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Green energy ideas Thumbs Up: New Ulm hosted a group discussion this week of local officials and a visiting German authority on the topic of converting to green energy. With the state committed now to cleaning things up by 2040, it is not too early for the city to get some ideas on what to do. New Ulm runs its own municipal utility system. It purchases most of its electrical energy, but has a natural gas powered system to produce steam for steam heat customers, and to generate power in emergency situations or to meet high demand. Guido Wallraven, technical director for the city of ...

End partisan gamesmanship over objects in the sky

When President Biden gave the order Sunday for a fighter jet to shoot down an unidentified aerial object over Lake Huron, aides said he did so out of an abundance of caution and on the recommendation of military commanders, amid concern it was floating at altitudes that might jeopardize civilian aircraft. It’s the third such object downed over North America since the Chinese spy balloon that generated public outcry during its transcontinental voyage was shot from the sky above the Atlantic Ocean the previous weekend. Unlike China’s craft, the subsequent trio showed no signs of ...

Internet safety and striking back at telemarketers

It’s a scary time to be a parent. Every week, we see news releases about human trafficking and child abuse made possible by the internet. It’s also a scary time to have elderly parents, the type of folks robbed of lifetime scammers via phone or social media. While we’re at it, people of any age need to be constantly the guard against criminals willing go to any length to turn a buck or a thousand. Feb. 7 was Safer Internet Day Resources are available at the Safer Internet Day website, https://saferinternetday.us/ . Safer Internet Day started in 2004 and has grown into a ...

Don’t compound Turkish-Syrian earthquake disaster

Though the full scale of the catastrophe is still emerging, the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday morning is already known to have been one of the most deadly in decades, claiming thousands of lives. A 7.8-magnitude temblor is extremely powerful, and all the more damaging when it strikes at a relatively shallow depth and is followed by a second major shock. But even when disasters are natural in origin, their impact is shaped as much by human actions before and in the aftermath as they are by their inherent force. Poor and otherwise vulnerable people ...

Black History Month should inspire everyone

What do you know about these great Americans? Black History Month is observed each February across the U.S. to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans since the forming of the nation. Of course everyone knows of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks — and rightly so — but they are far from being alone when it comes to important and meaningful contributions of Black Americans. While school children all know the names of Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and the roles they played in American independence, do they ...

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Take time on superintendent search THUMBS UP: The District 88 School Board, on the recommendation of its superintendent search consultant, decided to extend the search for a new superintendent until the end of February. The number of qualified candidates is lower than the consultant, former superintendent Harold Remme, would like to present to the board. This is a sound decision. There is no more crucial hire in a school district than the superintendent. We have been fortunate in the past couple of administrations with two high quality leaders, Remme and his successor, Jeff Bertrang. ...