Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I like riding my motorcycle without hands on the handlebars from time to time. I know it’s probably frowned upon and not advised, just like riding without a helmet. But when I’m going down the road at cruising speed, it’s freedom: The bike and I are one. I’m just wondering,… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Disclosure: This is a biased-against-Russia column. As a long-time student of Russia, I have consumed a great deal of its history. Except for some very brief periods, it is a country that is and always has been run by thugs. Anyone who thinks differently? I quite strongly believe you just haven’t studied… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener A reasonable plant adapts itself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to itself. That means that all progress depends on the unreasonable plant. Progress in horticulture depends also on the unreasonable breeder who works on developing varieties of these “unreasonable plants” that are resistant… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: Can I drive my car without the plastic bumper? My son hit a snow bank and it fell of the other day. Later he was stopped for not having a front license plate as it was attached to the bumper. Can he display the license plate in the front windshield?  … Read More

Publisher’s Perspective Chad Koenen I began questioning my sanity last Tuesday afternoon as I attempted to make the close-to 130 mile newspaper delivery route from Henning to Wolf Lake, Detroit Lakes and everywhere in-between. As I was driving all of 15 miles per hour on Highway 10 near Frazee, my phone began to ring as… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener If you want a healthy, weed- free lawn but are concerned about the effects of herbicides and synthetic fertilizers on your environment, especially if you live on a lake, there is an effective, all-natural product that will ease your conscience and reduce weed growth in your lawn- corn gluten meal. Corn gluten… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda The thing one doesn’t know about retirement is that, when combined with a winter with snowfall close to record depths, you spend a lot of time in your house. Winter, it turns out, isn’t so bad when you don’t absolutely have to be someplace at some time. Yet one tries to… Read More

To the Editor, A few days ago, Governor Walz and the DFL led Minnesota Legislature, including a small group of Republican Senators, sent a message loud and clear when they passed the Universal School Meals bill: children and families are a priority in our state!  With the Universal School Meals law, K-12 students will have access to… Read More

Bev Johnson Master Gardener How was your garden last summer? Not as productive as you would like? If so, here are a few things to try. If you have problems with potato bugs, don’t plant your spuds until the last week in June, or even the first week of July.  By this time, the potato bugs… Read More

Question: I read your article last week about trailer safety. I would like more information on trailer hitch ball sizes and why they have different sizes?   Answer: There are four different trailer hitch ball sizes. Each size has a different weight rating related to the trailer you are pulling. It is very important to make… Read More