. We’ll connect with the natural world. As we’re enjoying ourselves, it’s good to take at least a few minutes to think about how we treat our natural resources, We should ask ourselves if we’re using them responsibly, if we’re preserving them in a way that will make them pristine for many years to ...

Statement from Bishop Zielinski on Annunciation school shooting

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Our hearts are heavy as we grieve with Annunciation School as well as the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis following the tragedy that took place this morning. We extend heartfelt prayers for the victims, their families, the school community, and the local Church. May Christ, the Divine Healer, bring peace, comfort, and strength in the midst of this unimaginable sorrow. In moments like this, we are reminded of the sacred trust placed in us to care for and protect the children in our Catholic schools. Please be assured that in the Diocese ...

A major mower malfunction

It was sad to see her go. We’d been together for so long — nearly twenty years — that she had come to seem like a member of the family. Time had clearly taken its toll; she didn’t have nearly the same levels of vim and vigor as in her younger days. But I still very much enjoyed her company, especially when I rode her on balmy summer afternoons. I was with her the other day when she began to hiccup uncontrollably. This was deeply concerning. But then, a few seconds later, she stopped and would move no more. Something deep inside me told me that something was deeply wrong with ...

Dogging it

With the turn of the calendar page into September, the dog days of summer will soon be behind us, and the real dog days of fall can begin. With grouse openers in mid-September, primary waterfowl seasons starting later in the month, and pheasant season kicking off in October, those hunting seasons where our canine friends shine are just around the corner. Being prepared for those outings and expecting the unexpected is key in keeping hunting dogs at their peak for the entire fall. Move it Just like people need a little pre-season training to get into shape for fall hunting, ...