Opinion
- By Lori Sorenson, editorApril 03, 2025It’s been a rough week. When there’s a fatal crash, it’s always a dark day — for the drivers involved, for their families, for first responders, for law enforcement — and for us at the Star Herald. It’s hard to report sad news about local families, and it’s even harder to do that work under a barrage of social media criticism. “Shame on you for posting those pictures,” one wrote about the…
- By Rev. Tim Olsen, LuverneApril 02, 2025Last summer Rock County was impacted once again by an extreme weather event in the form of heavy rains that flooded fields, basements and public places. My wife and I have lived in Luverne for more than 20 years. In that time we have witnessed at least three “100-year floods” with the most formidable being the Father’s Day flood of 2014. Our autumns are trending warmer and drier, and we have…
By Lori Sorenson, editorApril 02, 2025With our nation’s current political upheaval (that’s my best shot at a diplomatic description), I’ve increasingly wondered what I can do to make the world better. And I came across a quote from Anne Frank that struck a chord with me. “How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment. We can start now, start slowly, changing the world,” she wrote. “How lovely that everyone, great and small,…
By Rick Peterson, general managerApril 02, 2025In today’s Star Herald and in this weekend’s Luverne Announcer there is an ad announcing The Great Easter Bunny Hunt. The season for The Great Easter Bunny Hunt runs from April 3 through April 22. Just to be clear, no bunnies will be hurt in any way. The Easter Bunnies in this case are paper bunnies. There are only 10 bunnies hidden. A different paper bunny will be hidden in each of the 10…- April 02, 2025Sasker: 'If you are currently having troubled times...' Letter to the Editor: I received in the mail an article entitled “A Message of Hope in Troubled Times.” It reminded me of a time I was part of an organization that put literature in the local churches. I entered some of the most beautiful facilities. I was greeted and helped by smiling, friendly people. If you are currently having…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterMarch 26, 2025For more than four decades, the Minnesota Horse Expo offered a variety of vendors, exhibits and educational talks for horse owners and fans of the four-legged animals. I’m a huge fan of the Minnesota Horse Council-sponsored event, and I recall, probably 30 years ago, packing the kids into the minivan to spend a day at the state fairgrounds in St. Paul. We learned a few things and left with a…- March 26, 2025Remme: 'I love my hometown newspaper' Letter to the Editor: I love the hometown newspaper and what it brings to the community. However, I don't believe we can truly trust all journalism today. Many are paid outlets for one political party more than the other. Some are owned or operated by movie studios. I don't believe half of what I hear these days. Having said that, I think our biggest…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolMarch 26, 2025Question: Can you talk about railroad crossing safety and the laws that cover it? Answer: I have responded to and investigated a number of train/vehicle crashes in my career. A majority of them resulted in fatal or serious injuries to the vehicle occupants. In Minnesota, failure to yield the right of way, disregard of a traffic control device, improper turn, and inattention and impatience are…- March 12, 2025The Minnesota Alliance for Problem Gambling and the Minnesota Lottery are partnering with the National Council on Problem Gambling to recognize March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. This year’s theme, “Seeking Understanding,” focuses on increasing awareness of problem gambling as a serious but often misunderstood mental health condition. The campaign seeks to foster greater awareness and…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 12, 2025Former Rock County Star Herald Editor Al McIntosh penned his widely acclaimed “Tired American” commentary in 1965 at the height of anti-government protests and anti-American sentiment. He wasn’t afraid to express his political views on the Star Herald opinion page, though it cost him friendships and garnered plenty of local criticism. He wrote “Tired American” because he was indeed tired. I’m…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMarch 12, 2025My phone has pretty much been ringing off the hook the past few months as people see dead geese decomposing on the ice of area lakes. The bird flu is not a new thing, but a pathogenic avian influenza outbreak has been working its way across Minnesota since it was first reported in 2022. The danger to humans is very low, but you should avoid contact with infected animals and use protective gear…
By Brenda Winter, columnistFebruary 26, 2025A friend of mine lives in a relatively nice Glendale, Arizona, suburb. The house a few doors down from hers is home to a group of high school-aged basketball players from across the U.S. They were sent by their parents to attend high school with a primary focus on their ultimate goal – to play in the NBA. Parents who choose Christian schools are somewhat like-minded. Of course there is…- February 26, 2025Have questions about blood donation? Here are some answers Someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion about every two seconds. Blood donations play a critical role in maintaining the health of our communities, particularly in the winter when the blood supply tends to be at its lowest. Claudia Cohn, a professor and director of the University of Minnesota Blood Bank Laboratory in…
- February 26, 2025Prekker: Land transfers are not 'generous gifts from the state' I recently read Mr. Rall’s article from The Outdoors column about his concerns over recent land transfers that are occurring in Minnesota. These transfers are of public lands that our state’s indigenous people are requesting to be returned to them. These lands include the Upper Sioux Agency State Park, the Upper and Lower Red Lakes…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistFebruary 26, 2025This is one of those times of the year when a dog guy gets kind of bored. The ice conditions have been so sketchy that I don’t really feel all that great driving on the ice of the area lakes. More about this next week. So with no seasons open, I took to observing one of the only ways yet available to harvest a pheasant. How do you do that when all of the hunting seasons are closed? You find a…- February 19, 2025Minnesotans observed the ninth annual School Bus Driver Appreciation Day this week to recognize dedicated professionals and the incredible service they provide to Minnesota families. School Bus Driver Appreciation Day first started in Minnesota in 2017. The Minnesota School Bus Operators Association (MSBOA) and Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) created the day to encourage…
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