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Did you celebrate Christmas or Xmas or Holiday? To the editor: It seems like the perfect time of year to reflect on our lives for the past year and try to determine how well it was or how well we did. There are many ways to look back to judge how it was such as: Are we financially better, maybe are family and friends circle got larger or maybe our health is better, etc. But none of these truly tell us what is most important to reflect on to determine the success of the past year. For the “Christian” the best determiner of how well we did would be how well we represented that our ...

Readers' Views

Letters to the Editor

Do the right thing, SAVE THE OPERA HOUSE To the editor: I am so angry about the whole debacle that was the downfall of our Community Center. From the change in the language on the ballot, the frivolous lawsuit, a City Council that can't work together to accomplish much of anything! I am only one person, I do not escape MN winters by going south, am a Senior Citizen who has lived in this community my entire life and paid taxes for 50 of those years and was thoroughly looking forward to being able to enjoy exercising while socializing with friends and making new ones for nine months ...

Readers' Views

Letters to the Editor

Consider supporting Kids Against Hunger To the Editor: I’m writing to encourage participation and support of the 17th annual Martin County Kids Against Hunger fund raiser and food pack from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, 2026 at the Fairmont National Guard Armory. For the past two years I have participated in the food pack along with my wife Vicky Sagehorn Forst who encouraged me to help out with this very worthwhile cause. In 2026 it’s our goal to pack 100,000 single serving meals and raise $30,000 in monetary donations. In 2025 we packaged over 108,000 meals thanks to the ...

Readers' Views

Letters to the Editor

Affordable health care in rural communities To the editor: Southwest Minnesota families are struggling with skyrocketing healthcare costs — and yet, large hospital chains continue to shut down local clinics and eliminate essential services. This leaves rural communities like ours with fewer options and higher prices. Representative Marj Fogelman has consistently voted against initiatives that could help families access affordable care. She opposed HF 1 (2025), which expanded state subsidized healthcare for legally residing immigrants and families in need and has resisted policies ...

Reflecting on 2025; priorities for the year ahead

Columns

As 2025 draws to a close and Minnesotans enjoy a holiday season filled with family, friends, and, yes, snow, I wanted to take stock of what we’ve accomplished this year, reflect on some of the challenges we’ve faced, and look forward to the work ahead. This year started with the transition of power from one president to another. I chaired the bipartisan inauguration committee and spoke about the need to recommit to my North Star: finding common ground where I can and standing my ground where I must. Last Congress, during a highly partisan time, I was again ranked as one of the ...

Politics isn’t measured in words, it’s measured in results

Columns

Politics is a lot of talk. Sometimes, that conversation results in action. Other times, it fizzles out and gives way to the next headline, the issue forgotten and the solution left uncharted. In my decade as a Minnesota senator, I have seen dozens, maybe hundreds, of conversations bubble up and then pop before any meaningful reforms are signed into law. If we only talk and don’t act, nothing changes. From housing affordability to mental health, and from public safety to education, those of us who write our laws and decide how to spend the public’s money must remember that when ...