Rittenhouse case complicated by gun

November 18, 2021

If you have been following the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old charged with killing two people and wounding a third in the Kenosha, Wis., demonstrations last year, you have to feel for the jury given the task of deciding his guilt or innocence. There’s no doubt that Rittenhouse, 17 at the time, came to Kenosha from his home in Antioch, Ill., with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle, with the intent to stand up to protesters who might be trying to destroy property. It is also evident that he became the focus of some protesters’ aggression. He got caught in a scuffle that ...

Weigh your rights against your health

November 17, 2021

Minnesota is undergoing what health officials call a “blizzard” of COVID cases. Minnesota’s new rate of coronavirus infections has been the worst in the nation over the past seven days, and according to federal data quoted in a Star Tribune report. The surge has hospitals in the state near capacity. On Monday, the state had 5,266 more infections to report, and a 9.7 positivity rate on tests. Breakthrough infections are a part of the increase, of course, but more people who are becoming infected are those who remain unvaccinated. Some are resisting out of fear of possible side ...

Environmental pact just a plan

November 16, 2021

The Glasgow Climate Summit ended this weekend with a compromise agreement on what to do about global warming. The world leaders and negotiators who drew up the plan are hailing it as a chance to keep the earth’s climte from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, but scientists working with the global data see the earth on a path to a hotter future. That’s the trouble with plans. Scottish poet Robert Burns, who may have been to Glasgow once or twice in his lifetime, wrote that “The best laid schemes o’mice and men / Gang aft agley (often go awry), / And lea’e us nought but ...

Encouraged by agriculture solutions

November 15, 2021

The population is growing and the climate is changing, and both of those things will have a big impact on the future of agriculture and food production. Farmers — some of them right here in Central Minnesota — are working on solutions to ensure the land they farm now will be healthy and productive for generations to come. Those efforts could also help mitigate the effects of climate change, all while providing new agricultural revenue streams. We focused on these practices in a series published last week on natural climate solutions supported by the MIT Environmental Solutions ...

Et. Cetera

November 13, 2021

Learn to Skate The joint Fairmont Youth Hockey Association and Fairmont CER program, Learn to Skate, is an excellent way to teach youth the fundamentals of skating. Every year dozens of children go through the program and it’s great to see the continued support from parents and the community. The new ice sheet at the Community Center will help grow the program. Special meetings planned This week the Fairmont City Council shared about some upcoming special meetings, including a discussion about water quality between different organizations, Minnesota state building code ...

Infrastructure bill will address many problems

November 12, 2021

Infrastructure bill will address many problems The infrastructure bill passed last week by Congress will send $1 trillion surging to the 50 states for public works, roads, bridges, water improvement and broadband expansion. This money has been needed for years. Minnesota provided a prime example of what happens when infrastructure needs are not met when the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed in 2007. The 13 deaths and injuries to 145 jumpstarted a rush to fund more road and bridge projects, but need has been far greater than the assistance provided. There are still dangerous ...