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THUMBS UP Hanska celebrates quasquicentennial The town of Hanska was founded in 1901, making this year its quasquicentennial, or 125th anniversary. The celebration will include the unveiling of new historical displays at Hanska’s community center, which is the first step in the community establishing its own museum. The exhibit opened Friday, but will be open throughout the weekend. Other special events are planned throughout the weekend including a community parade at 5 p.m. Saturday with a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. Special driving history tours will be held Sunday from noon ...

Empty buildings now just ghosts

Columns

For 90 years, summers in Sleepy Eye followed the rhythms of the Del Monte factory on the west end of town. Sights, sounds, and smells that everyone knew ebbed and flowed through the pea and sweet corn canning seasons. Now the lot that saw trucks and employees busily crisscrossing sits empty. Weeds grow from the cracks. The conveyors that carried ears of corn into the plant sit quiet, rusting. It’s still weird to drive by, even though it’s been six years since there were piles of sweet corn. Depending which way you go through town, Del Monte is the first or last of three prominent ...

A tough job

Columns

My wife and I recently provided day care for our 6-year-old grandson for a week. It will probably take me a month to recover. We had taken care of little boys before, obviously, although that was more than thirty years ago. We aren’t as young as we were back then, but little boys are still as energetic as tornadoes. My grandfathers were stoic, stately men who sat on the couch and drank black coffee and talked about crops and world events. They did not get on the floor with their grandkids and played with toys with them. But in their defense, they each had a score of ...

Starve out the problem in Iran

Letters

I have been thinking about the situation in Iran and what we should be doing. The goals are to keep them from getting nuclear weapons now, and to dismantle and destroy their program of supporting Terrorism in countries all over the world that has been going on for at least 40 years. I don’t think that destroying that country’s infrastructure of bridges, water facilities, communications, industries, etc. will be effective in getting Iran to give up their nuclear weapons operation. They have demonstrated in the past that they intend to continue to develop nuclear weapons by going ...

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Editorials

THUMBS UP Volunteers make the Brown County Fair happen The Brown County Fair is in full swing again and has returned with dozens of exciting events and exhibits. The fair has something for everyone, whether they come for the rides, entertainment, 4-H and FFA exhibits or even the fair food. Since the fair happens every year, it is easy to take it for granted, but the work to put on the fair takes the work of many volunteers working long hours. The effort is worth it, as it is a rare event that brings all of Brown County together.  THUMBS UP Historic voter turnout in 2026 ...

Varmint vexations

Columns

Wildlife must be doing quite well, judging by the volume of roadkill I’ve seen lately. There seems to be a season for each species to commit highway hara-kiri. For instance, a month or so ago skunks were the prevalent source of roadside gore. Most of the stinkers appeared to be fairly young, perhaps the skunk equivalent of teenagers. This leads one to wonder what drove these youngsters to seek this smushed state. Maybe peer pressure was a factor: “I dare you to cross that road! Are you a skunk or a chicken? Bwaak, bwaak! There he goes... Run, Pepé, run! No! Don’t stop and ...