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Victory today comes with consequences

The leaking to the press of a draft ruling to overturn the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion has caused a seismic ripple across the nation. It has also tainted the so-called sacredness of the Supreme Court. An angry Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. lambasted the leak as a betrayal. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the draft ruling “an abomination.” U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., cheered the prospects of Roe v. Wade’s demise. “If the leaked opinion is accurate, then today is a landmark day for the sanctity of human life,” he said. The Supreme Court ...

Farmers tired of waiting for drought relief aid

While front line workers and business owners in Minnesota can express a sigh of relief, farmers are still waiting. On Friday, Gov. Tim Walz signed into law legislation providing direct payments to frontline workers and replenishing the unemployment trust fund, providing tax relief for small businesses. Meanwhile, negotiations between the two houses of the Legislature continue over the drought relief package. The hangup is over DNR funding proposed in a House version of the bill for seedlings and shade trees lost in the drought. The other part of the relief package is $10 million in ...

Et. Cetera

Program honors students on other path The Fairmont Women of Today and Poppe’s are recognizing seniors in the county who may be pursuing something different after high school graduation. We’d like to thank these groups for their effort to honor these students through the “gas for grads” program. Boy Scouts partner with school for program Boys Scouts of America-Twin Valley Council has partnered with Fairmont Elementary School to do some STEM programming. What a great partnership. It’s always nice to see different entities work together, especially for the betterment of our ...

Long overdue deal in Minnesota Legislature

On Tuesday, the Minnesota House passed a bill to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund and get bonuses to frontline workers. It was hailed as a breakthrough in the Legislature after months of stalemate. That breakthrough resulted in Thursday’s announcement that House and Senate leaders struck a deal to go forward with a plan that includes $2.7 million to replenish the trust fund and pay back a debt to the federal government for jobless aid. It also features $500 million in bonuses for workers who took risks during the pandemic. A total of 667,000 workers will ...

Don’t chance it — stop for children getting off buses

One May day in 2019, a Minneapolis girl, 11 was hit by car after getting off a school bus. A 60-year-old man was arrested. Witnesses said he was traveling in his vehicle at a high-speed when he attempted to go around the stopped bus. The accident left the girl fighting for her life and facing several surgeries. There was conflicting information in the case whether or not the bus driver lowered the bus stop arm at the time of the incident. However, drivers must use extreme caution when approaching a parked school bus to avoid such horrific tragedies. Ever so often our court reporters ...

Make a deal to help save state from crime wave

Open up the Minneapolis Star Tribune any day of the week. Violent crime is often highlighted on the front page. The inside of the Minnesota section is filled with disturbing reports. In Monday’s edition, the Star Tribune reported on a fatal stabbing early Sunday morning on a Metro Transit bus and a deadly shooting two hours earlier in the area of Hennepin and Lagoon Avenues. In Saturday’s edition, the newspaper reported of a forensic scientists with the Minneapolis police department shot multiple times while off duty. Another article reported on a man who was wanted on several ...