By Dr. Klint W. Willert, PAS superintendent of schools December 2025 has truly ushered in winter. Despite starting out with cold winter temperatures and snowfall, the students and staff started to heat up our schools with the holiday spirit that comes from students, staff, families, and community members coming together in the true spirit of the season. The holiday celebrations [โฆ]
Local Columnists
The best time of the year
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the lights, the movies, the music, the treats, the gift wrapping, the family time and all of it. This year, weather and other issues have prevented us from enjoying some of our family traditions such as frosting Christmas cookies and shopping for gifts with grandma. Hopefully the circumstances [โฆ]
The Gift
The definition of a gift: a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present. If you have followed my columns over the last couple of years you might remember the time when I talked about our adventures of showing a horse for the first time at the fair with my oldest daughter. Often people will ask how a family [โฆ]
Lightning round of Hollyhock questions part I
By Tom Tourville This is a column I have been planning on doing for some time, but this being my 10th year in doing โRock & Roll Memoriesโ for the Pipestone County Star. I know itโs going to be fun. These are a collection of questions I have received, saved and have combined together to create this fun look back [โฆ]
A community to be thankful for
Happy Thanksgiving. This day provides one an opportunity to break from the day-to-day and enjoy some weekday time away. For many, this day away centers around time spent with family and/or friends gathering around the dining room table for a grand meal and conversation. Football has become part of that tradition, and thankfully this year we wonโt have endure another [โฆ]
Good job, Australia
A new law in Australia that takes effect next month will prohibit the use of social media platforms by children under the age of 16. The intended goal, according to the amendment, is โto reduce the risk of harm to ageโrestricted users from certain kinds of social media platforms.โ According to an explanatory memorandum from the Australian House of Representatives, [โฆ]
Unhealthy fear
In a world of disorder and chaos, I try to keep my children aware of dangers but not fearful of them. What I mean is that I try to keep them naรฏve so that they may look for the best in everyone and everything. However, I also attempt to teach them to be street smart by talking through situations even [โฆ]
Rockinโ the Hollyhock with Steve Rowe & The Furys
By Tom Tourville This month my featured artist will allow me to go back to the birth of ballroom rock and roll. Let me explain. Rock and roll on the Midwest ballroom circuit got a very bumpy start. Iโm not talking about 1963-1970โs and beyond. Iโm talking about the real birth of ballroom rock, 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959. You [โฆ]
Thoughts on โfake newsโ
A few weeks ago, a commenter on one of our Facebook posts pulled the โfake newsโ card in relation to a photo we had posted. Based on my knowledge of this person, I believe this was made in jest and others quickly pointed out the accuracy of details within the image. However, another follower, joined the commentary with โโฆ.the Star [โฆ]
Legislative view Farmers are facing a crisis of uncertainty, reversing the tariffs is the only way to end it
Right now, rural America is facing a crisis of uncertainty. In Minnesota and across the country, farmers are having trouble making ends meet amid low commodity prices and increasing costs, and farm financial conditions are deteriorating. Farmer loan repayment rates continue to decline in Minnesota and across the Midwest, and small farm bankruptcies have reached a five-year high. Why? Our [โฆ]
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