Benning Printing & Publishing

To the Editor: Everyday there are news reports about U.S. citizens being arrested without warrant and detained without access to counsel. It seems no one is immune to these threats to our rights and freedom. You could be next. Here is something to consider and think about when it comes to our rights and responsibilities to protect ourselves and others in Minnesota. Since DHS/ICE agents are neither “public officers” or “peace officers” as defined by Minnesota statutes, peop

I don’t even know what reality I’m living in anymore with all the insanity happening in the world. Everything is moving so fast that it’s hard to process—from what’s happening in Venezuela to the ICE shooting in Minneapolis. It’s all maddening for so many reasons. But this one caught me completely off guard: why would we even want to buy a country? Russia wants Ukraine. Trump wants Greenland. One has already led to war, and the other raises uncomfortable questions. The cont

I spent last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. I had never been there before, but it wasn’t my first foray into big city life, having gone to Nashville, Tennessee, for the first time in September of 2025. The two cities were built on very different things—one on music and one on gambling. But really, they were very similar. Both had millions of people living in the city or in connecting suburbs. Both had grown exponentially over the past 20–40 years, and both were built on hope. L

To the Editor: It’s February 3, 2026. You have ventured out to see “what this is all about”. The atmosphere is somewhat quiet and mysterious. You see neighbors, maybe friends. You take your seat among fellow patriots. You have arrived at the foundation of the process of electing those individuals that you deem worthy and fitting to represent you in State and Federal government. You are at your precinct caucus! Find the location for your precinct on the Secretary of State we

As I promised last week, here are some ways that you can set goals that you can actually stick to. We all know that lasting change happens when the goals we set are designed to work with our brains instead of against them. So let’s get started (we only have 51 weeks left of 2026 and don’t want to waste any time!). 1. Shrink the goal down to a daily action item that will shift our identity. So let’s say you want to lose 30 pounds. Start saying (and then doing what you say

Most people have their own preferred footwear, whether it’s sandals in the summertime or sneakers in the spring, but when fall comes around, I always reach for my knee-high boots. I’ve always loved a good pair of black leather boots—preferably with the lowest heel possible, because I don’t do heels. I wore my old pair constantly, and, as well-worn shoes do, they eventually started falling apart. While searching for a new pair, I came across some gray boots and found myself r

To the Editor: January 2026 marks the 22nd annual National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM)­—a call to action to better recognize and respond to this criminal, traumatic, and dangerous victimization. It is a time to spread awareness about stalking through this year’s theme “KNOW IT, NAME IT, STOP IT.” More than 1 in 5 women and approximately 1 in 10 men in the U.S. experience stalking in their lifetimes, but too often it goes unnamed and unaddressed. It takes all of us to b

It’s that time of year—time for the annual banished word list—and I bet you know which annoying word took the top spot! Lake Superior State University Announces 50th Annual Banished Words List It’s time for a golden anniversary. Celebrating five decades of linguistic commentary, Lake Superior State University (LSSU) presents the 50th annual Banished Words List, a tradition highlighting the importance and evolution of language. What began as a whimsical New Year’s Eve party

It’s a new year. 2026. I never thought I would see it. But here it is with all its potential for being the best year yet! Every year has this potential. It’s like January arrives and we suddenly are filled with all the ideas and thoughts about things we want to accomplish in the new year. And then, about a week or a month later a whole lot of people either forget about their goals or simply do not have the drive or ambition to carry through with their plans. According to Dr

To the Editor: The U.S. Postal Service­—what a mess. I sent a package to my brother from Deer Creek to Annandale on the 16th of December. It never got there. I had this package tracked several times. Seems it gets sent from one post office to another over the state. The address is very readable and correct—machines make mistakes—AI for you. Find a new way to ship folks. Never, never again. Lloyd Kirscht Hewitt