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Dealing with Global Darkening

We can’t deny it anymore. It’s getting darker. It’s darker earlier and longer. This weekend, with the time change, the darkening goes into hyper drive. It is Global Darkening. (I know. It’s half the globe. Work with me here.) There are Global Darkening deniers. They say it is scheme of left-wing woke socialists who want us to turn our lights on. I say the evidence is irrefutable. Look out the window, you darkening deniers. I guess this has happened before. That is little consolation. This plague of dimness seems oppressive even if it did happen a year ago and the year ...

Voting by mail serves as a good option for modern elections

My voting process was simpler in Election 2026 than in the past, thanks to services provided for absentee ballots. I filled out the application on Monday, and voted on Thursday at Boulder Estates when election officials came to assist us. It saves me a trip to the polls on Election Day. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if I’d have had to vote in person. I’m able bodied and still drive my car. It was just more convenient to vote early. It’s much more than a convenience for many of my neighbors. Some of them have physical health issues that would make it very ...

A stronger city through community generosity

Per Minnesota Statutes, cities can accept gifts of property, including money or land, and use them if they follow the donor’s terms. A city can accept donations “for the benefit of its citizens,” suggesting that accepting donations, like making donations, must be done for a public purpose. A resolution accepting the gift and the donor’s terms must receive an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the council and fully state the donor’s terms. Each year the city of Marshall is fortunate enough to partner with many organizations-both public and private who help ...

What to consider as medicare open enrollment kicks off

Over the years, I've found that many retirees are surprised by how much Medicare coverage can change from one year to the next. That's why I encourage clients to view Medicare Open Enrollment as an annual check-in, rather than something they can simply put on autopilot.

 Open Enrollment ...

Vietnam War – Norman Teigen – Extra duties and the orphanage

We have been learning about Norman Teigen, who grew up in Mankato, graduated from Mankato State College, and accepted a teaching position at Marshall High School. When his local draft board notified him in 1968 that he would be drafted, he enlisted in the Army and became a chaplain assistant ...

On the Porch

According to the History Channel, Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on Oct. 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to drive away ghosts. The Celts celebrated their new year on Nov. 1, a date that ...