Breaking News

Local Columns

‘A climate superfund’ only hurts Minnesota families

Affordability is not an abstract policy debate in Minnesota; it is a daily reality. Consumer prices have risen nearly 2 percent over the past year, and while inflation has cooled from its peak, that offers little comfort to families still paying far more for groceries, utilities, insurance, and housing than they were just a few years ago. The cumulative impact of inflation has permanently raised the baseline cost of living, and many households have not seen wage growth that fully offsets it. Yet at this exact moment, when Minnesotans are tightening their budgets, Democrats in St. ...

Cooking for one requires creativity and consistent effort

Nutrition in a one-person household shouldn’t be taken for granted, but should instead be met with careful planning. Boulder Creek in Marshall is sponsoring a monthly Cooking for One program. It will enable participants to try out meals that are ideal for one person. They’ll be able to take the recipes home and use them to meet their own cooking needs. I know from experience the challenges that are involved in cooking for one. For 50 years I had dinner with my mom and dad. I never had to concern myself with what to put on the table. All that changed when my parents sold their ...

Read for the Record Day: Oh, the places we read

In honor of Dr. Seuss Day (March 2), we present this article written in his rhyming style: In towns big and small, in the sun or the snow,
Readers gathered to help children grow—
Not taller or wider or bigger in size,
But grow in the ways only reading supplies! For Read for the Record Day, what a marvelous sight:
Volunteers far and wide took flight with delight.
They opened a book — “See Marcus Grow” —
 And shared it with children who sat in a row. From schools that hummed softly with morning-time chatter, 
to day cares where crayons and snack cups would ...

Country School Kids – Charlie Hettling – Helping out on the Family Farm

We have been learning about Charlie Hettling, the firstborn of five children born to Agnes (Jacobson) and Floyd Hettling, and his early life on the family farm between Minneota and Taunton. As Charlie grew, so did his farm responsibilities. “Water for the cows and calves in the barn had to ...

On the Porch

The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of ...

The remarkable power of healing and forgiveness

I recently got to watch something up close that is remarkable. Healing. If you saw me a few weeks ago and noticed my heavily bandaged left thumb, I joked, “Oh that? I was trying cut my thumb off.” It wasn’t intentional, but I did slice it pretty good. It occurred while I was performing ...