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National treasures worth maintaining

Most presidents seem eager to nail down their conservation credentials by creating new national parks, forests and monuments. The trouble is, we have not done a good job in maintaining what we have already. Give President Donald Trump credit, then, for seeing the light on conservation. Kudos also to the bipartisan group of members of Congress who steered him in the right direction. Two important conservation/recreation programs are included in a deal reached between Trump and senators of both major parties. One is reinvigorating the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The other is ...

U.S. economy remains strong, analysts say

If the booming stock market during the past couple of years has prompted you to consider whether your 401K will permit early retirement, forget it. Stocks, and thus pension funds on which many Americans rely, have taken a beating during the past month. How bad is it? During the month that ended Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average on the New York Stock Exchange dropped by more than 5,400 points — nearly one-fifth of its value. Around the world, stock exchanges have taken the worst beating since 2008. Blame panic over COVID-19, in part. Worried investors have taken huge losses ...

Volunteers cook up something special for men’s refuge

When Minot-area residents see neighbors in need, they are quick to lend a hand. When that neighbor is the Men’s Winter Refuge, it takes many hands to provide the help that’s much appreciated by the director and residents at the men’s shelter. Residents have been stepping up since mid-January to provide evening meals every day at the shelter. The Meal Train, organized by Kristen Dionne of Minot, has brought roast beef and mashed potatoes, enchiladas and lasagna, among other homemade specialties, to the 10 to 15 men housed each night. Monday’s article about the Meal Train by ...

Minot AFB: A very important place

This past week Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett visited Minot Air Force Base. Barrett, who became secretary of the Air Force last year, focused her visit here on the quality of life, including a tour of base facilities and meeting with airmen and their families. Barrett’s visit to the base on Thursday follows a visit last month by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, along with Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer. They are among many distinguished visitors to visit the Minot base each year. Last year alone the base had 288 distinguished visitors. Minot AFB is a unique ...

A new chapter in the life of Dizzy the Clown

Congratulations go out to Ken “Dizzy the Clown” Gillespie of Minot who now is the top clown of the International Shrine Clown Association. Well done, Ken. And thanks for all the joy you have brought to people young and old in Minot and beyond. A well-known clown in Minot and the area, Gillespie was installed as president of the association at an awards banquet held in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 22. He replaces John “Jay Jay” Joseph of Chicago who was 2019-2020 president. “I’m very excited about it. I’m very humbled to be chosen and elected,” Gillespie told The ...

Flu a greater threat than COVID-19

Other than avoiding people who may have been traveling internationally, there is not much you can do to avoid catching COVID-19, the coronavirus variety that has been in the headlines. There is something you can do to avoid coming down with common influenza, however: Get a flu shot. Doing so is more important than you may realize. For one thing, as health care professionals have pointed out, if you get the shot and later come down with flu-like symptoms, it can enable them to rule out one possibility for your illness. But strictly gaining a immunity to the flu is more important ...