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Editorials and columns

Plant in your own life and we all reap the rewards

There's a 36-year-old song that talks about the value of hard work. "I gotta get out of bed and get a hammer and a nail," the chorus goes, "Learn how to use my hands, not just my head. I think myself into jail. Now, I know a refuge never grows from a chin in a hand in a thoughtful pose. Gotta tend the earth if you want a rose." I've been thinking a lot about farming lately, which is weird because the last time I tried to do any gardening, I pulled a random muscle in my back and limped for a week. But work, real work, goes back in my family for generations. My grandmother was a ...

Is America truly experiencing a christian revival?

In one of my group texts with friends from church recently, an interesting commentary from The Hill's John Mac Ghlionn was shared. He asserts that "America is merely witnessing a Christian reboot, not a Christian revival." Mac Ghlionn's analysis stems from his examination of cultural leanings and how Christianity is often presented in the mainstream as a celebrity-driven identity fad. Authentic Christianity, he argues, has been "detached from its roots and repackaged for mass consumption." Mac Ghlionn also notes that church attendance has been on the decline even before the COVID-19 ...

Pam Bondi shows loyalty to her audience of one

Let's hear a word of praise for the ordinary citizens who have called for an end to the too-often reckless invasions of American cities by federal agents carrying out President Trump's crusade against undocumented immigrants. I am moved by the courage and patriotism of those who have come out on the streets, sometimes in awesome numbers, to demand investigations into and accountability for recent allegations of misconduct by officers of the Department of Homeland Security in Minneapolis, Chicago and elsewhere. These events were spotlighted last week in hearings in the House Judiciary ...

Full funding for special education is a promise that must be kept

My name is Addison Wesaw, and I am a senior at Alpena High School. I hope to become a special education teacher once I graduate. Some issues leave me and many others with questions about the special education funding in Michigan. I have firsthand experience with gaps and inequities in the ...

Searching for an efficient dishwasher

Dear Jim: I need to replace my old dishwasher that has few cycles and doesn't clean well. What are the best features to look for in a new efficient dishwasher? - Sara J. Dear Sara: Even the lowest-cost modern dishwashers today are much more efficient, effective and quiet than your old one. By selecting one with the proper features for your specific needs can yield significant savings. As with most appliances, if you do not want to do much research on a product, just select one which meets EnergyStar standards (www.energystar.gov) and it will be reasonably efficient. With only a few ...

Kevin Rinke is out of sync

Kevin Rinke is slightly out of sync with many of his fellow Michigan Republicans many of whom, he contends, are more focused on "being right rather than happy" when it comes to their attitude about advancing their political agenda. Based on a recent interview with the affable former car ...