Editorial

As we eke out our final hours in Austin, the quiet is almost stifling. It’s the combination of a collective citywide sigh of relief after the storm that was SXSW and the anxiety and uncertainty of the anonymous package bombings that have been rocking Austin for the past three weeks, killing two and injuring four.

One package exploded early this morning (Tuesday morning) in a Fedex facility located in Schertz, Texas, near San Antonio and was believed to be Austin-bound.

As festival…

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There’s nothing really quite as unifying as a good snow day. The calm before the storm gives us something to small talk about. It’s one thing everyone can relate to and add on to. Whether you casually comment on how much snow there is out there to “too bad ‘ol Norbert Schultz isn’t around to read the pig spleen..”

Both of which I’ve reiterated; but in my defense Schultz was an older gentleman who lived near Pingree, who would butcher a hog and predict the outcome of the…

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Sometimes referred to as “the castle on the hill,” the former Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Facility, also known as the Kirkbride building, has inspired, shocked, awed, inspired and provided economic stability to the community of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, for well over a century. It served as a treatment facility, housed the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, eventually closed its doors in 2005 and has been empty ever since.

It once supported farmland, lush orchards and…

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I was 14 in 1999 when Columbine happened. I remember feeling the shock, horror, and overall sickness that comes with a national tragedy of that caliber.

According to a February 15, 2018 article in The Washington Post by John Woodrow Cox and Steven Rich, “An ongoing Washington Post analysis has found that more than 150,000 students attending at least 170 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.”

Just think…

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What draws people to a particular area? Food? Culture? Nostalgia? It’s hard to speak on behalf of the populace but we obviously know what draws us in as individuals.

Here’s another question: What makes an area thrive and what makes up a community’s lifeblood?

I spend a lot of time travelling throughout our state and I often find myself occupying a fair share of bars and cafes along the highway. Sometimes in search of a good story (news-related or not), sometimes in search of…

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A couple of weeks ago Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski partnered with Tide in a social media PSA so teenagers don’t poison themselves for the sake of Snapchat. I may be dating myself while I sit back in my rocking chair and reminisce about the animated PSAs that closed out my beloved She-ra or GI Joe cartoons, which reminded youths “no talking to strangers” and “no playing with fire.” Just look where it got me. I talk to strangers for a living.

Sure, those old animated public…

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America’s immigration policies have ridden the waves of prejudice for more than 250 years, and each refusal and denial takes its toll on the country’s core values.

First, our nation stole, tricked, and traded land from Native Americans, killing indiscriminately upon resistance. Then came the Acadians, devout Catholics, and the Irish and Germans, starving and persecuted. Norwegians and Swedes came soon after, seeking land to plow. Africans became slaves, which the nation fought a…

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Last week I was asked to appear and speak on behalf of Matt Pausch, owner of the Oasis, before the Public Works and Safety Committee in Wahpeton. The Pausches are great people and I will never forget the time I spent at the Oasis. If I didn’t agree with what they’re doing, I wouldn’t have driven two hours to appear on their behalf.

The intent of the meeting last week was to address safety concerns surrounding the proposed ordinance to amend their cabaret license, and allow lap…

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2017 has been quite a year. Like any year, we’ve had our own triumphs and tragedies.We survived a year of Trump in office and we said goodbye to Tom Petty. In local news we shared the shock and horror of the murder of Savanna Greywind and mourned together as a community. We also lost one of our longest contributors, Christopher Jacobs who contributed to the Reader since day one and is dearly missed.

On a lighter note, we met a lot of cool new people, ate at some killer new restaurants…

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Hunger has no specific face. According to feedingamerica.org: “41 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including 13 million children. In 2015, 5.4 million seniors struggled to afford enough to eat.”

Over half (59%) of food-insecure homes participate in federally funded food assistance programs, whether they be food stamps, WIC, or school lunch programs. Another heartbreaking fact is that households with children are more likely to be hungry than those without.…

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