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Mild winter makes for enjoyable outdoors

You could argue forever about when winter begins – by the calendar or by when the snow shovels come out and the gloves go on, etc. Seasons aside, Minot has had the most enjoyable winter weather for some time now. A white Christmas with temperatures in the plus range is nothing short of a blessing. Our winter wonderland, complete with amazing hoarfrost on Christmas Day, has been made even better by some of the activities most of us can choose to participate in. That includes the outdoor skating rinks that the Minot Park District operates year after year. Generations of Minot kids ...

Caution is warranted in planning a new city hall

Who could blame the city council for not rushing into buying or building a new city hall? Council members and city staff will be criticized no matter what they do or don’t do in regards to securing more space in which to conduct the public’s business. Buy, build, expand? Does Minot even warrant a bigger city hall? One can only imagine the negative comments that will be thrown council’s way as the best path forward becomes more clear. But forge ahead they have and they are to be applauded for that. The two properties being talked about are the former Wells Fargo building ...

Pause and reflect this Christmas Eve

A common question around this time of year is, “Are you ready for Christmas?” It can be interpreted in a couple of ways. Sometimes, the query is whether we have all the gifts purchased, decorations both inside and out finished, donations to worthy causes made, and Christmas dinner food bought and perhaps prepared in advance, and donations to worthy causes made. Depending upon what time of the evening you are reading this, you may still be finalizing your preparations. Another angle to the question is entirely different: Are we “ready” — that is, in need of — the break ...

Federal regulators need to keep the skies safe

Commercial aircraft production is a high-stakes business in more ways than one. Federal regulators should stick to their position of emphasizing one of those stakes — lives. Boeing Co.’s 737 Max jetliners have been grounded throughout the world since March, when two of the craft crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia. A total of 346 people died. As investigations of the tragedies proceeded, there were questions about whether Boeing had addressed safety issues adequately. That prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to order the 737 Max be kept on the ground. But the plane is ...

‘Space Force’ future up in the air

All too often, bad ideas never really go away in Washington. Congress merely reduces taxpayer funding for them, without insisting they be abandoned. That may be the fate of President Donald Trump’s “Space Force.” Trump envisions the force as an entirely separate, new branch of the military, added to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. He is correct that our national security requires a strong military capability beyond the atmosphere. Making it impossible for a potential enemy to control space is imperative. But the president’s idea of a new branch of the ...

Common sense needed when shopping for kids’ toys

A great deal of the consumer protection advice we receive during the holidays amounts to common sense. How could a reasonably intelligent adult fall for some of the schemes, after all? But some consumer protection watchdogs are offering an important reminder: Adults may have nothing to do with it. Many youngsters will receive electronic devices, often internet-capable, for Christmas. That may make them susceptible to schemes — some involving money, others creating real danger to the children. Experts advise steps such as monitoring youngsters’ internet use, establishing and ...