November 07, 2009
Steve Booher - City Editor
Ignore the campaign rumblings; vote your conscience
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
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Friday, Sept. 25, 2009
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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Friday, July 10, 2009
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Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
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Friday, July 3, 2009
Meet Big Blue
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
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Monday, Nov. 2, 2009
On Tuesday, some of us will vote on whether to raise the St. Joseph School District tax levy by 63 cents. Most us will cast our votes because either we believe our schools need more money or we think they should make do with what they have.
Been there, done that: Dad, you’re excused from practiceWednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
You see them standing along the sidelines at a Bantam League football practice, pacing behind a Little League backstop or sitting on the edge of a gymnasium bleacher. They are intense, focused and verbal. They are dads who are living vicariously through their sons.
Monday, Oct. 26, 2009
For a while this morning, let’s pretend that you’re a Missouri Children’s Division caseworker. One of the many cases that crosses your desk involves a newborn. A relative has called in to report that the baby is being abused in the home. You’re dispatched to investigate.
Balloon saga captivates viewers willing to be fooledMonday, Oct. 19, 2009
Bless the Heene family.
The 'final frontier' isn't as exciting as it used to beMonday, Oct. 12, 2009
OK, let’s take a quick survey: How many of you got up early last Friday morning to watch NASA shoot an SUV-sized rocket booster into the moon? Raise your hands. Yeah, me too.
Hey, buddy, can you spare a putter?Monday, Oct. 5, 2009
If you think a 10 percent unemployment rate is bad, consider 66.7 percent. That would be the jobless rate for PGA golf professionals in St. Joseph if Mike Habermehl can’t renew his contract with the city of St. Joseph.
Been there, done that: Video killed the classroom starFriday, Sept. 25, 2009
During the ‘70s and ‘80s, psychologists warned society about the dangers of television. Watch too much, they said, and our brains would turn to mush.
Canadian scholar Marshall McLuhan called television “a vast wasteland.”
Monday, Sept. 21, 2009
Most football coaches are tough, demanding and loud. Almost none are murderers.
Improving schools requires different approachMonday, Sept. 14, 2009
Many educators agree that former President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind program sounds nice but causes harmful results. In St. Joseph, three elementary schools didn’t make adequate yearly progress and, thus, parents were able to transfer their kids to other schools.
Fashion takes a step to snap Twiggy-esque body sizesMonday, Sept. 7, 2009
Before Leslie Hornby, nobody ever really heard of anorexia or bulimia. Not that we should blame her as such, but hers was the face that launched a thousand fad diets.
Business owner's murder shakes sense of well-beingMonday, Aug. 31, 2009
Few of us truly understand the ballistics of a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun. We know that it travels fast, more than 1,000 feet per second, and causes devastation to whatever it impacts. And we know that once you’ve squeezed the trigger, there’s no stopping a bullet. There are no “take backs,” no “do overs.”
Michael Vick deserves a second chanceMonday, Aug. 24, 2009
Sure, we like to tell jokes about Michael Vick. My favorite is: The day after he was arrested for running a dogfighting operation, Nike canceled its shoe contract with Michael Vick. He immediately signed a lucrative deal with Hush Puppies.
If al-Qaida arrives, let’s embrace itMonday, Aug. 10, 2009
Mention the word “detainee” around Kansas these days and you’re liable to draw quite a reaction. Politicians and just regular Kansas folks make it crystal clear that they don’t want the 229 detainees from Guantanamo Bay transferred to Fort Leavenworth.
Finally, a utility that cares about its customersMonday, Aug. 3, 2009
Last week, News-Press editors sat down with executives from Great Plains Energy Inc., the parent company of KCP&L. During the meeting, Great Plains CEO Michael Chesser said a couple of surprising things.
Want to tell others about your biker event? Read onWednesday, July 29, 2009
Sturgis isn’t for everyone. But you don’t need a huge rally with its traffic jams, scarce hotel rooms and expensive food to connect with other motorcycle riders.
Lessons learned from the roadMonday, July 20, 2009
Earlier this month, the Boohers (Steve and Chris) took a week-long bike trip through parts of New Mexico and Colorado with the Villhauers (Denny and Melissa). Perhaps you read my trip entries. If you did, thanks.
Mustangs proved more than a sideshow this summerMonday, July 20, 2009
With professional sports, concerts and live theater, Kansas City might be the big-top circus of entertainment in the western half of Missouri. Fifty or so miles north, St. Joseph must seem a carnival sideshow. But we have our moments, and sometimes the carnival actually outdoes the main act.
Day Seven: Home, sweet homeSaturday, July 11, 2009
You want to know what it feels like to ride a motorcycle through western Kansas? Go run a marathon against a stiff wind while wearing a leather jacket on a hot, humid day.
Day Six: Time to head for homeSaturday, July 11, 2009
It’s Friday and it’s time to turn the bikes east and head for home. Unfortunately, central Colorado is a long way from Northwest Missouri and it’s going to take a couple of days to get back to Joetown.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Ok, Dillon is only about 35 miles from Leadville, so if you’re looking at the mileage I’ve listed and thinking I’m over inflating the miles we traveled, let me explain.
Day Four: It's the people you meetThursday, July 9, 2009
Often the most memorable moments on a motorcycle aren’t created by the miles you’ve ridden or the sights you’ve seen. Sometimes, it’s the people you meet, totally by chance.
Day Three: Taos rulesWednesday, July 8, 2009
After battling storms the day before, we left Eagle Nest early and rode the long way to Taos through the resort towns of Red River and Qwesta.
Day Two: The storms descendMonday, July 6, 2009
Day Two started with a fast run through the nothingness of the Oklahoma Panhandle and ended 26 miles short of our planned destination, Taos. More on that later.
A couple of suggestions for Heartland's new CEOMonday, July 6, 2009
We live in a city that loves history and faithfully acknowledges its founding fathers. Joseph Robidoux, George Bode, Phil Welch, the Wyeth family and many others etched their legacies on our buildings, streets and Parkway. This past week, you wondered how St. Joseph will remember retired Heartland CEO Lowell Kruse.
Day One: We tangle with a Rowdy BeaverSunday, July 5, 2009
No matter which direction you head, riding across Kansas is never a treat. But Sunday’s ride was actually bearable compared to a couple of years ago when we rode straight west on U.S. Highway 36 into a stiff wind from the southwest. By the time we hit the Colorado border, we were worn out.
The oil-changing traditionFriday, July 3, 2009
Every rider should learn to change oil in his or her motorcycle. Here's one way to do it.
Meet Big Blue
Thursday, July 2, 2009
This is a blog about motorcycles, primarily cruisers, but all kinds really. I don’t care if you ride a Harley, Honda, Star, Triumph, Kawasaki or Suzuki. You can ride a sport bike, a Goldwing or a scooter and that’s fine with me. Most people ride a bike they are comfortable with and one they can afford.
State transportation director should stick to what he does bestMonday, June 29, 2009
The prospect of Missouri repealing its mandatory helmet law might be about motorcycle safety. But it’s part of a broader argument about personal freedom and whether government should intrude in personal decisions.
An issue where Nixon looks good, no matter what he doesMonday, June 22, 2009
Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon has only served as governor of Missouri for a few months now, but it’s already apparent that he’s a much more capable politician than his predecessor.
It's not deer-hunting season, but do keep an eye outMonday, June 15, 2009
The majestic appearance and noble countenance of whitetail deer might be one of the most awe-inspiring sights in nature — especially when you spot them through the cross hairs of a high-powered rifle.
The downside of technology? There's no going backMonday, June 8, 2009
Two years ago, my wife and I joined a growing trend around the country. We canceled our land-line telephone and decided to rely exclusively on our cell phones.
Courts should butt out, but some decisions aren't debatableMonday, June 1, 2009
Last week, one of the bigger national news stories was the saga of young Danny Hauser, the boy from Minnesota who fled with his mother to avoid chemotherapy treatment.
On child support: Let’s make sure we’ve got the right guyMonday, May 18, 2009
It may be rare in the state of Missouri, but it does happen.
Helmet-less bikers aren't the most dangerous thingMonday, May 11, 2009
The bill to repeal Missouri’s motorcycle helmet law lays on Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk, having passed both legislative chambers. There’s no word yet if Mr. Nixon will sign the bill into law or veto it.
We've all made mistakes, but we have to keep goingMonday, May 4, 2009
Last week, the News-Press published a story about Stacey Skinner. Mrs. Skinner is working to put the St. Joseph School District’s property tax levy back on the ballot. She also owes some personal back taxes and we wrote a story about it. Picking up the morning newspaper and realizing the whole town now knows that you haven’t paid your taxes has to be traumatic. Mrs. Skinner was quite understandably upset.
Here’s an idea for the Housing Authority’s new digsMonday, April 20, 2009
I never realized that the St. Joseph Housing Authority needed new digs.
School levy's opposition was strong, but did it backfire?Monday, April 6, 2009
Regardless of what happens in tomorrow’s election, whether voters will extend the St. Joseph School District’s 63-cent tax levy or approve its $45 million bond issue, this has been a memorable campaign.
Here’s a little bit of advice for ‘Jackpot Jimmy’Monday, March 23, 2009
Generally, columnists aren’t known for their sensitivity. In a profession where you view everything with a critical and satirical eye, the warm and fuzzies seldom visit. Live your life this way for long and you find yourself scoffing at sentiment and laughing at really inappropriate times. Often, friends and family have wished I would be a kinder, gentler columnist.
It just won’t be the same without the D&G aroundMonday, March 16, 2009
Sorry, but if you didn’t get the chance to go to the D&G Restaurant and eat a Rachel sandwich, or enjoy some corn beef and cabbage on past St. Patrick’s Days, then you can’t really say St. Joseph is your hometown.
An $80K attempt to find a nonexistent smoking gunMonday, March 2, 2009
Congratulations, St. Joseph taxpayers! We already have committed to funding a stimulus package and bailing out an auto industry. Oh yeah, we also have a few checks to write to the banking industry. Plus, we just spent up to $80,000 in an attempt to find a smoking gun that never existed in the first place.
Some news to make progressives smileMonday, Feb. 23, 2009
Perhaps it’s because the economy stinks and corporate leaders have shown an amazing depth of greed. Maybe it’s because, though Congress passed a stimulus package, angry partisanship remains its method of choice. Maybe it’s because we’re trying to hold on to our jobs, our homes and retirement accounts.
Learning to crawl on illegal immigration mattersMonday, Feb. 16, 2009
Watching a baby crawl across a floor can be an interesting demonstration. Depending on your point of view — baby or parent — the motor skills required to crawl are either rudimentary or sophisticated. Nonetheless, crawling must be mastered before walking or running.
‘Octo-Mom’ gives us reasons to be a little resentfulMonday, Feb. 9, 2009
Years ago, we gave up the notion that a typical American family consists of a father, a mother and 2.5 rugrats crawling around, an image that’s so 1950s.
Making a distinction between wants and needsMonday, Jan. 26, 2009
Everybody has both wants and needs. Often, there’s a huge difference between the two. For example, I want a brand new 2009 Nissan Titan pickup with the extended cab, four-wheel drive, built toolboxes in the bed and a Rockford Fosgate stereo system. But what I need is a good, used ’95 Ford Ranger with an AM radio that will get me back and forth to work.
Some seats may be reserved on the bus to Satan’s domainMonday, Jan. 19, 2009
If I ever find myself knee-deep in molten lava, chained to a volcanic outcropping and tortured for all time by Satan and his minions, my guess is that I’ll have plenty of company — including some members of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Local celebrities provide nice relief at chamber banquetMonday, Jan. 12, 2009
“Dancing With the Stars” is one of those television shows where I immediately grab a book, open my laptop or go watch another show on the 13-inch set in the bedroom. As a person who is cursed with a p
It's time to dump parking enforcement DowntownMonday, Jan. 5, 2009
Most people see the dawn of a new year as a chance for a fresh start. We tuck away last year’s problems and arguments in a mental file labeled “Old Business” and move on to something else.
Many deserve sympathy around holidays — but not allMonday, Dec. 29, 2008
Sometimes you take the good with the bad, the beautiful with the ugly. And so it goes with Christmas.
You, holiday shopper, can help save the economyMonday, Dec. 22, 2008
Three days until Christmas and I’m done. As of this morning, I have every ornament hung, every light blinking, every present wrapped and a spiral-cut ham cooling in the fridge.
Conditions 'near perfect' for a Chiefs training campMonday, Dec. 15, 2008
“Near Perfect” was a slogan the Greater St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce unveiled a few years ago, much to the jeering delight of the thumb-sucking It’s Your Call crowd.
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