This Thanksgiving, let’s deepen and share our collective learning and awareness.  Our sugar-coated story of Thanksgiving whitewashes a monstrous history of land theft, environmental …

Of all the negative fallout from the GOP’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, or OBBB, signed into law last July, perhaps the most harmful to America’s long-term interests was the almost …

Every Wednesday after we send our pages to the printer, I take a dive into the past, courtesy of the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub. I picked up the habit as a way of getting in touch with history …

The rise of artificial intelligence, or AI, and the connected rapid spread of new data centers around the country are the clearest signs yet of the yawning disconnect between the interests of average …

Newspapers have multiple obligations to the communities they serve, including an obligation to avoid the spread of misinformation. And that is why the Timberjay, unlike some other area newspapers, …

The month of November has brought closure to my exterior home improvement projects for the season, including finishing painting the garage and replacing some siding and two doors. The guys were …

Recently, I listened to Katie Phang, attorney, legal analyst, and former MSNBC anchor interviewing Erica Payne, the founder of Patriotic Millionaires. This group of wealthy individuals, who have an …

Several things became clear in the wake of Tuesday’s Democratic sweep across the country. Mike Johnson’s days as Speaker of the House are numbered, and Donald Trump is going to face an …

Our nation is at a crossroads. Political concerns grow with each passing day. We are witnessing what many analysts call a massive attack on the American Experiment. Never have I experienced as …

For the past 36 years, the Timberjay has proudly served our region with in-depth, accurate reporting and commentary — the kind of journalism that has become increasingly rare among weekly …

As I write, we are in day 27 of the federal government shutdown. Meanwhile, at our house, we received the bad news that our health insurance premiums will skyrocket 30 percent, with substantial …

A more beautiful society is possible! We need not accept what the rich and powerful peddle as the “natural order.” Hierarchy, inequality, supremacy, and class privilege are made possible …

‘No Kings Day’ on Oct. 18 was a success now that there are no kings running the country. Great job Democrats! You get a participation trophy! My video walkthrough of the protest is posted …

Minnesota’s Sixth District congressman Tom Emmer may have hoped to discredit the “No Kings” protests held across the state and country on Oct. 18. In the end, however, it was his …

Some people asked, “Do we really need another organization in Ely?” Clearly, we felt we did. What had been happening in our country since Trump took office again was so unimaginable that …

No one groomed this empty beach. It’s not soft and easy. Ahead, the ocean stretches to Africa. We’re on an island off the coast of Brazil in late June, mid-winter. It’s warm enough …

I’m surprised, and not pleasantly so, with the lack of editorial license used in last week’s letter from Mike Banovetz. His letter disparaged Democrats, as usual, with a lot of one-sided …

Last Saturday, Bev and I joined the 7 million+ Americans who gathered at their “No Kings” rallies. We assumed that our rally along Silver Lake in Virginia would be genuinely friendly, and …

My father served as a radio man (age 17, having to get his parents’ permission to enlist) on a destroyer escort during WW2. Like many men of that era, he didn’t talk much about what …

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been in existence for four years. Trump claimed that he could broker a cease fire within a day. According to the New York Times, “Putin has invested hours …

Thanks to IRRR Commissioner Ida Rukavina, Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski, to our community outdoor clubs, EEDA consultant John Fedo, Ely School Superintendent Anne Oelke, and others for their …

I didn’t think I needed a defibrillator when I stopped at the grocery store on Monday, but when I strolled into the coffee aisle, having one would’ve been handy. A 20.7-ounce container of …

Donald Trump will not win the Nobel Peace Prize. Not this year, or any year. And all one needs to do is read the criteria for the prize to understand why not. The late Alfred Nobel, the founder of …

With the regular firearms deer season fast approaching, we can expect to hear more grousing from hunters about the disappointing deer numbers in our area. And, naturally, many fingers will point to …

In late September, I scooped the last batch of chinking material from my wheelbarrow and plopped it onto my aluminum hawk. After weeks of practice, I’d mastered the art of mixing sand, mortar, …