Show highlights dangers of Internet
I enjoy a good real crime movie or limited series. Ah yes, the limited series. A series where they take a topic that could have been told in two episodes and make it six. My wife and I recently watch one on Netflix that has a lot of people talking. It is called “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.” It is about the disappearance and death of a young woman at a notorious Los Angeles hotel. ... more
I truly appreciate our readers
I love my job. I really do. But there are times that it can certainly be trying. Like when someone sends an email and asks for your cellphone number so they can complain at you about something on the phone instead of in an email. Or when people get angry and accuse you of all manner of things because you won’t print the letter they submitted that is filled with falsehoods.... more
The polar vortex is just no fun
Oh look, it’s our friend the polar vortex. Remember a couple of years ago when the polar vortex came down from Canada (thanks, Canada!) and made us feel like living Popsicles? I remember our driveway at home was a solid sheet of ice. It took me ages to chip that stuff off. We have a very long driveway.... more
A COVID hair experiment gone wrong
The great hair experiment is over. Done. Finished. Lockdown has changed a lot of things for all of us. Eating at home more than ever for sure. Also, doing smaller loads of laundry because those sweatpants are good for a week. And we have all learned to either accept or simply keep quiet about the habits of the loved ones we live with. This has certainly taught us patience.... more
Kinzinger did the right thing
Politicians that people can look up to are pretty few and far between these days. My go to is always John McCain, the former U.S. Senator from Arizona. McCain was a great American and a good man. He always put his country before his party, which is the way things should be.... more
I know just where to be when the zombie apocalypse hits
I see a man was recently arrested after allegedly living at O’Hare Airport in Chicago for a few months. It is like the movie “The Terminal” come to life.... more
I have a lot on my mind right now
I know that we live in incredibly divisive times, and it is taking a toll on all of us. Recent shocking events have turned family members against each other, turned friends into enemies and have people seriously questioning reality.... more
New conspiracy theories take the crazy cake
Let’s just go ahead and admit that we live in a crazy, crazy world. Things have never been more insane and downright dumb than they are right now. OK, maybe the Salem Witch trials were worse, but it is pretty bad now. ... more
Here are my generally off the mark annual predictions
Would you look at that – we all made it out of 2020 and into 2021. Seriously, we should take a moment to be thankful we made it here. As we all know, 2020 was a year like no other in our lifetimes. The pandemic has killed more than 330,000 Americans – including people I know and you probably know – and has infected many others. Some of them are still having health problems and might have permanent issues due to the COVID-19 virus.... more
2020 ended on a high note for me
“Have you ever heard of News Media Corp.?” I was talking on the phone with my son, Nick. He was days away from college graduation and was looking for his first job in the newspaper industry. I know, I know. Newspapers aren’t exactly a growth industry. Don’t think I didn’t tell him that when he talked about majoring in Journalism (actually, some type of new-fangled communications).... more
Hard to get in the Christmas spirit this year
Here we are – Christmas week. Seems like it is only about June, doesn’t it? OK, maybe not the weather, but this has been one incredibly strange year. It has thrown my sense of time off completely.... more
Something missing from new jail ceremony
I have been watching the new jail go up in Oregon since the ground-breaking in April of 2019. I wrote quite a few stories about the new facility before that event more than a year and a half ago even took place. Stories about how bad the current jail was. Stories about why the new jail was needed. Stories about the County Board approving the project. Stories about the City of Oregon fighting the project (well, a road closure). Public meetings, public disagreements, threats of lawsuits.... more
'Live PD' shows the best, and the worst
I love the TV show “Cops.” It is an adrenaline rush of a show, and one that highlights some of the best police officers and some of the dumbest criminals on the planet.... more