Of all the questions that I’ve fielded over the past two years about the situation in the city of Tower, the most common has been this: Is there evidence that anyone benefitted personally from … more

Recently, I participated in the Writers’ Night Out, an event orchestrated by people and for people who enjoy words in a multiplicity of ways: hearing them, discussing them, trying out new … more

According to critics, legislation recently introduced in Washington by Congresswoman Betty McCollum that would create a sulfide mining exclusion zone around a portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe … more

Donald Trump long touted himself as the “King of Debt” and he appears intent on proving he can bring the once fiscally-conservative GOP over to his way of thinking. Trump knows that … more

When my father died in 1959, the impact upon my family resulted in many of the predictable challenges when a loss of that nature occurs. As is common, our family was thrust into greater financial … more

The news can get pretty discouraging these days. We all know people who refuse to pay attention to it because it’s bad for their mental health. But if you tune in to what’s happening … more

Technology and elections have proven to be a bad combination. We saw that play out once again on Monday night, when the breakdown of a smartphone app that Iowa Democrats thought would allow party … more

Small town newspapers have been an integral part of American life for centuries, which is why it’s easy to think that they’ll always be there. Yet, like their big city cousins, small-town … more

I once heard a comedienne do a riff on getting older. She said, “When I was young, I thought getting lucky meant I went out and met someone I wanted to see again. Now I think I “got … more

In recent weeks, Minnesotans have had a peek into the inside operations of two major state agencies– the Department of Natural Resources and the Pollution Control Agency. We should all be … more