Spreading the word

THUMBS UP: Here’s to the advocates for nursing homes and long-term care facilities who are raising their voices and letting legislators know that doing nothing about the lack of funding for nursing homes is not an option. A delegation from New Ulm held a Zoom meeting from the New Ulm City Hall with some influential legislators on Wednesday, pressing them on the needs of the nursing home industry, and decrying the lack of information, or even a response to their concerns. On Thursday they followed it up with a rally at the State Capitol. The group had reinforcements from local veterans, who were at the capitol to lobby for veterans issues. Many of our veterans are at the age where good nursing home care is a very important issue. We hope legislators and Gov. Tim Walz got the message and will start funneling more money into nursing home reimbursements and undoing some of the policies that discriminate against non-Metro area facilities.

Comfrey thriving

THUMBS UP: It was 25 years ago that Comfrey, and indeed all of Brown County was reeling from the effects of the tornadoes that swept through, ravaging miles of countryside, all the way to St. Peter, LeCenter and beyond. Today, Comfrey is still here, rebuilt as good as new or better. We applaud the people of Comfrey who took their future into their own hands and made it better. They offer a great message of hope to the towns in the southern states that were similarly stricken by a great storm system that spawned dozens of tornadoes and killed 25 people in Mississippi. As horrible as the damage and loss has been, Comfrey can testify that it is possible to rebuild, to band together as a community and refuse to go away.

Rail safety

THUMBS DOWN: Ever since the fiery rail derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last month there seems to be a growing number of derailments across the country, including the latest, the derailment of a train hauling ethanol and corn syrup near Raymond, Minn. Ten of the 22 cars were carrying ethanol, and the resulting fire forced hundreds of nearby residents to evacuate. The federal government is working to find ways to make rail transportation safer. The number of derailments has been declining in recent years, but they still number 1,049 per year. Railroads must be required to conduct all the equipment and rail inspections and the preventative maintenance needed to ensure the safety of their trains.