Opinion

Should You Even Vote? Not Necessarily

As I write this, we’re 47 days away from the November 8 general election -- voters will elect candidates to all 435 US House seats, 35 US Senate seats, and other offices that vary from state to state. As close as that sounds, in some places it’s even closer. “Early voting” begins 46 days before Election Day in Minnesota and South Dakota, 45 days early in Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming, 40 days early in Illinois and Michigan, and with shorter windows in most states. It’s time to start making some decisions. Not just on which candidates to vote for, but on whether to vote at all.

Read MoreShould You Even Vote? Not Necessarily

Why shortages remain common 2½ years into the pandemic

Shortages of basic goods still plague the U.S. economy – 2½ years after the pandemic’s onset turned global supply chains upside down. Want a new car? You may have to wait as long as six months, depending on the model you order. Looking for a spicy condiment? Supplies of Sriracha hot sauce have been running dangerously low. And if you feed your cat or dog dry pet food, expect empty shelves or elevated prices.

Read MoreWhy shortages remain common 2½ years into the pandemic

Plains Folk: “The Hutchinson Madstone”

As promised in my last column, here’s information about the Hutchinson madstone. You’ll recall that in the days (centuries, in fact) before a vaccine was available, people relied on madstones to ward off rabies if bitten by a rabid dog or cat. The lightweight stone develops by accretion in the stomach of a cow, a deer, or any ruminant. First treated with milk, the madstone is placed on the bite. If it falls off, no rabies; if it sticks, it adheres until it is saturated with the poison, then drops off. This process is repeated until it no longer sticks.

Read MorePlains Folk: “The Hutchinson Madstone”

Insight: History of Hedge

Osage orange trees are still common throughout much of the United States, though not many people appreciate just how much the thorny, dense trees have shaped our country. Before Christopher Columbus’ arrival, Osage orange had a limited range in the Red River basin in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Like the droves of Europeans who followed, the tree eventually spread to all corners of our country, so long as you don’t count Alaska and Hawaii.

Read MoreInsight: History of Hedge

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Responding to Bongrager Gregory Bontrager’s most recent letter, printed in The Newton Kansan on September 24, is perhaps the most racist thing I’ve recently seen in our local papers, equating the undocumented Venezuelan migrants, deceptively shipped by DeSantis to Martha’s Vineyard, as “animals” and “third-world squatters.” To the Newton Kansan: “Freedom of speech” does not obligate you to give space to racism. – Dave Osborne, Hesston Lindley Hall and decades of injustice Jim Crow Laws conjure up images of fire hoses and police dogs being used on Minority Americans.

Read MoreLETTERS TO THE EDITOR