Opinions

I Was Thinking... Company’s Coming

Those two words can create diametrically opposite reactions in most homes. Recently we got a call from a high school friend of mine that now lives in Texas. He called to let us know that they were on the way to the Twin Cities for a wedding and if it would be okay for them to stop for a visit. Of...

Take the heat, air quality seriously

As this edition of the Dodge County Independent goes to press on Tuesday, the National Weather Service is forecasting southern Minnesota to be facing the hottest temperatures of the season. The state has also seen an increasing number of days under air quality alerts, some because of fires raging...

Why do we leave our squad cars running?

One question that came up a few times at the Dodge County Fair was, “Why do you keep your squad cars running?” Actually, one man walked in our fair building yelling at me about wasting his tax dollars with our squads running. While he never gave me the chance to debate his concern before he walked...

I Was Thinking... How Did I Get Here?

Once you reach a certain age, each birthday ignites more introspection. Maybe it is because you don’t know how many more birthdays you have yet to celebrate. A common thought that often surfaces is, how did I get to be this age? I remember my grandparents and even my folks reaching these milestones...

Sound of Freedom

If you have not yet seen the new film Sound of Freedom, you should. Putting aside whatever people in the media say about it, it has an important message for everyone. According to the United Nations, nearly 50 million people in the world are enslaved. It is also reported that the number of people...

County Fair concludes, more fun coming up

The 166th Dodge County Free Fair is now history and from all observations it looks like a success. No official attendance figures have been released yet, but the grounds always seemed full of people. Aside from some hazy, smoke-smelling skies on a couple of days thanks to those fires in Canada the...

Nelson encourages constituents to visit MyOldMeds.com for safe drug disposaL

MyOldMeds.com is a free online resource listing over 22,000 convenient and safe medication disposal locations across Minnesota and all 50 states. Hosted by the Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Work Group (PPSWG), the website provides a valuable public health service by connecting...

I Was Thinking... Doing It Their Way

A body discovered near Byron City Hall on Monday was identified Tuesday as a Rochester resident reported missing after leaving work earlier this month. The Southeast Regional Medical Examiners’ Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the body found near a retention pond was that of Wade Gordon, Jr...

Expanding access to broadband becoming reality

In 2023, you can’t fully participate in our economy if you can’t get online. That’s why I introduced a bill in 2020 to deliver high-speed internet to every zip code in America. It was ultimately included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and we just learned that Minnesota will be receiving a...

All this summer fun needs volunteers

The Dodge County Free Fair started this week, and it is obvious we are now well into the summer season. This is also the week for Good Neighbor Days in Byron. Next weekend the action moves to West Concord for that community’s annual Survival Days celebration. The last weekend of July will see...