Beyond Reason: A cold day…

It’s been cold. An engaged audience might ask: How cold was it? A type of punchline: It was so cold the ice was complaining about the temperature! The reality is more mundane. It was so cold they cancelled school. This has happened before. I grew up in Texas, a geography not known for cold temperatures. One winter day was so cold that they cancelled schools. They were concerned the HVAC wasn’t up to the job. No school administrator wants to take in warm bodied children and spit them out blue. It was 29 degrees Fahrenheit.

This Happened Here: A few good lines…

Last week in this space, I may have jumped the gun: the first guest columnist – my Creative Nonfiction Workshop student – has asked me to hold off on printing her piece until later in the month. Not to worry, though; coming up next week, a thrilling tale of living on a farm from the poet and performer Johanna Luetmer, who grew up in Morris and has stories to share.

MMS February students of the month

Montevideo Middle School Students of the Month for February are: Marlo Dahl, Kenny Amborn, Piper Swenson, Brielle Dennis, Braelynn Drexler, Lucy Gardner, Joshua LaHaye, Bailey Heidecker, Lillianna Longhenry, Elda Martinez, Leyla Sundlee.

Letter to the Editor

The sun sends more energy to the earth in one hour than all humans use in one year.

South Dakota State announces summer, fall 2024 graduation list

The following students graduated after the summer and fall 2024 semesters at South Dakota State University. Nearly 950 students completed all requirements for a degree and/or certificate program, and those requirements have been verified by the appropriate college.

News from WRAP: March is Women’s History Month

Technology plays a huge part in our society today. We rely on it for work, online schooling, entertainment, communication with people near and far, and local and worldwide information and news. Our culture has integrated the internet and its platforms to connect us with people we know and ways to engage with new individuals. Some of the most widely used platforms by youth and teens are Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and gaming platforms such as Xbox and PlayStation. Although these platforms are beneficial, there are also dangers involved with the open nature of social media and online gaming. One of the most rapidly growing forms of abuse involving youth and teens is sextortion.

Small Grains Workshop for Western Minnesota Farmers March 15 in Benson

Farmers, agricultural professionals and community members in western Minnesota are invited to a Small Grain Markets Workshop on Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at McKinney’s on Southside (300 14th St. South) in Benson, Minn. This free Land Stewardship Project (LSP) event is an opportunity to learn from regional growers and innovators about the benefits of reintroducing small grains into farming operations and ways to rebuild the markets and infrastructure needed to support them. Coffee and refreshments are provided, and pre-registration is requested by Thursday, March 13. To register and to secure a spot, visit bit.ly/westernsmallgrain. For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski at 925-207-3721 or akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

Strategic Farming: Let’s talk crops! focused on corn insect pest challenges

On February 26, Dr. Fei Yang, UMN Corn Extension Entomologist, joined UMN Extension Crops Educator Dr. Anthony Hanson for a discussion on corn insect pests. Dr. Yang provided an update on the current challenges Minnesota faces with these pests and shared insights from his research on corn insect pest management. This was the eighth episode of the 2025 Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops! webinar series, which will continue through March.