Year: 2025

A woman with blonde-brown hair in a loose bun wearing a black sweat set, blue skirt, and white cotton gloves gestures toward an ornately carved 8 foot tall wooden clock.

Bily Brothers Clocks: “They Truly Loved It.”

John Weiss discovers an incredible collection of large scale wooden carved clocks at the unique Bily Clocks Museum in Spillville, Iowa.

photo of woolly mammoth exhibit and people viewing

Woolly Mammoths Once Roamed our Driftless Area

Mower County exhibition features gigantic tooth, evidence of prehistoric creatures in southeastern Minnesota.

Pairs of dancers practicing square dancing on a wooden dance floor.

Swing Your Partner, Do-Si-Do

John Torgrimson takes to the Barn Dance floor and meets up with square dance caller Sue Hulsether.

A large group of women along the bottom in front of a graphics which include multiple red lines extending diagonally in many directions. With a headline of white letters on a dark blue background covering the top third of the page. Headline says: Public voices fellowship on advancing the rights of women and girls. Also shown is the OpEd logo in the lower-middle right space.

A Life Lived, A Challenge Faced, A Story Told

Steve Harris profiles regional artist and writer Renée Bergstrom, selected as one of 20 participants in a national op-ed fellowship program.

two kids playing in muddy water

Essay | Creative Skills and Kids

Essayist Renee Bergstrom’s formula for a “lifetime of joy” includes being creative – and it begins in our youth.

A group of people sit at a table with glasses of beer appearing to have a discussion.

Engage Winona Wants to Train People for Public Leadership

John Torgrimson reports on a new Engage Winona initiative to train and grow rural community leaders in Southeast Minnesota.

a thicket of white flowers

‘Highly toxic’ hemlock widespread in Upper Midwest

Poison hemlock can be a killer – and it could be in your backyard. Our colleagues with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk report on how it’s spreading through the region.

A group of people standing in a line above a deep impression covered in vegetation look down at a man standing in the middle of the hole.

Inside Root River Current | A Visit to the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry

The Root River Current team joined community leaders, archaeologists and area residents for a special tour of the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry/Wanhi Yukan Preserve. 

Two red brick historic buildings -- on is two story on the right, the other is one story and stretches out to the left. Windows and doors are trimmed in white wood. Behind the building is a hillside with leaves in yellow and orange against a bright blue sky.

Bypassed, Threatened and Still Here: The Resilient Heart of Forestville

Laney Smith reports on the remarkable story of Historic Forestville, Minn., its uncertain future, 2025 budget cuts and closure of the Meighen Store.

A woman carrying a tall pole with a banner on it is followed by a large crowd of people through a path mown through tall grass.

Flourish at DreamAcres: 20 Years of Youth, Arts and Agriculture in Rural Minnesota

David Phillips reports on Flourish at DreamAcres, the unique summer camp in Wykoff that has blended arts and agriculture for 20 years.

A group of people, mostly women of multiple ages stand in a rustic barn. Each one is holding a tall painted pole.

Essay | “May Peace Prevail on Earth”

Julie Little shares a unique Peace Pole art project recently completed by her garden club.

In the foreground a native grass field, in the background a multi-level building with a three story wall of windows. Building is covered in weathered cedar shakes.

Minnesota Marine Art Museum Showcases Global and Local Visions of Life on the Water

Laura Armstrong walks us through unique exhibits, outdoor art and more at Winona’s Minnesota Marine Art Museum.

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