LOCAL
North Branch hosts Gov. Walz, and 'Telecommuter Forward'
A rain-soaked morning in North Branch drove a visit from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz from the front lawn of the city hall inside, to the council chambers.
Don Danielson - teacher, speaker and now author
Lindstroms’s Don Danielson’s childhood was "lake oriented." Camping, hunting, fishing, trapping, traipsing, ice-skating -- most anything associated with their backyard lake. Never in his wildest dreams did he envision writing a book about the outdoors. Yet here he is with his first book “Come Autumn, Memoirs of a Hunter”.
Still time to get your luminary; a get-away was the perfect medicine
My wife and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and now that the kids are gone, we decided to take a mini-vacation with just the two of us. Let me begin by saying how much easier on the pocketbook renting a one bedroom cabin is. We ended up staying …
Not just corn on the cob
It’s that wonderful veggie, corn, today. Looking through articles that pertained to corn, I came across this delightful legend concerning corn tamales that saved Cortez and his men from starvation and death. It seems that when the Indians finally realized that Cortez was not the Great White God, they decided …
KUBBers mark five years; virus no obstacle
There was something going on in a Chisago City yard, that opened out at the end of a long driveway off Lofton Avenue; something that’s been going on for a thousand years, by many accounts.
Swedish Immigrant Trail grows even further
County officials were on-site observing the bridge placement for the Swedish Immigrant Regional Trail Tuesday this week. In photo: Parks Board member Judy Chartrand next to retired county parks director Laird Mork, left. In back row, Chris DuBose, county commissioner; with Joe Tart, current parks director; Gregg Carlson in orange …
School is starting soon - maybe... I wear a mask, but in my car?
We finally moved our son back to Mankato for another year of college, or so we hope. As of right now the plan at MSU is to have about half the classes hybrid where half the students would come in for labs one week then the other half the following …
Use the abundance of summer squash in these delectible dishes
I am going to give you squash recipes. Not winter squash (I don’t want to think about winter) but zucchini and yellow summer squash. I bet you thought I forgot about zuc recipes. Not a chance! The soft-skinned and soft-fleshed squash with a shiny surface, are best when they are …
Covid-19 not getting in way of Girl Scouts' pursuit of Silver Award, en route to Gold
In the era of Covid-19 when even the Minnesota state fair waved the white flag, two Girl Scouts found a way to forge ahead on their summer battle plan for earning a Silver Award.
New W&L Commission meets for first time
The new five-member North Branch Water & Light Commission met last week for the first time. Chris Bibeau’s seat was the only carryover term retained from the discarded three-person group. He is joined by appointees Thomas Hals, Nathan Keech, Mic Dahlberg and Terry Smith.
ArtReach's 10th annual member's show can be viewed in a socially distanced gallery or online
The 10th Annual Members Show at ArtReach St. Croix opened on Thursday, July 9 with a mostly outdoor reception. This year’s exhibition features work by 39 member artists and represents many different kinds of art most was created by artists who live or work in the St. Croix Valley.
Where did the summer go? Shop, eat locally, that truck has suds on it
One would expect with the whole pandemic and most people staying close to home that our summers would be dragging on with nothing to do. I will admit - that is a huge fantasy of mine, to have nothing to do and actually be bored. I had visions of fishing every day, …
Different ways to prepare green beans
Have you been enjoying fresh green beans as much as I have? Whether or not they come from your garden, roadside stand or the farmer’s market, there is nothing quite like the flavor of this green veggie... except for tomatoes, corn, etc. Here I go, liking every veggie that grows in …
Karl and Kristina on the go
You may have noticed that the statue of immigrants in Lindstrom, who are foundational characters for a set of beloved Swedish novels, is missing...but not due to any political controversy. The landmark on mainstreet, the ever-stoic Karl Oskar and Kristina, pictured above southbound on I-35, were transported July 15 to …
