During a recent wildlife excursion, I was reminded many people enjoy getting back to nature, but not all of us are on the same path. On this day, the location I chose to visit is well known for thousands of ducks that bob in wetland cells serving as a recharge area. Of course, this is Centra…
Used to be that one was only subjected to sensationalized journalism when standing in line at the market, gazing at bat-boy on the cover of tabloids. But then the owner of the Sun, Rupert Murdoch, decided to bring his fictionalized and debased version of journalism to TV, à la Fox.
They say be careful about meeting your heroes as they are often a let down. Meeting your favorite athlete or television personality is an exciting prospect. However, meeting them without the cameras rolling often reveals their true colors and the colors can be ugly. That could be one reason …
Last Tuesday, Florida State Senator Bill Baxley filed Senate Bill 86, which proposed numerous changes to the Florida Student Financial Aid System. Specifically, it proposed limiting the use of student financial aid based on an applicant’s program of studies, requiring it to prove that it lea…
It is widely believed that former President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961. It is, also, widely believed that his mere birth in Hawaii makes him a “natural-born” citizen.
In reading feedback from readers about my column on immigration, I realized many of us don’t have useful information on the subject. Let’s see how much we know about immigration.
February has been a busy time throughout our school district. In this month’s Superintendent’s Corner, I would like to update you on a few recent items that I feel are of particular interest to the community.
In my life, I’ve worn a variety of hats. While my current “job” descriptions include writer, wife and grandmother, there have been other ways to label me through the years.
One of the great things about living in the U.S. is that our city and county governments are required to keep their citizens informed about their actions. One of the ways they do this is through public notices – the informational notices that have been deemed to be of importance to local con…
Education is an investment. It is more than dollars for tuition or other training, but the investment of time and commitment. Over the years, our society has struggled to find the best and most effective ways to make the investment. Debates on public versus private schools for K-12 schools, …
After a recent hike it was obvious to me that spring is officially in the air — at least in Florida. While much of the country is locked in a deep freeze of epic proportions, here the slight chill equaled a marvelous weekend with a bit of sweater weather.
When I was around 10 years old growing up in Connecticut, I began to wonder “what” I was. This interest probably began because I was playing with, and going to school and church with, mostly Irish and Italian kids. My father said his father was Dutch and his mother was Irish. Then my mother …
Yes, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since Feb. 20, 1971 – but it’s still hard to believe that Granny Tyree (my father’s mother) has been gone for 50 years.
Sneaky Joe wants to raise the minimum wage for people who can’t even get a hamburger order right at the fast food window. He wants to wipe out student loan debts for people who can well afford to pay the loans back. And by the way, I paid my student loan back, every penny, so if these other …
Prior to the election, I think many people believed that former President Donald Trump was going to be the future of the Republican Party for the foreseeable future. Oftentimes in conversations with my conservative friends, I raised the point that Donald Trump could not be the only future th…
We are exiting the messy middle of COVID-19. With cases in Florida and America down about 50% ... now what?
Presidential honeymoons have remarkably different lengths. President Barack Obama’s honeymoon, at least with the press, began the day he announced his candidacy, Feb. 10, 2007, and the blissful union continues today.
So Wednesday I was goofing off, contemplating lunch before I got to work, when my best friend Tina messaged me: “Rush is dead.”
It was a hot August day at the Rusk County Fairgrounds in Wisconsin. I was there as the University of Wisconsin-Extension 4-H agent recording the final weights of the 4-H and FFA project steers. One particular project animal belonging to Shawn Isdepski just didn’t want any part of the scale …
The forecast threatened rain on my hike, so we opted to try something a little less remote rather than be miles out in the woods during potentially stormy weather. Being almost struck by lightning once, I don’t wish to experience that ever again if possible.
Events on Capitol Hill and the Southwest border are unfolding at dizzying pace. The outcome of those developments will have long-lasting and irreversible effects.
With the stroke of several souvenir pens that will likely end up on eBay, President Joe Biden recently enacted sweeping executive orders related to climate change – specifically aimed at saving the arctic tufted titmouse and encouraging the transition of all fuel-burning vehicles to Flintsto…
One of the most distinguishable features about Highlands County is its strong agricultural market, especially in the citrus business. There are countless locally owned businesses that are dedicated to the growth and production of citrus produce, which helps contribute to Florida’s reputation…
I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to county staff for all their productive work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your county staff has been emergency activated for over 330 days supporting the health department and the state of Florida response to COVID-19.
I love winter. I love snow. I love making a roaring fire in my fireplace on a chilly day. But I hate one thing about this time of year: taxes.
Tax headaches have started early for American small businesses this tax season. States can help these employers and accelerate the economic recovery by clarifying that business expenses paid from Paycheck Protection Plan loans are fully tax-deductible, in-line with federal tax law.
Most of us remember these inspiring words on our Statute of Liberty.:
Let’s face it, we often feel as if we’re in competition with others. I watch my two grandchildren compete for their parents’ attention from time to time. Politics is one huge competition and has gotten worse instead of better over the years.
Just a week ago, I was in the University Center auditorium at South Florida State College giving a presentation about our Highlands Aviation and Aerospace Academy. I have made this presentation many times over the years to various community groups. There is always something new to share as t…
Recently I received notification of a new follower on my Instagram feed. While I really try to keep adding fresh photographic content, I admit to being a lackadaisical about building my social media platform. Having an online presence is important in this day and age but so is having a job, …
Here at 11 a.m., should I continue to wear my nightgown or PJs all day, yet again, or don one of my fetching burkas or hazmat suits, back from the cleaners, to drive around Spring Lake delivering Little Free Library donated books to neighbors? Decisions, decisions ... Oh, the choices we have…
Allow me to start off by saying two things upfront about the letter written last Thursday. First, I appreciate the respectful manner in which my argument was addressed and the restraint of any abusive language. Second, because abortion is such a controversial subject, I will refrain from dis…
Yes, this has been brewing for decades. Back in the ‘60s, Nikita Khrushchev banged his shoe on his desk at a United Nations meeting and told JFK that communism would take over the USA without firing a shot. Looks like he was right.
I just read a letter lambasting President Donald Trump for his lack of character. The sterling examples the writer used as comparisons were old Not-so-honest Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and, of all people, John Kennedy.
I am tired of reading “Trump did it” in the letters here. Perhaps a little equal time is in order. When Obama and Biden were in office “It is Bush’s fault’ was the common answer to every question. Now we hear “I am using Executive orders to undo bad actions of the previous administration.” T…
One hundred years ago, Florida had a population under 1 million. In 1920, our population of just 968,470 placed Florida 32nd in state population.
It’s February and that means two things: The snowbirds are here, and the “Big Race” is just around the corner. Both of these are ‘big business’ for our local tourism industry. But what are we doing to help our restaurants, golf courses, hotels and other attractions thrive during non-peak tou…
Imagine, if you will, you encounter a person who’s spent the last 10 or 11 months on a desert island. Or in a coma. He or she is going to enter the real world. What do you tell them?
Do you know any left-handed people? Ask them what it is like to live in a right-handed world. A world where we shake with our right hands and salute with our right hands. Baseball mitts and golf clubs, door handles and scissors, notebooks and three-ring binders, were all designed at least or…
There’s no middle ground with middle names. You either love them or hate them.
Heads up to all love birds out there — Valentine’s Day is exactly 10 days from today. If you’re planning on a romantic dinner at a popular location, you’d better get those reservations confirmed. With limited seating now a “thing” thanks to coronavirus, those willing to dine out or in, as it…
Over the past few months, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has seen more than its fair share of turmoil. Thousands of workers are quarantined, net losses remain stubbornly high ($9.2 billion last year), and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s long-overdue operational changes have been me…
It seems like we keep hearing that this pandemic is going to be over soon. We were told not to worry much when the first cases appeared in the United States and then we were told that the pandemic would be over by Easter. As early as last April, we heard former President Trump talk about how…
The country is divided, in massive debt, and our future isn’t looking so good – but thankfully, I have more immediate worries to consume my energies.
Even though I am in my 60s, part of my brain thinks I am still in my 20s. My 20-year-old self doesn’t want to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Beginning this new semester, many of our students have chosen to return to the traditional school setting. We currently have approximately 11,000 students in our face-to-face model and about 1,100 students enrolled in Highlands Virtual School.
Quick poll: Raise your hand if you ever ran into a store for a quick stop and left your young child in the car with the engine running. Be honest.
”Sir, have you no sense of decency?”– attorney Joe Walsh to Joe McCarthy (1954)
I have never been lost, but I have been geographically embarrassed more than once. In today’s high-tech world, you have to try hard to get lost. Our phones, cars and most anything else that transports us from one place to another is GPS equipped. Even before GPS was so widespread, we could a…
Purchasing new software recently, I was prompted to set up a password. Working my way through all the steps, I became increasingly frustrated. First my password was too simple. Then it didn’t contain all the required letters. Finally, it notified me that I needed to add special characters, b…
