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Readers' Views

Promoting foster care To the Editor: May is National Foster Care Month. The number of licensed county homes in Faribault and Martin Counties is at a critical low with only 12 providers who have active licenses in both counties. During National Foster Care month, I want to reach out to the community members in Faribault and Martin counties to ask if you would consider opening your hearts and homes to children in need. Children who are unable to remain in their homes for whatever reason need to be moved to a safe, stable environment. Foster care is meant to be a temporary living ...

Victory today comes with consequences

The leaking to the press of a draft ruling to overturn the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion has caused a seismic ripple across the nation. It has also tainted the so-called sacredness of the Supreme Court. An angry Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. lambasted the leak as a betrayal. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the draft ruling “an abomination.” U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., cheered the prospects of Roe v. Wade’s demise. “If the leaked opinion is accurate, then today is a landmark day for the sanctity of human life,” he said. The Supreme Court ...

Readers' Views

State Legislature: Help needed for seniors in our community To the Editor: Our senior living site has a long history of serving the Fairmont community and Martin County by providing care for older adults. We have a dedicated team of caregivers and professionals, and strive to fulfill our mission to provide compassionate care in a joy-filled environment. But like other long-term care providers across the state, we are struggling to attract staff. And this is impacting how many seniors we can serve. We serve many individuals who rely on a program called Elderly Waiver to receive care ...

Farmers tired of waiting for drought relief aid

While front line workers and business owners in Minnesota can express a sigh of relief, farmers are still waiting. On Friday, Gov. Tim Walz signed into law legislation providing direct payments to frontline workers and replenishing the unemployment trust fund, providing tax relief for small businesses. Meanwhile, negotiations between the two houses of the Legislature continue over the drought relief package. The hangup is over DNR funding proposed in a House version of the bill for seedlings and shade trees lost in the drought. The other part of the relief package is $10 million in ...

Et. Cetera

Program honors students on other path The Fairmont Women of Today and Poppe’s are recognizing seniors in the county who may be pursuing something different after high school graduation. We’d like to thank these groups for their effort to honor these students through the “gas for grads” program. Boy Scouts partner with school for program Boys Scouts of America-Twin Valley Council has partnered with Fairmont Elementary School to do some STEM programming. What a great partnership. It’s always nice to see different entities work together, especially for the betterment of our ...

Readers' Views

Seeking to fill open seat To the Editor: Due to the unfortunate passing of Congressman Jim Hagedorn, a special primary election will be held to fill his seat on Tuesday, May 24. Early voting at your county elections official is open right now. For 25 years, I have been working hard to represent southern Minnesota families, farmers, and businesses. I am now ready to translate those legal/advocacy skills into fighting for our rural way of life in Washington D.C. My campaign has already brought me to homes and businesses in all 21 counties in our district. I have personally knocked on ...