Opinion
By Lori Sorenson, editorNovember 06, 2024My friend Wendy and I have a daily standing date to walk the gravel roads in our neighborhood — sometimes near my home, sometimes near hers. Sometimes it’s in the afternoon, sometimes in the evening. Often this time of year it’s in the dark. (We wear reflective vests.) Typically, we go four miles — five if we’ve had a rough weekend of too much chocolate or pizza. And we keep a close eye on our…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolNovember 06, 2024Question: I have a medical condition that causes me to lose consciousness on occasion. I am hoping to get a driver’s license. Is there anything I need to do? Answer: When applying for an instruction permit or driver’s license, you will be asked questions about medical conditions. Providing false information on the application could result in losing your driving privileges. If you have a medical…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterOctober 30, 2024As the junior member in my 37-year marriage, I’ve often joked with and about our seven-year age difference. It's always felt pretty good that I’m always going to be younger in the relationship. Recently the tables turned as he is now retired and enjoys doing his favorite activities on a daily basis and only working when it suits him. I, on the other hand, continue to work full time whether I…- By Kari Voss-Drost, assistant director, Southwest Crisis CenterOctober 30, 2024As we close out October and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I would like to reflect on several terms and definitions surrounding domestic violence, intimate partner violence and coercive control. By defining something, we validate it and the reality it represents. The term coercive control encompasses a pattern of power, control, intimidation and oppression that one experiences at the hands…
- October 30, 2024Remme offers election prayer To the Editor: Now that the election is nearing, I thought about all of the negativity that has eroded our space in which we live. This is a space given to us by the Sovereign God, who actually is the one in charge, not the President of the United States, the rulers of other countries, or our state or local governments. I feel that we have neglected to honor God in…
By RIck Peterson, general managerOctober 30, 2024Thursday is Halloween and Saturday we set the clocks back an hour. That’s right, clocks. At the Star Herald office we have five wall clocks and a time clock. At home we have seven clocks that need attention twice a year. Sure, we gain an extra hour of sleep Saturday night, but we lose an hour of daylight in the evening until we get it back in the spring. If it’s Daylight Saving Time in March it…- By The League of Women Voters, MinneapolisOctober 23, 2024As voters seek information on candidates, they are inundated with misinformation (false or inaccurate information) and disinformation (false information deliberately intended to harm and mislead). Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon calls disinformation “the conscious spread of knowingly false information” which shouldn’t be confused with political “disagreement.” When weaponized, Simon…
By Brenda Winter, columnistOctober 23, 2024My otherwise socially accomplished husband addresses groups of small children with a stuffed toy moose on his head. The moose is part of the photographer schtick he uses to get little kids to have a natural smile for their school pictures. Many little kids arrive at picture day offering a fake “cheese!” smile that actually makes them look like snarling badgers. So, with a moose on his head,…- October 23, 2024Opinion vs facts in campaigns To the Editor: As we have observed and been engaged in the local election cycle, we can’t help but notice a difference in the approaches to campaigning. Some have called it “partisan.” We call it a stark difference in philosophy on spending, specifically the level of appropriate government spending. On one side you have the “challengers” who have been putting out…
- October 16, 2024We observed National Newspaper Week last week, and it’s the time of year we consider why the Star Herald is worth the price of a subscription. •We are the only news outlet that covers your school boards, city councils and Rock County Board of Commissioners. These elected officials, dear readers, are the ones who spend your tax dollars and take action on building projects, commercial…
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 16, 2024My girlfriends and my sisters know I don’t like to dress up, and I hate shopping, which is why they closely monitored my preparations as Mother of the Groom. No, Lori, you can’t wear your 20-year-old, suitable-for-all-fancy-occasions black dress. Mothers of the Groom don’t wear black. Who knew? I found an appropriately fancy Mother of the Groom dress on Facebook marketplace (it has sequins)…- October 16, 2024To the Editor: I had the privilege of watching the recent candidate forum. Being an out-of-town resident, I’m unable to vote for city leaders; however, as a city property owner, their decisions affect me. Current administration mentioned being fiscally responsible with our tax dollars. I purchase electricity from Sioux Valley Electric at $0.10550/kwh, Whetstone Valley Electric $0.11330/kwh,…
- October 16, 2024To the Editor: I had the privilege of watching the recent candidate forum. Being an out-of-town resident, I’m unable to vote for city leaders; however, as a city property owner, their decisions affect me. Current administration mentioned being fiscally responsible with our tax dollars. I purchase electricity from Sioux Valley Electric at $0.10550/kwh, Whetstone Valley Electric $0.11330/kwh,…
- October 09, 2024This week is National Fire Prevention Week, and the 2024 campaign focuses on educating families about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the majority of U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. “Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterOctober 09, 2024Remember as children when life seemed worry-free? I’ve had glimpses of those simpler times as I divide my time among my six grandchildren. I’ve even named them to keep references simple: Iowa grands, Minnesota grands and South Dakota grands. During the most recent visit with the Iowa grands, who are the oldest at 7 and 5, they introduced me to the public “petting zoo” in Schaller, Iowa. There…
By Rick Peterson, general managerOctober 09, 2024It’s harvest season, football season, soon to be pheasant hunting season, but right now it’s pumpkin-buying season, and that is taking center stage. Back in the day, the pumpkin selection was limited to a big orange or a little orange pumpkin. Today the selection is unlimited. At the Peterson household we entered the pumpkin-buying season with a purchasing cap of maybe three or four. – At last…
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