Christine Otten
Last Day of School | Mark’s Remarks
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Nobody knows what it’s like to be teacher, especially at the end of the year. I have had well-educated, upstanding…
Escape Artist, Part 2 | Mark’s Remarks
A few years back, I wrote to you about my baby daughter and how she had her daddy wrapped around her finger. I wrote about how she often got me…
Local Food Review | Gallagher’s Fried Chicken
by Natalie Schweiger Being able to say you’ve enjoyed a Southern Style Dinner should be a requirement for anyone claiming to be American. This is the kind of meal that…
Veterans Corner | Rick Schilling
Illinois Joining Forces is a joint Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Department of Military Affairs effort designed to better serve veterans, service members and their families throughout the state. IJF…
The Buffoon Father: A Continuing Saga | Mark’s Remarks
You know if you read this column regularly that I am constantly griping about how men, especially fathers, have been pushed back or even pushed out of the picture. This…
Hero Worship, Hard Falls, Life Lessons | Mark’s Remarks
Lately we’ve been hearing about a whole bunch of people messing up. Folks we have admired have had their darker sides exposed. We hear about Bill Cosby, Brian Williams and…
Time to Grow | Planet Ryan
A few years ago, I told you about a raised garden I created in a relatively small space behind my apartment building, in which I grew tomatoes and peppers. My…
Saturday Night Fever: WHS, CHS crown prom royalty
Saturday was prom night for both Waterloo and Columbia high schools, with WHS prom at Orlando Gardens in St. Louis County and CHS prom at The Falls in Columbia. Malorie…