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Opinion

Why pay the price?

Local Columns

How would you handle the following situation? I wanted to buy a new pair of hiking boots, and went to a local shoe store. Walking through the store, I saw a pair of boots costing $200, and a similar pair costing $80. Both pairs looked very sturdy and felt comfortable. Why the difference in ...

Timeless icons

Local Columns

I’ve discovered that some things age better than others. Bourbon and cheese are examples of things that improve with time while bread and my short-term memory have fleeting … um, what are the words? Oh, yeah! Expiration dates. Many things are deemed useless once they attain a certain age. ...

Staying on track when markets feel uncertain

Local Columns

Geopolitical developments, economic policy changes, inflation data, and interest rate shifts regularly influence the markets. While recent headlines may feel unsettling, market volatility is not unusual — and uncertainty has always been part of investing. What often matters most during these ...

On the Porch

Local Columns

The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of Lyon ...

Lessons learned from Metro Surge should never be forgotten

Local Columns

After an anxious winter, Minnesota’s Operation Metro Surge has mostly turned into yesterday’s news. Things have quieted down in the Twin Cities. No major new surges have been launched in other places. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, a division of the Department of Homeland ...