In the last century, a boy tried to impress me with his vocabulary. He thought I would fall in love with him by trying to intrigue me through intelligence. In the late 1970s, while other boys were playing sports, helping on the farm, and cruising the square. He was sitting at home, memorizing three new words each day. I have no idea how long it would take him to get through a Webster’s Dictionary. Nonetheless, he tried this method for at least a year. more

Good news, armchair critics: Young people can still write compelling and coherent prose and poetry with exceptional candor and grammatical skill. more

Recently, I took my two youngest grandchildren to the jump park at the Battlefield Mall. more

I'm lucky that my first professional writing job was in a newsroom because it taught me something important: You don't need a perfect environment to get work done. You don't need silence, an organized room, a particular candle, or a big chunk of time.  more

Two days ago, while sitting at my desk attempting to be a productive human, a noise broke my focus and nearly broke my window, too.  more

For months now, I've been eating breakfast with a goose.  more

I've had the best interviews since the beginning of the year. People are upbeat, love the projects they're involved in, and want the best for the community—me, too. more

As you learned in my column last week, I have a brother and a sister. I talked a little about my brother last week (there is so much more I could say), and this column is about Judy. When i learned my mother was going to give us a little brother or sister, I wasn’t real thrilled. I had been the baby of the family for six years and wasn’t quite ready to give up that position to a baby sibling. more

Now and then I am reminded that we born after World War II were witnesses to some of the most momentous events of the 20th century. Following are selected events from the Time-Life series,”Our American Century.” more

On the April 2nd ballot in Dallas County is the renewal of a 1/2 cent sales tax for the county road and bridge fund. This is an existing tax, and it has been in place since 1984. The funds from this tax represent approximately two-thirds of the county road and bridge budget. From the Dallas County R-I School District perspective, the maintenance of our rural roads is highly important. Our buses and vans drive around 300,000 miles on our county-maintained roads annually, and a lower level of funding for these roads would be costly to the school district. more

The Dallas County Economic Development Group (DCEDG) is writing to support the renewal of the Dallas County Half-Cent Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Sales Tax appearing on the April 2, 2024 ballot. This tax was first passed in 1984 with a sunset provision ensuring the law would be subjected to a renewal vote every 10 years. This tax comprises approximately two-thirds of Dallas County’s current road and bridge budget. On April 2, the County is seeking that this tax be placed without the sunset provision. more

Many of us have been lucky enough to be raised alongside siblings (or unlucky, depending on your point of view and experience). I already had a brother when I came into this world and a sister came along six years later. All three of us share a few hereditary traits and many differences. more