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

Who says God is dead? A few years ago, I’d say about 30 to be exact, there was a little white church out in the middle of nowhere in the country that was in trouble. Their pastor had just stepped...

OK, I’m sorry, but I need to take a deep breath before this one. I have been covering High School sports for over 30 years, and in all of that time I have seen every negative aspect you can...

My household ushered in the beginning of fall this past weekend by “watching” football, or maybe I was half watching and the other half folding laundry, checking my phone and snacking. I did not...

There is no mystery in day to day life quite as exhilarating as the ordinary mailbox. Every day the possibility of something new arrives when the mailman stops at the end of the driveway and drops...

I had it all planned. My wife was leaving with my cousins’ wife for a shopping excursion at an art fair up in Wisconsin over the weekend, and my cousin was scheduled to work Saturday. So, while I kn...

National Farm Safety and Health Week is September 17-23, 2023. The theme for the NFSHW 2023 is “No One Can Take Your Place”. National Farm Safety and Health Week is an annual event that aims to...

When I was a kid on the farm, hitch pins were always in short supply. We didn’t travel on the road at all with our farm equipment back then, so we hadn’t heard of safety clips, much less any need...

It’s True, I confess, I am a Sneaky Pete. Now, I realize that most – if not all of you – have no idea what it is I’m talking about, so let me explain. You see, while growing up in Northwest In...

As many of you may know, fall is my favorite season of all. A few of my favorite activities of fall are possible because of agriculture. First, I love visiting apple orchards and indulging in deliciou...

It is no secret there is an ethics problem in Illinois politics. We have had four Governors spend time in federal prison, we have had several federal court verdicts prove self-serving politicians exis...

School is back in session for the most part. Which makes me think of my own school days in the public school. I was smart enough to skip a grade right off the bat - kindergarten. At six years old I...

I’ve told you about my dog, Bucky. He’s incredibly smart, but is definitely my wife’s dog. I can be gone for ten days, but when I finally come home, he will lift his head off of his bed, see who...

Illinois’ annual celebration of agriculture just ended with the closing of the Illinois State Fair on August 20th. We had some livestock participants and winners in various categories from the 45th...

As I sit at my keyboard pounding out the words going into this column, we are in the middle of a heat wave. It’s hot outside. But here in my basement office, it’s cool. Almost too cool. But as you...

“We be po,” I cried to my wife. “Would you stop it, we are not poor. We’re just cash strapped a little until Friday.” In the grand scheme of things, a perfect storm of financial needs came u...

Today was the absolute worst day ever And don't try to convince me that There's something good in every day Because when you take a closer look, The world is a pretty evil place, Even if Some...

“Alloh, dees ees Melbin of Internal Webenue Serbis. Da reason for dees woicemail message is we have received a complaint against you for tax ebasion, and are issuing a warrant for your arrest. We...

We have a kill-deer that built a nest right on the edge of our driveway, about a foot in from where the gravel meets the grass. Everytime I mowed the yard, the mama would squawk and squawk and try to...

Here’s a small test. Right now, could you quote the six most dangerous words when put together in a sentence? Now, I’m sure some people will immediately think of the obvious: “We Are Going To De...

One thing you may not know about me is I love lists! I am often sucked into reading lists about travel, food, famous people the topics are endless. But my favorite list to read each month is “How...

What would happen to your family budget if you doubled your spending over a six-year period? I think we all know it would be an unsustainable and irresponsible path that leads to a lot of credit card...

It seems time goes a little faster now than it used to. Back in my youth it seemed like once summer was upon us, it had no end. We would work and play for sunny days on end. I don’t ever remember...