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Local Columns

The lost art of complaining

While we Americans enjoy complaining — about the weather, taxes, politics and most anything else — I fear we are losing the “art” of complaining. It seems fewer folks these days have the ability to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction or resentment in a manner which allows both ...

Catch ’em in the summer

Crazy isn’t it? It seems like not so long ago we were wading in the cold water of rivers in search of early season walleyes and now we’re thinking about catching fish during the hottest weather of the year. Fishing can be like the weather in the summer. Both can be very hot. To take ...

Accountability, responsibility starts at the top

In law enforcement, accountability is a word that gets used often. It is demanded by the public. It is expected by elected officials. Sometimes it becomes the center of discussion after a mistake, a complaint, or a tragedy. But accountability is not something that should only appear when ...

Inflation and nickel ice cream cones

On a recent Saturday morning my wife and I had run a few errands when she reminded me she had been given a gift card for a new business. Neither of us were familiar with the place but gathered from the name of the business that they sold cookies. After a frustrating search to find the ...

Why God made fathers

God made a wise decision when He decided females would serve as mothers. Men generally just can’t do mommy things as well as mommies. Of course, the flip side of this is true. God wisely appointed males to the role of father. Over the centuries, men have made plenty of mistakes, as we ...

Just be in the room

For the past year, I have been sitting in many, many meetings, sometimes the only one present outside of staff or other media. This sounds tedious. But one thing I’ve learned. It’s important to be there. Most of these meetings include elected officials, voted on by me, my neighbors ...