By Jesse Grabow Ask a Trooper Question: I saw in one of your recent articles talking about stopping for a school bus. In the article you stated, “Motorists are not required to stop for a bus if the bus is on the opposite side of a separated roadway (median, etc.) — but they should remain… Read More

By Bre Harris Otter Tail County Master Gardener I love a messy garden. To me, it means the plants are happy doing their thing. But every year, without fail, once fall rolls around, I get into cleanup mode. Maybe it’s because the kids are back in school and I can finally finish a task without… Read More

Now that summer has given way to the start of school and fall is in the air, we can no longer ignore the fact that election season is heating up in a big way. Perhaps, one of the best parts of the fact it is already the second week of September is that we are… Read More

To write about this is probably a combination of old-age retrospection with an added dash of conceit that anyone is interested in the things I did as a young boy on a farm so long ago, but then, maybe some of you haven’t participated in a real cattle drive. Each spring, we would have to… Read More

the prairie spy Life, they say, is what happens while you’re making other plans. Extra money, they also say, is what you have just before your car breaks down. Dad used to say, more or less: Beat your head against a concrete block wall; it’ll feel so good when you stop. As a saying, that… Read More

Question: I see a lot of people not wearing their seat belt correctly. Several of them, have the shoulder belt worn underneath the shoulder/arm. Can you provide some education on this?   Answer: Seat belt use is required with a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt, including both the shoulder and lap belt when the… Read More

Alicia Asleson Master Gardener volunteer  Fall is the perfect time to refresh your containers with rich colors, interesting textures, and seasonal accents. A few well-chosen annuals and perennials can turn a porch, patio, or entryway into a welcoming autumn display. Start with  fall-favorite annuals Mums are a classic choice, offering flowers in warm shades of… Read More

Thank you again to all the volunteers who helped with our recent Community Mural painting project “Spirit of the Prairie” on the Landmark Station. Thanks also to the volunteers who helped make our Corn, Brat, and Burger feed a success. To those of you who enjoyed the live music by the Spindler Family, they will… Read More

The Prairie Spy I remember a time when the Post Office delivered a box the size of a six-pack of beer that had 16 baby chicks inside, each one of them as happy as if they had a brain, cheeping and peeping merrily inside a world that barely measured six inches to a side. Then—two… Read More

Question: I am seeing more and more of these “J-turns” in Minnesota. Can you explain those to people who might not be familiar? Thank you.   Answer: J-turns are used to decrease fatalities and injuries caused by broadside crashes on four-lane divided highways.   At a J-turn, drivers on the side street approaching the divided… Read More