Featured Areavoices

Want to get an early start on Earth Day celebrations? Set your alarm for 3 a.m. tomorrow morning and spend an hour watching the annual Lyrid meteor shower. I'll be out there as long as the forecast holds. The moon sets around 1 a.m., so you can begin watching any time after. The closer to dawn, the more meteors you'll see. The Lyrids are the first meteor shower to pummel the sky since the to...

Social Security has a toolbox full of resources on its website, www.socialsecurity.gov, to help you with your financial planning. How can you find out which benefits you might qualify for? Social Security has a tool designed just for that. It is called B.E.S.T. B.E.S.T. is the Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool, available at https://ssabest.benefits.gov. It can help you find out if you might b...

We're flashing back to Ashley's post about how to prepare for an unexpected bout of unemployment, as well as surviving it without going into debt. We all want to feel secure should something happen such as a layoff; however, we also have other priorities for the income we are earning. The best way to prepare for a layoff is by having emergency savings. Butwhen is enough, enough? The common r...

This pic was taken as the cyclist was crossing the Zellstoff Bridge, spanning the Zwickau Mulde River north of the city of Zwickau in the German state of Saxony. This bridge used to be a railroad crossing taking the line to one of the mines nearby. Following its shutdown during the Reunification process, the bridge sat abandoned and it was only when the threat of removal was imminent in 2007 ...

WESTERN WRITERS COUNT by Jay Marie Nitschke Current Library Board Member, Retired Spanish Teacher, Drama Director, Fiction Teacher Several years ago, when teaching in New Rockford, North Dakota I had an English fiction class on my schedule for the last half of the year. That year was a bit different than other years because I had three very reluctant readers in my class that were all seni...

Hunter success during last falls pronghorn hunting season was 75 percent, according to statistics provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Game and Fish issued 410 licenses (255 lottery and 155 gratis), and 366 hunters took 275 pronghorn, consisting of 264 bucks, 10 does and one fawn. Each hunter spent an average of 2.4 days afield. Three percent of the harvest occurred during t...

The snow is finally melting, so I have begun inspecting our landscape. I want to see if our perennial plants have survived the winter. Usually by this time, our rose bushes are budding, the tall grasses are growing and the lilies are sprouting. I think I see a glimmer of green sprouting, though. As I admire the various shades of green in the spring, I cant help but value my eyesight. As we enj...

Five students from the University of Minnesota Crookston Business Department recently participated in the 2018 Harvard Global Case Competition, culminating in a trip to Harvard University in April. The Global Case Competition at Harvard is the worlds most prestigious student-organized case competition. This year's competitionwas organized by the Harvard College European Business Group (EBG), ...

Fifteen years ago, Barb Bohm chose a lovely way to spend more time with her daughter while giving back through volunteering with Hospice of the Red River Valley. Since then, the pair has experienced priceless life lessons together. My daughter and I began volunteering together in 2003. At that time my daughter was 19, and I felt like we were drifting apart, Barb recalled. I said to her one d...

On the night of March 10, myself and a team of Cuba enthusiasts threw an event in Minneapolis to share Cuba with the Midwest. "Cuba: From Us to You" featured a multimedia presentation, dance performance, and cigar smoking socializing afterwards. Yesterday I published the video of this event--the best of the presentation, performance, and audience participation. In all, I tried to make a fun a...

Join us Tuesday, May 15, in Bismarck for the fourth annual Worksite Wellness Summit West. New speakers and new topics make this event a must for anyone and everyone interested in workplace wellness. Get ready for a day of inspiration, practical tips and networking. The event will be held 8 a.m. 3 p.m. at the Bismarck State College National Energy Center of Excellence. Conference sponsors,...

With the school year winding down, many students are planning on moving out of college dorms or their parents homes to find apartments or rental homes for the summer and beyond. Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) reminds all consumers of the importance of doing their research to ensure online listings for rental properties are legitimate and to avoid falling victim to...

Did you see that big old moon setting in the southwest this morning? Me too. And then I thought this is really cool, a full moon, Easter and April Fool's Day, all at once. Except thats not possible. Its not possible to have a full moon on Easter Sunday. Because the rule is, Easter is celebrated the first Sunday AFTER the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. So the moon pulled an April Fo...

Acceptance. Non-judgment. Being present. This is what mindfulness is all about. These concepts are taught during a seven-week Mindfulness Group hosted by The Village. Participants of the class learn the difference between "doing" and "being," how to disengage from a negative mindset, and how to cultivate self-compassion. A spring session of the group kicks off Tuesday, March 6, at The Village...

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