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Opinion

National Newspaper Week a time to reflect on the role journalism plays in our communities

Editorials

This year marks the 85th celebration of National Newspaper Week. Local journalism is the heartbeat of informed communities. It brings stories to light that national outlets often overlook — stories about school board decisions, city council debates, neighborhood events, and local heroes. In a world increasingly shaped by global headlines and social media noise, reconnecting with local news is vital for civic engagement, accountability, and community resilience. To build a better future, you can support local journalism through subscriptions, donations, sharing stories, and ...

The value of public power

Letters

To the editor: Did you know, if you live in New Ulm, you are served by a locally owned and operated electric utility? This week, we celebrate Public Power Week, a time to highlight the value of community-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities. Public power communities, like New Ulm, offer five distinct advantages. Accountability and transparency means citizens participate in the governance of the utility at the ballot box and through city council meetings. Utility business is conducted in the open, subject to open meetings, public records laws and local scrutiny. Public power ...

Thumbs up/down

Editorials

THUMBS DOWN Federal government shutdown risky business The federal government shutdown Wednesday after Congress was unable to make a funding deal. The sticking point is over enhanced Obamacare subsidies. It is not clear how long the shutdown will last. Hopefully some agreement can be made relatively quick to avoid extended furloughs for federal employees. With this shutdown, there is also the risk of a permanent shutdown for certain departments. The Trump administration is threatening to use the shutdown as a way to layoff thousands of government employees. The last federal ...

Minnesota Soybean marks B2 milestone — Advocacy efforts led to nation’s first biodiesel law

Columns

Twenty years is a long time. Two decades ago, in 2005, George W. Bush was president, “The Office” and “Grey’s Anatomy” both premiered on network TV, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Zygi Wilf took ownership of the Minnesota Vikings…and, most importantly to soybean farmers and biofuels advocates, a new frontier was crossed when the B2 biodiesel law was implemented in the state of Minnesota. Time, well, it’s all relative — for some, 20 years feels like a lifetime, or at least a generation. For others, two decades since Minnesota’s historic adoption of biodiesel went by ...

Protecting what’s private

Columns

Dear Annie: My husband and I have a large family, and earlier this year we welcomed our newest baby, “Izzy.” The pregnancy went smoothly, and everyone thought she was healthy until about half a week after coming home, when she began showing concerning symptoms. We’ve been working closely with her doctor ever since and recently learned she has a rare genetic condition. It’s incurable, causes severe symptoms and is usually fatal in childhood. We’re OK sharing information about her condition with concerned family and friends in our children’s school group. However, I’m not ...

Stay aware of breast cancer this October

Columns

Pink ribbons, pink hair and pink T-shirts are signs of the season this October, yet more importantly, these colorful reminders can save lives. Did you known that breast cancer deaths have steadily decreased by 44% since 1989, thanks to better screening and early detection? This strong track record is a reminder that all women age 40 and over should have regular mammograms, the gold standard in breast cancer screening. Because breast cancer is most treatable when discovered in its earliest stages, we are grateful to have the latest screening mammogram equipment here in Marshall, so we ...