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Food poisoning or stomach bug?

Dear Heloise: So many people can’t tell the difference between food poisoning and a stomach bug. It’s important to be able to know the difference: -- Food poisoning: You experience diarrhea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and possibly a low-grade fever. It’s usually brought on by contaminated food, food that wasn’t kept at a proper temperature, or bacteria on a food handler’s hands. It can also be caused by a number of toxins. It’s not contagious, and over 48 million Americans report a case of food poisoning each year. -- Stomach bug (or flu): You experience diarrhea, nausea, ...

Racing through the Dairy Expo

A dairy expo is the type of event where you can walk around all day and never go hungry thanks to all the free cheese and ice cream that are available. It’s a dairy aficionado’s dream. The Central Plains Dairy Expo is an event where one can view all of the latest and greatest advancements in dairy equipment. This includes such things as humongous mixer wagons that are the size of a house but have scales that are so sensitive that they can tell when a butterfly lands on them. Another interesting gizmo was a self-guided thingy that herds manure with a squeegee. It’s a dairy ...

Saying ‘thank you’ at the grocery store

Dear Readers: We recently ran a letter from someone who complained that cashiers at grocery stores rarely thank them, the customers. I heard from many of you who have worked as cashiers at supermarkets, and I am grateful for your letters as they provide a firsthand account of the other perspective. Below are two of those letters. The second letter addresses what it was like to be a grocery store worker during the pandemic, and the first goes almost 30 years back and discusses what it was like to work at a grocery store at that time. Looks like we are still dealing with the same ...

Stretch out your clothes

Dear Heloise: Frugal plumber here! Everyone likes to make fun of plumbers when they bend over, but I do not have that problem. I stretch cotton materials before I put them in the dryer or hang them to dry. Doing this makes some quite a bit longer; it adds over 4 inches to my shirts, even after the dryer. I also do this with my young kid’s clothes. Pants and shirts will last months and are longer for length. I read you in the Charles City Press. -- Allen Pederson, via email WATER INTAKE Dear Heloise: I wanted to write in regarding the tip from Susan I., in Yuma, Arizona, about ...

Lost in the mail: How Postal Service is failing Minnesotans

My mom was born in 1932 and grew up outside Bourbon, Indiana, a tiny town in the northern part of the state. Everyone knew everyone, and everyone read the local paper, the Bourbon News-Mirror, which they fondly nicknamed “The Bourbon Blab.” Throughout her life, no matter where she lived, from Ohio to Alaska, California, and New Mexico, she always made sure she got that local paper in the mail. These weren’t just headlines; they were the stories of her friends, their children and grandchildren, and the issues that connected them all. I believe every Minnesotan should be able to ...

Spring equinox: a time to celebrate light and rebirth

This week we observed one of the most under-rated occasions of the year. We celebrated the spring equinox, one of two points of the year when we have nearly 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. It’s also the official dividing line between winter and spring. I like the spring equinox. It’s a time when warm, bright days are right around the corner. We can start to think about things like cleaning out the garage and planting a garden. It’s counterpart is the fall equinox that divides summer from fall. The shortest day of the year in December is the winter solstice. The ...