What do you think of the COVID-19 peacetime emergency?

When temperatures begin to rise, outdoor areas begin to fill with both children and adults enjoying the weather. It is easy for the electrical equipment that we see every day to fade into the background, but it is important to always take safety precautions around it. Take time to explain to ...

For the 2020 Election cycle ALL Brown County townships have opted to vote by mail! All registered voters in Bashaw, Burnstown, Eden, Leavenworth, Milford and North Star townships will be receiving letters in the mail within the next week informing them of the change. This voting method was ...

It was a turn I’ve made a million times, coming home from town, left into the driveway. A bright sun was low in the west. I could make out the light of an oncoming motorcycle. I could have rushed to turn but came to a stop with my blinker on. Often in that situation I look in the rearview ...

Things we see every day can almost fade from view. But failure to notice high voltage power lines can be a deadly oversight. New Ulm Public Utilities, along with the public safety educational organization Safe Electricity (safeelectricity.org), wants to raise awareness about the dangers of ...

Vote at home empowers voters, letting them decide when, how and where they vote. They don’t have to take time off work, drive to a polling place or stand in long lines. Voters in Minnesota who opt to vote absentee choose how to cast their vote – by return mail or bringing it to a secure ...

How’s the fishing? (Asked Saturday, May 9 near Minnecon and Riverside Parks, New Ulm.)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the New Ulm community. The pandemic makes this a very challenging time for all of us. We are trying to balance staying healthy to protect ourselves and others with maintaining our income, so we can pay our bills. This is an unprecedented time, yet ...

By Jean Prochniak Brown County Auditor/Treasurer In these unprecedented times, we need to consider many of our common practices and make adjustments for social distancing. We have been evaluating the way that we currently conduct our elections in Brown County to address these safety ...

(Gwen Ruff is filling in for Randy Krzmarzick this week) Like many organizations, the school district I work for participates in an employee wellness program. We can qualify for money that can be put into a health savings account by reporting basic health measurements — blood pressure, ...

The 2020 Census is now well on its way! By now, all of you should have received a post card from the Census Bureau asking you to complete the 2020 Census online. In fact, you may have received two of these postcards. Do not be confused by getting the second post card if you did indeed ...

Although our county offices are closed to the public during the Governor’s Order to Shelter at Home, we continue to be available to those in need. Applications for financial assistance programs including food support, cash assistance and medical assistance are available for outside pick-up ...

What’s your favorite type of homemade mask?

A question I hear often is: How is New Ulm Medical Center Allina Health planning for a potential surge or large increase in patients with COVID-19? As I reflect on the past several weeks and all our preparations, one word comes to mind: “together.” Together, our physicians and advanced ...

Construction has finally begun on the German Park Performing Arts Amphitheater. Completion is expected in late summer. Planning for this project by the Friends of German Park and the City of New Ulm has taken a decade. German Park dates to the origins of New Ulm in the 1850’s and was ...

Pam calls him my imaginary friend. Lee lives in Burnsville and drives a Metro bus. We became acquainted years ago and started calling each other for no reason. We compare our days, share opinions, and talk stupid. We see each other once or twice a year, usually something to do with baseball. ...

The City Compost site located at 400 21st Street North is operated by the City of New Ulm Public Works Department. The compost site is open seven days a week during daylight hours all year long so please assist us by self-monitoring the site, as hours will be severely curtailed if we are forced ...

How did you celebrate Easter?

National Library Week will take place this year from April 19-25. Started in 1958, it has been observed nationally by the American Library Association and libraries across the country every April. It’s a wonderful time to celebrate the contributions of libraries and library staff and to ...

I keep a monthly calendar where I write down meetings and other obligations. The second week in March, I started to scratch off events. A trickle turned into a torrent, till my calendar was nothing but slash marks. Everything was cancelled. In the past, I liked when a meeting was called off, ...