Republic-Times
The Great Bus Tirade | Mark’s Remarks
When I start thinking about how disrespectful and silly kids can be at school, and when I get to the almost nth degree of crazy, I think the Lord whispers…
A year of goodbyes? | Mark’s Remarks
When you read this, I will have completed my 33rd year of teaching. Maybe not a big deal to you, but dang. Time seems to have gone by at…
The Little Mermaid | Movie Review
After leaving the theater, I heard the phrase “I didn’t have high expectations” from reviewer after reviewer. Indeed, I would guess many of us felt the same way. After all,…
Defying reason | Ott Observations
As I digest many current events, I find myself thinking about the word “reason.” The dictionary defines the word as “a cause, explanation or justification for an action or event,”…
Carol Burnett’s birthday | Mark’s Remarks
I was born in 1967, the same year Carol Burnett’s television show went on the air. So you could say I sort of grew up watching her. I remember being…
Lay off | Mark’s Remarks
I was having a great conversation with a group of folks the other day. Some were retired and some were close to retiring. The truths spoken at this meeting…
When we eat can matter, too | For Your Health
By Dr. Graham A. Colditz Siteman Cancer Center It’s that time of year where the calendar still says “spring,” but the weather and the school and vacation schedules are quickly…
The belch heard ‘round the world | Mark’s Remarks
Our hospital in my hometown of Fairfield has been around for a long time. It was always a mysterious building to me when I was little, mostly because I was…