Making tough choices

The Martin County West School Board this week made a tough but necessary decision. It voted to close the Welcome school as of Sept. 30. The district will then consider uses for the site.

Communities, like Welcome, often feel that their schools are their lifeblood and center of activity. When they see schools remaining open in other towns, they wonder: Why us?

But the broader circumstances are not “personal.” Welcome is not being targeted. The school board simply must weigh what is best for the health of the whole district.

City follows through

The Fairmont City Council this week opted to sell a disputed parcel of land to Habitat for Humanity, which will put a residence on the site. We believe the council has done the right thing, following through on a previous commitment to the non-profit group.

Two neighbors did express interest in buying the site, but neither planned to build a house. The lot is zoned R-1, requiring it to have a primary structure under City Code.

The city now plans to formulate a better plan to dull any future land controversies. That too is a good decision.

‘Protests’ cannot go on

The white Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck until the black man died has been charged with murder. Other officers at the scene have been charged. Police officers around the country involved in similar incidents also are facing charges. In other words, the justice system is working.

So many of the ongoing “protests” around the country are not protests at all. They are left-wing terror campaigns designed to upend society and rewrite history. They are destructive and mindless. We hope they peter out. If they do not, they must be forcibly ended.

Walz releases funding

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz this week revealed a plan to distribute $841 million in federal CARES funding to counties, cities and townships. The COVID-19 relief funds had been tied up in a political struggle between lawmakers and the governor, and had not been approved for release when a special session of the Legislature ended last weekend.

Martin County is eligible for more than $2 million, with the city of Fairmont in line for $776,000.

Walz had definitely been an obstacle in the standoff among lawmakers, so it was good to see him relent this week and release the funds.