Village Voices - We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks

In my quest to send out timely topics, I love it when I find something said that is so much better than anything I could come up with. You would be hard pressed not to love these: Many years ago, Al...

Everybody messes up from time to time. One time when I was a kid working on the farm, Dad decided to sell some grain. The guy came out with a semi and parked it under the auger and started loading....

I’ve been in a bit of a quandary this week in regard to what my column would be about. I mean, I had originally planned on sharing another embarrassing camping story, but then all the rains came....

With fall right around the corner it is hard to believe fall sports and harvest will be here shortly. The Stephenson County Farm Bureau Agriculture In The Classroom Program would like to help make...

It had been a few years since my wife and I visited Branson, Missouri. When we were last there, our children were small and the town was too. Actually, we’ve been there twice before. The first time...

About two years ago, I’m not sure exactly when, but my wife got this cool framed map of Wisconsin that listed all of the Supper Clubs on it. To this day it hangs in our kitchen, and while we know we...

It is hard to believe August is already here. We have had such an enjoyable and busy summer. From fair week to our annual peach program where we sold over 445 boxes of peaches and 47 boxes of cobbler...

Ever wonder who to contact when you have a question or concern relating to government? Before picking up the phone or sitting down in front of the computer to send an e-mail to your elected...

My wife and I are in Branson, Missouri this week along with some friends at a Fellowship of Christian Farmers International Convention. On the way down here, St. Louis got 9 inches of rain before we...

OK, in case you haven’t noticed, I am not too big on fashion. In fact, I couldn’t care less about it. When it comes to clothing, my top priorities are comfort and function. And the two are very...

What a week it has been! This week the Farm Bureau hosted our annual Farm Fun Zone at the Stephenson County Fair. The Farm Fun Zone included a petting zoo with pigs, goats, mini donkeys, and a calf. I...

Sometimes God brings very unique people into our lives for reasons only He knows. Such was the case recently when we were introduced to a saintly elderly woman who walked into our church one Sunday a...

OK, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Snap Chat … if you’re anything like me, the options out there when it comes to social media are mind boggling. I mean, the paper had a...

With the 2022 Stephenson County Fair under way, we hope you’ll stop by and see the Stephenson County Farm Bureau in our Farm Fun Zone across from the beef corral. We are excited to see many...

Every year in Illinois, thousands of families lose a loved one to the preventable tragedy of opioid addiction and prescription drug abuse. Unused or unwanted medicine needs to be disposed of properly...

As cataclysmic events are taking place all over the world, and we see so much evil manifested in so many unprecedented (to us) ways, many Christians are wondering, "Is the Holy Spirit going to revive...

Recently, some friends and I were talking about our middle names, and where they came from. And the conversation turned towards a story I thought I had relayed – because it is well known in my...

Sometimes I’m asked what kind of advice I have to give during tough times? Well, good advice for hard times is the same thing as good advice for good times - Worship God faithfully. Tithe. Minimize...

I think I have come to the realization that God got our lives backwards. I mean, think about it – instead of the current timeline we are all familiar with, what if “life” followed this pattern...

Last Friday was a historic day as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. I have always held to the belief that God would not bless our nation as long as the bloodshed of the unborn was on our...

“Hand over your Man Card!” Several people have told me that – from my cousin to Barry Homan to Rhett Roethe … and for those of you who do not know what I’m talking about, let me explain....

As your State Representative, I take my responsibility to fight for the best quality of life for our senior citizens here in Northwest Illinois seriously. Our state owes a great deal of gratitude to...

Our family has done a lot of grieving the last couple of weeks over the loss of our nephew’s little boy, but our faith is well-grounded and we are trusting God in all His Sovereignty to bring good...

“Bring out your dead … Bring out your dead …” “I’m not dead yet.” “Oh, yes you are.” “I’m feeling better.” “But it’s a killer rabbit … with, with the teeth” “We need...