Ruth Koehler Calvary Writers He always does what comes naturally. Forages for food, yet is wary of his surroundings, distrusting what’s around the corner.  Smelling the hummingbird feeders with the sweet juices inside is irresistible. All was quiet as he scrambled up the bank. The moon shone pale casting a clear path through the freshly… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow   Question: Hello, maybe you can clear this up for me, what is the definition of stop? I think a slight pause is good enough. I look at it as I am stopping, but everything is clear so I can proceed. Answer: To answer your question, it is called a “stop sign”… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective Chad Koenen The Koenen family got in touch with our inner Chevy Chase (Clark Griswold from the movie National Lampoons Vacation) and recently made a cross country trek to the great southwest. We put close to 4,000 miles on our van as we traveled to Salt Lake City, several national parks like Zion… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Filing is underway for a number of local school board and city council positions in the area. With that, we are also beginning to field a number of questions from candidates about our policy regarding letters to the editor and a voters guide leading up to the election.  Though I haven’t seen any… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda I just got a short video from one of my twice removed cousins. This cousin is special because he ended up with Uncle Wilbur’s—that would be my dad’s Uncle Wilbur—1936 Plymouth Business Coupe, with less than 40,000 miles on it. In the video, he has apparently unburied it from way back… Read More

By Tucker Henderson Reporter A while back I was lent a newspaper insert from the New York Mills Herald, which bears only the year it was printed: 2000. With pictures and histories of our local communities from throughout the years, it certainly celebrates the history of what was as well as the history yet to be made…. Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener So you have more moss in your yard than grass and this is bothering you why? How could you be so lucky?  You only need to mow it about twice in the summer to trim off the odd blade of grass. There are few weeds that thrive in a mossy lawn…. Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Humbug. Charlatan. Quack. Con artist. Trickster. Snake oil salesman. Such are the terms we still use to describe people selling ocean front property in Iowa, and sure fire cancer treatment using weasel nut extract. Or the cure for Covid being drain cleaner. That’s one that deserves mention in this category. Actually, the… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I see so many vehicles driving too fast on the highways. Are you guys doing anything about it? Answer: You are correct and yes we are. As we’ve reached the halfway point of July – and summer – it’s important to remember that extra speed enforcement is ongoing across the state… Read More

By Tucker Henderson Reporter Some of you folks around town have already heard that I’m back in the Dispatch office after a six-week hiatus while working for Salolampi, the Finnish Language Village affiliated with Concordia Language Villages just north of Bemidji. First off, I would like to thank everyone for the heartfelt “welcome back” that I… Read More