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Funds coming in for teachers
September 2, 2010
FAIRMONT — Fairmont Area Schools has an estimated $361,320 coming its way, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
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Plant tests new treatment
September 2, 2010
FAIRMONT — Lake chemistry is a complicated thing.
For the past few weeks, Sam Chin has been experimenting with different chemicals and doses at a pilot plant set up inside Fairmont’s water treatment facility.
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Storm water surges costly
September 1, 2010
FAIRMONT — “I & I” is a notorious abbreviation, well-known in public utilities circles, and potentially becoming more familiar to ordinary citizens.
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Blue Earth tackles repairs
September 1, 2010
BLUE EARTH — “A complete rehab for Fourth Street,” is what Rick Burmeister, engineering technician with Bolton & Menk, calls the piles of dirt and pipes, backhoes and general mess seen from the west edge of Blue Earth to Galbraith Street.
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A-R closer to consolidation
September 1, 2010
ARMSTRONG — The Armstrong-Ringsted school board voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward with plans to consolidate with North Kossuth and Sentral.
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Concert memberships on sale
September 1, 2010
FAIRMONT — A chamber orchestra, a Harlem Boys Choir alumnus, and three family musical acts await Fairmont Concert Association members for the 2010-2011 concert season.
» Full Story
Top Headline Poll
The U.S. role in Iraq is winding down. What do you think of our long involvement there?
We had some success, at a price
35%
We are wisely transforming the Mideast. It's a success
12%
We made a total mistake in Iraq
44%
I'm really not sure
8%
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Blogs
Meg Alexander
Jennifer Brookens
Kylie Saari
Lee Smith
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Meg Alexander
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'Staggering Genius,' indeed staggering
Tue, August 31, 2010 @ 12:31PM
Dave Eggers' memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, was indeed a staggeringly good read. The reason I know this, if nothing else, is the number of times I was interrupted while trying to finish it. Always, always, always, when I am reading a good book — a great book — I am interrupted in the final chapter, most often the last page. Eggers' novel was no exception. All the same, despite the distractions, the book was more than satisfying, like a well balanced meal, emotionally and intellectually challenging, and damn tasty too. (Please forgive the analogy — I just realized how hungry I am.) The memoir begins with a vivid scene in which the author's mother is dying of cancer, and the graphic nature of his narration carries through to the end.
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Jennifer Brookens
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"My City Was Gone"
Fri, August 27, 2010 @ 9:38AM
"WELL I WENT BACK TO OHIO BUT MY FAMILY WAS GONE I STOOD ON THE BACK PORCH THERE WAS NOBODY HOME I WAS STUNNED AND AMAZED MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES SLOWLY SWIRLED PAST LIKE THE WIND THROUGH THE TREES" - Pretenders, "My City Was Gone" I know how Chrissy Hynde was feeling when she wrote that song after taking a trip back to my hometown, a place I haven't been in six years. I originally resisted the idea - too long a road trip with two little kids. But it was my husband who encouraged it and thought it was important for me to see my friends. They had always met us halfway since my parents moved from Casper to Minnesota, but school started very early for Casper this year, and the timing... Well, I caved and we went for it. Casper is not the same city today as it was when I grew up. A lot of the unique places have packed it in or been bought out by the chain stores.
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Kylie Saari
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Walking School Bus
Tue, August 31, 2010 @ 11:51AM
I have blogged about this before, and written a handful of stories, but I think it is a topic worth revisiting. The Walking School Bus, or Safe Routes to School, encourages kids to walk to school safely along routes determined by the police department as relatively safe. To be honest, I am not sure there are many routes that are unsafe, but having the best route pointed out to get to the four elementary schools is a good thing. The routes don't begin until the public schools start — which is a bit of a slight to those with kids in private school, like me. But nevertheless, I think it is worth encouraging kids to walk to school and this year the plan is to go all year round. I love this idea. It is cold in the winter, but kids who live in the route zones don't live far from school. Encouraging them to use their own vehicles — their legs — to get themselves somewhere they need to go seems like a great lesson in independence and self-sufficienc.
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Lee Smith
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'Cost of Government Day' gets later, later
Tue, August 24, 2010 @ 4:51PM
The average American, I suspect, doesn't mind receiving value for his or her tax payments. Most people drive and like nice streets and roads. We like our sewers to work. We like knowing there are police, firefighters, prosecutors and soldiers to protect us. When we move beyond these basics, government becomes not a provider of general services, but a tool of special interests. They line up at the public trough and often do not even have to compete for government handouts. Every "worthy" cause has its patron saint in the form of a politician. The politicians scratch each other's backs to fund all their pet projects and programs. This has a horrendous cost that is largely hidden. Thankfully, entities like the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation shine light on the fiasco. The foundation is a Washington-based tax watchdog group that offers an annual "Cost of Government Day" report.
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