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Off the Shelf

Columns

Here are few of my favorite recent reads. Library staff would be happy to help you place requests on these or any other titles. If you’d like to place your own request, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog. After meeting her in AA group, Natasha Mason finds herself recruited as the assistant to legendary movie star Julia Mann. Mann is blunt, impatient, and always right. She’s also the prime suspect in the murder of her ex-husband, a powerful studio head. Mann maintains her claim of innocence even though she was blackout drunk the night of the murder — a murder ...

Thumbs up/down

Editorials

THUMBS UP 3 area amateur baseball teams advance in state tournaments Last weekend three local Region 2C amateur baseball teams — Leavenworth, Hanska and Courtland — won the first rounds of the Class C State Baseball Tournament. While many amateur baseball teams make the tournament, it is rare for this many area teams to win in the first round. All three teams will play this weekend, along with the New Ulm Brewers who are in the Class B State Tournament. Local baseball fans will have plenty of teams to cheer for this weekend. THUMBS UP DNR grant for trap shooting range Trap ...

Looking at empathy

Columns

The word empathy is used a lot. Sometimes it is confused with sympathy, but they are different. When you feel sympathy for somebody those are your feelings, experienced by you. Sympathy involves what you feel when you witness another person’s suffering or terrible misfortune. You may feel compassion, pity, sadness, or sorrow for him or her. So what is empathy? Empathy is your ability to understand someone else’s feelings. In a way, it is something like putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. It involves recognizing, understanding, responding to, sharing, or even ...

Courage of a windsock

Letters

To the editor: U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad was hooted off the stage at an Eggs and Issues event, 8/12/25, sponsored by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce. In a recent email to constituents (“Finstad in the Field,” 11/15/25), he claims that the event was “rudely disrupted by individuals in the audience who had zero intent to have a conversation, but whose sole purpose was to disrupt the conversation and cause a scene.” Perhaps they were voicing their disappointment and frustration with Rep. Finstad because he refuses to listen to constituents who disagree with him. I’ve ...

Left out in love

Columns

Dear Annie: My best friend recently started dating someone new, and ever since, she’s become distant. We used to talk daily; now I’m lucky if she texts back within a week. When we do hang out, he always tags along, even for things we used to do just the two of us. I’m happy she’s found someone she likes, but I miss our friendship. I tried mentioning it once, and she just laughed and said, “Don’t be jealous!” I wasn’t trying to start a fight; I just wanted her to know I feel left out. Should I bring it up again or just let it go? -- Third Wheel Dear Third Wheel: ...

Trust, space and sisterly grace

Columns

Dear Annie: My fiance, “Mark,” and I have been together for four years and are set to get married next spring. We live together in a small house we bought last fall. For the most part, things are good. But lately, something’s been bothering me. Mark has a weekly “guys’ night” every Thursday with his two best friends from college. It used to be every other week, but now it’s weekly, and sometimes even more often. I’ve asked if I could come by to say a quick hello or drop something off, and he always says not to -- it’s their “tradition.” Last Thursday, I found a ...