Publisher’s Perspective By Tim Douglas, Publisher As you read this, I’ll probably be trying to pull a few walleyes through a 10-inch hole in the ice up on Lake of the Woods.  It’s an annual trip I take with friends although ice conditions and other factors have limited the group in recent years. Besides catching a few… Read More

Enough is enough… From Inga Mae B. Urke, Starbuck I was appalled to once again read the extreme opinion expressed by Jim Thoreen for Donald Trump and his choices to be appointed in January!   Why can’t he have a Christian attitude like the wonderful Janet Scot had in her recent letter in which she… Read More

Collaborative Corner On The Move By Jeannie Pederson, Pope County Initiative Coordinator One of the many good things that makes Pope County great began over 32 years ago. Armful of Love was created as a way to pay it forward from women who had experienced kindness themselves or had witnessed so many unmet needs throughout the year… Read More

Stoneage Ramblings By John R. Stone It is going to be interesting to see how long the bromance between President Elect Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk will last. Trump wants Musk to head a non-government Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). There is some logic to that, someone looking in from the outside may be able… Read More

The Outdoors By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist I started out the new year with a spearing trip to northeast South Dakota. I was looking to do a little pike spearing and southern Minnesota is not the greatest place to do that. For one, we only have a few lakes that have a decent pike population and… Read More

View From The Cab By David Tollefson, Columnist Back in January of 2019, I wrote a column entitled “From City gal to Farm Wife,” after my wife Aileen died of Alzheimer’s in early 2019. After growing up in Starbuck and being in the same high school class, (and ignoring each other in high school, but later decided… Read More

View From a Prairie Home by Hege Hernfindahl, Columnist I was going to write a column about what I wish for the New Year. More time with my family. Taking one day at a time and not worry about tomorrow. Be kinder. More forgiving. Be better at mingling with people. And working for world peace. But how… Read More

From Where I Sit By Pat Spilseth, Columnist HAPPY NEW YEAR! I’ve just  opened a new calendar for 2025, a new beginning for each of us… Changes can be exciting; changes can also be unsettling and even upsetting. As our years progress we face new changes. For many of us our cholesterol numbers rise along with our weight… Read More

Making a Difference year-round with a donor-advised fund through West Central Initiative By Rebecca Lynn Petersen, West Central Initiative Director of Development My colleagues at West Central Initiative often smile when I say, “Donor Advised Funds are the coolest thing,” because they know that this mantra of mine is so very true. Not only do Donor… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective By Tim Douglas, Publisher The 2024 year is nearly in the history books and as we prepare for a new year, there is some optimism out there For instance, we’re looking forward to Jan. 20, when President Trump takes office and the country will immediately go back to 99-cents per gallon gasoline, cheap bread… Read More