A recent report by Education Minnesota laid out teachers’ views of what it would take to fully fund public education. Gov. Tim Walz has put forward a school budget proposal that would provide significantly more funding for the next two years than provided in past years.
An estimated $10 billion in bets will be placed on the NCAA basketball championship games during March Madness, some of it by problem gamblers. To mark National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, the Minnesota Department of Human Services is encouraging Minnesotans to learn about problem gamb…
Several big questions come from the budget proposals in education that Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan presented on Feb. 19.
Have you thought about where you live and why you are living there?
A recent advertisement in the Elk River Star News about Livonia’s Sugarbush Preserve merits some clarifying information.
Sometimes a situation can be both shocking and yet not entirely a surprise.
Many people have been given the right to vote, but only few will take time to vote in township elections for candidates seeking terms as township supervisors.
After her fourth major back surgery and enough chronic pain to fell an elephant, it would have been easy for my wife to succumb to the preferred route of treatment: prescription painkillers.
Back in my working days, I really enjoyed my commitments as a full-time editor and manager. However, I also inherited the role of part-time office mom. I will confess that was not my favorite. I hated being the nagging voice about office etiquette, but sometimes it had to be done.
Thank you so much for your participation in the Gifts Anonymous program this past winter. Our mission is to provide gifts to families that otherwise would not be able to give them to their children. Because of your contribution, we were able to assist 207 families with 523 kids as well as 10…
The leaders of an encouraging, new Minnesota education organization range in age (and experience) from 18 to 75. Nevertheless, People for PSEO leaders agree that many more Minnesota students should know about and make use of Minnesota’s laws permitting high school students to challenge thems…
Seven decades ago, millions of soldiers returned home from World War II and ignited an American boom.
The Star Tribune recently ran an opinion piece by James Lefestey, who advocated for an increase in the gas tax to finance infrastructure improvements and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but cautioned lawmakers to keep rural Minnesotans in mind when crafting this policy.
In Minnesota, over 94,000 adults ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s — that number may increase to 120,000 by 2025. On Feb. 4, I joined other Alzheimer’s advocates at the state Capitol in St. Paul to lend my voice on behalf of those 94,000 Minnesotans. At this Alzheimer’s Rally Day…
My friends, the federal government has become an entity unto itself; it no longer serves our common good. Every day we witness terrible failures of the federal government, which has simply grown too large. The latest tax bill increases an already crippling federal debt. Our federally elected…
A major planning process is underway that could affect the community where you live in the seven-county metropolitan area.
“This is it!” That’s how Tuan Dinh, a 15-year-old 10th-grader in Bloomington, describes his reaction when he heard about the opportunity to take courses as a ninth-grader on the Normandale Community College campus. Conversations with students, parents and educators over two weeks in January …
Now that Gov. Tim Walz and the 2019 Legislature have begun work, we believe their agenda must include correcting a serious breach of constitutional authority that includes an ill-conceived financial scheme. This 2018 legislation thwarts the will of Minnesota voters and compounds the costs of…
I wrote to Tom Emmer a while ago and he had the audacity to respond with a simple form letter stating that “Unfortunately, on Dec. 22, 2018 a partial government shutdown began due to an impasse in negotiations between the White House and Democratic leaders regarding funding for border security.”
When you go to the clinic for a procedure or even the hospital for major surgery, you might need anesthesia to keep you free from pain. And if you get anesthesia – whether it is for something expected like an epidural during childbirth or the unexpected emergency, there is a good chance a ce…
I get upset when I hear partisan political leaders imply that suburban residents oppose the state legislative policies favored by those living outside the Twin Cities.
In October, we opined that Tim Walz had the ability to “pull us together and move Minnesota forward as a vibrant state, a place we are proud to call home.”
When you read the Department of Natural Resources’ website concerning climate change, it all sounds good, but their actual practices tell a different story. This disconnect between what they say and what they do stems from the philosophy, embedded in most of their management plans for the la…
(Editor’s note: Congressman Tom Emmer had scheduled a town hall meeting for Jan. 22 in Ramsey, which was subsequently canceled after House leaders reportedly scheduled business for the evening. News of the meeting itself generated a flurry of letters to the editor across the Sixth District. …
Ever since Election Day, I’ve been thinking about our newly elected officials and considering they can be real people, too.
Giving to charity is now as easy as hitting “send” on a text message. Donating by text is increasingly popular, particularly after natural disasters or other tragedies when people want a convenient way to help. But many people do not know that text donations can take a long time to reach a…
My name is Joyce Elliott and I have lived in the Monticello area most of my life. I am a member of the St. Cloud chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL).
Thanks to all help Gifts Anonymous a success
Myron J. (Mike) Lofgren, one of Elk River’s citizens, died on Dec. 30.
Mental health system not broke but construction of it needs to be finished with proposals like ResCare’s
Minnesota’s clean and abundant water resources remain the envy of many states, but maintaining this treasure is a big responsibility requiring constant vigilance.
As the administration of Gov. Tim Walz prepares to lead Minnesota for the next four years, the former congressman from Mankato will certainly face hurdles and challenges. One thing is certain for the new governor: Minnesota is much better off today than it was eight years ago.
Every Saturday morning, not just on holidays, a group from the Knights of Columbus gives a “gift” to hospitalized veterans at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis.
Ever since Gene Johnson was “clinically dead” for four minutes due to a sudden cardiac arrest, he is telling older, white men, in particular, how to avoid what he went through 16 years ago.
“Feeling like you are sitting in a long, slow and often completely stopped traffic jam, going nowhere.” That’s the kind of frustration Dr. Julia Roberts, a Kentucky university professor, recently cited to help explain what many gifted and talented students feel as they sit in class.
Twenty Thousand Dollars. The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety has identified that can be the cost for a DWI when factoring in court costs, legal fees and increased insurance premiums.
Last month two men who changed the world for millions died within one sunset of each other: Stan Lee, the superhero creator, and Minnesota’s Richard Proudfit, the champion of malnourished children.
While students are gearing up for winter break, I’m looking ahead to the remainder of the school year. As a Minnesota Math Corps tutor at Westwood Elementary, I am so proud of the work we do with local students who struggle in math and/or lack confidence in their ability to learn. But this i…
When my wife’s water broke in the middle of the night while she was pregnant with our son Joshua Charles, I flew out of bed with three burning questions.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals is advising its members that a recent U.S. Surgeon General’s report has found that 1 in 5 adolescents will face a significant mental health condition during their school years.
One of the most important things adults — families and educators — can do is help youngsters match their skills, talents and interests with good jobs. Of course, we want schools to do much more than help youngsters develop skills and knowledge for employment. But this is one of the most impo…
A closer look at this month’s election results suggests that Minnesota is much in need of healing.
We live in an amazing community. While Elk River’s city motto is “Powered by Nature,” I might suggest it’s really “Powered by a common sense of community.” The recent overwhelming support by residents for the Active Elk River referendum demonstrates to all of us that we love our community.
Can we look forward to our newly elected to live by their promises? Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith and Tim Walz and others have promised us that they will “work across the aisle and get out of the gridlock.”
Since June 27, two local churches, Elk River Union Congregational Church and Elk River Lutheran Church, have organized and participated in protest vigils at the Sherburne County Jail every Wednesday evening from 5-6 p.m. These protests have been to oppose the housing of ICE inmates in the ja…
If you asked me a month ago if I would be getting the flu shot this year, my answer would be a definite no. Throughout my academic career as a community health major, I was required to investigate the influenza vaccine, which I believe everyone needs to do in order to become educated on the …
With rising number of children in foster care, need is urgent
Those of you despairing of the turmoil and lack of civility these days must have forgotten or are too young to remember the ’60s. Women were questioning their status, there were massive protests against the Vietnam War, some were building explosives in basements and there was the civil right…
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