guest editorial

As we recognized Older Americans Month in May, it was an opportunity to celebrate the contributions, wisdom and resilience of older adults in our communities while also reflecting on the importance of supporting healthy aging for all.  This year’s national theme, “Champion Your Health,” emphasized prevention, wellness and personal responsibility as key components of aging well.  It serves as a…

What does one who is in public life in a nation’s capital do when despair undermines hope?  Often discouragement abounds from exceptionalist imperialistic governance, illegal warring foreign policy, lack of support for beleaguered farmers, with many communities suffering emergencies without adequate relief.  There is heartbreak because of diminished attention to suffering people oppressed at…

Volunteer Appreciation Week was last week, April 19-25, when we recognize the individuals who quietly, consistently, and generously strengthen our communities.  Here in Rock County, that spirit is alive and thriving thanks to the remarkable efforts of local volunteers.  A.C.E. of Southwest Minnesota – Rock County is proud to celebrate 751 dedicated volunteers who, over the past year,…

Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota were joined by three Secretaries of State for a recent virtual press briefing to discuss the potential impacts of the SAVE America Act on elections.  Secretary Steve Simon (Minnesota), Secretary Steve Hobbs (Washington), and Secretary Stephanie Thomas (Connecticut) discussed the impacts to voters, election administrators, and…

Over the past months I presumed insights from Washington were helpful for you friends back home.  Now I must admit that in the presence of heavy clouds of the climatic and political winter of 2026 it is family and friends in Minnesota who are sources of salvatory wisdom and light in the persistent darkness.  With appropriate pride I point to pastoral, political and personal leaders from home…

As America’s senior population grows, families are increasingly facing difficult decisions about health care, finances, and final wishes — often during moments of crisis.  Experts say much of that stress can be avoided with proper planning and a small set of essential legal documents. For caregivers, understanding and helping organize these documents can make the difference between chaos and…

November was Indigenous Peoples’ Month, a time to recognize and respect the history, spirituality and culture of those on whose territory we reside. We not only have recounted the traumatic history of our pre-colonial “first (Sioux and Piscataway) residents’’ but have begun to deepen our awareness and alter our own Pipestone, “Indian” and Pilgrim stories and are finding new ways to seek healing…

Congress recently passed one of the biggest peacetime military funding increases for the military “to protect the country and make us better.” This burgeoning war fund takes inequitably from Americans and the world’s poor by cutting Medicaid, foreign assistance and food aid. It also affects farmers’ capacity to raise and sell crops and is estimated to cost 17 million lives. As Jewish scholar…

A Minnesota native deeply moved by nature, I must have been in high school when I had the unforgettable opportunity to work with renowned National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg. On a frigid winter night, we ventured into the untouched wilderness near Ely, Minnesota. The cold was biting and the silence — vast and consuming. An audio technician placed microphones on the frozen lake, and…

Last 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…

I’m sincerely grateful —even proud — each week when I open the digital Star Herald, and I look forward to later lingering over the print edition. It amazes me to see the large sports section with the many fine athletes and their accomplishments both at LHS and HBC. Sports experiences at LHS provided larger-than-life influence on me and many others. The coaching mentors undergird the ethics and…

This year Rock County Opportunities (RCO) is facing a new challenge that affects not only work opportunities for our clients, but local seniors who have benefited from a service that helps them remain independent, living in their own home.   RCO recently received a notification from one of our long-standing partners that the funding to provide free laundry and cleaning services for seniors will…

Even a joyous holiday season can be stressful, and many turn to alcohol as a stress reliever. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly nine in 10 Americans say that concerns such as not having enough money, missing loved ones and family conflict cause them stress during this time of year. Unfortunately nearly two in five adults who experience stress during the holiday…

As 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…

During National Suicide Prevention Month in September, it’s important to recognize the connection between substance use and suicide. Drug and alcohol addiction significantly increases the risk of suicidal ideation, attempts and death, and they are generally the most implicated substances in suicide risk. The risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior is elevated with acute alcohol intoxication and…