Breaking News

Local Columns

Prepare for the financial side of the holidays

The start of the holiday season often brings increased demands on both time and financial resources. From buying decorations and gifts to attending celebrations with family and friends, the responsibilities can accumulate quickly. To help you navigate the 2025 season with greater ease and enjoyment, consider these planning tips designed to reduce stress and enhance your holiday experience. Create a holiday spending plan and track your expenses. The final months of the year offer many opportunities to splurge. Prevent unfettered spending by setting a “do-not-exceed” dollar amount ...

On the Porch

The following article appeared on the front page of the News Messenger of Lyon County on Dec. 8, 1922: “Santa Claus Comes Here for Christmas: Arrangements Made to Have Big Community Tree and Program. Goodies for the Kiddies. Marshall Community to Unite in Welcoming Santa on Annual Visit at Community Tree Program, Appreciated Fine Spirit in Evidence Here Last year, Committees at Work. Santa Claus fully appreciated the fine reception accorded him in Marshall last year, when he attended the Community Christmas Tree program in person, and for that reason he is coming again this year. ...

Country School Kids – Lois Paine Widmark – Pine Ridge District 92 School

Ivanhoe resident Lois Paine Widmark’s story began in Meade County, South Dakota. Her life journey brought her to Lincoln County and a career teaching kindergarten at Lake Benton Public School. Lois and her younger siblings who grew up on their ranch in Meade County attended the same country school. “We attended Pine Ridge School, District 92. I couldn’t go to school until my younger sister (Verna) was old enough to start. That’s why we were always together. I’m 21 months older, but we graduated together.” She and Verna usually walked to their country school. “We ...

How home care and hospice benefits people and communities

All the varied levels of health care help ensure that patients are in the best setting for their condition and recovery. In many cases, that setting is home — which is exactly where the majority of patients want to be. Did you know that the average length of stay in a hospital has decreased from 21 days in the 1960s to around five today? Medical advancements, like minimally invasive surgery, and the transition of more services from inpatient to outpatient are key reasons behind that shift. Inpatient hospital care is the most expensive setting. Also, home health has benefits that ...

Early ice gear check

With a sudden chill, first ice is fast upon us, but as local lakes and waters freeze up and anglers eagerly await the initial inches to form, now is an important time to take stock of those safety items that are as necessary at the beginning of the hardwater season as they are at the end of it. So, before your sonar is charged and you’ve test run your auger a few times alongside your snowblower after the recent seasonal shift, take stock of these important pieces of on-ice gear that will keep you safer all season long. Get a grip There’s an adage that no ice is safe ice. The ...

‘Tis the season

I want you to think about your favorite Christmas memory. We probably want to think our favorite Christmas memory is warm and pleasant, however, that is not always the way it is. Maybe there was a time when a cherished holiday tradition was dropped. Perhaps there was that time when someone was no longer with you to celebrate. Memories are a mixed bag. While serving in the Navy, I experienced my first Christmas away from my family. Not only was I in a foreign country, but everyone around me was a stranger. I constantly thought/felt something was missing. And it was. The people, places ...