Olson’s Cheers & Jeers: High school senior turns personal tragedy into action on mental health

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The Elk River High School senior has taken personal tragedy and turned it into enduring good. Frank lost two siblings, Solara, 9, and Laiken, 4, to domestic violence in 2024. Despite staggering grief, she created a scholarship fund in the names of her siblings and promoted open conversations about mental health among her peers. Frank also launched a podcast called “The Broken Butterfly” about grief. “There aren’t words except I couldn’t be prouder of her,” her dad, Shawn Frank, said. May his daughter’s strength and compassion be an inspiration to all.

Extraordinary secrecy surrounds the fate of the 670 undocumented immigrants who were detained in Minnesota in December during President Donald Trump’s bare-knuckled immigration enforcement efforts. Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Christopher Magan, who is attempting to track the detention hearings, said observers are frequently barred from the courtroom. Remote hearings, held online, are also closed to the public. There are unusual and irregular rules even in the lobby outside the courtroom, including phone searches and a prohibition on waiting more than 10 minutes. These are not normal measures for court hearings. The lack of public oversight comes as Trump seeks to bend immigration laws to suit his aims. Open courts cannot become another casualty of this era. “The whole premise of having open courtrooms is that the public is a safeguard against tyranny,” said Amy Lange, director of the Immigration Court Observation Project for the Advocates for Human Rights. Closed hearings steal the public’s primary power.

A group of citizens is mobilizing to track immigration enforcement agents across Minnesota and to help families in their crosshairs. In an increasingly sophisticated effort, the activists are trying to counter the federal government’s immigration agenda by tracking Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, documenting deportation flights and protesting at workplace raids. Activists collect cars abandoned after arrests, locate detainees and help them find lawyers. These volunteers are a buoy to those terrified by the chaotic, heavy-handed and often secretive immigration enforcement.

Along with climbing property taxes, we have the increased costs of water and electricity. Soaring water rates are an issue across multiple suburbs, including a 25% jump in some places. Multiple factors are driving up costs from aging infrastructure to removing contaminants. The increases are a steady drip, drip, drip to already tight budgets. Greg Ryan, a Roseville resident, succinctly summed up the mounting pressure on homeowners’ pocketbooks. “Little things keep eating away,” Ryan said. “It just keeps adding up and adding up.” He’s got that right.

The Minnesota Vikings kicker, who unflinchingly gets it done week after week, knocks out the extra long field goals like a reliable metronome. Arguably the best kicker in the National Football League, he should have been a Pro-Bowler. He’s the kind of kicker NFL teams dream of, a no-drama scoring machine. Does anyone think rock-steady Reichard would come up short on a make-it-or-go-home 37-yarder? Hopefully next year he’ll have the chance to once again prove his mettle under pressure, becoming the sports hero Minnesotans yearn to anoint and hoist on our collective shoulders. Just don’t expect the taciturn Reichard to provide a colorful quote to punctuate his on-field heroics. One more home game Sunday, then it’s all eyes on next season.

The nature preserve in Brainerd-Baxter transformed a bike path into a looping half-mile woodland ice skating trail. The first skaters were welcomed just before Christmas and the path is expected to remain open until March, if weather permits. Gliding through the winter forest sounds dreamy, but creating the icy path came with logistical hurdles, including the acquisition of a Zamboni to maintain the ice. “We are learning how difficult it is to Zamboni hills,” said Trevor Pumnea, the arboretum’s executive director. “This is not like maintaining a rink. This is so difficult. It is such a steep learning curve.” Congratulations to Pumnea and crew for overcoming the challenges and making it work. Here’s hoping these icy trailblazers inspire other winter innovations that allow for year-round enjoyment of the outdoors.