Monthly Archives: January 2009

This is a critical question of national/international importance. Which photo should be used with my Gazette column? Somber or Happy? The somber photo is what currently runs with my column. I’m thinking of making a switch. Your input could tip … Continue reading →

The vast majority of my mail this week was sparked by my Tuesday column wondering why it was necessary to arrest and jail an Independence woman after she failed to return a long-overdue library book. Essentially, I argued that arrest and … Continue reading →

There’s a lot of change going on out there folks. It’s tough to keep up. First, Cedar Rapids and other communities in Linn and Johnson counties want local residents’ change, pennies that is, to help pay for flood recovery. A bill … Continue reading →

The Iowa House at this hour voted 55-37 for legislation allowing Cedar Rapids and other communities hit by natural disasters to put a local option sales tax plan on the ballot in March. Passage sends the bill to Gov. Chet … Continue reading →

Have any of you been feeling out of sorts lately? Perhaps you’ve been dazed by the drudgery of snow and cold and more cold. Maybe it seems you’re going in the wrong direction. Well, consider the story of the 88-year-old … Continue reading →

Maybe you saw The Gazette’s story on how one of our headlines made Jay Leno’s show this week. That got me to thinking of my favorite bad headlines.  At my old job, I had some hanging on a bulletin board … Continue reading →

From O. Kay Henderson at Radio Iowa: Governor Chet Culver says there will be “significant layoffs” in the state government workforce in the coming year as agencies deal with budget cuts. Culver this morning revealed more details of his state … Continue reading →

It’s -9 at the Dorman compound. But it could be worse. I could live in Paducah, Ky, which looks like a war zone covered in 3 inches of ice. So the big news around these parts is the Iowa Senate’s … Continue reading →

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller is a brave man. He’s asking the public to weigh in on his salary for the next fiscal year. He’s posing the $87,622 question at his Views from the Linn County Auditor blog ahead of next … Continue reading →