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A step toward economic growth

The New Ulm Economic Development Authority (EDA) took a step toward improving the city’s economic growth on Tuesday, approving a $50,000 subsidy to the New Ulm Economic Development Corporation (NUEDC) to help cover the cost of hiring an ED coordinator. Thus, they are renewing a relationship that existed for many years between the city and the NUEDC, a private, non-profit corporation devoted to encouraging industrial growth in the city. For many years, the city supported the salary of the economic development coordinator, but it decided three years ago to take that money and hire an ...

Let court decide on vaccine mandate

The 5th U.S. Court of Appeals put a hold on the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate ordering businesses with over 100 employees to have them vaccinated, or get weekly testing. The mandate was to take effect Jan. 4, but the appeals court paused the rule, saying it raised “grave statutory and constitutional issues.” The government argued on Monday why the stay shouldn’t be made permanent. The government claims it is “a matter of life and death,” that delaying vaccination mandate will lead to thousands more people getting sick or dying of COVID. That may be ...

Hope for moderates?

Politics in America has become so polarized in recent years that one wonders if there an effective bipartisan government is going the way of the passenger train and 25-cent a gallon gasoline. Can we have a government where representatives debate, listen to each other, come up with compromises, or are we fated to have more of what we have today, where politicians get elected by appealing to the most radical wings of their parties, where moderate members who don’t toe the party’s new line are jettisoned? It is true for both Democrats and Republicans. Donald Trump holds such command ...

Thumbs Up/Down

Help for Nigeria THUMBS UP: Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku has been making himself at home in New Ulm for the past few years, serving as a priest in the New Ulm Diocese. But he hasn’t forgotten his home in Onitsha, Nigeria. Fr. Cornelius (it’s easier than Fr. Ezeiloaku) is heading home this Christmas with a couple of containers of items donated by people and organizations in the area — medical supplies, clothing, wheelchairs, walkers, power tools and bicycles, even pianos and organs for seminarians who want to study music as they prepare for the priesthood. This weekend it is all ...

Still time to do right by school district

It is disappointing that voters in District 88 turned down the two tax levy questions on Tuesday’s ballot. But the failure of the questions is not necessarily a blow to the district. The district was asking to combine two soon-to-expire tax levies into one, and replace the two levies with the new one. One of the levies is due to expire after this year, the other after the next year. No doubt the district will be coming back next year to renew these levies. It was a question that would provide stability for district finances into the future. We are confident the voters of the district ...

Status quo won’t cut it for MPD

The Minneapolis Police Department remains in place following Tuesday’s Minneapolis city elections. A ballot question to dissolve the MPD and replace it with a Department of Public Safety (whatever that would look like) was soundly defeated by Minneapolis voters who, apparently, prefer the devil they know than the one they don’t know. The ballot question was vague and contained no plans for how the city would protect its citizens, and it deserved to go down. But the election should not be seen as a vote of confidence for the Minneapolis Police Department. The department is in need ...