I was recently issued a 2024 Dodge Durango, replacing my 2019 Dodge Charger. Dodge discontinued making the Dodge Charger for a few years but is supposed to be coming back. State Patrol’s main squads are Dodge Durango or the Ford F-150. The State Patrol issues new squads to troopers when the vehicle reaches approximately 120,000 miles.
Flooding was a big problem earlier this week across the state, after heavy rainfall hit Minnesota over the weekend into early Monday. Some locations reported over 10 inches of rain over the weekend.
Granite Falls Area Community Foundation (GFACF) is now accepting proposals for their 2025 grant awards. Deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, September 19th, 2025 with notification of successful applicants by October 31, 2025.
Minnesota schools, early childhood education (ECE) centers, and licensed in-home family child care providers looking to serve locally sourced meals can apply for funding now through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Farm to School and Early Care Grant and Local Tots Cost-Share programs. The grant and cost-share program both offer reimbursement for local food purchases of Minnesota grown and raised foods.
At Monday evening’s meeting of the Granite Falls City Council, one of the topics of discussion was a request from the Granite Area Arts Council for financial support for the upcoming artist residency program.
In season one of a certain HBO show – one whose name I’m not sure I can say in a community paper – Sarah Jessica Parker’s columnist character is at a party and gets hit on by another writer. That smarmy fellow is played by the actor Justin Theroux. This will become important.
I’ll recap my own SquidFest experience in the column that appears elsewhere, but as a person who had nothing to do with organizing it… I’d like to here state that on Saturday August 16th, our annual celebration of art, community, and the art of community was a delight to attend.
The 50th year class reunion for Echo High School met at the Granite Run Golf Course on Friday evening August 16th. There were 27 in the graduating class of 1975 and 19 came to the reunion. (Front row L to R) Brad Kurtz, Gene Iverson, Art Bendix, Deb Carroll, Barb Bendix, Sara Mahood, Deb Schroeder, Joyce Arends, Cindy Nash. (Second row L to R) Paul Rigge, David Boushek, John Slettedahl, Rick Sater, Jim Miller, Lori Discher, Sheryl Jacobson, Kathy Purdie-Maas, Greg Lecy, Chuck Lee.
Week three in my August series of The Continuum of Creation: Faith and the Land, again helps us to see how creation is ongoing. This week the main topic is not just creation, but re-creation and transformation. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This amazing “new creation” comes through our faith in Christ. And faith isn’t a one-time thing, but a process that continues over our entire life growing and evolving.
Thursday, August 21: 7 p.m. Campfire Chronicles: Wonders of the Wilderness hosted by the YES! House at Memorial Park.