Hawkins should resign To the Editor: It saddens me that the Fairmont councilman at-large seems to be working toward his own agenda and not the agenda of the city as a whole. If removing someone from a position that has been held for 30 years (or any period of time), then this should have ...
Juveniles who support terrorist groups actively can escape serious prosecution under federal law because of a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, The Associated Press reported this week. Already, that has prompted federal prosecutors to skip proceedings against some minors, allowing state courts ...
Let us hope the name of the man who shot two people to death and wounded two others at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte fades quickly from the public’s consciousness. If notoriety was part of his goal, it ought to be denied to him. Riley Howell should be remembered. When the ...
The last men and women who saw the horrors of the Holocaust with their own eyes will pass away within just a few years. No more elderly women will be left to tells about mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters sent to death camps, never to return. No more white-haired veterans who liberated the ...
Put ‘coupons’ to use People accumulate things in their homes, some of which can be troublesome or expensive to be rid of. Even if they want to clean up, they may feel stymied. So we think it is great that the city of Fairmont mails out “coupons” each year to its utility customers to ...
We need better leaders To the Editor: After reading about the recent behaviors of members of our City Council, I have to ask ... Where is the discussion about the idea of making the change to contract for legal services or to continue with the current format? Is this now a council that ...
Fairmont City Councilman Tom Hawkins is presenting a distorted view to the public when it comes to whether the city should retain in-house legal counsel or contract for legal services. This is a sign of a weak argument. Minnesota has 853 incorporated cities. Hawkins likes to point out that ...
‘Analysis’ erroneous To the Editor: Thursday’s “analysis” by Editor Lee Smith in the Sentinel about the city of Fairmont’s City Attorney issue contained much innuendo with no proof regarding me and other councilors. The document he received after his request was 44 pages long ...
The mainstream national news media are never going to treat President Donald Trump with any respect or fairness. This is evident in the ongoing “coverage” of the Mueller investigation, despite the fact the probe has ended and found that neither Trump nor anyone in his campaign ...
Gas-tax hike nonsense To the Editor: Despite bipartisan opposition, Minnesota House Democrats passed a transportation finance proposal that would force drivers to pay 20 cents per gallon more at the pumps — a 70 percent increase — and raises taxes by more than $4 billion dollars over ...
The yearly calendar is full of days and weeks devoted to building awareness for various causes or social problems or health concerns. This week has a special theme that deserves a lot of attention — it is National Infant Immunization Week. What makes this week especially significant is that ...
The Minnesota House of Representatives voted Monday to increase the state’s gas tax by 20 cents per gallon, or 70 percent from its current 28.5 cents. Don’t worry. This tax will never be enacted. The vote in the House was along party lines, 74-58. Democrats control the House and passed ...
As the Minnesota Legislature gets down to the tough issues that lie ahead before its May 20 adjournment, one of the things it and Gov. Tim Walz need to look at is the governor’s tax proposal. According to an analysis by the Department of Revenue, the taxes Walz is proposing would hit the ...
Nonsensical legislation To the Editor: Minnesota House Democrats have passed health and human services spending legislation, a proposal that increases health care costs, makes harmful cuts to nursing homes that provide care to aging Minnesotans, and fails to prevent rampant fraud in ...
Get ready for I-90 work Things are about to get busy — busier — on Interstate 90 near Fairmont. Nearly $40 million in road work is scheduled over the next two summers on the 20-mile stretch from Fairmont to Blue Earth. The Minnesota Department of Transportation held a public meeting on ...
Give Mexican officials some credit for working with the United States to stem the tide of illegal immigrants flowing through their country and into the United States. In contrast with past practice, Mexico City seems to be more interested in keeping its promises regarding the problem. It is, ...
Hoping for a change To the Editor: I find it difficult to believe a city the size of Fairmont does not have a separate human resources department. In fact, I feel this is unacceptable and foolhardy. An HR department is a necessity not a luxury. The City Attorney should not have been ...
Con artists succeed primarily by convincing their victims that riches can be had with little or no investment or risk. So do some politicians. Contenders for the Democratic Party nomination for president next year seem to be engaged in a race to determine which one can offer the most ...
On April 15, the five members of the Fairmont City Council agreed they should attain an assessment of whether it would be better for the city to contract for legal services or to continue with in-house counsel. This compromise was put together after two council members — without authority or ...
What was North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s game last week in publicizing the fact his military had test-fired a new type of rocket? That is difficult to discern — but it is clear his intent was not to reassure anyone he is eager to dismantle his arsenal. One interesting aspect of the ...