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Opinion

Letters to Editor

To the Editor: In US Sen Joni Ernst’s guest editorial in this paper on Nov 22nd, she demonstrated what is wrong with today’s politics: Blaming others for the problems without offering any solutions. Blaming is a political tool that promotes tribalism defined as the behaviors and attitudes that stem from strong loyalty to one's own social group. Left unchecked in politics, tribalism can lead to despotism as it did with Hitler in Germany. Tribalism does not require listening to others or learning new perspectives or ideas. Tribalism lets us off the hook for finding solutions with ...

Ideas for ice-fishing success

Local Columns

In the northern regions of ice fishing country, anglers are starting to carefully venture onto the ice. In other areas, they’re keeping a close watch on ice conditions, anxiously waiting for enough ice to safely walk on. Ice anglers, like open water anglers, are always anxious for the first ...

Include charitable giving in holiday budget

Editorials

It can be easy during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season to overlook the fact that for the less fortunate among us, there will be no holiday from need. Children whose parents cannot afford those toys our youngsters think they have to receive, adults unable to find work to pay for lavish holiday feasts and senior citizens whose fixed incomes preclude much celebration at Christmas should be in our thoughts and prayers during the next few weeks. They also should be included in our Christmas season budgeting. Just a few dollars from each of us can make an extraordinary ...

Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette

Local Columns

Back about the time I was preparing to make my world debut, Tex Williams was singing “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette).” Williams co-wrote the song along with Merle Travis and it became a big radio hit. While the lyrics comically grumbled about the hold that cigarettes had on one’s life, smoking was still a popular practice in the late 1940s. My father and many of my uncles smoked cigarettes when I was a kid. With four young sons looking up to him, however, Dad quit smoking cold turkey in 1959. By the time I became a teenager, smoking had become verboten in my family. ...

Walleye on spoons through the ice

Local Columns

Walleyes will respond to a number of different lure types under the ice, but they especially like to eat spoons. There are a bunch of different types of spoons available to walleye anglers. Although they may look similar, there are some differences, and there are a few things you should ...

Counting my blessings one-by-one

Local Columns

An old hymn tells us to “count your blessings; name them one-by-one…” Thanksgiving is coming and I’m working on my list. The late Southern politician Frank A. Clark wrote, “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” So what, specifically, am I thankful for this year? Well, the big four – family, home, faith and health ̶ certainly head the list. The loss of my bride of 42 years in early 2012 increased my appreciation of family. My two children took wonderful care of me in spite of their own ...