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It’s us

Local Columns

What does the flag of our country mean to you? Growing up, the flag was … well, our flag and symbolized our country, right? As I marched through our schooling, that flag perspective changed for me, and here are a few of the influences that altered my understanding of our flag. As a public school student, I learned the flag's history, and what principles it was based upon. These principles can be found in our Declaration of Independence. That document noted their would be no king or any other authoritarian figure ruling our country, and that the government received its authority ...

Looking back on the family vacation

Community Voices

This is the time of year when Americans traditionally embark on extended journeys with their loved ones. Some of these journeys are so long that by the time they end there’s a good deal of fantasizing about leaving said loved ones at the next roadside gas station. It’s family vacation season once again, that time-honored American custom that was originated by the Pilgrims when they left England. One of the Pilgrim dads convinced his family to go on vacation by saying, “We could use a change of scenery. I’ve got a great idea! Let’s go for a little boat ride! C’mon, it’ll ...

T-bone and walleyes

Local Columns

There’s something almost primordial about seeing a big fish — a huge predator — with a smaller one locked in its jaws. There’s something even more primal of watching that fish not let go, even though it can. In the Darwinist, survival-of-the-fittest, kill-or-be-killed world that is ...

Walkability: The plus side of Marshall’s 2026 downtown detour

Community Voices

It hasn’t been an ordinary summer for motorists who drive the streets of Marshall on a daily basis. It’s been a season of road construction on East College Drive between Main Street and Bruce Street. Both intersections at the ends of the construction zone have been closed for at least several weeks. The project is the second portion of a two-year College Drive reconstruction. Last year it seemed like a smooth process. Other than Lyon County Fair week (when people had to find their way to the fairgrounds), I heard only a handful of complaints. It’s different in 2026. I’ve heard ...

On the cutting edge of barbershop history in Marshall

Community Voices

I’ve been wanting to check out the Sportsmen’s Barbershop since I arrived in Marshall 10 years ago. I recall my dad taking me to the local barbershop in Neenah, Wisconsin, when I was a youngster. I only remember my dad talking about sports with the barber. Later, while working in ...

Celebrating a birthday during complicated times

Community Voices

Happy birthday to us! Next Saturday, our country will be 250 years old. I have been around for seventy of those. So, I’ve seen some things. We are just back from a trip to Europe. One of the advantages of traveling is perspective. Looking at America from across the ocean is like astronauts looking at Earth from space. It’s lovely, with a gauzy surface, and it looks a bit fragile. Ben Franklin was asked during the Constitutional Convention. “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” 250 years later, we’re ...