In the Feb. 15 paper I read another article, “Agents menaced observers at their homes, filings say,” similar to reports in various media outlets over the last few weeks. The stories describe visits by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the homes of citizens exercising their constitutional rights as observers. There is clearly confusion about how this can actually happen.

The 2026 Legislative Session began this week with a touching tribute to House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
Melissa Hortman and I served together for many years. We talked frequently, and I’m happy that I regularly made her chuckle during the tough days. We both strove to advance the interests, and improve the lives, of our constituents.
Speaker Hortman will be greatly missed.

In Minnesota, winter is more than a season — it’s a stage. As the temperatures drop and snow blankets our towns, gyms and arenas across the state come alive. Winter tournament season is one of the most special times of the year in Minnesota, bringing together students, families, schools, and entire communities in a way that few other events can.

I was riding a dopamine high last Friday morning.
We were in Brooklyn Park for the annual Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention. The night before, we took the Mills Trophy back to Owatonna for the second year in a row.
The Mills Trophy is a highly coveted award in the world of print newspapers. It is given to the best weekly newspaper in Minnesota each year.

If you’ve been following education news lately, you may have heard the phrase “the Science of Reading.” Across the country, schools are rethinking how children learn to read, and Kasson-Mantorville is part of this important shift. At its core, the Science of Reading has been built over decades and explains how the human brain learns to read. Unlike speaking, reading doesn’t come naturally.