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Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care comes in to help my dad a shower at night. When the guy came out to interview, he was really good and helpful, but it was just hard to find someone to help with dad been a little bit bigger and heavier. They like the person that they had come out a couple of times. The caregiver is good.”

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 In-Home Care New Germany, MN

How does In-home Senior Care in New Germany, MN work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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 Senior Care New Germany, MN

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them? A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in New Germany, MN, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

Independence
Independence

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in New Germany, MN gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Aid and Attendance benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care New Germany, MN

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in New Germany,MN understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

 Caregivers New Germany, MN

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

An assessment of your senior loved one

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An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

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Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

Latest News in New Germany, MN

Lufthansa to launch service at MSP with nonstop to Frankfurt

Lufthansa will bring new international competition to Minnesota with the launch of its first-ever service here next summer: A year-round nonstop between Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Frankfurt, Germany.The German airline will become the 18th — and the first new transcontinental carrier in more than four years — at MSP when it launches the service June 4."The Lufthansa announcement clearly enhances our credentials as an international destination," said Melvin Tennant, president and chief ex...

Lufthansa will bring new international competition to Minnesota with the launch of its first-ever service here next summer: A year-round nonstop between Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Frankfurt, Germany.

The German airline will become the 18th — and the first new transcontinental carrier in more than four years — at MSP when it launches the service June 4.

"The Lufthansa announcement clearly enhances our credentials as an international destination," said Melvin Tennant, president and chief executive of Meet Minneapolis.

The addition of the Lufthansa service will help the region's marketers attract international tourists, book conferences and develop stronger business ties, with med tech and clean tech being two key economic sectors that Minnesota and Germany share.

"This announcement from Lufthansa is a reinforcement of the fact that Minneapolis-St. Paul is a global hub for business, and more direct connectivity to the heart of Europe will make our economy more competitive for companies seeking to do business in our state," said Peter Frosch, chief executive of the Greater MSP economic development group. "And It creates new options for business and personal travelers in Minnesota."

Travel demand to Europe is surging after pandemic shutdowns and as the dollar remains strong, with MSP's dominant carrier, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, expanding international service and more competition on the way. Last month, Aer Lingus announced plans to resume flights to Dublin next spring while Delta will add that nonstop route from MSP around the same time.

Even Lufthansa will have some competition for passengers. In April 2022, German leisure airline Condor restored its nonstop summer service to Frankfurt from MSP for the first time since 2019.

Metropolitan Airports Commission Chair Rick King believes Lufthansa saw strong demand not only from MSP travelers wanting another European destination but also those needing its connections to Africa and India.

"It's a multi-year effort to get a quality carrier like Lufthansa," he said.

Lufthansa Vice President Dirk Janzen said in a statement that these are "exciting times" for the airline.

"The United States remains our most important market outside of the Group's European home markets, and we could not be happier to open new gateways, offering additional travel opportunities from your region to our global network of destinations," he said.

Lufthansa will operate the MSP-FRA route five days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering a three-class configuration of business, premium economy and economy. Tickets are available beginning Wednesday.

The flight from Frankfurt will depart at 11:10 a.m. and arrive in Minneapolis at 1:15 p.m. The flight departing MSP leaves at 3:15 p.m. and arrives in Frankfurt at 6:40 a.m. the following day. (All times are local.)

The early morning arrival for Frankfurt-bound passengers will provide connectivity options to destinations across Lufthansa's global network. For example, demand to East Africa from the Twin Cities is currently the fourth-highest in the United States after Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago.

Lufthansa is a Star Alliance member that offers connections and flight benefits with a global network of partners that include United Airlines and Air Canada, which both operate at MSP.

Vikings Fan Club in Germany Quickly Growing

Marco Hassler considers himself a long-distance Vikings fan.Very long distance, in fact.Hassler was born and raised in Saarland, located in southwest Germany, but was introduced to American football in 1998. Having an interest in Norse mythology and the history of the Vikings, Hassler was immediately drawn to the Minnesota Vikings – and was easily hooked by the magical team that was led by Randy Moss and finished 15-1 that season."My friends from school had teams like the 49ers, Raiders or Redskins, but I deci...

Marco Hassler considers himself a long-distance Vikings fan.

Very long distance, in fact.

Hassler was born and raised in Saarland, located in southwest Germany, but was introduced to American football in 1998. Having an interest in Norse mythology and the history of the Vikings, Hassler was immediately drawn to the Minnesota Vikings – and was easily hooked by the magical team that was led by Randy Moss and finished 15-1 that season.

"My friends from school had teams like the 49ers, Raiders or Redskins, but I decided to go with the Vikings," explained Hassler, who now lives and works in Switzerland. "Although there have been tough times to watch, I never struggled [to stick with the team]."

Hassler always admired Minnesota from afar and was often drawn to books about the state as a child.

"The winters, the snow, the beautiful forests. Unique landscapes on one hand and metropolises like Minneapolis and St. Paul on the other. The United States of America and especially Minnesota were always fascinating for me," said Hassler, who has now visited Minnesota six times.

Hassler calls Minnesota a "second home" and enjoys spending time at the Mall of America or making the trek along the North Shore of Lake Superior. He even has a tattoo of the Split Rock Lighthouse on his right calf, depicted just beneath a large rendition of a Vikings helmet.

The native of Germany has adopted the Minnesota sports team as his own and has attended Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Wild, Minnesota United FC and Golden Gophers games during his visits.

And while he has been to U.S. Bank Stadium a couple of times to watch his beloved Vikings play, Hassler wanted to increase the fan support for the Purple and Gold in his home country.

What started out as a Facebook group connecting Vikings fans living in Germany soon grew beyond the realm of social media. In August 2017, Hassler and a few friends met to discuss the idea of establishing a German Vikings fan club, and on Oct. 29, several fans traveled from Germany to London to watch the Vikings defeat the Browns at Twickenham Stadium.

On Jan. 11, 2018, the club was officially launched.

"It became clear that there are a lot of [people] out there with the same love and passion for the Vikes," said Hassler, who serves as the vice president of the Minnesota Vikings Fans Germany e.V. The initials stand for eingetragener Verein, which means the club is legally registered and recognized by Germany.

"There are a lot of diehard fans in Germany, loyal to the Purple and Gold, united with our brothers and sisters of the Viking World Order from Minnesota," Hassler added.

Raimund Rüther, a native of Werl, Germany, recognized the group's flag while at the London game and later attended a summer meeting to connect personally with fellow fans.

"I appreciate that I can talk with other Vikings supporters who are as interested as me," Rüther said. "Football is rising in Germany, but it's seldom to find someone who commonly understands the details of the game – and with the Vikings, it is special."

According to Hassler, the fan club is the largest in Germany at 210 members and growing.

The club's members meet in different locations, from watching Vikings games at various sports bars throughout Germany to hosting Super Bowl parties at members' homes. Meetings for the club also are planned.

Hassler explained that the Vikings have gained more and more popularity in Germany over the recent years, and he credited "good efforts" of the team for the rising draw.

"Spectacular games, hard fights and winning records were all reasons," Hassler said. "And the Minneapolis Miracle – Oh my gosh, what a game! After that game, more and more people joined the Vikings ship.

"But there was also many guys who started cheering for our team after the heartbreaking loss against the Seahawks in the playoffs … because we fought till the end against a Seattle team that is very popular in Germany also," Hassler added. "Most popular teams here are the Patriots, Seahawks, Cardinals and, unfortunately, the Packers. But the Vikings fans in Germany are just as diehard as those in the States. Our love for our team is real, and we're no bandwagoners."

Guard C-130s Start Landing in Germany for Historic Air Defender Exercise

C-130 transport aircraft from Air National Guard units in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, Minnesota and Wyoming began arriving at Wunstorf Air Base, Germany, this week in preparation for Air Defender 23—a massive exercise in which 220 aircraft and 10,000 personnel from 25 countries will practice large-scale air warfare and hone new tactics.The C-130s are ...

C-130 transport aircraft from Air National Guard units in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, Minnesota and Wyoming began arriving at Wunstorf Air Base, Germany, this week in preparation for Air Defender 23—a massive exercise in which 220 aircraft and 10,000 personnel from 25 countries will practice large-scale air warfare and hone new tactics.

The C-130s are the first of about 100 Air National Guard aircraft that will head to Europe to participate in the exercise. All told, Guard units from 35 states will fly F-35s, F-16s, F-15s, A-10s, KC-135s, KC-46s, C-130s, and C-17s. Active-Duty F-16s from the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, will also participate.

The exercise, which the German military described as “the largest air force deployment exercise in NATO’s history,” and has been in the making since 2018 and will last from June 12 to 23. The German Air Force will test its ability to command and control and provide logistics support to an international armada of aircraft.

“We have to be much more capable of defending the lines and it’s not just about talking or showing slides,” Chief of the German Air Force Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz said about the exercise during a visit to Joint Base Andrews, Md., in April. “We have to prove it, we have to demonstrate it. How do you inform Russia? Well, we won’t write them a letter. I think they get the message when we deploy.”

The exercise will take place mainly in three areas over Germany, though there will also be forward operating locations in the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Latvia. Like many air warfare exercises, mock enemy ‘Red’ aircraft will take to the skies and fight with friendly ‘Blue’ aircraft.

“Blue will be killing and Red will be killing,” Air National Guard director Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh told Air & Space Forces Magazine in April. “Everyone will see a little bit of Red.”

Though Germany will lead the exercise, U.S. Airmen hope to practice new operating concepts like Agile Combat Employment, where small teams of Airmen and planes disperse to remote or austere locations in an effort to complicate an enemy’s targeting process. Operating from smaller locations forces Airmen to work with a greater autonomy—a far cry from the top-down air wars fought from sprawling air bases in the Middle East during the Global War on Terror.

“It gets us out of what I would call the legacy mindset of CENTCOM,” Loh said in April. “It doesn’t matter what it is, A-10, KC-135, are they going to be able to go ‘OK, I’ve lost our comms, everybody.’ I know what the initial plan was for today. Can I set myself up and do it as an aircraft commander, with a full crew, and take off and go make the next mission?”

As NATO forces begin a simulated air war, Russia and Ukraine are locked in an actual conflict on the same continent. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has sparked increased investment and efforts by many European militaries to strengthen their air defenses.

“We have to take responsibility to stand up and say ‘OK, we are ready to defend the alliance,’” Gerhartz said in April.

Retired USAF Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, who led U.S. Air Forces in Europe and NATO Allied Air Command from 2019 to 2022, told Air & Space Forces Magazine in April that NATO’s efforts to modernize member air forces could make a big impact.

“If we mass legitimate capabilities, it’s going to deter Russia, and they’re not going to want any part of what we could potentially do to them,” he said.

Where to celebrate Oktoberfest in the Twin Cities

Oktoberfest, festivals inspired by the German tradition celebrating beer and Bavarian culture, is in full swing, and there are plenty of specialty brews, traditional German food and activities to enjoy....

Oktoberfest, festivals inspired by the German tradition celebrating beer and Bavarian culture, is in full swing, and there are plenty of specialty brews, traditional German food and activities to enjoy.

Utepils Brewing: The Minneapolis brewery has one of the most popular celebrations in the Cities, featuring live music, meat raffles and this year, two vow renewal ceremonies. Sept. 15, 16, 22, 23

Pryes Brewing Company: The North Loop taproom on the banks of the Mississippi River has three packed weekends of activities, including new beer releases, a petting zoo and a pumpkin patch. Sept. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30

Dual Citizen Brewing Co.: "Blocktoberfest" shuts down the street for food trucks, live music and this year, a live mural painting on the St. Paul building.

Saint Paul Brewing: The beer garden will host celebrations on three Sundays, each with a different game — like "Hamm's-er-(s)lager'n," a Hamm's-themed twist on the traditional German activity. Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1

Indeed Brewing Company: The Northeast Minneapolis taproom's "Little Munich" celebration includes live music, specialty beers and a German-inspired pig roast from Revival. Wear lederhosen or dirndl for a discount on your first beer. Sept. 21

Wicked Wort Brewing Co.: The Robbinsdale brewery has a full bar in addition to its brews, live music and a mechanical bull from 3-7pm. Sept. 23

Luce Line Brewing: Dress your best when heading to this Plymouth brewery — there will be a dirndl and lederhosen contest, plus an accordion minstrel and "hippity-hop races." Sept. 23

Chanhassen Brewing Company: The family-friendly celebration features a market, bounce house, hair tinsel and several silent auctions. Sept. 23

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company: The Loring Park taproom will host themed activities like a stein-holding competition, where guests must perfectly hold a full stein of beer for as long as possible. Sept. 30

Twin Cities Oktoberfest: One of the state's largest celebrations, held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, features 20 beers and ciders from four local breweries alongside German food and traditional music. Oct. 6-7

The NFL’s International Series could be expanding to Germany

After taking a one-year break for the pandemic, the National Football League will be returning to playing games overseas this coming season, with a pair of games slated for the United Kingdom. While the league has played in the UK and Mexico over the years, there is apparently a push for another country to get involved in the festivities as well.In his weekly column for NBC Sports, Peter King is repo...

After taking a one-year break for the pandemic, the National Football League will be returning to playing games overseas this coming season, with a pair of games slated for the United Kingdom. While the league has played in the UK and Mexico over the years, there is apparently a push for another country to get involved in the festivities as well.

In his weekly column for NBC Sports, Peter King is reporting that the league is “bullish” on playing at least one game in Germany each year, something that could happen as early as the 2022 or 2023 NFL season. This makes sense for the league, as King points out that Germany is the fourth-largest economy in the world and has a rapidly expanding NFL fan base. It would also be much easier, logistically, for the league to work games in Germany into the schedule, as the time differences and length of travel are more easily mitigated than they would be for somewhere like Japan or some other countries.

This could potentially present another opportunity for the Minnesota Vikings to play in front of overseas fans. They have done so twice since the NFL started its International Series. They served as the home team in a game at Wembley Stadium in 2013 where they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, and as the visiting team in 2017 when they defeated the Cleveland Browns at Twickenham Stadium.

If the league were to play a game in Germany, King reports that it would likely take place at the Allianz Arena, the home of the Bayern Munich soccer club. The stadium seats around 70,000 and apparently has just about everything necessary for hosting an NFL game already in place.

I know that a lot of fans don’t particularly care for the overseas games, particularly season ticket holders, but I’ve always thought it was a nice addition to the schedule. Sure, we have to get up early to watch the game take place. . .if I remember right, kickoff for the 2017 game for those of us on the West Coast was either 5 or 6 AM. . .but it’s definitely something different.

We’ll see if this actually comes to fruition or not, but the NFL does appear to want to expand its overseas appeal by playing games in at least one other market. What do you think of that idea?

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Minnesota Town Defamed by German Reporter Is Ready to Forgive

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — Claas Relotius, who spent weeks reporting in Fergus Falls last year for one of Europe’s most respected publications, could have written about the many residents who maintain friendships across partisan lines, about the efforts to lure former residents back to west-central Minnesota or about how a city of roughly 14,000 people maintains a rob...

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — Claas Relotius, who spent weeks reporting in Fergus Falls last year for one of Europe’s most respected publications, could have written about the many residents who maintain friendships across partisan lines, about the efforts to lure former residents back to west-central Minnesota or about how a city of roughly 14,000 people maintains a robust arts scene.

To give a sense of the place, he could have described local landmarks like the giant statue of Otto the Otter. Or the Minnesota-shaped welcome sign next to the Applebee’s. Or the expansive prairie that surrounds the town.

But he did not.

Instead, Mr. Relotius invented a condescending fiction. On the venerated pages of Der Spiegel, a German newsmagazine, Mr. Relotius portrayed Fergus Falls as a backward, racist place whose residents blindly supported President Trump and rarely ventured beyond city limits. He made up details about a young city official. He concocted characters, roadside signs and racially tinged plotlines.

For more than a year, exasperated Fergus Falls residents fumed to one another about what happened but generally avoided drawing outside attention to their unflattering portrayal. It all might have faded into history, except Mr. Relotius was outed this month by his own publication as a serial fraudster who invented sources, made up quotes and spent years engaging in broad journalistic deception.

When he was exposed, the fact that his portrayal of Fergus Falls was false went public, too, as well as the efforts of some people in town to document what he got wrong.

Soon, the town found itself in the midst of an international furor that it did not ask to be part of. The American ambassador to Germany accused Der Spiegel of a pattern of journalistic malpractice. National and international news outlets have visited the city, about 175 miles northwest of Minneapolis. Painful memories of being lied about have resurfaced.

“I just think of the false impression it gave to the people of Germany,” said Mary Lou Bates, 85, as she drank coffee with a friend Wednesday at the Viking Cafe, one of the many places in town that Mr. Relotius described inaccurately in his March 2017 story.

But Ms. Bates, who suggested that bias against Mr. Trump may have fueled the article, said she was not one to hold a grudge. “If the story is retracted, and the true story comes out,” she said, “you can forgive. I’m one for forgiveness.”

She’s not alone. As upset as Fergus Falls residents were with their treatment — upset enough to compile a damning point-by-point rebuttal of Mr. Relotius’s story — many of them have also been willing to accept apologies, set the record straight and forge ahead, almost sanguine about the whole ordeal. Another Der Spiegel reporter, who visited Minnesota in recent days to chronicle Mr. Relotius’s missteps, suggested that Fergus Falls might be “the most forgiving city in the Western Hemisphere.”

“We’re taking the high road,” Mayor Ben Schierer said in an interview, in which he praised his city’s arts, parks and schools, which mostly seemed to escape Mr. Relotius’s notice. “We’ve moved on.”

Indeed, amid the heartache and hassle, some in Fergus Falls have seized an opportunity to tell the world what their city is really like. Sure, it has its struggles and tensions. But on the whole, residents get along, there is plenty to do, people enjoy living there.

“It’s not Mayberry, but there’s a lot of opportunity,” said Mr. Schierer, who owns a pizza restaurant and brewery where Mr. Relotius would write when he was in town. “There’s optimism.”

Michele Anderson, who works for a local arts nonprofit, said she had been eager to read Mr. Relotius’s work and used Google’s translation service last year to convert the German text to English. The translation was imperfect, but it was immediately clear that the story was a fabrication. When Ms. Anderson saw someone praise the article on Twitter in April 2017, she replied that the story was false, a “hilarious, insulting excuse for journalism.” For more than a year, Der Spiegel did not respond.

Because the article was published only in German, its readership in Minnesota was limited. And at first, some in Fergus Falls said there was a desire to give Mr. Relotius the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they had read a faulty translation. Or maybe the reporter made a few honest mistakes.

Civic leaders eventually commissioned a professional translation, the text of which circulated around town in a shared online document. As the truth spread — that the story was not only largely false, but also deeply insulting — residents began weighing their options. City officials discussed whether they had any legal recourse. Ms. Anderson and a friend began compiling a list of the article’s inaccuracies. But unsure what options they had and not wanting to draw more negative attention, residents mostly kept their anger within city limits until Mr. Relotius’s broader misdeeds were exposed this month.

The fabrications in the article ranged from the trivial (an account of a foreboding forest that does not exist and a Super Bowl party that did not happen) to the personally devastating (the city administrator was falsely portrayed as a gun-obsessed, romantically challenged man who had never seen the ocean) to the downright inflammatory (Mr. Relotius claimed — falsely, residents say — that there was a sign that said “Mexicans Keep Out” at the entrance to town). He seemed to conflate and invent biographies for different Hispanic people and said “American Sniper” had been playing for months on end at the local movie theater, a claim rebutted by residents.

As most residents quietly moved on, Ms. Anderson, along with a friend, continued work on a detailed fact check of the article, which they published last week after Mr. Relotius was outed by his employer. Their title: “Der Spiegel journalist messed with the wrong small town.”

“There’s really nothing like this feeling — knowing that people in another country have read about the place I call home and are shaking their heads over their coffee in disgust,” Ms. Anderson wrote in her post.

Mr. Relotius, who visited around the time of Mr. Trump’s inauguration, had been fixated on voters’ support for the new president. Indeed, about 64 percent of voters in Otter Tail County, of which Fergus Falls is the county seat, chose Mr. Trump in 2016, though Hillary Clinton narrowly won Minnesota.

The election results speak for themselves, but a series of interviews this week with Fergus Falls residents revealed political nuance — liberals, conservatives, people who politely said it was no one’s business.

“It’s not an eyes-closed, all-for-Trump type of community,” said Ward Uggerud, 69, a retired electrical engineer, who like many people declined to say whether he voted for the president. “It’s an all-for-the-community place. Everybody’s got to do their part.”

Unlike other American counties that voted for Mr. Trump, there was not a wild political swing in Fergus Falls, making it a strange place for Mr. Relotius to choose to profile. Otter Tail County had also supported Mitt Romney and John McCain. And well-trod story lines about factory closures and population decline, often cited in accounts of Mr. Trump’s success, did not apply in Fergus Falls, where the downtown is bustling and the population is steady. (A Target store closed recently, despite community efforts to save it, but that was after Mr. Relotius left town.)

All that left residents wondering: Why did Mr. Relotius write what he did? And since he wasn’t going to tell the truth, why did he even bother coming?

“What happened, I think, was that he was trying to look for a cliché of a Trump-voting town and he simply didn’t find it,” said Christoph Scheuermann, the Der Spiegel correspondent who visited Fergus Falls last week to apologize and write about the town’s true story.

Mr. Scheuermann said the Fergus Falls he encountered was “almost the opposite” of the one Mr. Relotius described.

“I felt a lot of warmth,” he said. “Everybody was welcoming.”

Twins’ Max Kepler retraces steps in trip back to Germany

BERLIN (AP) — When Max Kepler makes an acrobatic catch for the Minnesota Twins, perhaps he owes a bit to his parents.Back in his hometown of Berlin, the 26-year-old outfielder paid tribute to his parents, professional ballet dancers Kathy Kepler and Marek Rozycki.“I used to sit in the wings and watch them perform,” he said Monday during an interview with The Associated Press. “I was there with my sister, once, twice a month, watching them do their thing. So I think I subconsciously I learned a lot from j...

BERLIN (AP) — When Max Kepler makes an acrobatic catch for the Minnesota Twins, perhaps he owes a bit to his parents.

Back in his hometown of Berlin, the 26-year-old outfielder paid tribute to his parents, professional ballet dancers Kathy Kepler and Marek Rozycki.

“I used to sit in the wings and watch them perform,” he said Monday during an interview with The Associated Press. “I was there with my sister, once, twice a month, watching them do their thing. So I think I subconsciously I learned a lot from just the way they go about themselves on a professional level.”

Kepler is in Germany for a five-day Major League Baseball promotional tour. He reminisced about Little League ball in the German capital. He said his dad gave tips on preparation and recovery, his mom on motivation.

“They’re my support team,” he said. “They’ve pushed me through thick and thin, ups and downs. There have been a lot of times where I’ve doubted myself, just continuing to play baseball. They’re the main factor for me still being in the game.”

Kepler played for the Regensburg Legionnaires in the Bundesliga, Germany’s highest-level league, and signed a minor league contract with the Twins in 2009. He made his big league debut in 2015 and hit .252 last season, setting career highs with 36 homers, 90 RBIs and 98 runs.

After helping with a clinic for kids in Regensburg on Saturday, Kepler was back in Berlin to visit his old school, the John F. Kennedy School, for another kids’ camp on Monday.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “Any time I get to see the kids that used to be me, back in the day, in their shoes, looking up to major league players, I can really relate. It really brings out a lot of emotions, and also memories from my past. We don’t have much time, because we’re jumping from city to city in five days, but that’s my favorite part about it – just getting to relate to the kids.”

Kepler wishes he had more time to spend with kids. After visits to Munich, Regensburg and Berlin, he heads to Frankfurt on Tuesday. Kepler hasn’t had time to evaluate to the state of baseball in soccer-obsessed Germany.

“It’s just going to take some time to really build that community here, like it always has, and keep them interested in the game and away from the sports that are overshadowing baseball,” he said. “But that’s why I’m here and I’m trying to make a small difference in the German baseball world.”

Kepler played for several Berlin soccer teams including Lichterfelde, Hertha Zehlendorf, Berliner SC and even Hertha Berlin. He gave up soccer when he moved to Bavaria and concentrated on baseball.

“Soccer’s cut-throat in this country, like baseball is in the U.S.,” he said. “Kind of sad I dropped it at the time, but luckily it all paid off,” Kepler said.

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Ciarán Fahey Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP

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Did German POWs really work on Minnesota farms during World War II?

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At age 95, Alfred Neber fondly remembers his stay in Minnesota 75 years ago — attending church, going swimming, as if on a typical Minnesota summer visit. But Neber wasn't a typical visitor, he was a German prisoner of war.

Neber was among some 400,000 Axis POWs captured during World War II and dispatched to 500 camps around the United States. The prisoners did work normally done by Americans, who were busy overseas fighting the prisoners' comrades.

Many Minnesotans are unfamiliar with this episode in history. A reader who requested anonymity asked Curious Minnesota, our community-driven reporting initiative, to look into it.

Thousands of POWs, mostly German and some Italian, worked in Minnesota between 1943 and 1946 (there were Japanese POWs in the country, but none in Minnesota). Experts can't pinpoint the number because they were constantly being moved around from a "base camp" in Algona, Iowa, and "branch camps" throughout Minnesota. Most did farm work but also logging, factory production and other jobs. Their employers paid the government 40 cents an hour, of which the prisoners received 10 cents to spend in canteens.

The camps weren't exactly brutal chain gangs. Many employers were friendly to the prisoners, fed them hearty meals, took them to county fairs, even invited some to spend the night with the farm families.

"One thing I remember with a smile is that we were allowed to go to swim in a lake nearby," Neber said, in an e-mailed interview translated by his son Ralph.

A farmer in Moorhead "bent camp rules by buying prisoners beer and taking them into town, including a trip to a movie theater and one to a local tavern," wrote Angela Beaton, a former graduate student at North Dakota State University in Fargo, in an article published by the Minnesota Historical Society.

"Midwesterners who worked beside them in the fields and the factories discovered they were humans, pretty much like themselves," said Michael Luick-Thrams, who has published several books on the subject, operates an information-packed website and briefly operated a museum in St. Paul.

WWII "branch camp" cities in Minnesota

Twenty cities around Minnesota operated as "branch camps" during WWII, serving as work locations for Axis POWs.

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Some had even more in common. Minnesota had a large German immigrant population, and many still spoke German.

"Sometimes they knew the same towns, knew the same people," said Dean B. Simmons, a teacher at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights and author of "Swords into Plowshares: Minnesota's POW Camps during World War II."More conflicts arose among the prisoners themselves, Simmons said, particularly between those who were loyal Nazis and those who weren't.

Neber, who describes himself as anti-Nazi, now lives in a small German town near Heidelberg. He has warm memories of being in Howard Lake, Minn., at age 20. He spoke highly of a camp guard who let the POWs attend a German church on Sundays. And of the pastor who welcomed the ostensible enemies into his German-speaking flock and, after the war, sent Neber "a small care package with delicious food and sweets," he said.

An estimated 5,000 returned here after the war and became U.S. citizens, Simmons said.

Luick-Thrams said he heard about a Minnesota farmer who tried to lure a former POW back, promising, "I'll give you my farm and you can marry my daughter." No word on whether the offer was accepted.

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