A storm for the record book

February 18, 2021

Minnesotans tend to be rather blasé about winter storms in other parts of the country. We are used to dealing with snow, ice and cold and figure people in the South, for instance, where an inch of snow can absolutely paralyze a city, are over-reacting. But the massive winter storm that swept the country this week is something else again. Millions of people are without power. Texas is especially hard hit, where two million homes and businesses are powerless as record cold hammers them. About 20 people have died as a result of the storms. Three died in a sudden tornado in North ...

Take a moment to stand with Buffalo

February 17, 2021

The shock of last week's shooting at the Allina Clinic in Buffalo is still there, especially for the people of Buffalo and the health care workers in the clinic who were the target of the rampage. Today, we can all do something to show solidarity with Buffalo and the clinic. Allina Health, parent company of the clinic (and of the New Ulm Medical Center clinic and hospital) is inviting communities across the state to participate in activities today, one week after the shooting. Among the activities, we can all observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. We can wear purple, the color of the ...

Stunning images at Trump trial

February 15, 2021

The U.S. Senate's impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump may not result in a conviction. Enough Republican senators are hewing to their party line to prevent the conviction. Their minds were made up before the trial began that they would not vote to convict Trump. But this trial is far from a waste of time. If nothing else, it has given the people of the United States and the world a much more comprehensive look into the violence and madness of the crowd that overwhelmed Capitol security on Jan. 6 and rampaged through the building. On that day, we mostly watched the scene ...

Et Cetera

February 13, 2021

4-H Seminar Kudos to Martin County 4-H Ambassadors for hosting a free virtual seminar for area teens this weekend. Focusing on mental health and well-being, the seminar is meant to help kids find ways to cope with the stress, anxiety, and disappointment caused by the pandemic. Many have been suffering and have learned to adjust, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems along the way. We hope that the public health experts will provide helpful information to the youth of Martin County, who have shown themselves remarkably innovative and resilient. Stress has taken its toll on ...

How did Ulrich get hold of a gun?

February 12, 2021

We don't know what set off Gregory Paul Ulrich, sending him on a rampage to shoot up the Allina Clinic in Buffalo on Tuesday. But the fact that something was bound to set him off sooner or late was pretty well known by the staff at the clinic and by local law enforcement. The 67-year-old Ulrich has a long history with Wright County law enforcement, dating back to 2003, and a history of complaints about the medical care he was receiving. In 2018, Ulrich made frequent calls to a doctor at the clinic, in which he talked about shooting up the clinic, blowing it up, or other revenge ...

Getting better at vaccinating

February 11, 2021

Minnesota made a big jump in the rate of vaccinations recently. On Monday the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Minnesota jumped from 45th place to 14th in the nation in the rate of doses administered per 100,000 population. That's good news. At least 569,164 Minnesotans have received one vaccination, and 162,132 have completed the two-shot series. That still leaves a lot of people waiting for the vaccine, but the state announced it was diverting some 8,000 doses to pharmacies to get more people vaccinated. There are still problems, most caused by the short supply ...