A dragon holding a silver ball in its terrifying teeth was perched next to the gate. It was the first hint that we were in for a day of weirdness and wonder. My wife and I recently attended the Siouxland Renaissance Festival. While we waited in line to buy tickets a guy dressed as a medieval ...

Summer is the season for lots of things like swimming, boating, baseball, ice cream, picnics, parades and outdoor fun. It’s also a perfect time to read. Someone can read on a beach, in the shade or at home with the air conditioning. The Marshall-Lyon County Library kicked off its 2026 ...

Sometimes the well runs dry for a columnist. That happens every so often when I did reporting in Barstow, California. When that happened, I would take a stroll in the downtown area. Besides checking out businesses that might be closing or opening up, I’d talk to homeless people with ...

I was recently asked to speak at a meeting of a secret society. I was surprised when they invited me as it’s widely known that I can’t keep a secret. My wife and I went to an innocuous building located in the midst of a sleepy college town. We descended a set of concrete stairs that led ...

The long-awaited summertime is here. We hope you are getting plenty of chances to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and warm temperatures. Yet this wish comes with a word of caution. Because we’re often more active and out and about during the summer, we face the risk of seasonal injuries ...

Hospitals have been a major part of Minnesota’s statewide news in the past few weeks, as both large and small facilities adapt to changing times. The news about Hennepin County Medical Center and Sanford is a major development. There have also been articles about smaller facilities in ...