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Butterflies rebound

THUMBS UP: This year we have seen more Monarch butterflies flittering around the city than we have seen in the past several years. We don’t know all the factors responsible for that, but we would guess a lot has to do with the emphasis on planting gardens and fields with pollinator and butterfly-friendly plants. New Ulm has a dedicated pollinator park on the south end of town, but there are many other pollinator-friendly gardens in the city, at local schools, and in people’s back yards.

It is encouraging to see that some local conservation efforts can have a noticeable effect. The reward of seeing Monarchs this year should encourage more people to plant a few milkweeds and other bee-friendly plants next year.

To borrow a phrase from the movie “Field of Dreams,” “If you plant them, they will come.”

Waste of money

THUMBS DOWN: The University of Minnesota Board of Regents became incensed last spring when one of its own members apparently leaked information to KSTP-TV, saying that an associate athletic director at the U had been disciplined for violating the U’s sexual harassment policy.

The regents ordered an investigation be conducted to find the leaker, and a law firm was hired to check it out. This week attorney Don Lewis presented his report and his bill.

The conclusion of the investigation was — inconclusive. No evidence was found connecting anyone to a leak. Lewis spent 150 hours searching, at a cost of $74,400.

The Regents stated that “Even if inconclusive, the review demonstrates the (U’s) commitment to respecting the confidential information concerning individuals within the University community, the importance of ensuring that University officials are complying with Minnesota StateLaw, and the importance the board places on its fiduciary responsibility to this institution.”

We don’t know what kind of fiduciary responsibility is shown by spending nearly $75 grand on an investigation that produces nothing.

Bring the heat

THUMBS UP: This is usually the time of year for cooler temperatures, but the heat we’ve been having this past week is providing a last minute boost to area farmers who were worried the cool, damp August had kept their crops from maturing. This blast of warm weather will help get their crops ready for harvest. Unfortunately, it also brought a crop of mosquitos, but they’ll be long gone by the time the harvest is completed.

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