The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda What writers love more than anything else is illogic. This time, it was no further away than the local exercise gym. “We have a new program here sponsored by your health insurance agency that will reimburse you in actual dollars if you come and exercise at least eight times each month.”  Really? And… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: Can you write about airbags? I know you just wrote an article about it being best for kids to ride in the back seat. I know airbags are an issue for kids in the front seat so I thought this would be a good topic. Thank you.   Answer: An airbag… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Have you ever met a gardener who was happy with this year’s garden? Never happens. The gardener’s mantra is “it will look better/ different next year.” They can always find a corner that needs improving or re-doing. The biggest problem for many gardeners is shade. If it is in heavy shade,… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda I was sitting on the south side of the little—and old—granary here on the farm the other day. It was midafternoon, the sun was shining on me, it was one of those perfect early summer days. Not too hot; not too cold; just right. Off to the north, I could hear the… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Most gardeners have a problem area in their “estates.” An ugly shed, a deck with 6 feet of bare legs, a neighbor’s ugly fence, the places you can’t plant a coverup hedge. The solution could be a vine.  Boston ivy will grow almost anyplace except in full shade. Actually, if you… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I thought I heard something about a new law in regards to caretaker information included on driver’s license or identification card record. Do you have any information on this?   Answer: You can now use your Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) records to let law enforcement know if you’re the caretaker… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda (I found the first wood tick of the season; here’s my favorite wood tick column.) I sat in church last Sunday and marveled as I usually do at how one’s mind tends to ramble past thoughts much more freely there. Is it the austere tones of the interior decorating? The largeness of… Read More

Ask A TrooperSgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I was just talking with someone the other day and they mentioned there is an age requirement for operating an “e-bike.” Can you get me more information on this?   Answer: When it comes to E-bikes, a driver’s license or permit is not required. However, the minimum operator age is… Read More

To the Editor, May was a very busy month in Washington as the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.  In mid-April, the House and Senate agreed to a budget resolution, which set House Committees off to the races to draft legislative recommendations based on the agreed budget targets. One of the largest of these components… Read More

To the Editor, With embers from Minnesota’s wildfires still smoldering and Canadian smoke darkening our skies, it’s worth remembering that fires burn more than trees—they consume peatlands, a living foundation beneath our forests that has protected us for centuries. Once lost, these carbon-rich wetlands cannot be replaced. Peatlands are waterlogged wetlands filled with thousands of years of… Read More