To the Editor, I am writing to express disappointment with a recent decision by the New York Mills School District to deny a local homeschool student the opportunity to participate in this year’s commencement ceremony. This student, who has deep ties to our community and peers within the public school, simply wanted to walk with classmates and… Read More

To tbe Editor, Minnesotans’ access to health care, more specifically eye care in new and meaningful ways for communities of all sizes, is at a crossroads at the State Capitol, and your input is necessary. Currently, in the Minnesota Legislature, SF 1144/HF 1011 would modernize the scope of practice for optometrists to use their knowledge and training… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda The arrival in the mail of the large white envelopes filled with the pretty blue papers marked “important property tax information enclosed” is not the highlight of anyone’s day. It’s not even the best of a worst day.  This eighty acres on which I live went up in value $100,000.00. That’s just… Read More

By Adam Johnson NYM School Superintendent Congratulations to all of our new Hall of Fame members: Howard Legried, Richard Ericksrud, the 1973 Girls Basketball team, Terry Weller, and Joel Kumpala. Thank you for what each of you have meant to New York Mills Schools. Thank you to everyone who attended purse bingo in support of New York Mills… Read More

To the Editor: As a concerned citizen of the community and a member of the New York Mills Public Library board, I wanted to pass on some disturbing information. Our local library along with libraries throughout Minnesota have been notified that, by executive order issued on March 31, 2025, the Trump administration has essentially shuttered the… Read More

By Adam Johnson Special to the Dispatch On behalf of everyone at New York Mills Schools, I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter. Congratulations to all of our new Hall of Fame members: Howard Legried, Richard Ericksrud, the 1973 Girls Basketball team, Terry Weller, and Joel Kumpala. Thank you for what each of you have meant to… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener This is the time of year the growers introduce their new plants. If it is a brand-new perennial, let it hang around for 2 or 3 years to be sure it stands up to its promise. It may not be as winter hardy or as unusual or as attractive as advertised… Read More

By Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach I recently held a telephone town hall, and nearly 14,000 people tuned in for an update on what I have been working on and what’s been happening in D.C. I also answered some great questions about things concerning the people of the 7th District. It was great to learn from those who… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda I know some stuff about apple trees. Fifty years of stuff, to be exact. Just the last few days, people have been asking me: “What do I do with my apple trees, because….” They’re three or four or, or, or years old, and have never been pruned. They’ve never had apples, and they’re… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Although many years have passed since my brother and I were grade school students in the one-room country school in Iowa we knew as Douglas # 8, he and I quite often talk about it. One  topic always concerned how cold it was in that building in the winter. No insulation, of… Read More