editorials

At a time when Hubbard County Sheriff Cory Aukes was making yet another impassioned plea for a second criminal investigator, the county board was quietly axing that request from his budget. Aukes made the point Tuesday that public safety isn’t like other departments, subject to...

The growth in smartphones across the American population spectrum is leading to more online surfing while driving. A recent survey shows an increase to 24 percent of those polled in 2013 reported texting while driving, compared to 13 percent reported in 2009. Drivers ages 18-29...

Every 25 minutes, one person in the U.S. dies from radon-related lung cancer, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. It is the leading environmental cause of cancer deaths and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. More than 21,000 lung cancer deaths are...

Money sure talks in Washington. Case in point: the misleadingly named Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act, H.R. 992. The measure, which easily passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support, was almost entirely written by Citigroup (one of the biggest banks in the United States) and...

America’s newest commissioned submarine, the USS Minnesota, will submerge as a matter of routine. But the Twin Cities chapter of the Navy League will work to keep awareness of the ship in plain view. That way, USS Minnesota sailors always will know they’re remembered by their...

Domestic and sexual violence are pervasive and life-threatening crimes affecting millions of individuals across our nation regardless of age, economic status, race, religion or education. The facts are sobering and reinforce the need to continue domestic violence prevention. According...

Domestic and sexual violence are pervasive and life-threatening crimes affecting millions of individuals across our nation regardless of age, economic status, race, religion or education. The facts are sobering and reinforce the need to continue domestic violence prevention. According...

October is Medicine Abuse Awareness Month and also fall clean-up time for many Minnesota households. That makes it a good time for families to check their medicine cabinets for unused or unwanted prescription drugs and over-the-counter cough medicines. “Just by keeping these drugs...

It’s that time of year again — freezing temperatures and snow flurries are in the forecast, and motorists have to learn to drive in difficult conditions all over again. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says everyone should be cautious about traveling in extreme winter...

Monday was a memorable day in Park Rapids history. The beloved Red Bridge, a symbol of community togetherness and generations of good memories, came down. It was unceremoniously lifted by a crane and placed on the ground nearby. Unfortunately, it was done surreptitiously....

States considered high-tax and thus not the friendliest for doing business “suffer from the same afflictions: complex, non-neutral taxes (and) comparatively high rates,” the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, opined this week in releasing its 2014 State Business...

Here’s a heads-up for drivers: Watch out for farmers who are doing their jobs. Minnesota Department of Transportation leaders are reminding motorists traveling on highways this fall to be aware of large farm equipment transporting crops to markets, grain elevators and processing...

Health insurance issues are complicated enough for the average person to comprehend and it’s about to get more complex. Consumers are taking a closer look at their insurance needs with MNsure enrollment underway. The Minnesota Department of Commerce urges consumers to take a look...

In an ideal world, elements of the Affordable Health Care Act (“Obamacare”), including health exchanges that go up and running today, would be delayed or scrapped. It’s not going to happen. Therefore, the best option for individuals and families is to access information to...

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety sent out a press release earlier this week that serves as a good reminder to parents to always use booster seats when buckling young children into the car. Booster seats are the law in Minnesota, yet crash data reveals that many parents are...