Opinion
With the moon landing’s 50th anniversary on July 20, it made me wonder if that qualifies humans as an extra-terrestrial species. We have left our planet and walked on another world. If that doesn’t meet the definition, we may soon have people on Mars, and it could even be possible to maintain a...
How do we increase healthy, fresh foods in rural America? One way is to identify new opportunities for people to access food. Here are five suggestions for your community.
o Mobile grocery stores or veggie vans are refrigerated vans or trucks that bring affordable produce into communities at a...
At Central Lakes College, we want our students to be successful. It’s why we’re here and our number one goal. So when paying for college is a barrier for some of our students, we work hard to make sure finances don’t prevent someone from pursuing their educational dreams. Here are some important...
When New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet said last month that “Most local newspapers are going to die in the next five years,” people in the community newspaper industry dismissed Baquet’s declaration as ill-informed and went on about their business. Now community-newspaper consultant Kevin...
By Brenda Halvorson
Can a few people make a difference in the campaign to eradicate polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today?
The answer is yes. The local example can be found in the Staples Rotary Club.
Some of you who are reading this may...
By Mike Holst
Growing up in a small town like Staples there was little to do for entertainment. Most of the activities had to do with the school and sports activities or concerts. So in the summer time when the school was largely shuttered, it became bleak indeed. But every so often there was...
From Minnesota DNR
Minnesota’s climate is becoming warmer and wetter, and the Department of Natural Resources is taking action to identify climate-related changes, understand the impacts of these changes on the state’s natural resources and recreation, mitigate the impacts as much as possible,...
By Heather Chapman
The Rural Blog
Rural residents often have a harder time getting to a grocery store than their suburban and urban counterparts. It’s an even bigger problem for the rural poor, including seniors and those with disabilities, since they may be unable to drive to the store.
“The...
By Philip Napoli and Jessica Mahone
niemanlab.org
Local newspapers have always been the epicenter of local news ecosystems. While communities may have other sources of journalism, such as TV and radio stations and online-only outlets, the bulk of the reporting serving local communities has...
It’s October and in a few days the leaves will be off the trees in your woodlots and hunting land. You now will be able to spot an invasive species that will destroy your woodlot and hunting land. This invasive species will crowd out native plants, displace any new trees, and native shrubs. In...
