Missing girl

A St. Louis County commissioner came up with a good idea for getting the word out about a missing girl from Chisholm.

Joanne Fay, an incumbent commissioner, suggested that she and her opponent might distribute a picture of Leanna Warner, a 5-year-old girl who went missing more than a year ago, while they are out door-knocking and handshaking in their campaign efforts.

Fay discussed the notion with Warner's parents and then her opponent in this year's election, Steve O'Neil. All parties agreed that handing out fliers of the missing girl might help in the effort to locate her. Now, they are asking those running for office across the state to take part in the effort.

Leanna -- nicknamed "Beaner" -- disappeared June 14, 2003. Searches in the region so far have failed to locate her or turn up clues as to what might have led to her disappearance.

We applaud Fay's idea as well as her opponent agreeing to take part in it. By all accounts, Fay and O'Neil are running a strongly contested race. O'Neil garnered more votes in the primary than did the incumbent Fay. Nevertheless, the willingness of both of them to agree on this matter is heartening.

It interjects a bit of compassion into a political season where the rhetoric and animosity sometimes threatens to overwhelm voters. And, it serves to remind us that we are all Minnesotans, despite politics. Most importantly, it may provide a lead into the whereabouts of Chris and Kaelin Warner's daughter.

Candidates certainly cover a lot of ground. Those running for local government often expend a lot of shoe leather traipsing across their districts. That kind of reach can be invaluable in such a search.

-- The Daily Journal (International Falls)