Views by the Echo Press Editorial Board. Topics: Elden's Fresh Foods, bike riders, First Amendment, tax preparers, Adopt a Highway.

A ray of sunshine

Thumbs Up: If there is a “Ray of Sunshine Award,” Jim Anderson deserves the honor. We received an email from Caryn Schultz, who works at Trumm Drug. She and her coworkers shared very positive remarks about Jim, who works at Elden’s Fresh Foods. “Jim regularly blesses the Trumm Drug team with kind words and sweet tokens of appreciation. His visits always brighten our day,” Schultz said. “His enthusiasm and smile are truly contagious!” Schultz added, “Jim is an individual who consistently brings joy to our team. He is clearly a ray of sunshine to many others in the lakes area. We truly believe the world could use more people like Jim!” Schultz said that Trumm Drug lives by the mission that “You Matter.” “That mission applies not only to the people we serve, but also to the teammates we serve alongside,” Schutz said. “Jim inspires us to keep spreading kindness and to be the good we wish to see in the world. Thank you, Jim, for making our days better – and thank you to all of our amazing Trumm Drug patrons who continue to do the same.”

Drivers not seeing bike riders

Thumbs Down: A bike rider reminds drivers to be watchful of bicyclists who are just trying to share the road this spring and summer. “May is National Bike Month,” he noted. “Lots of our friends and neighbors are going to be out on their bikes having family fun, enjoying the exercise and just getting places. Please be alert and courteous drivers so we can all share the roads and have a safe summer!”

Threatening the First Amendment

Thumbs Down: The bad news: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is trying to change Justice Department policies to make it easier to subpoena journalists to obtain information about their confidential sources and potentially harass journalists who write stories critical of the administration. The good news: A group of senators, led by Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota is pressing Bondi to change her mind. In a letter, the group said, “We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations. The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted. When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to 'respect the importance of a free press,' you said ‘absolutely,'” the senators continued. “Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.”

Volunteer tax preparers

Thumbs Up: Megan Radermacher, who runs the VITA Free Tax Preparation Program at West Central Minnesota Communities Action in Alexandria, wanted to thank all the volunteers who helped prepare taxes this tax season. “Our program wouldn't be possible without our dedicated volunteers, and we had 18 folks volunteer with our free tax preparation program this year totaling 1,398 volunteer hours,” Radermacher said. “Our program aims at assisting low-income, disabled, and elderly households file their taxes.”

Adopting a highway

Thumbs Up: Here’s a group of unsung heroes – all the volunteers who clean up ditches as part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s “Adopt a Highway” program. Volunteers removed nearly 29,000 bags of trash in 2024 from Minnesota highways and rest areas. MnDOT currently works with more than 1,680 volunteer groups statewide, collectively those groups volunteered over 80,000 hours to pick up litter for the program.With at least 1,000 sections currently available for adoption across Minnesota, MnDOT welcomes more groups to volunteer and visit MnDOT’s Adopt a Highway website to connect with their local Adopt a Highway coordinator. Volunteers are asked to commit to the program for at least two years and are encouraged to pick up litter from both sides of their roadway section at least twice a year. The average length of an adopted roadway is about two miles. MnDOT posts signs along adopted segments to recognize the name of volunteer groups cleaning that area. There are also opportunities to pick-up litter at certain rest areas, or sign-up for a one-day Pick a Highway event. For more information or to sign up, contact Alison Kirsch at 218-846-3600, 1-800-65-3984 or email .

If you have a suggestion for a Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down, email it to [email protected] or mail it to Echo Press, 1920 Turning Leaf Lane SW, Suite 12, Alexandria, MN 56308.