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Opinion

Convicted felon Trump is no war hero

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Breaking news: Trump has declared himself a war hero. The guy that received six deferments, one of which was for bone spurs to get out of the draft. The war hero is sending in the national guard to the District of Columbia because of all the crime, but he didn’t do a thing on Jan. 6, what he did was watch on TV while 1,600 violent criminals attacked the capital and put 200 capital police in the hospital. Then after all that war hero stuff, he pardoned those criminals, no wonder there is a lot of crime. We have 1,600 more violent criminals on the street. Washington ...

Take responsibility, vote

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: We are about 15 months away from, hopefully, a monumental change in the citizens representation in St Paul. Rational and “legal” citizens must take their duty responsibly, as they go to the polls to cast their vote. There are opportunities other than voting, however, to have your voice heard. Participate in your local BPOU’s (Basic Political Organizational Unit), attend and participate in your local caucus, county, district and state conventions. If you commit yourself to vote because of your party affiliation, you should, at least, know the basic principles of ...

Prioritize your well-being

Community Voices

August is National Wellness Month, a time to focus on self-care, stress management, and building healthy habits that support overall well-being. In our busy lives, it’s easy to put ourselves last, but caring for our physical, mental, and emotional health is essential—not a luxury. Even small, intentional steps toward wellness can boost energy, improve resilience, and help us show up as our best selves for the people and commitments that matter most. This month invites us to pause, reflect, and invest in ourselves. Neglecting self-care impacts both mind and body. Chronic stress, ...

Farmers should embrace AI

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: The future of farming isn’t on the horizon; it’s already here. That message was made clear at this year’s Farmfest, which hosted a panel featuring a local content creator and representatives from Corteva and TerraClear. Their conversation demystified the emerging benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) for farmers and raised some valuable points for our state’s agricultural community to take note of. Throughout the conversation, one central message was clear: our state’s farmers should not fear AI; they should embrace it. As the panelists discussed, AI can ...

An airhead at an air show

Community Voices

The blue Helldiver — a WW II single-engine dive bomber — was taxiing placidly down the runway when its wing abruptly dipped. The airplane came to a halt at an unsettling angle. Its right wheel had strayed off the paved runway and onto its border, which had been turned into mush by a lengthy spate of monsoon-like rains. “This is wonderful!” I thought. “That’s exactly the kind of thing that might have happened in real life. This is so authentic!” Thus began the Victory at Sea airshow, held recently at the Fagen Fighters WW II Museum located near Granite Falls. The ...

It’s empty!

Local Columns

It’s always a bit unsettling when you notice something is empty, right? Or is it an opportunity for further enrichment? Back in the day when I was attending college in Lafayette, Louisiana, we planned a road adventure to see the Grand Canyon. Not familiar with the desert southwest, I didn’t pay attention or plan gas stops. Suddenly, I noticed our gas tank was almost empty. Of course, we were in the middle of nowhere, and my anxiety rose dramatically. Then thankfully, a little town appeared, and I pulled into the local gas station. The gas station attendant — a very young ...