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The pickle blizzard

The recent cold snap that roared down from the north like the Four Frigid Horsemen of the Arctic Apocalypse should not have come as a surprise. Yet many of us were surprised. We had been spoiled by an unusually mild autumn and early winter. Up until Christmas, a person could go about his or her outdoor business without dressing in more layers than a four-foot-tall wedding cake. The profound cold that we normally associate with winter stayed away until mid-January. We shouldn’t complain, but we did. It’s in our nature to bellyache about Nature. The blizzard set upon ...

Kids returning home for visit a reminder the importance of childhood

We had kids in the house again. It was a trip back in time. One forgets what it’s like to share bathrooms and use all those dishes. Our children floated back home to live on and off as young adults between school and jobs, but they’ve been gone for a while. Now they live in far-flung places and getting them together is not common. Abby was here from Bogota, Colombia, and Ezra from Denver. We spent time with Anna who is comparatively close in Rochester. I have been thinking about how that part of your life where you are raising children seems so consuming when you are in it. But ...

As we enter this time of the year, I often receive questions regarding how our District makes weather-related decisions. I would like to take this opportunity to share a bit about our process. When determining whether to have in-person school, implement an e-Learning Day, or have a late start, we consider various factors. Our decision-making process involves analyzing multiple weather forecasting models, including input from the National Weather Service specifically tailored to our immediate area. We not only assess the current weather conditions but also take into account the ...

New state flag will be raised on Statehood Day

Editor’s note: Aaron Wittnebel wrote this op-ed in response to a New Ulm Journal story. A similar story was published in the Independent By Aaron Wittnebel In response to the Journal’s recent “Minnesota Flags Staying Put” article, I was hoping to clarify some of the misunderstanding, and correct some of the misinformation that is out there regarding the new State Flag and Great Seal. The first that should help city staff, is that the new State Flag has been approved, the statutory authority was vest in the State Emblems Redesign Commission by an act of the Legislature and ...

Violent crime produces strong reactions in rural communities

Murder is a major topic of conversation these days in the local area, following two incidents and four deaths in the past month. First we had a domestic stabbing and a shooting by a police officer in Marshall which resulted in two deaths. Then there was a shooting situation in Lake Benton that was ruled a murder suicide. Both situations are drawing strong reactions. A group of Marshall residents organized a candlelight vigil outside the victim’s home. The reactions are something I fully expected. Violent crime hits home in rural areas more than in urban locations. In urban centers ...

How I fought for Minnesota in 2023 — and how I’ll keep fighting in the new year

As Minnesota families celebrate the new year, I want to reflect on everything we achieved together in 2023 and look forward to the year ahead. Despite a divided Congress, we worked across the aisle and made progress on a range of issues impacting our state. Through my visits to all of Minnesota’s 87 counties last year, I got to see that progress firsthand. I’m going to build on that momentum in 2024. Minnesota is a true economic hub for our country. That’s why I fought to secure federal funding for projects like the new Highway 14 in Southern Minnesota — which was completed ...