Editorials

It’s fun to spend a couple bucks on gambling every now and then. Oftentimes, you’re helping a good cause, it’s exciting when you win and it can provide entertainment value. Until you don’t know when to stop. Until it starts to control your life. Until it damages relationships...

Township annual meetings will be held March 11 this year, and many townships also have their annual election of officers that day. In Minnesota, if you don’t live in an incorporated city, you live in a township … It’s important to vote and have a say in your leadership. Like...

In the wake of the deaths of 19 elite Granite Mountain Hotshots in Arizona, firefighters aren’t the only people who should be rethinking their approaches to wildland fires. Policy makers and voters should be, too. That’s because wildfires are increasing worldwide, in part for...

Cheers to Minnesota, which has one of the fastest-growing economies in the country, according to a study by the Bureau of Economic Analysis The U.S. Commerce Department bureau said Minnesota tied California for fifth place in growth of gross domestic product last year, based on data...

With summer storms, comes damage. And with damage, comes repair – and shady characters that will try to rip you off with shoddy or uncompleted work. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry reminds homeowners to do their homework before hiring a building contractor after...

Community policing is a concept big cities wish they could tap into, to reduce crime and avoid headlines. Park Rapids and Hubbard County are fortunate that such a practice has been “business as usual” in this relatively crime-free county. Sheriff Cory Aukes and Police Chief...

The number of people who have died in motor vehicle crashes in Minnesota has topped 100 this year. At this rate, the Department of Public Safety projects that there will be around 400 killed by the end of year. That’s why safety officials are urging drivers to buckle up as part...

Last week, stories appeared in major publications about the U.S.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Our volunteer firefighters, law enforcement, Department of Natural Resources workers and other volunteers were amazing this week in working tirelessly to keep our families safe during the wildfire. You are our heroes! The Green Valley Fire started...

A local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society is raising awareness of Multiple Sclerosis in order to stop the disease. Walk MS: Park Rapids is this Sunday, May 5. More than 100 walkers are expected to come out and help raise money for research.

After a decade of inconsistent policy and budget cuts, Minnesota’s local government aid may get a long needed fix under a new compromise this year. The LGA program assists cities with low property tax wealth and/or greater needs to provide necessary services for economic growth...

Sometimes an issue can seem so complex and all encompassing that people give up trying to do anything about it. “It’s such a huge topic,” the reasoning goes, what I do doesn’t really matter.” But it can matter, especially when enough hands join together in a common, united...

They’re out there, doing their jobs, helping other people. And they get hit. They’re troopers. Four state trooper squads were struck in March, spiking the total for the year up to 10. That’s 10 too many. The State Patrol issued an alert last week, urging motorists to drive...

Although we still see piles of snow and ice as we look out our windows, warmer temperatures will eventually win out and it will be summer. With summer, comes the potential for different kinds of severe weather. The Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office-Emergency Management office is...

The compromise in St. Paul to study hospital staffing, while not an ideal outcome, certainly is better than the government meddling in how many nurses are on duty, and when and where, at privately owned and operated health-care facilities.