Olson’s Cheers & Jeers: Here come Diggins and Vonn whizzing by for the coming season

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Minnesotans are getting a double dose of hometown fandom this coming ski season. Afton native Jessie Diggins, the most-decorated American in her sport, says she will move on after this season. She led the U.S. to its first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing and was also a force off the trails, candidly talking about her eating disorder and mental health struggles. Diggins’ final races will come alongside the attempted Alpine comeback of fellow Minnesota native Lindsey Vonn. Whatever the results this winter, these two are exemplars of going for broke and leave-it-all-on-the-field tenacity.

State Rep. Isaac Schultz, R-Elmdale, talks about the issue in a social media post. He describes 2026 property tax increases as brutal and cites DFL decisions and mandates, but there’s plenty of blame to go around for the spike dating to the last Republican governor’s cost shifting. Is anybody ready to talk about consolidation of government services yet? Surely the global digital transformation has created an opportunity to combine services and save on overhead among the state’s cities, townships and 87 counties. “It’s time to reset the course here in Minnesota and make sure that we’re protecting taxpayers first,” Schultz said. He’s right, but the conversation needs to be viewed as a generational opportunity, a high-minded look at service delivery and not just an election-year tit-for-tat and cudgel against opponents.

Back in 2018, a former colleague interviewed what she called the big lake’s ventriloquist, who identified as a Marquette, Mich.-based “he” but nothing more. On the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the account shared the name of each victim, a somber note for the virtual puppeteer who is known to rib accounts from other geographic features such as a “Not bad, sis” after Lake Michigan shared video of its gray swell. The account is no fan of mining on Superior’s shores, and neither are we. Honorable mention for LOL social media presence goes to former KARE-11 anchor Paul Magers. From his base in Palm Springs, Magers is fully embracing his irreverent side in retirement.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has been trying for decades to clean up the 150-acre site in Burnsville along Interstate 35W that the McGowan family has owned since the 1960s. Absent proper remediation, drinking water in Burnsville and Savage is at risk, the MPCA says. But the McGowans insist that the 20-foot deep piles of trash pose no threat. Now the MPCA has sued Richard McGowan over plans to turn the landfill into a golf driving range. The fight unfortunately doesn’t look to be resolved any time soon, which is truly unfortunate news for those who live in or simply enjoy passing through the Minnesota River valley.

A recent story reminds us that his rise and accomplishments weren’t as inexorable as they seem in hindsight. He made mistakes in his first losing bid for mayor, campaigning on curbing downtown crime (sound familiar?) and fixing the city charter. Two years later, in 1945, he won on a message of civil liberties and equal rights. The young mayor also survived an assassination attempt at his front door. Humphrey’s survival and eventual national triumphs can be a reminder about the need to persist.

The Madison Lake Republican will retire after 2026, ending a decade in the Legislature. “Everyone has something to offer, and there needs to be fresh voices in St. Paul,” he said. Draheim’s long been a kind, steady figure at the Capitol. He’s also been an advocate for mental health. He cited passage in 2022 of a $93 million mental health initiative that increased access to care for needy youth. The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Minnesota named him legislator of the year in 2024. Draheim will depart with an applause-worthy legacy and the respect of his colleagues.