Growing Green By Robin Trott, Extension Educator Coming out of a record-setting (warm) winter season, those of us involved with gardens (and lawns) should consider how our soils, and associated factors regarding the soil’s fertility, have been impacted by this past winter’s unusual temperature and moisture patterns. So, what soil processes and conditions have been, or… Read More

View From a Prairie Home by Hege Hernfindahl, Columnist It’s coming around again. The date. The date that changed us forever. Even me. I wasn’t born yet. But then, aren’t we all connected to those who came before us? No person is an island. No epoch stands alone. Each twig on a family tree is linked to… Read More

From Where I Sit By Pat Spilseth, Columnist As a kid, I was bored on Sundays. Most kids felt that way; we searched for something interesting to do that was “restful.” We couldn’t play cards, go to the movies, but kids could roller skate, bike or play ball. I remember lots of No’s on Sunday, but I… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune Have you been the victim of an April Fools’ Day joke? Most of us probably have had some kind of prank pulled on us on April 1.  When I was a youngster, my younger brother would wake me up and tell me there was a… Read More

Announces effort to be on the ballot From Teresa Muckala, New York Mills Every two years, we vote for our representative to the federal government. In the Congressional Seventh District, our choices are limited.  The Republican party was split by two factions, and the Hard Right won. Our Representative is now Hard Right. The federal government… Read More

Stoneage Ramblings By John R. Stone The drama over whether or not we should continue sending money to Ukraine for it’s fight against Russia’s invasion has taken a political twist. The United States has always stood to support democracies around the world helping Europe in WWI and WWII and other lesser conflicts. These participations haven’t always… Read More

View From The Cab By David Tollefson, Columnist Ruby Farms? What’s that got to do with Pope County and central Minnesota? OK, there’s somewhat of a local tie here. Pat Doyle, a retired newspaper executive with ties to Pope County and the Starbuck area, married a Starbuck gal, Linda Berge. Linda and her sister, Diane Berge, own… Read More

Growing Green By Robin Trott, Extension Educator Are you ready to add some pizzazz to your outdoor oasis? Get ready to meet your new favorite plant – flowering annuals. From delightful snapdragons to colorful zinnias, these beauties are the unsung heroes of vibrant garden displays. Imagine a kaleidoscope of blooms, filling in every gap as your… Read More

View From a Prairie Home by Hege Hernfindahl, Columnist Lifelong friends. Who are they? If you grew up and old in the same place, you might have friends still from your childhood. Of course, with me, that never happened. In fact, I can never chance meeting an old friend on the street of, for instance, Minneapolis. I… Read More

From Where I Sit By Pat Spilseth, Columnist “Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” Rainer Maria Rilke Well, perhaps I spoke too soon… Yesterday’s overnight temperatures dropped drastically from last week’s 60 degree weather, when a few hopeful folks wore shorts and sandals. Today it’s back to the freezing teens and… Read More