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

Question: Can a parent with a revoked license still accompany a permit driver?   Answer: No, they cannot. A permit holder may drive under the supervision of a parent, guardian or other licensed driver 21 or older occupying the seat beside them. • The permit holder must have the permit in possession to drive. • It’s illegal for… Read More

Research on this column, which is to be about the worst Christmas gifts ever, reminds me of a time when we The Family (Me) decided that only children–they were grown and gone– would receive gifts. Granted, we would all still get stockings, where the rule would be: If it don’t fit, (in the stocking) don’t… Read More

An error was noted in an article entitled “Perham Health expands healthcare offerings in your own backyard” in the November 29 issue of the New York Mills Dispatch. Director of EMS, Rebecca Huebsch, did not retire as stated in the article. She is new and is replacing Jim Rieber, who recently retired. The NY Mills Dispatch… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Taking proactive measures now can help young yard trees survive winter weather conditions and hungry wildlife, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Yard trees provide countless benefits to our environment and our well-being. They help clean our air, reduce our electric bills and enhance our surroundings, to name a few,”… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Out on a service call once, I was searching in vain for a wrench or wire or some missing part, this while everything was spread out on the basement floor in front of the furnace which I was trying to get working.  Although I had just had the part in my… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: My question is why electric cars and trucks do not have front license plates? These are all from Minnesota which is required by law.  They are not from out of state.   Answer: Electric vehicles are required to have a front license plate in Minnesota, this is a common equipment violation…. Read More

Rod Bernu There wasn’t much for people to cheer about in small Minnesota towns in the 1930s. New York Mills, with a population of some 600 people located in Otter Tail County on US Highway 10 between Wadena and Perham, was among them. After the end of the first World War in 1918, where 26,000 American… Read More