Editorials

As area school districts open their doors to students Tuesday, we want to make sure kids get to and from school safely. The Minnesota Safety Council offers the following tips to help keep your children safe when traveling to and from school whether by walking or riding the bus. Parents...

High-speed pursuits through residential areas are fraught with danger to the public and unsuspecting motorists that may get in the way. But the decision of Park Rapids police to continue a chase up County Road 1 was the right one, even though it likely scared the bejesus out of...

It's time for the Minnesota Legislature to take action to rein-in puppy mills. House File 388 was introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives by Representative John Benson. The language of the bill is identical to a bill introduced last session that had broad support...

As we gear up for the tourist season and the completion of downtown reconstruction we are reminded of the importance of this central shopping hub to our community. The Winona Area Chamber of Commerce presented an article recently stressing the importance of downtown revitalization...

In today's paper we have a story about issues with ice resulting from this recent "heat wave." We want to remind people to be careful if they will be working on their own roof or around their home. Many of us have unexpectedly slipped and fallen while walking on ice. It's not f...

In today's challenging economic times, everyone can use some help in stretching their hard-earned dollars. The following is some timely advice from the financial counselors at The Village Family Service Center that offer consumers a formula to financial success: n Review your...

Looking for fairness in the tax system? Don't look to Minnesota. In the battle of the haves versus the have-nots, the haves are winning. Since 2000, Minnesota's state and local taxes have become more regressive. That means low-and moderate-income families shoulder a disproportionate...

As a new year begins, it's a time to evaluate what we've done and look to the future. What will 2011 bring? At the Park Rapids Enterprise we'd like to continue sharing stories about the people who live and work in our community. These are often the best stories to cover and read...

Winter storms have a way of bringing out the best and worst in people. When the wind turns the world white and snow stacks up on streets and driveways, people have a way of pulling through it together. You'll see a neighbor clearing out the driveway of another neighbor whose snowblower...

As we enter 2011, many of us are making New Year's resolutions to make ourselves better and more productive people. Have you thought about starting your own business? Or are you already in business but want to learn more about how to be successful? Why not consider signing up...

Another sign of economic recovery is that of the recent Christmas season's affect on retailers. While firm figures won't be in for awhile, it seems that consumers shopped more than they did the past three years, before the Great Recession. East Coast retailers were put off by last...

Slice it however your political proclivities mandate, but there is little doubt President Barack Obama had a very good run in December. He won all but one of his legislative priorities, and that one, the DREAM Act, was not high on his list and really never had a chance of passing...

Minnesota escaped the first of two major hurdles Tuesday when the U.S. Census Bureau released details of its 2010 Census - Minnesota will keep its eight representatives to Congress. Minnesota officials had long worried that the migration of folks from the Midwest to the Southwest...

The effort to delist the gray wolf in Minnesota took a step forward last week, thanks to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, DFL-Minn. Minnesota has been ready for years to assume management of the gray wolf from the federal government, but environmentalists and the courts have blocked every...

There are a lot of four-way intersections in the area. Some intersections aren't marked with signs and drivers are supposed to treat them as an intersection with four-way yield signs but that often doesn't happen. Some drivers assume they have the right of way through an unmarked...