From Where I Sit By Pat Spilseth, Columnist My world is blooming with color! Spring is sprouting blossoms of color throughout the country weeks earlier than normal. The grass is green; the lake is open; bulbs are budding. We’re thinking about turning off our furnace! Temperatures are almost balmy. Recent rain showers are easing the drought we’ve… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune I’m an advocate of community journalism and especially newspapers. Okay, that’s probably from Captain Obvious, but needed to be said. Newspapers, we’re told over and over, are a dying breed.  And those who own or work at them are sometimes referred to as “relics.”  We’re… Read More

Minnewaska Musings By Paul Gremmels  Have you ever wished that someone would have invented  “Clap-on/Clap-off”  Long Johns by now?  I have. Especially for spring weather in Minnesota. I mean, you obviously keep your house warm when the outside temperatures are cold. And you also dress accordingly when going outside in cold temperatures. But the going between… Read More

Stoneage Ramblings By John R. Stone You may have heard of Professor David Schultz of Hamline University in St. Paul. He teaches political science and is frequently on television where he is asked to analyze things like presidential races. He did that recently at Senior College at Alexandria Community and Technical College in Alexandria. He is… Read More

Growing Green By Robin Trott, Extension Educator On April 22,2024, the Alexandria City Council once again approved the No Mow May initiative. From Wednesday, May 1 through Friday, May 31, the city will suspend enforcement of its high-grass nuisance provisions for properties that are duly registered as “no-mow.” This, however, does not apply to noxious weeds…. Read More

View From a Prairie Home by Hege Hernfindahl, Columnist It’s late afternoon and I am tired. I have worked in my garden all day and now my body hurts; my knees, my back and even my wrists. It is the bending. The raking. The crouching and even the crawling. All I do to get my garden ready…. Read More

From Where I Sit By Pat Spilseth, Columnist My three granddaughters, Elizabeth, Charlie and Max Margaret, love wearing sparkly jeweled tiaras, princess gowns and bracelets, diamond rings and necklaces. Play acting is a daily costume changing ritual for the little princesses. What little girl doesn’t want to be a glittery gowned princess? Life is an endless play… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune It seems apparent that a bill proposal in a legislative conference committee is both a blow to transparency and to open government.  And its a knee-jerk and rushed reaction to a limited situation within our state. The Senate-passed omnibus education bill (SF3567) would allow every school… Read More

Stoneage Ramblings By John R. Stone I’ve always liked Sen. John McCain and I thought he would have made a good president. He was not a fan of a hyper politicized Congress, worked to get dark money out of politics and believed in working across the aisle because “you need the opposition’s cooperation to get big… Read More

The Outdoors By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist So, I was reminded that it was time for the tick spot and heart worm treatment for my dogs the other day when my phone chimed in and told me so. The ticks are out in full force and in the past two very short outings, I ended up… Read More