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Defend our common rights

Letters

To the editor: I taught English for 43 years. I don’t like all poetry, but I love some poems. “The Hangman” by Maurice Ogden is one. Into our town the Hangman came Smelling of gold and blood and flame- And he paced our bricks with a diffident air And built his frame on the courthouse square. “Due process” is an important part of our democracy. It means that everybody gets a chance to present his/her side of the story. The individual won’t just disappear, never to be seen or heard again. And innocent though we were, with dread We passed those eyes of buckshot ...

What is a good plan?

Columns

A simple definition of planning is thinking about what you have to do to accomplish your goal. It involves future thinking. Psychologists have tried to break down this type of thinking from a variety of perspectives. One view is that it is a process of formulating, evaluating, and selecting a sequence of thoughts and actions that hopefully will lead to the goal. Another perspective is that planning is a deliberate, mental organization of actions that are oriented toward a goal. Yet another perspective is that planning involves being conscientious, orderly, and meticulous, then ...

Building futures in New Ulm: CTE pathways expand with new equipment, opportunities

Columns

At New Ulm Public Schools, we believe in preparing students for life beyond graduation — whether that’s college, careers, or community leadership. One of the most exciting areas of growth in our district is Career and Technical Education (CTE). Looking ahead, we’re guided by our proposed district vision — “Inspire, Engage, Innovate. Soar.” — and, with the generosity of local businesses, community partners, and grant support, we’re building something truly special for our students and our community. Through the efforts of the CTE Campaign and the support of the New Ulm ...

Free health care for illegal immigrants: At what cost to Minnesotans?

Columns

A concerned constituent recently sent me a text message regarding the escalating cost of providing medical care to illegal immigrants in the State of Minnesota. Here’s what’s currently in place: In the 2023 Health and Human Services budget bill, illegal immigrants were granted free coverage under MinnesotaCare. The estimated cost for this over the next four years is $220 million, and the number of estimated enrollees was just over 5,000 individuals. Alarmingly, in the first three months of enrollment, over 17,000 individuals qualified, more than three times the original ...

A day at the circus

Columns

It was a rainy, gloomy spring day that didn’t seem good for much of anything. My wife turned to me and asked, “Would you like to do something different?” “I’ll try anything once!” I replied eagerly. And so, we went to see a circus. This is hard to admit, but I had never attended a circus. During my first 40-some years, working on my family’s dairy farm kept me far too busy for such falderol. Then I spent more than two decades working as a newspaper writer and ad salesman, a job that consumed most of my bandwidth. My wife and I have now reached the WC stage of life, ...

No sense in protecting claim sharks

Columns

The Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force — a collaboration of The American Legion, AMVETS, DAV, JWV, Marine Corps League, MOPH, PVA and VFW — calls on Minnesota state lawmakers to pass the anti-fraud measures to stop claim sharks taking advantage of our veterans. The time is now. Our veteran service officers across the state and at the federal building at Fort Snelling see claim sharks take advantage of our veterans over and over and over. Claim sharking is a classic numbers game. The sharks typically work under the name of an important-sounding consulting company with the word ...