Split First District

Thumbs Up: The results of the last two elections in Minnesota’s First Congressional District show how evenly divided the district is between Republicans and Democrats. Two years ago Democratic Rep. Tim Walz barely defeated his long-time challenger Jim Hagedorn by a margin of .76 percentage points. This year Hagedorn, with the solid backing of the Republican party and conservative PACs, won the district over Dan Feehan by an even smaller margin, .45 percent. While Hagedorn dominated in the conservative rural counties, Feehan took Blue Earth County (Mankato) and Olmsted County (Rochester) by wide margins.

Feehan congratulated Hagedorn for his win in a statement Friday, when it became apparent an automatic recount was not in the cards. He encouraged Hagedorn “to represent each and every voice in Congress.”

Indeed, Hagedorn can’t afford to ignore anyone in this evenly divided district. That should guarantee good representation for all.

Snow time

Pointer: We should be waking up to a white, wintry landscape this morning. The first big snowstorm of the season was expected to drop 3 to 5 inches on New Ulm and the area.

We hope people will approach this new snow with the care and caution it deserves. People sometimes forget how slippery and dangerous the roads and sidewalks can be.

So be prepared to take some extra time to get where you are going today. Ease up on the gas pedal and slow down when approaching intersections. The lessons of driving in winter will come back to you, but don’t wait for a spinout or an accident to remember how to do it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thumbs Up: With Thanksgiving less than a week away, we want to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday.

We especially wish to recognize the efforts of the Community Friends who put on the annual Thanksgiving Dinner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church basement each year. This annual event is open to all, especially those who might not be able to celebrate with family this year. It is a true community celebration, in the spirit of the original celebrants who gathered together with their Native American friends to celebrate the good harvest, and a year of surviving in an unfriendly wilderness.

May the spirit of joy and friendship go with you wherever you celebrate.