Clean car standards are coming our way

July 28, 2021

It’s official. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has adopted the so-called California standard for tailpipe emissions, and will mandate that auto dealers get more zero-emission vehicles on their sales lots. The rules were published Monday in the Minnesota State Register. The rules won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2024 which gives auto dealers and manufacturers some time to adjust. “These clean cars standards are a win across the board. With cleaner air, more car options, economic growth, and less money spent on foreign oil, every Minnesotan will benefit,” said Gov. Tim ...

COVID challenges keep changing

July 27, 2021

One of the criticisms used by coronavirus skeptics is that the advice from the government keeps changing. They quote what Dr. Anthony Fauci and other experts said in March 2020 and note how different their advice is today. “First they said masks won’t protect you. Then they said everyone should wear masks. Then they said everyone should be double-masked. Why should we believe anything they say?” Yes, the advice from the experts keeps changing as they learn more about COVID-19 and see how the vaccines are working and how the disease is progressing. It should change. We’d be more ...

Jan. 6 investigation must be held

July 26, 2021

The events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol are unprecedented. Never before has a mob broken into the nation’s capitol to disrupt Congress in the midst of its duties — the certification of the election of a U.S. president. This was an appalling event, one that is being described differently by different parties. Was it a mob of insurrectionists, or a group of patriotic citizens who got carried away? Were they trying to reverse the election or simply voice their opinion? Was it a attempt to keep power fomented by then President Donald Trump? These are the kinds of questions ...

Et Cetera

July 24, 2021

Truman Healthcare The Truman City Council heard from Jeff Mengenhausen, CEO of Madelia Health, at their recent meeting. Mengenhausen expressed interest in renting the facility attached to Truman Senior Living and provide primary healthcare five days a week. When it comes to rural communities, having access to a consistent healthcare provider seems like a good move. This is especially true if more people are already heading to Madelia anyway, as Mengenhausen stated. By comparison, the Mayo mobile unit would only be able to come on an intermittent basis. We think the council made a ...

Weather doesn’t respect borders

July 23, 2021

Perhaps you noticed the moon the last couple of nights with a reddish tint as it crept across the sky. No doubt you saw the haze in the morning air as you looked down the street, or across the valley. Meteorologists tell us the haze is being caused by wildfires burning in the West, affecting our air quality. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has been issuing air quality alerts the last couple of days as the haze descends. We are used to weather from Canada blowing across the border with no regard for the customs officials. Alberta Clippers have been whipping up snowstorms and ...

County fairs brighten up summer

July 22, 2021

The COVID-19 restrictions last year forced us to give up a lot of things that we take for granted — packing into a ballpark to watch a town team baseball game, for instance, or going to the movies or out for dinner. One thing that hurt a lot of small Minnesota communities was the shutdown of the county fairs. All the kids working on their 4-H and FFA projects and preparing their animals for showing thought they had nowhere to show them. However, thanks to Steve Pomerenke and Kent Thiesse, The Minnesota Youth Livestock Expo provided an outlet. However, adults working on their art, ...