To the Editor, In recent weeks, my office has received an overwhelming number of emails and phone calls from constituents who are strongly opposed to the new Minnesota state flag. Though the design itself is a concern to many, the greater disappointment lies with the severe lack of consensus it received from Minnesotans.   The new state… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda There are several seasonal subjects about which I have written. Wood ticks. Fishing opener. Deer hunting. Those are just a few. Perhaps it is ego; perhaps it is lack of faith; whatever it is, first columns about those subjects are columns which I don’t think I can improve. Here is another:… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Now that Christmas is over, the days will start getting longer. Your houseplants are singing hallelujah. They will start to produce more carbohydrates now for new growth. That makes it a perfect excuse for the avid gardener to get their hands in dirt. If the plant hasn’t been repotted for several years,… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective Chad Koenen I’m not sure about you but it seemed like the holidays really snuck up on me this year. Maybe it was the warmer-than-usual weather throughout the month of December and the lack of snow for Christmas, but regardless of the reason, Christmas and New Years was gone in the blink of… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda A few years ago, I wrote and complained about men not getting equal time on television. It seemed like everything on the screen concerned the weaker sex and a secretly embarrassing tendency to develop feminine itch. If it wasn’t two very attractive young women calmly discussing an itch, then it was one… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I have a question about people who are driving for food deliveries and ride-hailing app services using their personal vehicle. Are they supposed to have commercial insurance or any other special type of insurance? Back in the ‘80s, I was working as an owner/operator using my personal vehicle and was… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda It’s time to write my New Year’s resolutions.  Let’s do ones that have a good chance of success, like: I’m not going to father any more children. I know, I know. I’m really old. However. By definition, it is a legitimate resolution, and I list it in good faith. Fat chance I’ll blow… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Minnesota gardeners who have visited tropical areas drool over the bright tropical blooms. We have “flower envy.”  The University of Minnesota is working to increase winter hardiness in some of those exotic plants. Cold hardiness is “a complex, dawn-out affair” states Neil Anderson, professor of horticulture.  He says If the plant dies… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I am applying for a new job that will have questions about my driving record. Can I visit with someone from Law Enforcement to get a copy of that?   Answer: No, this is not something that Law Enforcement agencies can provide.   If you want to know what employers and insurers… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Gardeners get itchy this time of year. Some of them have started collecting more houseplants, even though their housemates are complaining they can’t see out the windows because of all the plants on the windowsills. Others are knee deep in seed catalogs, graphs, a list of what did well last year,… Read More