Opinions

We can’t deny it; summer is winding down

It’s already August 15 so it looks like we can’t deny it. Summer, at least as far as vacations are concerned, is coming to an end. Last weekend the Kasson Festival in the Park drew a big crowd. But, aside from a couple of county fairs in the area such as the Steele County Fair which is going on...

New laws took effect August 1 in Minnesota

Several new laws passed during the 2024 legislative session went into effect on August 1, 2024. Like the 2024 session results or not, it’s important for citizens to understand how new laws affect them. I encourage all Minnesotans to familiarize themselves with these changes.” Key changes include:...

Every vote counts, even in primaries

There is an election coming up next Tuesday, Aug. 13, in Minnesota. It hasn’t received a lot of attention, especially here in Dodge County and southeastern Minnesota. A lot of you may even have forgotten about it, or consider it not as important as that big General Election coming up on November 5...

Open grants support welcoming communities

Since 1986, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) has invested over $60 million in grants across our 20-county region. These grants support a diverse array of projects, ranging from providing books to young children to fostering growth in small towns. Many of our grants also support...

Rural EMS providers can now apply for $24 Million in emergency aid

Applications are now open for a $24 million emergency aid package aimed at bolstering rural ambulance services across Minnesota. The package targets providers making 30 or fewer trips per square mile in their primary service area. Our rural EMS services cover large but sparsely populated areas....

Taylor has helped save journalism in Minnesota

It’s probably not what he expected, but it’s where my heart and passion lie. On Sunday night, I had the opportunity to meet Minnesota billionaire entrepreneur Glen Taylor and his wife, Becky, at the Federated Challenge in St. Paul. Taylor is the owner of the Taylor Corporation in North Mankato,...

Public notice out of state helped inform local community

There has been a lot of debate over whether or not there should be changes to legislation requiring public notices to be required to be printed in newspapers. We have heard all the arguments, some communities don’t have a newspaper, it’s expensive, the list goes on and while it may be relevant in...

Our differences need to be solved by elections

Friends and neighbors, The attempted assassination of former President Trump is an absolute tragedy. Our country’s long tradition of welcoming everyone to the political process through debate, rallies, and civic dialogue is undermined when violence rings out instead of cheers of support. We should...

I Was Thinking... Desire for Danger & Destruction

Several weeks ago, the Dodge County Fair drew large crowds at their grandstand shows. A variety of races, bull riding and a demolition derby filled the stands with families. While each separate event offered a somewhat different venue, they all had a couple things in common, the chance of danger...

Fair’s over, what’s next on the schedule

The Dodge County Fair is over but there is still plenty of activity in area. All indications are that the fair had another successful year. Certainly the weather cooperated. We have several pages of photos in this week’s edition of the DCI and there will be more fair-related stories for the next...