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Living with the paranoia of DEI

Columns

When I was young, diversity meant that I knew some Lutheran kids. Around here, we were mostly German descended with a scattered few Irish and British. Norwegians lived by Hanska. Native Americans lived on the reservation. The Sleepy Eye of my youth is gone. Hispanic families started coming for work forty years ago. Thank God, they did. Otherwise, the economy around here would be significantly less than it is. Hispanics are indispensable in every occupation now. We all grew up learning that America is a “melting pot.” It was a point of pride. As kids, we understood that America ...

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Editorials

Thumbs up Northern lights unite the country Nearly all of North America was treated to a rare display of the northern lights this week. The lights were visible as far south as Florida. As a result, social media was saturated with photos of the northern lights from everyone with a camera. It was a rare example of everyone coming together to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. The reason the northern lights were so intense on Tuesday is that energy from two solar flares hit the atmosphere at the same time. The overlapping energy resulted in the extremely vibrant green and red ...

First snow of the year creates anticipation for all ages

Columns

Early November is a time to look ahead; to the holidays, the upcoming new year and the first snowfall of the season. People were talking about the first snowfall a week ago. It looked like the Marshall area might get at least one or two inches. It wasn’t supposed to be a snowstorm, just a bit of snow as a start to winter. On Saturday morning the prediction appeared to be coming true. I woke up to snow flurries. The first thing I did after getting dressed was to have some coffee. I enjoyed just having coffee and watching the flurries. The snow accumulated on cars but not on the ...

Urge Fischbach to reconsider funding position for Alzheimer’s research

Letters

To the editor: As a constituent of Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach, I am deeply concerned about the recent House Appropriations Committee recommendation to increase Alzheimer’s research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by only $15 million in Fiscal Year 2026 — far short of the $113 million increase that NIH scientists have said is needed to sustain progress. The Senate Committee’s FY26 recommendation is $100 million, showing a stronger commitment to combating this devastating disease. Alzheimer’s disease is not only a heartbreaking illness for families; ...

A season for empathy: Standing with those without shelter

Columns

November is recognized as National Homelessness Awareness Month—As the weather turns colder and the season of giving begins, this month serves as an important reminder of the power of compassion, community, and advocacy. It’s an opportunity for all of us to learn more, challenge misconceptions, and support efforts that provide shelter, resources, and hope for those facing homelessness. Unfortunately, misconceptions about homelessness remain widespread, often clouding understanding and hindering progress. One of the most persistent myths is that homelessness is a personal choice or ...

A message on Veterans Day

Columns

Editor’s Note: Because of the federal holiday and no mail delivery on Tuesday the Independent will not be publishing a printed paper on Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s column is running in the weekend edition ahead of the Veterans Day holiday. On this and every Veterans Day, our nation honors those who served and the sacrifices they made to defend our nation. Since the founding of our democracy, each person who has worn the uniform has left their mark on our nation as they defended our freedom. As we pay tribute to all our veterans today, I am thinking about patriots like ...