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It’s difficult

Please excuse me for being a downer, but in today’s world, it’s difficult to stay upbeat and positive. Why is it hard to see the light today? Well, let me list a couple of downers, and, then, finish with some uppers. Within the least few days, the happenings in our country scare the heck out of me. As a nation founded on the rule of law and democratic values, how did we become a nation similar to other non-democratic countries? How can we not respect territorial integrity? The short term and the long term repercussions of what’s happened will be felt by everyone, and the ...

Continue season of giving by donating blood

Along with being the month when we make resolutions or start a new diet or exercise plan, January is also the month to raise awareness about the urgent need for blood donations. Donating blood is a simple and relatively painless way to do something amazing: save lives. January is National Blood Donor Month, established to combat winter blood shortages by honoring existing donors and encouraging new ones, while highlighting the critical need for blood for surgeries, trauma and chronic illnesses like cancer. January is often the month when blood shortages happen. Otherwise regular ...

World Almanac: Still a valuable resource in an era of technology

About a month ago I learned firsthand how much things have changed when it comes to finding information. I went to the Marshall Lyon County Library to look at the 2025 World Almanac. There were several things I wanted to check (election statistics, biographies of famous people who died etc.) Much to my surprise there wasn’t an opportunity. The library’s almanac is dated 2023, with information compiled in 2022. The librarian at the desk checked the Internet and found that the World Almanac is still published. Maybe they’ll order one for 2026. It would be useful to me and to ...

Country school kids – Lois Paine Widmark – Lake Benton Public School

We have been learning about Ivanhoe’s Lois Paine Widmark and her early life in western South Dakota; her WWII service with the WAVES; her college, marriage, farm, and family life; and her short career as an educator at the Arco Public School. She was working to complete her degree in the summer of 1967 when another school fulfilled her dream of being a kindergarten teacher. “I got my job at Lake Benton when Arco closed. Miss Donahue (the kindergarten teacher) was coming back, but she found out she had cancer and at the last minute they needed a teacher. So, Arnold took me down [to ...

Is 4% rule right retirement income strategy for you?

Planning for lasting retirement income requires a thoughtful strategy, especially with factors like longevity, market volatility and evolving lifestyle needs in play. As retirement approaches, one of the most common questions people face is: “How much can I safely withdraw from my savings each year?” For decades, the 4% rule has served as a widely accepted guideline. The premise is straightforward: withdraw 4% of your total savings in the first year of retirement, then adjust that amount annually for inflation. While the 4% rule offers a straightforward framework, it doesn’t ...

New year, new you? How about new year, more kindness

Google what Americans’ top resolutions are for 2026, and you’ll find all the usual suspects at the top of the list: lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier and save more money. I skimmed a dozen articles from around the country and not one of the lists listed “be kinder” though, which I find a shame. Also not on the list, be more neighborly, be more generous, volunteer more or be more civically engaged. It seems that even in our resolutions that our thoughts turn only inwards, not outwards toward our fellow man. Friends, if not now, when? Because there are millions ...