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May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Columns

When stroke happens, minutes matter. Similar to how a heart attack blocks blood flow to the heart, a stroke happens when a clot or broken blood vessel stops or limits blood flow to the brain – a brain attack. The American Heart Association reports that for every minute during an untreated stroke, 1.9 million brain cells are lost. To remember signs of a stroke, think BE FAST: B: Sudden Balance lost E: Sudden Eyesight loss F: Face drooping A: Arm weakness S: Speech difficulty T: Time to call 911 Continuity in stroke care between small hospitals and bigger referral ...

The burden of hoarding

Columns

Many of us have things that we like and enjoy so much that we collect them. When we collect something, we acquire it, accumulate it, display it and store any extras. For some of us, collecting and accumulating things develops into an irrational and uncontrollable urge that is overwhelming. It is much, much more than collecting. It can grow to the point where the accumulation of possessions takes over the home, preventing the use of living areas in the home. This outcome is more common than you might think, and can be quite serious. Psychologists call this extreme problem Hoarding. ...

Be careful during planting season

Editorials

It’s that time of the year again — planting season. The Minnesota Department of Transportation reminds us that Motorists traveling Minnesota roadways this spring should watch for large farm equipment moving between farms and fields for planting season, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Nobody has to remind people living in southwest Minnesota this particular season is vital for the livelihood of farmers who play a big role in the region’s economy. MnDOT shared that Crash data shows there were 392 crashes involving farm equipment in Minnesota from 2023 ...

Horsing around in Sioux Falls

Columns

My wife and I recently went horsing around. And no, it didn’t involve traveling to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. We are much too cheap to make a special trip like that. Some years ago, when we were in Kentucky for business, my wife and I visited Churchill Downs. There weren’t any races that day, and the joint was as quiet as a Monday morning church. I walked into one of the high rollers’ suites just so that I could say that I did it. The view from up there wasn’t any better than what you see on TV. Sportscasters have labeled the Kentucky Derby “The Most Exciting Two ...

Get involved in taking care of our planet

Editorials

“We have one Earth and we have to take care of it.” The statement was made by Marshall Noon Rotary Club member Laura Mueller-Anderson last week on Earth Day during a cleanup of the diversion channel near Highway 59 in Marshall. Students from Marshall High School and Southwest Minnesota State University and professors form SMSU joined the Rotary group in the diversion channel project. Taking care of Earth was the theme in many communities across the globe as Earth Day was celebrated. Marshall Noon wasn’t the only Rotary club busy on Earth Day. We suspect other Rotary clubs were ...

Thumbs up/down

Editorials

Thumbs Up Capt. Bianchi receives long overdue welcome home After over 80 years, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and New Ulm native Capt. Willibald Charles Bianchi has returned home. Bianchi was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery and valor above and beyond the call of duty for his heroic actions in Bataan, Philippine Islands during WWII. Unfortunately, before Bianchi could receive the award, he was captured by Japanese forces and held as a prisoner of war. He was aboard a Japanese POW ship when an American aircraft bombed the ship, killing Bianchi. For decades, his remains ...