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Coping with problems and life

Life has its ups and downs, good and bad, right and wrong. How would you know good days if it wasn’t for the bad ones? How would you learn what not to do if you didn’t make mistakes? Since that is the way life seems to be, how do we handle the bad times? Those bad times cause stress. Stress is triggered when something occurs that demands that you do something about it. The things that trigger stress are called stressors. To survive, we have to learn to cope with those stressors, deal with them effectively, and overcome them. There are any number of stressors with which ...

Trump returns Pennsylvania steel to backbone of America

Flanked by a sea of steelworkers dressed in their orange safety jackets and hard hats, President Donald Trump was given a hero’s welcome at the Mon Valley Irvin Works ( West Mifflin, Pennsylvania) to mark the signing of the U.S. Steel-Nippon Steel deal, the largest investment in state history. “With the help from patriots like you, we are going to produce our own metal, make our own energy, secure our own future, build our country, control our own destiny, and we are once again going to put Pennsylvania steel into the backbone of America,” Trump said of the deal. The deal to ...

Ask a Trooper

Question: II have been receiving text messages about an “E-Z Pass Final Reminder.” It’s something about having an outstanding toll and submitting payment. I was told it was a scam. Can you get me more information on this? Answer: Here is information from the Minnesota Department of Transportation E-ZPass page. https://www.dot.state.mn.us/ezpassmn/news.html Scammers are sending fake messages pretending to be MnDOT, E-ZPass or other tolling agencies. These messages claim you owe money and direct you to a payment link. This is a scam! We will never text or email you asking for ...

Toughening in

“I just need to toughen in!” So said Old Frank, my new landlord at the time. I was twenty-one in the winter when I rented a small dairy farm, sight unseen, from Old Frank. Old Frank was several years past his eightieth birthday when he and I first crossed paths in a waiting room. Frank was garrulous and gregarious and soon shared with me that he had a problem: the tenant of a dairy that he owned was exiting the farming business. “I’m too old to farm anymore,” Frank lamented. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with that place!” I had been striving desperately ...

Celebrating our progress and preparing for what’s ahead

As another school year comes to a close at Marshall Public Schools and we celebrate graduation weekend, I’m filled with pride and gratitude. Watching our seniors cross the stage is a powerful reminder of our mission to guide, support, and prepare each student for the road ahead. Every graduate has their own story of growth and determination, often made possible by the care and commitment of our staff, families, and community. At the same time, we look to the students still filling our classrooms — those still discovering who they are and where they’re headed. Their journeys are ...

Don’t let go

While talking with folks now, there is a thread that keeps running through our conversations. It’s interesting to hear that common theme so many times from so many different people. Obviously it’s important to them. What’s that theme? Don’t let go... The biggest concern is letting go of one’s family history. I have repeatedly talked with people who grieve their lost family connections. I hear the same questions being asked about why their past relatives came to this country, from where and what did they experience. That family history tells a lot about who we are, and ...