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Weigh your rights against your health

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

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

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

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

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 ...

Readers’ Views

Donate to Lakeside Cemetery To the editor: Lakeside Cemetery is celebrating 150 years of providing a beautiful and peaceful resting place for those who have passed and friends and family who come to visit. We are extremely proud of the services we provide. Although we receive income from the sale of plots and burials, this income is small compared to the expenses incurred for on going maintenance. We are working on a fundraising campaign in association with the generous contribution of The Rosen Family Foundation who have pledged to match all cash donations up to $150,000 through the ...