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COVID changes THUMBS DOWN: It is discouraging how the COVID-19 numbers are rising at a time when we had been getting used to maskless freedom and the ability to gather with friends. Just as the Brown County Fair starts and we prepare for the Minnesota State Fair and back to school days, the numbers are rising. Brown County Public Health (BCPH) announced Friday that the county’s transmission status has reached the High rating level. The CDC recommends that everyone in a high transmission area wear masks indoors in public places. BCPH also recommends vaccinations for all who have ...

It took a long time to produce it, but the U.S. Census Bureau has released demographic data and statistics that tell us a lot about what’s happening in America. Primarily, the Census data will be used to set congressional district and legislative boundaries across the country. Redistricting legislation will be argued, appealed and in many cases decided by judicial orders. That is most likely what will happen in Minnesota, where Democrats control the House and Republicans control the Senate. Minnesota was able to hang on to its eight congressional districts in this census, but they ...

State workers put on path of safety

Gov. Tim Walz announced on Wednesday that state workers would be required to show they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to work, or take weekly COVID tests to prove they are COVID negative. It’s a move that is being made by companies, schools and states across the nation, in some states at least. In others, governors are banning mask mandates, to the consternation of school districts that fear the resurgence of COVID cases due to the fast-spreading delta variant virus. In Texas, Utah and other states where the mask mandates are banned, school districts are ...

Infrastructure done; harder road ahead

Give the United States Senate credit for doing something that hasn’t been seen in Congress for years. On Tuesday, Republicans and Democrats alike came together to pass the trillion dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. By a vote of 69-30, the Senate gave President Joe Biden n essential piece of his agenda for the country. The infrastucture bill is huge, with $550 billion in new spending over five years for roads and bridges, for shoring up our power grid against cyberattacks, for boosting broadband in remote areas. It will help shore up coastlines, and pay for cleaner, ...

Minnesota thrills in the Olympic games

The 2021 Olympics ended on Sunday, with the closing ceremonies held in a nearly empty stadium, putting a strange ending on a strange 17 days of drama and competition. Minnesotans were holding their own Olympic ceremonies, hailing gold medal gymnast Sunisa Lee with a parade in her hometown. She is the perhaps the biggest, but not the only Minnesota hero of the games. She and Grace McCallum of Isanti helped pull the US women’s gymnastics team to a team silver medal after the loss of their leader, Simone Biles. Lee later won gold in the all around, and a bronze in the uneven bars. ...

A return to concern about COVID-19

After watching COVID-19 infection numbers dwindle in June, the U.S. is seeing the rate of infection rising again in August. On Saturday, the daily count of new COVID cases exceeded 100,000 for the first time since last winter. U.S. health officials are worried that the numbers will continue to soar in the months ahead without an increase in the vaccination rate. About 50 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated, while about 70 percent have at least one shot. There are some people who think vaccinations are unnecessary, at least for themselves. Vikings quarterback Kirk ...