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Ask a Trooper

Question: I see a lot of motorists pulling campers and trailers that don’t have experience or simply don’t know what they are doing. I see some crashes that I suspect are due to this. Can you talk about pulling campers and trailers? Answer: If you pull a camper or trailer with your vehicle, you must maintain at least 500 feet of following distance from other vehicles. When loaded, 10 to 15% of the trailer’s weight should be balanced on the hitch between the trailer and vehicle. When correctly loaded, the trailer’s floor should be level. After the first few miles, stop and ...

Resources available for coping with stress

Drought and flooding. Long, lonely hours. Shifting federal policies. Uncertainty about tariffs. Rising expenses for fuel, feed and fertilizer coupled with tighter margins. Simply put, it’s stressful to be a farmer or rancher. The rural lifestyle in the Upper Midwest has long had its ups and downs that date back to pioneer times. Yet the stressors can add up quickly when facing headwinds such as damaging weather events, a volatile ag market, and unexpected, expensive machinery breakdowns. The Farm & Rural Stress Hotline is available for farmers, ranchers and people who live in rural ...

Update on summer projects

Our major street project this year is Charles Ave/Hill and Minnesota Street Reconstruction project. All utilities are being replaced, including water main, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer. Other items of work included in this project are pavement removal, bituminous surfacing, concrete surfacing, sidewalks, curb and gutter and other minor work. As of this writing, all underground utilities have been installed, and alley paving has been completed. Local contractor D&G Excavating, Inc is overseeing the project. The Highway 19/College Drive Reconstruction project continues to progress, ...

Who do they come for next?

First, my deepest apologies to Martin Niemöller, a much nobler pastor than I’ll ever be. But because of his inspiration, I share … First, they came for those whom they deemed “illegals.” And I protested but a little, but not loudly. … Shame on me. Then, they came for people who are transgender. And I protested not at all because I already felt too much burden on my shoulders. … My silence pains me to no end. Then, most recently, they came for the homeless in a presidential executive order that seeks to punish, and possibly forcibly commit, those who are ...

Does your well water have nitrate?

If your family drinks from a private well, there’s one stop you can’t afford to miss at this year’s Farmfest: the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s free nitrate water testing booth. Bring a sample of your well water to booth #517S, and we’ll test it for nitrate — on the spot, in under five minutes. No paperwork. No cost. No catch. The MDA and its partners offer water testing clinics across the state to increase public awareness of nitrate contamination in rural drinking water. Results from the testing are for the private well owner’s use. Well owners may remain ...

Protecting Minnesota’s safety net means cracking down on fraud

Fraud in state programs isn’t a victimless crime. It affects every Minnesotan who pays taxes and everyone who depends on these programs. When money meant for seniors, people with disabilities, and families in need is stolen, the people hurt most are the ones these programs were designed to help. Minnesota s Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said our state could be facing up to one billion dollars in fraud. That kind of money could cover school district deficits a couple times over. It s more than the $750 million bonding bill we passed this year to repair roads and bridges. ...