ben threinen

Unofficial end of summer finds people on the water

Sep 3, 2025

Whether by canoe, sailboat, powerboat, kayak, paddleboard, pontoon, personal watercraft of some other contraption, people flocked to the water on the holiday weekend considered by many to be the end of summer. Many who didn’t make it on the water came to its edge to fish, bathe, or just enjoy the...

Butterflies feast

Aug 20, 2025

The visual dialog between photographers Ben Threinen and Steve Brown that’s played out in these pages over the past few weeks continues with this photo from Ben Threinen of a monarch butterfly feasting on nectar.

Law enforcement personnel mark Peace Officers Memorial Day

May 21, 2025

Law enforcement personnel, including Lake City Police Chief Cory Kubista (at left) and Officer Jeff Daggett (third from left), gathered at the memorial for Lake City Police Officer Shawn Schneider in Ohuta Park on May 15, Peace Officers Memorial Day. Schneider was struck by gunfire while responding...

Birds abound

Apr 16, 2025

Lake City photographer Ben Threinen captured images of three bird species (a bald eagle, a cormorant, and a pair of wood ducks) on the Mississippi River over the last week. Lake City is in the heart of the Mississippi Flyway, a major seasonal migration route for birds. According to the Audubon...

National bird in flight

Mar 26, 2025

Photographer Ben Threinen captured this image of a bald eagle in flight from a beach on Lake Pepin. The bird has graced “The Great Seal of the United States” since the 18th century, but it didn’t officially become this country’s national bird until Dec. 24 of last year, when then-president Joe...

Smooth ice for anglers

Jan 8, 2025

Portable ice shacks off the shore near Ohuta Beach in Lake City. Ben Threinen, who took this photo, said the Lake Pepin ice looks like it was prepared by a Zamboni.

Dawn breaks

Dec 31, 2024

Ben Threinen submitted this photo of the early morning sun piercing through the cloud cover to illuminate Lake Pepin.

Pelicans, ring-billed gulls, and a barge tug

Sep 11, 2024

Photographer Ben Threinen captured this image of a group of pelicans at the Miller Creek delta near the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources office on South Oak Street. Together with the mass of ring-billed gulls and a white tug chugging through the background, it was an unusually...

Sailors enjoy the weekend as season winds down

Sep 11, 2024

The afternoon sun reflects off a sailboat taking advantage of nice weather on Lake Pepin last weekend in this photo by photographer Ben Threinen. Opportunities like this appear to be numbered, at least for this season. The Lake City Marina plans to begin its annual boat haul-out the last week in...

Eagle consumes fish

Mar 13, 2024

Lake City-based photographer Ben Threinen took this photo of a bald eagle perched in a tree eating a fish Sunday, March 10. “Eagle getting early practice run before the Govenor’s fishing opener,” Theinen wrote.