The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda It was 1969, Quang Tri Combat Base, Vietnam. His last name was Antoine, and like a lot of guys back then, back there, soldiers got called some derivative of their name or place. We called him Twine. (For example: “Tex” was from Texas; “Pineapple” was from Hawaii, and so forth.) Twine… Read More

To the Editor, Retirement from a farm business may not mean moving away or giving up on mentoring the next generation, but it does entail transferring management decisions to someone else. It can be a gradual or sudden process. It may be driven by long-term goals, by sudden health issues, or events outside your family. When should… Read More

Jessica Carlson Otter Tail County Master Gardener According to the University of Minnesota Extension, the best period for most pruning is from late winter to early spring.  During this dormant time, it reduces stress, minimizes disease spread, and makes it easier to see the structure of trees and shrubs. Using the right tools makes pruning easier and… Read More

By Jessica Carlson Master Gardener Winter is a good time to think about new garden ideas. This year I am starting from scratch with the perennial gardens at my new home, so I have been spending time reading garden books and sketching ideas for future beds. I enjoy looking at photos of famous mixed borders in… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda With another birthday behind me, I just kind of put some of what I am and feel into these words: I am pre-cellphones. (When they put that big tower a couple miles west of me, I wrote a pretty negative column about what I thought about that thing spoiling my view. The… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: Even with laws I still see a lot of motorists driving distracted. Can you get a reminder out there?   Answer: Driver distraction or inattention is a leading factor in crashes in Minnesota, accounting for at least 25 percent of all crashes annually. Distracted drivers fail to recognize potential hazards on… Read More

To the Editor, Amidst the turmoil and uncertainty of Trump’s courts and congress lunging away from constitutional rule in mindless and formerly illegal directions, there remains opportunities for great leadership to slow the damage and set new courses to get back on track. The most positive indication was the remarkable display of dedication to democracy, courage… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I enjoy reading your column in the weekly newspaper.  I have a question I hope you can address. We’ve had some heavy fog recently and I get frustrated with the vehicles that do not have their lights on.  Sometimes the headlights are on and the rear lights are not.  What… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda I ended–gave up– a 30-some-year-long engagement with the IRS some time ago. I gave up. I hate to say it: Up to that point, I never thought I would ever concede them the tiniest bit of superiority. But I did. Government by the people, for the people–all that stuff led me astray…. Read More

Garver’s Movie Review Bob Garver The 2020’s haven’t been kind to once-great animation giant Pixar, at least with its original titles. “Onward” had its box office cut down by the pandemic. Three straight movies had to forgo theatrical releases and go straight to Disney+. “Lightyear” was the first movie from the studio that I couldn’t bring… Read More