Trash Being Dumped in the Ditches

Weber Presents Book Talk on Sixth True Crime Thriller Award-Winning True Crime

Author Frank F. Weber will present a book talk on his latest release, “Black and Blue’’ at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at the Great River Regional Library in Sauk Centre. The book is Weber’s sixth book in the Jon Frederick True Crime Book Series.

“Black and Blue” is the true story of the search for 19-year-old Sadie Sullivan’s killer. A chance meeting between Officer Xavier—Zave—Williams and Sadie changed his life and ended hers.

By Lori Young

Someone has been dumping garbage in the ditch (281st Ave.) near Grey Eagle and local residents are requesting that they come back to pick it up.

Area residents try to keep the ditches clean and find this very disrespectful. In the photo above, it started as a neat little pile until people started rummaging through it. There is also a bag of garbage under the snow.

It is bad enough to have pop bottles, beer cans and beer bottles in the ditches, along with other debris flying out of boats, trailers, etc., but intentionally dumping garbage and making it other people's problems is not the right thing to do.

Others have shared stories of trash being dumped into the ditches. On County Road 2, west of Lakeview Cemetery, local residents had the ditches cleaned up before Memorial weekend to find several large black bags filled with grass clippings dumped in the ditch. Once the grass was tall, the bags were hidden and were hit by the highway department when they mowed the ditches.

In the past, Grey Eagle Township had to hire services to remove garbage, appliances, and furniture from the ditches on Ascot Road. Many townships and organizations end up paying the price to remove the items. This past fall, the DNR reported tree stumps that were dumped in the boat landing down on Hunter's Bay, creating a hazard to anyone using the landing until they were removed.

Those who are littering do not realize the effects it has on others.

As farmers head out to the fields in the spring, debris has to be picked up or it can damage their equipment. Same goes for the highway department. It takes time to clean up behind others and can become very costly.

It also becomes a safety concern for those who like to recreate by snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, etc. Soon spring will be here and more people will be out walking and biking, broken bottles can be found on a number of area roads.

Instead of dumping garbage or throwing items out of your vehicle, think of others and help by picking up trash along the roads and in the ditches. Let's keep our areas clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.

Swanville Junior High Student of the Month

Swanville Public School is pleased to announce the February Junior High Student of the Month, eighth grade student Delaney Chuba. Delaney is the daughter of Michael and Tracy Chuba. She enjoys playing sports, reading, listening to her sister sing, spending time with family and friends, and really enjoys going to the gym with her family. She plans on going to college and is most interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. Delaney plays volleyball, softball and basketball participating since sixth grade to the present. She is also in the band and this school year was elected to the student council. She is a student that is consistently on the academic Honor Roll. She was recently awarded

Athlete of the Month for the month of December for basketball. Delaney’s favorite thing about school is seeing her friends, learning new things and participating in sports. Her advice to other students is “Even if people aren’t your friends, treat them with respect and kindness; you don’t know what they are going through.” Delaney strives to a role model for the younger students.

Mathematics teacher Liza Hasse says, “I thoroughly enjoy working with Delaney in class. Even though she is involved in several school activities she manages to keep her grades up in all of her classes and does quite well. She strives to always give her best effort. Delaney is willing to seek help when needed but she always tries to solve the problem on her own first. Delaney maintains a positive attitude in class towards the teacher and her peers. Delaney has developed into a positive leader in her class. She encourages others to do what is right and to always do their best. Delaney is very deserving of this honor.”

Outside of school Delaney volunteers for Swanville Athletic Booster Club and volunteers at her church.

Zave joins Investigator Jon Frederick as a black and white team reopening a cold case with a lot of gray - contaminated evidence, questionable court decisions, and two opposing hardened suspects. In the backdrop of modern-day Minneapolis, investigators are left to sort through the chaos, shootings, and political outrage to deliver justice to Sadie’s family. Black and Blue is an intense thriller about tenderness, passion, and resilience in an era when it’s easy to be callous. A true crime of Lover vs. Psychopath. Was the murder racially motivated? What uniform did the killer wear? Prison or Police… Weber is a forensic psychologist specializing in homicide, sexual assault, and domestic abuse cases. He uses his unique understanding of how predators think, knowledge of victim trauma, and expert testimony in writing his true crime thrillers. He has profiled cold case homicides and narrated an investigative show on Oxygen. He has been the recipient of the President’s Award from the Minnesota Correctional Association for his forensic work. His Award-Winning books include “Murder Book” (2017), “The I-94 Murders” (2018), “Last Call” (2019), “Lying Close” (2020), “Burning Bridges” (2021), and “Black and Blue” (2022).

For more information on Weber and his books, visit www.frankweberauthor.com

The event is free and open to the public. Weber will be there from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

From the Desk of Pastor Bruce

This is a day of “cogitating” (a word from a Sackett western movie that we have. It means to deliberate or ponder.) So, I was wondering what kind of a man or pastor I am. Do I honor God in every thought and deed? The Psalmist, I believe, asks the same sort of question. Psalms 139:1-6 “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” And then as if the Psalmist is wondering he says in verses 23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

We see this same sort of encouragement from the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

If you are brave enough, take time today and ask God, maybe in a quiet room, “Who am I?” “Am I God honoring?” “Am I following you?” Seek Him with all your heart! Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

-Pastor Bruce Miller from Swanville Bible Church, 320-547-2916

BLENKERS ROOFING, LLC

Gutters • Soffits Fascia • Siding

Melrose • 320-256-5400

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’ve having some problems with my parents, and I’m hoping you can help. Last summer I borrowed $2,500 from them, and it is taking me longer to pay them back than we agreed. Since the pay back date passed, they have made several comments about money when we’re together, and our relationship seems strained. I have taken steps in the last couple of months to become more financially responsible. I am now doing things like living on a budget, and putting something from each paycheck into a savings account. How should I approach this issue with them?

-Remi

Dear Remi, Loaning money to, or borrowing money from, relatives or friends often leads to bruised feelings. I’m sorry you’re going through this, but I hope it will teach you and your folks a valuable lesson going forward. There’s nothing wrong with giving money in a situation like this, as long as you’re not enabling bad behavior by doing so. But a loan between friends or family is something I never recommend.

If they choose to hold a grudge there’s really not a lot you can do, especially if you took longer than agreed upon to pay them back. It just takes more time with some people—and in some cases even parents—for those kinds of things to heal. You have to remember, in their minds there’s an element of responsibility and trust involved here. But considering it’s your mom and dad we’re talking about, I’d say they’ll lighten up and become a little easier to be around with time.

Until that happens, though, maybe you could look for chances to mention your new approach to finances during conversations with them. Even something as simple as an

Sudoku Answers from March 16 off-hand remark about how much you were able to put into savings from your recent paychecks may encourage them to see things in a different light. Letting them know you’re actively working to change your ways and gain control of your finances could mean a lot to them.

Give it a try!

-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., Mar. 27: Goulash, peas, pineapple tidbits.

Tues., Mar. 28: Pork roast, baked potato, applesauce, broccoli.

Wed., Mar. 29: Baked chicken, whipped potatoes, gravy, garden salad, fruit cocktail, dinner roll.

Thurs., Mar. 30: Cheeseburger on bun, coleslaw, sweet potato French fries, banana.

Fri., Mar. 31: Cheese roll-up, California Normandy veg., peaches, garlic bread. 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., Mar. 27: Polish sausage, kraut, potato, vegetable, dessert.

Tues., Mar. 28: Meatloaf, potato, vegetable, dessert.

Wed., Mar. 29: Country fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, dessert.

Thurs., Mar. 30: Ham, potatoes, vegetable, dessert.

Fri., Mar. 31: Tuna noodle casserole, garden salad, dessert.

Pick up or eat in by 11:30 a.m. For meals, call a day before: 320-573-4435.

Dear Motor Medics, If cars could talk, what would they say?

-Darin in Freemont, Nebraska

Dear Darin, We've often wondered what cars would say if they could speak, they certainly have personalities. As we walk through our auto recycling yard there are thousands of cars, trucks and vans all gathered together on the way to their automotive afterlife. Just like people, some will donate their parts to others so that they may continue to live, others are just so worn out that there is nothing left to give. Some have had an easy life while others were abused and had their days filled with strife. Some have had their fluids well taken care of and have no build up of sludge inside their engines, while others have very clogged passages. We as humans really do have a lot in common with our vehicles. As for what they would say exactly... that's hard to say. We think they say more than we care to hear. Just like people, we often don't listen to each other. They speak through their body language showing us signs of poor running, just like when we are sick and feeling poorly. They leak oil like we bleed and need repair. Yes we really do have a lot in common with our cars. If only people had something as noticeable as a check engine light on their face maybe we would all communicate with each other as well as our cars communicate.

-Take care, the Motor Medics

Dear Motor Medics, I've had more than a dozen vehicles with a rear wiper on them over the past twenty years

Eagle Outdoor Services

or so and as far as I can remember all of them didn't work worth a hoot. They would go for the first year then they all would leave that streak in the center of the glass and it seemed like no matter how many times I changed the blade it would only work for a couple months and would then go right back to the same old streak. I see others on the road the same way. What's up with all these wiper failures?

-Terry in Dayton, Ohio Dear Terry,

Rear wipers take a beating compared to front. They get a lot of road grime and exhaust up on them that takes its toll on both the blade and the arm and sometimes even the motor itself. When the blade starts to break down it will affect the wipe pattern but also very important is how much down force the arm has on the blade. As the arm is used or even just rests on the glass it loses its pressure while at the same time it's deforming the blade. Many parts stores now carry a complete assembly of blade and arm and we often replace both to make sure they give a good wipe. If you have been replacing the blade only that may be why they seem to fail so soon.

-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.