Fairmont City Attorney Elizabeth Bloomquist has been on the job for 30 years. That’s a lot of wisdom in the city’s corner. She ably handles a wide variety of responsibilities, assisting every city department with legal questions. She also prosecutes local crimes and basically serves as the ...
City plans deer hunt Blue Earth City Council this week approved a city-run deer hunt that will involve a designated police officer using a bow and arrow. The city is working in conjunction with the Department of Natural Resources, and consulting with the city of New Ulm, which has long held ...
Most of the more than 400-page report special counsel Robert Mueller submitted to the Justice Department falls into the “tell us something we didn’t know” category. From various sources, Americans already had been made aware of nearly all the conclusions Mueller’s team reached in its ...
Minnesota Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker visited the Fairmont school district this week. She learned about the many great things happening in the local schools and offered praise for the cooperation in the community to ensure that local students enjoy success today and tomorrow. ...
Support the developing workforce To the Editor: America is facing a massive shortage of skilled labor, teachers and nurses, among other occupations. The institutions that heal the sick, educate our children and raise our buildings from the ground are being starved of the talent that they ...
Much of what governments keep secret from their people should be revealed. It is in the nature of public officials to keep knowledge that may threaten them quiet. But there is a difference between that and information that jeopardizes the security of an entire people. There are good reasons ...
Girl Scouts offer thanks To the Editor: Martin County/Fairmont Girl Scouts would like to thank all the parents, individuals, businesses and organizations that supported the girls in their recent cookie sale. A big thank you goes out to all the troop cookie managers for organizing, ...
Two Fairmont City Council members (Tom Hawkins and Randy Lubenow) recently approached the City Attorney and told her they planned to propose (at the April 22 council meeting) to change the city’s attorney services from in-house to contract. In other words, they were planning to fire her. They ...
Mini golf fundraiser set To the Editor: Project 1590 subgroup “Kids Just Want to Have Fun” is currently raising funds for a nine-hole miniature golf course that will be located by the Fairmont Aquatic Park. The group has raised roughly 70 percent of the $70,000 goal and hopes to break ...
Attorney General William Barr dropped something of a bombshell during testimony in Congress last week. But what he said should have come as no surprise. Though Barr was supposed to be testifying to a Senate committee considering the budget, questions turned to special counsel Robert ...
Ridiculous tax plans To the Editor: With the Minnesota House Democratic majority having unveiled all of its budget bills for the next two years, I have analyzed how these plans could impact Minnesota taxpayers. The answer is staggering: $12 billion in tax increases over the next four ...
Make up missed days The Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz have passed a law to allow school districts the chance to have their snow days “forgiven” this year, with the state paying the schools as if they had held classes. Schools, such as Fairmont Area, are considering whether to ...
Service projects needed To the Editor: The Fairmont Jr./Sr. High School Community Service Project Day is coming up on Friday, May 17. Rain date is May 24. Fairmont Student HUDDLE Groups are looking for service projects to work on. There are 46 HUDDLE Groups with an average of 15 students ...
Hosting a major sports event, such as the Super Bowl or the NCAA Men’s Final Four, provides a big boost in prestige and the economy for the community involved. Minneapolis has been fortunate to host both events within the past 14 months. But there is also a dark side to these events. They ...
“Health care is a human right, not a privilege,” lectured Sen. Bernie Sanders — even as he unveiled a plan that would deny Americans the right to seek the best health care they can afford. Sanders, the Vermont Independent running for the Democrat nomination for president, previewed his ...
Two major American political figures recently had some pretty “controversial” things to say about immigration into the United States. The first one said it only makes sense that the people entering a country — any country — work to assimilate themselves into the culture and learn to ...
The transportation debate in the state Legislature is circling back around to the old argument of the past — want more funding for roads and bridges? Then raise the gas tax. Gov. Tim Walz wants to raise it by 20 cents per gallon — a 70 percent increase. Democrats in the House agree. ...
Gun control is not the one-sided argument its proponents claim. In addition to the Second Amendment, there are practical considerations. For example, as a federal judge in California recognized recently, there is the real potential for new limits on firearms to be harmful. California law ...
Time for common sense To the Editor: On April 2, the Minnesota House Democratic majority unveiled its comprehensive transportation funding proposal for the next two years. Much like Gov. Tim Walz, House Democrats want to raise the gas tax by at least 20 cents per gallon. That’s ...
Reversing knowledge Human beings are the only animals that must knowingly confront reality, which is not always kind. Perhaps that is why so many humans try to avoid it or cheat it. But that’s not workable, as results show. One problem in our society today is that some parents are not ...