Mistakes made by some public officials in dealing with COVID-19 seem outrageous to us now. That may not have been so obvious when the errors were made — but knowing about them can avoid their repetition. The coronavirus epidemic is much like wartime: Resources must be used effectively. ...
Please be considerate To the Editor: Can we do the simple, considerate and responsible thing? Wearing face masks? What was a concern of mine before was fueled by a recent news story about a restaurant owner who had saved money for his family to purchase a home and instead invested ...
OWATONNA “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” I grew up in the 1960s inspired by these words from the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet, I am heartsick that today, more than 50 years later, racial injustice continues to be a stain on our national ...
Regardless of how you lean politically, what Army Gen. Mark Milley did recently was reassuring. President Donald Trump has been criticized by some — and, it needs to be noted, praised by others — for something he did after a night of civil unrest near the White House. You will have heard ...
Campsites reopening Martin County commissioners this week moved ahead with reopening county parks, although with added sanitary precautions and limits on the quantity of campers. We believe commissioners have done the right thing. It is summer and much “camping” is done outdoors, where ...
Save money on energy To the Editor: There are quick and free ways to reduce your energy and water costs. For example, you can order a free water conservation kit compliments of Minnesota Energy Resources, the natural gas company that serves Fairmont. These kits are free to Minnesota ...
The police reform legislation being considered in the special session of the Minnesota Legislature is following the path of the bonding legislation that is also being debated. Everyone agrees that something needs to be done — it’s just a matter of how much. DFLers want more and Republicans ...
People like Derek Chauvin need to be kept out of law enforcement. When they manage to elude safeguards, they need to be identified and booted out of the profession. And when law enforcement brutality does occur, it must be punished swiftly and severely. Chauvin, of course, is the ...
American taxpayers should not be handing out hundreds of billions of dollars in aid to businesses without having at least some idea of where our money is going. That seems obvious. However, demanding such transparency puts the U.S. Treasury Department — and some of the businesses being ...
Millions of Americans remain unemployed as the nation struggles to get an economy stalled by COVID-19 back in gear. Some success has been seen: the U.S. unemployment rate is now 13.3%, much better than the 14.7% a month prior. Still, we have a long way to go. Prior to the coronavirus ...
A thank you to local police To the Editor: With what we are seeing in the news within our own state of Minnesota and around the country, hopefully I am in the silent majority of those people who believe in upholding and sustaining the law of the land. The only way our representative ...
No one knows with certainty how many human beings — men, women and children — were forced to stand on the 800-pound stone that remained planted in the ground on a street corner in Fredericksburg, Virginia, for 176 years. What we do know is that each and every one of them was treated like an ...
Making the right choice Everyone is disappointed, we are sure, that the Martin County Fair board of directors has decided to cancel the fair for 2020. The fair is always eagerly anticipated and always a great time, given everything it offers and given the chance to mingle with old friends and ...
The American Red Cross, which supplies blood to hospitals throughout Minnesota, has been facing a double whammy the past few months due to the COVID-19 virus. The social distancing restrictions have impacted the number of blood collection drives that can be held, and have limited the number of ...
Unit serves during civil unrest To the Editor: On June 30, your local National Guard unit was activated as part of the governor’s full mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard. Our battalion, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, is a subordinate unit of the 1-34 Armored Brigade ...
The Minnesota Legislature, unable as always, it seems, to complete its work during its regular session, will convene Friday to try to get the job done. Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday that he is calling a special session to handle an assortment of items, including police reform, assisting ...
As the United States began the process of “reopening,” there was encouraging news on the economic front. About two weeks ago, nearly 25 million Americans were receiving unemployment benefits, the Labor Department reported. By Thursday, the number had decreased to about 21.5 million. We ...
Calls for massive “defunding” of law enforcement are simply insane. When political correctness addles our brains to the point we fail to recognize the critical need we have for the “thin blue line” to safeguard us from crime, we Americans will be in real, imminent danger. Yet some ...
People can still help veterans To the Editor: Because of COVID-19, the Welcome Legion Auxiliary Post 553 was not able to have its annual Poppy Day fundraiser. Poppy Day is celebrated in countries around the world. The Friday before Memorial Day is National Poppy Day. The red poppies are ...
In the past, journalists in the United States have been able to safely perform their work, as domestic acts of violence against them were a rare occurrence. However, during the recent protests we have seen journalists attacked on Main Streets across America. While some of these assaults can ...