It’s long been a sore point with Brainerd’s outdoor enthusiasts that the riverfront which runs through the very heart of the city has been largely ignored.  Brainerd High School has a beautiful athletic complex, Kiwanis Park offers recreation for  youngsters and a short trail circles B...

If most of us were ever asked to help revise a county’s land use ordinance our likely reaction would be to run quickly in the opposite direction. It’s an onerous, painstaking task that’s sure to rile up hard feelings among property owners who sometimes object to changes or further restrictions...

Congratulations are in order to two groups in light of the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers’ selection of the County State Aid Highway 20 Ahren’s Hill project as one of the Seven Wonders of Engineering....

As if March’s blah weather wasn’t enough to drag the spirits of Brainerd area residents down the jobless headlines in this week’s newspapers would certainly do the trick. Unemployment in the city of Brainerd jumped by 2 percentage points to a shocking 18.1 percent. In Brainerd’s larger micro...

Crow Wing County’s waters are truly our most precious natural resources. Lakes, streams and rivers play a central role in making this area a desirable place to live. And safeguarding those waters, which belong to all Minnesotans and not just those who live on lakes, is a proper concern for our ele...

They are the bane of every city council and county board. No, not potholes — unfunded mandates. They occur when the federal or state governments ponder about what good they can do their constituents and then decree that a certain project shall be done. Then Congress or the Legislature force local ...

Tough decisions are nothing new to The Brainerd School Board. Even people who have little or no interest in public affairs often pay attention to the doings of the school board since when it affects their children....

  Without patting ourselves on the back, Brainerd area residents can take pride in the response they’ve made to the brutal Feb. 6 beating of 53-year-old Willie Navy.  About 40 of Navy’s well-wishers attended a peaceful rally on Tuesday in conjunction with a court appearance of his assa...

Few critics of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have anything bad to say about Big Bird or Arthur or any of the children’s characters that entertain and educate young people on public television. Yet it’s clear these are no ordinary times and Congress and President Barack Obama should tak...

As important as it is note when government makes a mess of things, it’s equally important to point out when it acts decisively to better our lives. The much-maligned federal bank bailout, also known as TARP or Troubled Asset Relief Program can be termed a success, particularly when we remember wha...