Swanville High School to present a spring play: The History

of Dating

of the state where disease has broken out. They also dealt with the daunting task of disposing carcasses of animals put down when the large packing plants were closed during COVID-19. The Board's current make-up is six members, most of whom are veterinarians. New language in the House bill increases it to 11 members who have knowledge of livestock, with at least one residing in each of our eight congressional districts.

A bill which passed the House several weeks ago will make it difficult for the prison at Appleton to ever be used again to house prisoners. The facility is owned by a private company and has been sitting empty since 2010. Language in the bill says the Department of Corrections cannot house prisoners in a private prison, in addition to saying that local governments couldn't either. We offered amendments to at least allow counties the option of banding together to use the facility, in addition to keeping the door open for the state at some point in the future to lease the prison.

It was obvious the bill was aimed at Appleton and keeping the prison there from ever being used again for its original purpose. It's a shame the 1400-bed facility that was state-ofthe-art when built back in the 90s can't be put to use. At one time, it employed 350 people and was a huge economic driver for the area. Its tax base represents about one-third of Appleton's valuation, and it still pays hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in property tax in Swift County.

Debate on the bill went on for hours as Republicans tried to lessen its impact and keep options open for the facility. But the amendments were defeated and, in the end, the bill to ban usage of private prisons passed on a party-line vote.

You can always call my office at (651) 296-4317, my home phone at (320) 239-2726 or email me at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn if you need additional information.

By Chantelle Frie

Swanville students are preparing to perform their spring play, "The History of Dating" by Brian D. Taylor. This super fun, sort-of-romantic comedy takes the audience on an “educational” tour through history exploring the dating customs and rituals, as well as successes, disappointments, and failures, of a variety of peoples and time periods. This show takes us all the way from caveman days to online dating in the digital age and pokes fun at all the popular dating stereotypes; some of the time periods include ancient Egypt, the Greek Empire, the Colonial period, the Wild West, the Roaring 20s, and the totally rad 80s.

The students will perform Sunday, April 16 and Monday, April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Swanville High School auditorium. This show is produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Denver, Colorado. Tickets available at the door.

Sudoku is one of the most popular puzzle games of all time. The goal of Sudoku is to fill a 9×9 grid with numbers so that each row, column and 3×3 section contain all of the digits between 1 and 9. As a logic puzzle, Sudoku is also an excellent brain game.

Dave Says -By Dave Ramsey

Dear Dave, I’m 20 years old, and I’m planning to buy a home in the next year. Besides having a 20% down payment, what other tips do you have for a first-time home buyer? Also, is there anything I need to guard against when it comes to buying a house?

-Jacob

Ask The Motor Medics®

From

Dear Jacob,

I’m glad you’re planning on making a down payment of at least 20%. That’s a smart move, because it’ll help you avoid the added expense of private mortgage insurance (PMI). Also, remember to get a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage loan, one where your payments are no more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay.

Now, the next pieces of advice are for you, Jacob, and anyone else who’s planning to buy real estate. Always get title insurance. Always!

If you’re buying a piece of property that’s not a traditional subdivision-type lot, have a survey done. This isn’t as much of a worry with a standard subdivision lot, something that’s preplatted and has changed hands three or four times. But you don’t want to buy a piece of land under the impression that it’s 3 acres and then find out the hard way it’s only 2.25 acres. Get a home inspection too. Unless you happen to be an electrician, contractor or something like that, you’re probably not an expert on things relating to home construction.

This last piece of advice may sound funny, but don’t buy a house with a great, low price if it looks ugly from the street. I did that with the very first house I bought, and it’s a bad idea. No matter what you think, when it comes to houses, you can’t fix ugly. You can change out carpet, and you can put up new shutters or gutters and stuff like that. Those things aren’t a ton of work. But there’s a reason you can get a screaming deal on an ugly house—it’s ugly. And the guy you sell it to down the road is going to get a great deal on the house. Why? Because it’s just an ugly house.

If you’re not careful, you can get a little too excited on your first home purchase. So stay smart, look at everything involved, and don’t let a case of house fever push you into a big, expensive mistake!

-Dave

* Dave Ramsey is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

Albany Senior Dining

Mon., Apr. 10: Roast beef, whipped potatoes, beets, fruit salad, roll.

Tues., Apr. 11: Honey mustard pork, loin, sweet potato, Calif. Normandy vegetable, orange slices.

Wed., Apr. 12: Baked chicken, scalloped potatoes, peas/carrots, fruit, roll.

Thurs., Apr. 13: Special of the day.

Fri., Apr. 14: Fish, baked beans, French fries, coleslaw.

Pre-registration requested to dine daily. For more info. call 320-845-4070.

Upsala - All Ages

BREAKFAST: Mon.-Fri. 7-10 a.m.: Walk in & dine. Take out available, call ahead.

Mon., Apr. 10: Tater tot hotdish, garden salad, garlic bread, dessert.

Tues., Apr. 11: Meatloaf, cheesy potatoes, vegetable, dessert.

Wed., Apr. 12: Cook's choice.

Thurs., Apr. 13: BBQ chicken breast, potato, vegetable, dessert.

Fri., Apr. 14: Liver & onions, potato, vegetable, dessert.

Pick up or eat in by 11:30 a.m.

For meals, call a day before: 320-573-4435.

Dear Motor Medics, I've got button envy. I bought a 2010 Prius when it was new and I loved, well, still love my car but just not like I did after seeing a 2016 Prius. I bought my car because it was cool, lots of gadgets like a backup camera, HID headlamps and a fancy radio and displays that I didn't even know what the info on them meant. Now there are even more gadgets. When will it end and are these new features a safe gamble to buy with a new car or do you think they will just cause more things to break down and cost me money?

-Tom in Spirit Lake, Iowa

Dear Tom, We love those buttons too! The more the better for us but that's not everyone's opinion. The Prius is one that has been on the leading edge of new tech for many years and each year they add a bit more. The base car hasn't changed much. The hybrid drive is still basically the same, but the creature comforts have come a long way. New tech design is strong these days and we don't worry much about it failing more than long-term tested devices. We all must have the newest cell phone and they change those every few months and their failure rate isn't off the charts. New tech seems to be the trend. We want it faster and we want it now. Enjoy the ride!

-Take care, the Motor Medics Dear Motor Medics, I'm in the market for a used vehicle and my budget can afford something in the $10k range but I am a guy who likes a fancier ride like a Cadillac or Lincoln so that means my $10k will buy me a lot less car than if I were to purchase a smaller more mainstream brand vehicle. I have ended up with what I call lemons in the past which have cost me almost what I paid for them in repairs over a few years of ownership. I found out one had been in several wrecks and even was salvaged at one time. How can I protect myself during a purchase? They all seemed so good on the test drive.

Dear Mark,

-Mark in Wyandot, Michigan

We have several of our listeners in this position. They went with a luxury car that was ten years old instead of a standard car that's just a couple years old with a factory warranty. When you buy an older car the added miles and time take their toll and you are bound to have more problems. To protect yourself as best as you can we strongly suggest you do at least two things in addition to the test drive. Those two things are a title history check to find out if there are damage brands reported and a mechanical inspection done by a professional mechanic. These aren't foolproof but do catch a lot of faults.

-Take care, the Motor Medics For entertainment only. Always consult your local shop and follow all safety procedures before repairs. Come visit the Motor Medics® online at Underthehoodshow.com.