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Northern Minn. fires indicate reality of climate change

The North Woods are something that makes Minnesota stand out on both an economic scale and in terms of recreational resources. The far north provides lumber, paper, iron ore, fishing, boating, canoe routes, and many excellent resorts, The recent fires near Ely show that it’s not something to be taken for granted. Forest fires occurred near the start of the region’s summer tourism season. Smoke and haze covered a wide area. It kept away many tourists, turning what would have been busy weeks into a much quieter and less profitable time period. It made headlines in statewide ...

Ice cream and food trailers a sweet success for Lingens

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, food trucks have surged into a multi-billion dollar industry. There are probably a variety of reasons for their popularity such as offering unique cuisine that might not be available nearby and the lower startup costs than brick-and-motor ...

Country School Kids – Larry Van Moer – Growing up on the Van Moer farm

We have begun learning about Larry Van Moer, who was the second of five children born to Marie (Marcotte) and Herbert Francis Van Moer. Larry and his siblings grew up on their family farm north of Amiret As a farm kid, Larry grew up with his share of farm chores. He described his earliest ...

On the Porch

The Lyon County School District #80 schoolhouse was built on section 8 of Westerheim Township, along the Yellow Medicine River, year unknown. The front entry on the building was added at some point. Lyon County School District #80 consolidated with Lyon County Joint Independent Consolidated ...

Ask a Trooper

Question: I saw your last article was about stopping. With school just around the corner, can you talk about stopping for the school bus? Answer: I certainly can and with last year’s law change it’s a good reminder. Previously, the law required drivers to stop for a bus’s red flashing lights and extended stop arm. Alarmingly, this could create a situation where some drivers might pass the bus when the lights were flashing but the stop arm wasn’t extended. The updated law closes the loophole and improves the safety of children across Minnesota. There’s no more trying to beat ...

Varmint vexations

Wildlife must be doing quite well, judging by the volume of roadkill I’ve seen lately. There seems to be a season for each species to commit highway hara-kiri. For instance, a month or so ago skunks were the prevalent source of roadside gore. Most of the stinkers appeared to be fairly young, perhaps the skunk equivalent of teenagers. This leads one to wonder what drove these youngsters to seek this smushed state. Maybe peer pressure was a factor: “I dare you to cross that road! Are you a skunk or a chicken? Bwaak, bwaak! There he goes... Run, Pepé, run! No! Don’t stop and ...