The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Some time ago, at a place where I worked, everyone came back in on Monday morning, with everyone eager to share their weekend behaviors with everyone else. Just like kindergarten show and tell, kind of. Bob (not his real name, because the real names are changed here to protect word murderers, which… Read More

Alisha Asleson OTC Master Gardener Volunteer Looking for something new to enhance your containers or landscape for the upcoming season? The Proven Winners® plant brand has a new portfolio of plants that they are adding to their collection for spring 2026. Proven Winners® is most famous for the introduction of Petunia Vista® Bubblegum® and is a… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I’m pregnant and I’ve seen seat belt attachments that clip under the seat and say they make belts safer for pregnant people. Are these safe to use?   Answer: I contacted the expert who is the Community Programs and Occupant Protection Manager for the Minnesota Safety Council and here is what… Read More

By Alice Martin Friends of a Feather Mute, Tundra, Trumpeter…the three Swans of Minnesota.   The mute Swan is the swan of fairytales because of the way it holds its neck in that “C” or “S” shape and slightly lifts its wings when swimming.  Mute Swans are not native to North America but are descended from swans imported… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda The English language, about which I have written intensely, never fails to enchant me, especially up here on the northern end of the great rural American prairie. That’s because, around here, you have to stay alert for Finnglish, which is a hybrid cross between English and Finnish that is heard quite… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I want to make sure my child is safe in the car, but I’ve heard that some car seats sold online are fake or don’t meet U.S. safety standards. How can I tell if a car seat is unsafe? Answer: Good question. I reached out to the expert who is the… Read More

By Ruth Koehler Special to the Dispatch It was November 22, 1963 in Minneapolis.  I was working at Hardware Mutuals Insurance on 24th and Hennepin operating an 826 Processor, forerunner of the modern computer.  I liked my work and was able to walk the five blocks from 19th and Stevens Avenue. My work consisted of processing insurance claims… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Writing last week about my grandmother brought back some more memories, one of which has to do with the general state of plumbing back when Grandma was growing up, in the early 1900’s. Plumbing wise, there were outdoor toilets, labelled for some reason “outhouses,” perhaps to avoid calling them something that actually… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective Chad Koenen Every once in a while I have a person ask me how I got into the newspaper industry. One would think I could come up with an aha moment in which the clouds opened up, the stars all aligned and inspiration struck to lead me into the journalism profession. Unfortunately, no such… Read More

Garver’s Movie Review Bob Garver It was all the way back in 2013 that audiences were first introduced to the Four Horsemen of Magic – J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher). The quartet blurred the line between “magic tricks” and “heists,” in that they… Read More