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Let’s do some blending

How much of a blend are you? I expect you are well aware of your blended history. That familial heritage is within us, and always will be. And, of course, we pass it on during life and, maybe, do some more blending, correct? We are perfect examples of a blended wine — more on that in a bit. Our nation is often noted as a melting pot, but, perhaps, a better descriptive word for us would be our nation is a mosaic. Lots of cultures from around the world coming together to form families, neighborhoods, states and one country. Each patch of the mosaic adds interest, strength and ...

Pretend predators

Before heading up to Minnesota’s Iron Range to see family over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, I had the amazing experience to watch a loon at close range track down and take a relatively large panfish from the school of sunnies I was casting to just off the dock on the south shore of ...

America’s 250th: A time to recognize national and local progress

Saturday’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is special, something that’s truly historic. It calls for looking back on all that our country has accomplished. It went from being an experiment in democracy to a coast to coast nation and then a world leader. I’m fortunate to be old enough to remember the Bicentennial in 1976. I recall all the television spots and the memorabilia that went with the occasion. The United States was a very different country 50 years ago, and Marshall was different as a community. Nationally, it was a challenging time because of ...

Avera MyChart – new electronic health record system

If you’ve visited the clinic or engaged with your health care record lately, you’ve likely heard about MyChart. This is the new electronic health record (EHR) system we’ve now converted to at our local hospital and clinic. This is an exciting change. While it’s human nature to be kind of wary about something new, we’re finding that patients like the user friendliness and new functionality in comparison to our former system. Avera MyChart is a secure online health connection where patients can see their medications, test results, visit history, upcoming appointments, ...

2026 change to retirement catch-up contribution rule

The year is already rapidly coming to a close, making it peak season for assessing (and, in many cases, reassessing) contribution options related to retirement savings accounts. A major factor worth considering heading into the new year are changes to the SECURE 2.0 Act’s catch-up ...

On the Porch

According to John Radzilowski in his book, “Prairie Town: A History of Marshall, Minnesota 1872-1997,” “The second most talked about holiday after Christmas, at least in the early days, was the Fourth of July.” The communities in Lyon County pulled out all the stops to attract as many ...