I  never gave the color of straws much thought. No thought, actually–until a recent conversation with my son, when he casually mentioned his...

Question: I travel a lot and I see a number of people making some poor choices when it comes to passing semis and large vehicles. There is no way...

“Toward a more perfect union” acknowledges bringing people together in our communities remains a work-in-progress and requires continuing effort. This monthly column...

Hard to believe that in the dead of winter—when the temperature is -25 and the wind is whipping around making everyone’s face hurt—it is time to...

Welcome to the first edition of "Toward A More Perfect Union," a new column dedicated to celebrating the bonds that unite our communities in northern Minnesota and nearby...

Last week I started a list of my wishes for 2026. To summarize in the most succinct way possible, I wish you the best. I wish you the best love....

One of the greatest misunderstandings from those who question a life of faith is that they believe the practice of maintaining hope is nothing more...

Question: During one of the recent winter storms, I encountered numerous vehicles driving on a 4-lane highway with their four-way hazard lights on....

It’s amazing the things that can trigger memories. Recently, I was walking the halls of New Heights taking photos during their “Principal for a...

Question: I have heard a person can text 911 if they need to. Can you explain what that is about?Answer: Here is some information we shared on the Department of Public...

Happy 2026 everyone! I started to put my thoughts about the new year into words, and what do you know, it grew into two columns. Here is the first....

As I was mumbling to myself this past weekend about how thoroughly sick I already was of winter, my mind wandered back to a time when I actually...

Question: I’ve heard about some snow plows getting hit out on the highway this winter. Can you remind people what they should be doing when sharing...

“For the oak trees New Year’s Day is just another day. For the chickadee we have not turned a new year. But we humans are creatures of hope; we...

A picture of my late, beautiful sister, Lori, sits on an end table in our living room. I look at it every single day and remember the times we had...