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Opinion

Is it time for a new jail yet?

Local Editorials

During a recent work session to discuss the proposed Martin County Justice Center, Chief Deputy Corey Klanderud said he believed that the conversation of a new jail dates back to at least 2003. With a little bit of searching through the Sentinel’s digital archives through the Martin County Historical Society, a Sentinel article from Nov. 1, 2003 came up which was headlined “Despite positives, county jail still faces issues.” The article starts with, “For several years, the Martin County Jail has faced problems of being overcrowded and in violation of regulations passed in the ...

Proper communication could improve morale

Local Editorials

Former Fairmont city employee, Peter Bode, is the most recent in a string of city employees over the last few years to have resigned citing issues with the council and/or public. Bode, who just resigned on Feb. 7, shared a message with the council during its meeting on Monday night. He said that city staff has often been the target for personal attacks and campaigns to demean and discredit and told the council that administration does not do enough to protect city staff from people on the internet or interference of individual city councilors. He suggested the council develop a policy ...

Et. Cetera

Local Editorials

Habitat for Humanity and schools partner Fairmont Area Schools and Martin County West have each received $100,000 in grants to partner with Habitat for Humanity on some building projects. This is a win all around as the students will get experience in not only hands-on education, but on the importance of pitching in and giving back. It’s also a win for the community as it will provide some additional housing. Thank you to all involved in putting in the work to secure the grants. We look forward to watching these projects progress. MCKAH prepares for 16th pack day Today is the 16th ...

Readers' Views

Letters to the Editor

Disrespect for the law To the editor: Did you know that during the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department? Did you know that about 19 police officers serve the Fairmont community (Fairmont police website (1/29/25)? Over seven times that number of Fairmont police officers were assaulted on the day of Jan. 6, 2021, during that violent assault on Congress. That assault was urged on by the then President of the United States. On Jan. 20, 2025, 1,500 ...

Et. Cetera

Local Editorials

Dresses for a Cause expands Action169 is back again with its Runway for Action pop-up dress shop, which provides formal dresses at a low cost while supporting women overcoming exploitation and addiction. It’s great to see that this program has not only continued, but expanded with a bigger space and more options. We hope local girls take advantage of the opportunity and look forward to seeing more come from out of town for it. Sheriff’s Office ready to take on more coverage The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has taken over policing for the cities of Truman and Northrop. Chief ...

Stopping the spread of misinformation

Local Editorials

In a recent poll in the Sentinel, readers were asked whether Meta (Facebook) should focus more on protecting free expression or on combating misinformation. The question came following the Jan. 7 announcement that Meta would stop using third party fact-checkers on Facebook, Threads and Instagram. Instead, regular users will be able to add “notes” to posts, thus correcting inaccuracies or false claims. Local poll results showed that 62 percent believe Meta should focus more on combating misinformation. The results are encouraging. People know that misinformation can spread on social ...