The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Fifty-six years ago I was in Vietnam, up by the DMZ at a place called Quang Tri Combat Base. It was named Quang Tri for a small village close by. I turned 25 years old there. I had been drafted by the U.S. Army and assigned the MOS  (mode of service–or,… Read More

By Alice Martin Friends of a Feather There are approximately 350 species of hummingbirds in the world, but only about 16 varieties of them live in the United States, and the only one living east of the Mississippi River is our Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  The name is a bit of a misnomer. Their throat isn’t “ruby” at all.  It… Read More

To the Editor, An open letter to Minnesota Representative Michelle Fischbach: A primary mission of the League of Women Voters is to empower voters through voter education and engagement. In early July, the five local chapters of the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Congressional District 7, supported by the LWV Minnesota, sent a letter to your… Read More

By Adam Johnson NYM School Superintendent Hello everyone, I hope the start of the school year has gone smoothly for everyone. At New York Mills Schools, we have had a great start so far. The open house celebration and Neon Dance that was hosted by Close-Up were great ways to start the school year. Both were well-attended and… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda (Upon request, I’m rerunning this.) My sister and her husband bought land on the outskirts of Flagstaff, where it was so deserted that the first street—dirt road, really—was named after my sister. When someone purchased the five acres beside theirs, and parked some cars over on my sister and her husband’s property, it… Read More

By Jesse Grabow Ask a Trooper Can you explain what the lines on the highways and streets indicate? I feel like a lot of people can’t figure it out. Thanks.   Answer: I sure can. Pavement markings direct and regulate traffic.   White lines separate lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction. • White dashes: You can change lanes… Read More

Many adults can likely recall mornings during their childhood when newspapers were tossed into the driveways of many homes throughout their neighborhoods. Some adults might even have delivered papers from their bicycles each morning.  Such scenes may now be a relic of the past, thanks in large part to wide reliance on the Internet as a… Read More

Dean Ridings America’s Newspapers Strong communities don’t just happen. They rely on connection—residents knowing what’s going on, businesses reaching the customers who keep them open, and citizens having the facts to make good decisions. Local newspapers provide that connection in ways no other source can. In today’s fractured media environment, trust is the rarest commodity. Confidence… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda So we have five seasons, eh? Or more? Let’s see: Summer,  Autumn, Winter, Spring, Mud, Leaves, Road construction. Any more?  Yes. I have yet another season to add to that list: The season of Asian beetles, which are coming to life in the south windows of the house as the bugs warm… Read More

Garver’s Movie Review Bob Garver Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is known as a top-tier talent without top-tier recognition. None of his movies have made more than $50 million at the domestic box office, and despite 11 nominations, he’s never won himself an Academy Award (a combined three Oscar wins have come from his films, including Daniel… Read More