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UCC will be missed Thumbs Down: It’s sad to think that the United Church of Christ in New Ulm will be closing at the end of the year. The church, founded in the 1960s, has a relatively short history, but it is one that has been very open and community oriented. It has hosted speakers on social issues, conducted free monthly community dinners and even has a Little Free Library by its front door. We understand how a small congregation can grow older over the years, making it difficult to maintain the level of programming and service that has made UCC an important part of New Ulm. We ...

Pity the poor state commissioners

Minnesota Senate Republicans returned this week to a practice they began last summer to punish Gov. Tim Walz for not ceding his emergency powers. When Walz would call a special session to extend the emergency declaration, Republicans, unable to overcome the DFL-controlled House’s votes, would select one of Walz’s state commissioners and vote to reject their appointment. It’s a tactic made possible by the practice of governors and senators for decades. A governor appoints a commissioner, with the advice and consent of the Senate, but there is no time limit for senators to approve ...

From rescue to recovery in Florida

The hardest thing to lose is hope, especially in a situation like that in Surfside, Florida, where a 12-story condominium collapsed on June 24. The families of those missing have been hoping against hope that their loved ones somehow have managed to find some space and survive. But recovery officials have come to the conclusion that there’s little chance of finding more survivors, and the operation has turned from search and rescue to recovery. The searchers continue to find bodies of people, most of whom were asleep in bed when the collapse occured. Fifty-four bodies have been ...

Donation spurring city into action

The New Ulm City Council tabled a decision on where to place a Vietnam Veterans memorial in New Ulm at its meeting Tuesday. The decision was brought about by an anonymous donor willing to pay for the memorial to the six New Ulm men killed in action in Vietnam. The donor stipulated the memorial should be placed in German Park. The upshot of Tuesday’s discussion at the council meeting was not whether to have a memorial, but where to have it. Councilors all agreed that having a memorial to our Vietnam heroes is a wonderful idea, but there have been critics who feel German Park may not ...

Cyber criminals grow more brazen

Over the 4th of July weekend, a cybercriminal gang of thieves struck again, delivering the largest global ransomware attack on record, one affecting thousands of organizations in 17 countries. The attacks are tying up their computers, and the criminals are demanding millions in ransom. This attack is sophisticated, and designed to reach the maximum number of victims. Instead of targeting single companies, it targeted firms that manage the IT security of other companies. By hacking them, the attackers could access the systems of companies those IT management firms service. What makes ...

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Celebrate safely THUMBS UP: The 4th of July is here, and if you aren’t ready to celebrate after the year we’ve all just been through, go back to bed. Last year, 4th of July celebrations were stifled by the coronavirus. Big gatherings were verboten and family picnics were a lot less fun with people wearing masks and standing six feet apart. This year we can afford to relax and celebrate. That being said, let’s celebrate safely. Please don’t blow your fingers off with cherry bomb, and let’s all drive safely. And that means don’t drink and drive. Let’s celebrate our ...