As I slowly awaken, Tobie curls up across my chest, covering my heart, purring. Paco nestles under my right arm, his big, soft, furry body inviting attention. It feels like they are trying to … more

I was talking with a friend the other day about immigration. It’s one of the most divisive issues of our time, and we, too, found ourselves divided. “Our country is full,” he quoted President … more

The journey from democracy to dictatorship involves many steps. Some are small, others are large, but few in the last 243 years of American history have had the potential to be as consequential as … more

There’s good news and bad on the healthcare front in Minnesota. First, the bad news— the number of Minnesotans without health insurance increased this year, by about 18,000. For most of these … more

In his classic book, “13 Ways to Kill Your Community,” Doug Griffiths puts “Don’t Attract Business” at Number Two. We all know that attracting new businesses to our small communities is … more

My mind is still spinning after taking part in the International Climate Strike, the brainchild of Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old girl from Sweden whose special gift is her ability to simply but so … more

Last week’s excellent letter to the editor from Lake Vermilion resident Elaine McGillivray reminded us of how the derogatory term “packsacker” is so regularly misused in our area by those of … more

It wasn’t inevitable that PolyMet Mining’s proposed copper-nickel mine near Hoyt Lakes would face growing skepticism by the courts and by independent government watchdogs. But an environmental … more

Why in the world do people fall for fake news? I have labeled this alternatively as willful ignorance, gullibility, the failure of the public school system, the dearth of critical thinking and civics … more

While the impacts from Hurricane Dorian thankfully passed far from Minnesota, even here in the North Country, we can’t escape the impacts that Hurricane Trump continues to inflict on our federal … more