To the Editor, We all want to ensure a dependable energy future for Minnesota. However, the Democrats’ 100 percent carbon-free energy proposal would not help advance this mission, and instead, could severely jeopardize our energy outlook.   Senate File 4, fittingly known as the “Minnesota Blackout Bill,” would mandate our state’s electricity to be from carbon-free sources…. Read More

To the Editor, I am writing this for the seniors that play cards on Thursday afternoon. Every year we have the same problem. It is cold cold in the senior center.  We wear two, three layers of clothing but that does nothing for the hands that shuffle the cards.  Sure, it is warm in the kitchen while people… Read More

By Lois Wiirre Special to the Dispatch On the farm in January it is fun to spend a day sliding down hills. It is a traditional winter activity that is enjoyed by kids and kids-at-heart. The choices on the farm are as follows: inner tube, flying saucer, toboggan, old car hood (it would hold five or six… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Read the book “An Air That Kills” by Andrew Schneider and David McCumber, and you may be afraid to start  seeds. The danger to most hobby gardeners is falling off a ladder, tripping over a hoe or cutting a toe off when digging a hole. We never think about what we… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Over the years, as fate has provided me with many and varied situations in which I had to make a choice between which to do, which to say, which to eat, which to write, I’ve accumulated some information. The information I’ve collected generally involves what someone else has said to me, as… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Valentines day is just around the corner, so you probably thinking about flowers for that special person. Red roses are the first flower that comes to mind for valentine flowers as they symbolize love. Even the guy who can’t tell a mum from a delphinium, knows what a rose is. Red roses… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Using her sweet conniving voice, Brunhilde the Driveway contacted me this morning earlier, while I was moving about the snowy farm yard admiring the large white frosty flocking job that Mother Nature had done on everything. Once one eliminated the less likeable aspects of winter, she can put a frost buildup… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: Hi, I was wondering if you are stopped at a stop light and in a left turn lane and an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens come in behind you (either in the turn lane or the lane to your right), what is the proper procedure? Thank you!   Answer: When… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener This article was suggested to me by a reader. For a first-time gardener, buying seeds can be an adventure. They first have to determine what to plant, then what varieties, how much of each plant and then, design the plot. Let’s start with the plot. The rows should run north to south…. Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Each day that I walk on the road for exercise, it becomes clearer and clearer that the drivers of the cars that meet me can be divided up into three categories. Walking gives you time to puzzle out stuff like this. The first category of people is the nicest one. These are… Read More