Raising lung cancer awareness during November

November 6, 2026

One of the best things you can do for overall good health is to quit smoking or never start in the first place. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and the Great American Smokeout is on the third Thursday of November each year – Nov. 19 in 2026. The good news is that cigarette smoking rates have been declining for decades. Yet lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., accounting for about one in five of all cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancers ...

Vietnam War – Norman Teigen – News from home, special events, and homecoming

November 6, 2026

We have been learning about Norman Teigen, who grew up in Mankato, graduated from Mankato State College, and accepted a teaching position at Marshall High School. When notified he would be drafted, he enlisted in the Army and became a chaplain assistant. He deployed to Vietnam in October 1970 ...

Braxton Seifert off and running in political career at age 21

November 6, 2026

Took a detour off of Main Street and headed down Highway 23 to Russell this week to check out the 130th annual Election Day Dinner at Grace First Parish church on Tuesday evening. Think about that for a second. For 130 years, the parish has hosted a dinner for voters. I was there for some ...

The hangover month

November 3, 2026

Of all the months of the year, November most closely resembles a hangover. This is not just because it follows the twin bacchanals of Oktoberfest and Halloween. It’s also due to the fact that here in the Northland average high temperatures are plummeting and days are growing shorter at a ...

Midges, habitat and purple light traps

November 3, 2026

This summer’s greatest discovery for our household wasn’t a new lure, some outdoors equipment, or even a new piece of hunting or angling technology, rather it was a plug-in nightlight for the cabin called a Zevo. While I’ll avoid the appearance of sponsoring or championing this ...

Dealing with Global Darkening

October 31, 2026

We can’t deny it anymore. It’s getting darker. It’s darker earlier and longer. This weekend, with the time change, the darkening goes into hyper drive. It is Global Darkening. (I know. It’s half the globe. Work with me here.) There are Global Darkening deniers. They say it is scheme of left-wing woke socialists who want us to turn our lights on. I say the evidence is irrefutable. Look out the window, you darkening deniers. I guess this has happened before. That is little consolation. This plague of dimness seems oppressive even if it did happen a year ago and the year ...