Okay, now that I have your attention, let me assure you that everything you read here is my opinion and there is absolutely nothing fake or made up about it. Every so often I want to step up onto my soapbox and rant and rave about people’s misguided perceptions about newspapering. I hear it ...

I've spent most of my career in public service, including time in the United States and Michigan House of Representatives, City Council, and Board of Commissioners. Throughout these roles, one thing has been clear: when Washington policies overlook the realities of rural communities, rural ...

Like the song says, it's time for mistletoe and holly. The holly tree has been a winter favorite throughout human history, but the genus, which includes hundreds of species, goes back much further than that. The oldest holly tree fossil came from Victoria, Australia. It lived alongside ...

The farm that I grew up on in Michigan’s thumb was filled with fence lines surrounding the fields. Trees surrounded each of the fields, but upon closer examination, the trees had grown up around the original markings that had been placed there. The property lines that surrounded our property ...

Europe is in a state of decline. In 1980 the European Union, which then included the United Kingdom, represented roughly 30% of the world economy. The U.S.' share was smaller, about 25%. Today the American share of the pie is about the same at 26%. The EU plus the UK is now around 17%, down ...

We just went through the longest government shutdown in history over contention regarding renewal of temporarily enacted government subsidies to Obamacare premiums. This battle is not over. Eight Democrats threw in the towel and agreed to postpone the issue and cooperate with Republicans to ...