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Liberty and justice Last Thursday, I had the privilege of being in the gallery when the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill giving the freedom to marry to all of Minnesota's citizens.

May is mental health awareness month Crow Wing County Community Services recognizes May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

LSS and area restaurant to host community benefit to help end youth homelessness Sunshine Kitchen Moonshine Lounge in Brainerd is partnering with Lutheran Social Service (LSS) in a joint effort to help end youth homelessness in Minnesota.

One of the hazards of having an opinion published in the newspaper is the subsequent receipt of anonymous mail and/or telephone calls. I find it always unsettling to receive such. I feel as if a thief has come into my home.

I have served as a Lutheran pastor in Brainerd area for the past 10 years and during that time have been blessed to serve in leadership roles for both New Pathways and Lutheran Social Services (LSS)- two great organizations that daily serve families and youth that are experiencing homelessness right...

Conquering mental illness People talk a lot about mental illness in today's world, but that does not necessarily mean our understanding of it has increased.

This morning I finished reading in the Dispatch the second installment concerning mental illness. It is unfortunate that these persons have encountered so many tragedies and traumas in their lifetime.

Barbara Jean Rekowski was set free the day she was handed her diagnoses. It meant she finally had something to fix. "I felt like a caged cat," she said of her life before. "I knew something was going on. People around me thought I was this awful thing.

Jerry Stirewalt. Age: 48. From: Brainerd. Diagnosis: Post-traumatic stress disorder, severe reoccurring depression, bipolar disorder Jerry Stirewalt says he "earned" his mental illness diagnosis.