on second thought
By Lori SorensonFebruary 18, 2026As I understand it, Valentine’s Day is a romantic occasion for lovers worldwide to prove their affection for one another. Why then, are the store shelves stocked with cards and candy marketed to kids? What do they know about romance? Aisles are crowded with adults shopping for Valentine’s Day cards and candy for their kids to exchange with other kids. What a shame. All those grownups should…
By Lori Sorenson, editorFebruary 04, 2026Every so often my job puts me in touch with my “inner nature photographer.” An assignment last week was to capture a migrating trumpeter swan in his natural winter habitat. This majestic creature had been spotted in Rock County, and I was determined to document the rare occurrence for the paper. On this cold January day, I would need to prepare for the elements: that meant extra batteries for…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 14, 2026Many workplaces are like families. And the lucky ones are happy families. It makes sense if you think about it — we often spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our own family members. But, unlike real families, we don’t expect we’ll be with our co-workers for a lifetime. There’s a general understanding someone will end up leaving our workplace family for some reason or another…
By Lori Sorenson, editorDecember 23, 2025I enjoy seeing the variety of Christmas trees this time of year as people’s personal tastes and holiday spirit are expressed in their choice of lights and ornaments on the branches. Many are truly beautiful, and I marvel at the creative investment in each of them. My tree is also beautiful, in its own homemade sort of way. When the kids were little, they made ornaments in Sunday school and…
By Lori Sorenson, editorDecember 03, 2025This week’s Star Herald went to press without the trusty guidance of our proofreader, Esther Frakes, who retired after our Nov. 26 edition. We have smart and capable staff who are assuming Esther’s duties, but we are all nervous about carrying on without her. For 21 years, we’ve enjoyed the assurance of Esther’s eagle eyes on our final drafts before press time. Her job was to catch errors in…
By Lori Sorenson, editorNovember 12, 2025The American poet John Russell Hays wrote, “The Groves Were God’s First Temples” in 1895 as a tribute to nature. I’m not a fan of abstract poetry and didn’t even know the poem existed until a friend shared it with me after learning about my frequent walks in our grove. I’ve written columns about the joy of long walks on gravel roads, either with a friend or with a dog. However, our aging lab-…
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 22, 2025My creative colleagues at the Star Herald have been sharing social media posts about our staff members’ work anniversaries It’s been fun for the online community to get a glimpse of the humans behind the titles in our office, and community reactions to the posts have been delightful and encouraging. This week it’s my turn. We accidentally overlooked my actual work anniversary in April, but it’s…- By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 01, 2025The Star Herald staff will visit the Luverne eighth-grade careers class Friday about opportunities in communication. I tell the kids that effective communicators are in demand across all job sectors. And I sometimes wonder about career paths I could have followed had I not landed at the Star Herald. For example, wordsmithing for chocolate marketing would be fun. “Close your eyes and taste the…
By Lori Sorenson, editorSeptember 10, 2025Saturday, Sept. 6, marked 11 years of marriage to a man who is an absolute gift in my life. He makes me laugh with his goofy humor, he steadies me with his solid strength, and his quiet generosity makes me a better person. I smiled while sorting photos of the two of us captured over 20-some years of adventures we’ve shared as a couple. At the same time Saturday, my sisters and I were texting…
By Lori Sorenson, editorAugust 20, 2025In the days following my husband’s appointment as sheriff, friends and acquaintances have, in gest, called me the future “First Lady” of Rock County. While I was flattered, something about the title for a sheriff’s wife didn’t ring true, so I asked Siri. In short, “first lady” is typically reserved for the wives of presidents, governors and mayors, but not for the wives of sheriffs. By…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJuly 23, 2025The longer I live, the more I believe everybody hurts … often beneath the surface of polished social media profiles. And those who have been hurt by life-and-death loss tend to emerge as different people, permanently affected by grief. While tragedy can be cruel, I also believe it offers opportunity for growth — in a meaningful sense not experienced by everyone. For example: We learn what…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJuly 02, 2025I rescued some clearance-priced begonias at Bomgaars a few weeks ago, despite completing spring planting in mid-May. The perky pink blossoms are the perfect spot of color in the wicker planter near our patio door. Especially after the ones intended for that spot are long dead. I have a poor track record for keeping flowers alive in that location at our home. Year after year I peruse the “…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJune 04, 2025I recently tagged along with Matt to the Washington, D.C., area where he had meetings for a conference. In addition to touring the iconic memorials and monuments, people-watching was one of my favorite perks of the trip. The locals are a melting pot of diversity, but when you throw in the visitors, it’s a place like no other that offers a perfect cross-section of humanity on display. Among…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMay 14, 2025There once was a little candle whose flame was beginning to dim. Her light is dimmed by clouds of hardship: a D-minus in math, social media bullying and the recent loss of her grandmother. She tries to push the clouds away, but as other hardships accumulate, she begins to lose hope. The darker and heavier the clouds, the more tired she gets, and it appears her flame might go out entirely.…
By Lori Sorenson, editorApril 23, 2025How was your Easter? It’s a fair Monday morning question following the Easter Sunday holiday. My short answer: I ate too much ham and cheesy potatoes and enjoyed my favorite people. My longer answer (which no one had time for after a three-day weekend): It was blessed (the two-syllable version of the word, bless-ed). For many reasons. First, there was the miracle in the riverbank at the…
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,…
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