State Rep. Jeff Backer, R-Browns Valley, said he shares growing concerns over how changes in state law made earlier this year could compromise safety in Minnesota schools.  An omnibus education bill (HF 2497) enacted into law after the 2023 session significantly limited de-escalation tactics School Resource Officers (SROs) can use and has resulted in dozens of… Read More

To the Editor, Southeastern Minnesota has a drinking water crisis that needs your help. Take action today to urge local, state, and federal government officials to take immediate action to ensure all Minnesotans, regardless of zip code, have clean water to drink.  Nitrate levels in the state’s Karst region routinely exceed safe drinking water standards, putting more… Read More

By Pastor Ryan Stockstrom Harvest Fellowship Church Is love limitless? Is there no limit to where love will go, be, or do? Does love ever say, “this far and no more?” I would contend that true love does.  I find that boundaries and limits are actually loving in nature. One of the most loving things you can say… Read More

To the Editor, With all the political garbage drowning out the really significant events needing constant attention and action it is heartening to get a glimpse of real diplomacy and future planning from our leadership. Thank you Joe. Regular and visible meetings with world leaders, bringing forth legislation designed to help those in many areas of… Read More

To the Editor: As we head into the Labor Day weekend, I hope you can spend some time with family and friends before summer draws to a close. Labor Day is always an opportunity to hit pause before we get back into the busy routine that fall brings as kids go back to school and the… Read More

To the Editor, There are 4,000 AM radio stations across the country—and over 300 of those stations are right here in Minnesota. Listeners turn to AM radio for everything from high school scores to crop reports to news and weather. In fact, during a weather emergency like a wildfire or a tornado, AM radio can serve… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Men are trouble shooters by nature, by design, by, well any trouble somewhere else, and not with us. Step aside. Let me fix that. Whether we know it or not…and we usually don’t….it’s one of the things about us that drives women crazy. With which we drive women crazy. It’s in our nature…. Read More

Garver’s Movie Review Bob Garver Having seen the best (“The Dark Knight,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”) and worst (“Morbius,” “Fant4stic”) of what the modern superhero genre has to offer, I can report that “Blue Beetle” falls right smack in the middle of the spectrum. It would be easy to write off this movie’s staggering averageness with… Read More

To the Editor, Outdoor recreational and sporting activities, like trap shooting and archery, are an integral part of our heritage. We love these activities. They teach us valuable life skills, such as discipline, teamwork, and focus, and help the next generation of young sportsmen and women build confidence and self-esteem. Unfortunately, once again, the Biden administration has… Read More

To the Editor, The cost of purchasing back-to-school supplies can quickly add up for families and Rep. Jeff Backer is urging people to take advantage of tax benefits that can provide some relief.  Minnesota has both a K-12 education credit and a K-12 education subtraction for school-related expenses. Both programs reduce the taxes parents pay and could… Read More