The Free Press, Mankato

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency

Thumbs up to federal officials for reversing an earlier decision to deny individual financial assistance for those hit by severe floods in south central Minnesota.

After floods caused extensive damage in late September in the Waseca and St. Clair areas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released funds to help pay for public property damage but denied allowing individuals to apply for help. Thankfully, Gov. Mark Dayton appealed the decision and FEMA visited the area again to reassess damage to homes, businesses and other private property.

That visit convinced FEMA officials that individuals should qualify for help. The assistance is by no means a windfall for property owners, but it is a welcome helping hand for those on the long road of recovering from major flooding.

Good news on Alzheimer’s

Thumbs up to the lower rate of Alzheimer’s cases found in a study reported last week.

The improvement is credited to lifestyle factors: more education, better heart health, better control of diabetes. All these lower the risk for dementia. The good news, then, is that behavior matters.

But a lower rate of diagnoses does not mean a solution. Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia remain, in the words of one expert, “the public health crisis of our time.” Cases of Alzheimer’s are still expected to triple by 2050 as the population of elderly expands.

Ice cream in the morning

Thumbs up to a recent study that determined that eating ice cream in the morning is beneficial.

Even if other studies debunk this one, we would vote, if you could, to keep the results on the books — forever.

The study, published by a Japanese university professor, said eating ice cream right after waking up can result in improved instances of alertness and mental performance. And for skeptics who think that consuming anything cold might have the same effect, that wasn’t the case for this study. Ice cream proved to be the best mental stimulator.

Let’s face it, some mornings getting out of bed to face a day of work or school is a chore. Adding a few spoonfuls of ice cream to the breakfast bowl might be that little extra incentive to greet the day with more enthusiasm.

So you scream, we scream — we all should be screaming for brain-boosting ice cream.

Sour reaction to suite story

Thumbs down to Gov. Mark Dayton’s take on the political storm brewing over the Metropolitian Sports Facilities Authority and its use of a pair of luxury suites in the new Vikings stadium. The governor complained Thursday that the panel’s secretive use of the valuable perks was being sensationalized.

At the root of this, as we said in Thursday’s editorial, is the apparent belief that the MSFA’s chairwoman, a former Dayton aide, is not to be criticized or scrutinized. That’s no way to run a government agency.

And if this is a preview of how the DFL governor, who will be facing a GOP-controlled Legislature for the rest of his term, is going to react to criticism, it’s going to be a long two years.

Get over the campaign

Thumbs down to the brouhaha and shouting match that erupted between Clinton and Trump campaign operatives as they participated in a Harvard Kennedy School of Government forum that was supposed to be high minded, intellectual and insightful about presidential politics.

The forum has been a tradition after each presidential election since 1972 for campaign leaders to speak openly and frankly about what went wrong and right during their efforts to elect a president.

Clinton and Trump backers engaged in a shouting match that rivaled the tone of the campaign itself with Clinton campaign officials describing Trump’s strategy as racist and Trump officials describing their opponents as sore losers.

The forum is intended to be the start of a historical record of the campaign. And, unfortunately, it reflected just that.