Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: Does the Minnesota State Patrol have K9s? In what purpose do they serve? Answer: The Minnesota State Patrol K-9 unit is currently staffed with 15 K-9 teams trained to detect the odor of narcotics, and one team trained to detect explosives. The State Patrol’s dogs are not trained in other typical… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda The Yurho brothers were sitting in Smut’s Bar and Butcher Shoppe Emporium, all four of them: Stinky, Coffee, Pinball, and Belkula. They were tightfistedly nursing  tap beers and watching through the big plate glass window over the bar as several men butchered their way through an assortment of deer. Only in Boatville… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Now that gardening has come to a halt, it’s time to think about feeding the birds. Birds are messy eaters. They chuck the seed hulls all over the place. They are really picky and often will pull what seems to be a perfectly good seed out of the feeder and throw it… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Every few years, a new device that is a “guaranteed unbelievable breakthrough in energy savings” comes along. Back in the 60s, a “new breakthrough in the dynamic viscosity of hydraulics” was the latest heating “discovery.” This device, which as I remember weighed quite a bit, like around 30 or 40 pounds, bragged… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: What is the deal with the Minnesota State Patrol and the maroon colored squad cars? I’ve traveled all over the United States and don’t know if I’ve ever seen this color used before. Is there a reason for this? Answer: Good observation and yes, there is a reason deep within the… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardner Bunkey and his buddies were having coffee at the Pretty Good Café last week and complaining about the state of the world. Bunkey was being unusually quiet. “What is going on in your house?” asked Al.  “Petunia has her bloomers in a bunch because there are little flies all over the… Read More

To the Editor,  Fentanyl is cheap to produce, easy to disguise as prescription or over-the-counter pills, and can be deadly in doses small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil. Cartels have harnessed the power of social media to sell this deadly drug, leaving our kids in danger. In fact, one pill can kill. I… Read More

To the Editor, Never has there been a Speaker of the House so tied to the apron of an out of office former president than Mike Johnson. Winning the final vote was largely due to Trump’s endorsing Johnson’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election by any means.  If that bond remains unshakable, Donald J. Trump… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective Chad Koenen Every March we hear the statistics concerning how much productivity and work will be lost due to workers following the March Madness basketball tournament. Every November, a similar slow down of work occurs in Minnesota, especially in this part of the state, when it comes to deer hunting.  Now I am not… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda There is one thing for certain: You must watch what people do, not what they say. Words don’t jibe with actions. Here are some examples of words and phrases you should look out for. “This won’t hurt.” It is often followed closely by the phrase: “You’re going to feel just a bit… Read More