Columnists

09/27/2026 · International Falls

The Power of Not Answering Right Away

A boundary does not always sound like “no.” Sometimes it sounds like, “Let me check and get back to you,” especially when your mouth is sprinting ahead of your actual capacity.

09/25/2026

Read Story

Column

Why Shakespeare’s “Summer’s Day” Never Gets Old

Shakespeare begins with a familiar compliment, then quietly pulls the poem away from weather and into permanence. The trick is not saying someone is beautiful—it’s showing what beauty can survive.

09/25/2026

Column

Attention Is a Form of Generosity

Simone Weil believed attention was more than concentration: it was an ethical act, a way of admitting that another person or idea exists beyond the borders of the self. That makes this small, severe sentence surprisingly useful for an ordinary day.

09/25/2026

Column

The Bills Come Due, Whether Congress Likes It or Not

Washington is fighting over tariffs, taxes, housing, and artificial intelligence while households keep paying for every experiment. The quiet story sits in the budget machinery, where a few procedural choices could reshape millions of lives.

09/25/2026

Column

The Immersive Art Boom Needs to Stop Making Us Stand in a Giant Projection

I love being surrounded by color. I do not love paying museum prices to watch Van Gogh’s stars wobble across a warehouse floor while a piano softly apologizes. Immersive exhibitions can be wonderful—but only when they remember the art is not wallpaper.

09/25/2026

Column

Lusk, Wyoming: A Prairie Detour With Pie, Ponds, and Zero Crowds

Take the slower road to Lusk and you’ll get a Wyoming weekend that doesn’t require a resort budget—or a reservation calendar. There’s a small lake, a good pizza, and enough empty sky to make your phone feel embarrassed.

09/27/2026

More Columnists

← Yesterday's Columnists Today's Full Edition

Upcoming Events

View all

SEP

San Diego at St. Thomas (MN)

18:00

OCT

St. Thomas (MN) at Presbyterian

17:00

OCT

Winona St. at Wayne St. (NE)

18:00

Announcements

View all

Dept. Head/Work Session

Dept. Head/Work Session When: Friday, October 9, 2026 at 9:00 AM

County Board Meeting

County Board Meeting When: Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Staff in Training

Staff in Training When: Friday, October 2, 2026 at 8:30 AM to Friday, October 2, 2026 at 11:00 AM

Public Notices

View all

Access Case Records

Other - 09/25/2026

Forms & Instructions

Probate - 09/25/2026

ADA Accommodation

Other - 09/25/2026

Find Courts

Public Hearing - 09/25/2026