On this day, 239 years ago, we declared independence from England.That momentous occasion continues to reap benefits for current and future generations. Among them, this is what I am most grateful for:1. The right to…

Of all the bold legal decisions of late none is more so than by Judge Larry Hendricks of Shawnee County District Court in Topeka.Last week Judge Hendricks ruled a temporary stay of action on Senate…

Last week, Osawatomie State Hospital stopped admitting new patients.The hospital lacks adequate space and personnel to handle any more. The freeze puts the burden on local resources — community mental health centers, hospitals and jails…

Dear editor,I am hoping that you will be able to help us notify the men and women who deployed with the 891st Engineer Battalion in 2005 in Operation Iraq Freedom, that there is going to…

I shuffled into the Roswell, N.M., mall a few day ago to watch my granddaughters — Alayna and Emma Johnson and Olivia Lee — get second piercings in their ears. It’s the thing to do,…

This Sunday completes the year-round commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Iola’s First Presbyterian Church, which was organized on June 24, 1864. A picnic at Riverside Park will follow the 9:30 a.m. service at the…

Eight years out from a massive tornado, Greensburg is an architect’s dream come true.In a way it’s like a virtual SimCity, the video game with contrived communities. Everything seems laid out in cookie-cutter fashion with…

Having U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran address a gathering of local business leaders Saturday night was a big thing. No, he didn’t come armed with any big announcements, awards or prizes. Nor did he come to…

I know most kids say their dad is their hero but my dad really is mine.I grew up as a fire chief’s daughter. Sirens, pagers, ambulances and cool uniforms were always a part of my…

It must have been a challenge for Gov. Sam Brownback to keep a straight face Tuesday when he said the July 1 increase in sales and cigarette taxes are not really tax increases.“You’ve got to…