To The Crookston Times readers,

It is with regret that CherryRoad Media announces the closing of The Crookston Times

Our company is dedicated to the preservation of community journalism. Since the purchase of our 1st paper in late-2020 to today, we have prided ourselves on our ability to fight the difficult battle that newspapers face in today’s digital society. Unfortunately, that battle cannot always be won.

The Crookston Times has struggled in recent years to find its footing in this community. Since purchasing The Crookston Times, CherryRoad Media has been unable to avoid financial losses every month. The paper was losing money when we bought it, and it continued to do so. We must now come to terms with the fact that we do not have a path forward to sustainability.

And we thank those who have supported us.

Opinion

Ask a Trooper:

Minnesota State Patrol Question: A friend recently told me that it’s illegal to honk your car horn in Minnesota (he showed me an internet article). I find this hard to believe.

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The County Line

Warren Strandell Polk County Commissioner, District 2 Thoughts in this column don’t have anything to do with Polk County business or issues. Instead, they only report that I have passed the screen test and why the result of that development might have some meaning.

Read MoreThe County Line

Education is so much more than just training

By Harvey Mackay A father said to his son, “I’m worried about your being at the bottom of the class.” The son responded, “Don’t worry, dad, they teach the same stuff at both ends.” A wise sage once told me, “Education is what you have left over after you have forgotten everything you’ve learned.” My good friend Nido Qubein, a fellow member of the National Speakers Association and president of High Point University, explained the difference in education vs. training, as he views it: “Training is imitative; education is creative.

Read MoreEducation is so much more than just training

Ask a Trooper:

Question: Why are so many vehicles allowed to be on Minnesota roads with only a rear license plate? This seems to be especially true of late model expensive makes (Tesla, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, etc.). Isn't the lack of a front plate a primary offense and the vehicle therefor subject to a traffic stop? I see more and more of this every day and it seems like an entitled group of drivers feel they are above the law.

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Brown Bears of Katmai

“There’s a bear, Pete.” We had just beached our canoes and kayak on a low, grassy sandbar at the confluence of the peaceful, gently flowing American Creek and the raging glacial torrent of the Savonoski River. Enormous moose and brown bear tracks dotted the small spit of land like breadcrumb trails, crisscrossing the mud-mixed soil to and from points unknown.

Read MoreBrown Bears of Katmai

Be respectful or be regretful

Eliza Doolittle, the main character in the Broadway musical “My Fair Lady,” makes a salient point about respect when she tells a visitor: “The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated. I shall always be a common flower girl to Professor Higgins because he always treats me as a common flower girl and always will. But I know that I shall always be a lady to Colonel Pickering because he always treats me like a lady and always will.”

Read MoreBe respectful or be regretful