Going into Hall of Fame

A display at the Pioneer Museum in Fairmont shows that the history of musical groups runs deep in the Martin County area. That is clearly the case given tonight's events.

"Millie and the Saddlepals" and "Clutch and the Shifters" will be inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame at 7:30 p.m. at the I-90 Expo Center near Sherburn. "Millie" entertained on KSUM radio in the 1950s while "Clutch" was a 1950s revival act from the 1970s.

We congratulate the groups for their accomplishments and encourage area residents to head to Sherburn tonight.

A whole new 'Viewpoint'

Kudos to Blue Earth Area Schools for some innovative thinking that will allow teachers to better assess students' learning needs. The school has devised a new computer software tool called "Viewpoint" to integrate student test results, courses taken, grades earned, attendance and other school-related information.

Teachers can track individual students and come up with more specific help for them. Or they can assess a given class or category of students as a whole. We believe this is a futuristic approach.

Valero has plant running

Congratulations to the Valero ethanol plant in Welcome as it celebrated a grand opening this week. Folks in Welcome and the area had deep concerns about the plant in recent years as builder VeraSun underwent financial struggles.

Fortunately, Valero - a Texas-based oil company - stepped in as it decided ethanol will be a part of America's future energy mix. The plant employs 60 people and doesn't waste a byproduct.

Again, it's been a long struggle, but it's great to see the plant running full steam ahead.

Culver makes right call

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has moved boldly with the firing of the director of a state program offering millions in tax credits to moviemakers. Culver also asked the attorney general and state auditor to investigate abuses in the program.

Under the program, filmmakers get tax breaks to film in Iowa, thus boosting movie production in the state and giving Iowa more jobs and a place in the national spotlight. However, Culver is right to be worried about alleged abuses at the Iowa Film Office. These include purported lack of oversight and odd accounting procedures.