I am an ultra competitive person, and if you ask just about any of my sources, they will tell you I am very intense. I am sure a couple may be reading this column right now and chuckling or nodding their heads in agreement.
When my wife and I play pickleball with our friends on Friday nights, she sometimes hopes to be on the opposite side of the net when we play doubles, because I am all about winning.

“Dodge County, Incorporated: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America,” is the book that Farm Bureau doesn’t want you to read.

Two weeks ago, Illinois-based News Media Corp. abruptly shuttered every one of its newspapers, stunning dozens of communities across Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

 
The Kasson-Mantorville School Board on Monday will be discussing the topic of recording school board meetings.
Currently, the board records its regular meetings, but it is unclear whether the board also wishes to record work sessions and special meetings. The issue isn’t new. In fact, this newspaper reached out to the board in January asking for clarification or a change in policy, without a single response.

In April 2024, I got a pit in my stomach.
It was opening day for the Twins, and I was excited to work a couple of short hours, then head over to Target Field for Opening Day.
Then the email came through. Our publisher called an emergency all-staff meeting for, I believe, 10 a.m.
I knew right there and then what it was. Layoffs.

When the Legislature passed the 2023 public safety bill, I — along many of my colleagues — stood on the Senate floor and warned what would happen. That bill reduced sentences for violent criminals and opened the door to early release for people convicted of serious and violent crimes. It passed by one vote and was supported by every Democrat, including those who represent our area.
Now we are witnessing the very real consequences.