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People, places and things
Angelia Roberts “In Black and White” Having a favorite place is like having a favorite song. My friends and I have both. We pretty much fit the ’80s Ladies criteria and we love heading south to Natchez, Miss., and all points in between, where we …
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Letter to the editor
More complaints about park tax To the editor: I hope the people who voted in the latest city sales tax are satisfied (but I doubt they are). As of last October, we have to pay to reserve the pavilions at Riverside Park (although there is …
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A tip from ‘The Killer’
Tony McGuffey “Observations” I only knew him as Big Jim. Back in ’67 he was the older (50s) and senior bell hop at the Holiday Inn nearest the Moline, Ill. airport. He was my mentor as I worked as a bus boy just out of …
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A reformed book snob
Andrea Bruner “Hear Here” I never thought I would enjoy my Nook as much as I have. I considered myself a book snob, and the smell of a bookstore (not the coffee, mind you — the actual book bindings and yes, even the glue) is …
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Musings on May Day
Labor Day, celebrated each year on the first Monday of September, is widely known and celebrated as a holiday for American workers; perhaps less well known as a day for the labor movement is May Day, observed around the world on the first of the …
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State Capitol Week in Review
The number of state prison inmates who are released on parole is steadily going up while the number who are discharged after serving out their entire sentence is going down, according to a report compiled by prison officials for the state Board of Correction. In …
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This is Arkansas – Spring Mill
When built in 1867, Spring Mill was a “state-of-the-art” facility, complete with imported millstones and a Leffel 40-horsepower vertical water turbine shipped from Ohio. John A. Schnable (also spelled Schnabel, a Confederate veteran, built the stone dam and works for the original owner, A.N. Simmons. …
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Undercover student: Movie spurs story idea
Lacy Mitchell “Retro Active” I love movies with a journalistic twist and over the last few years they’ve been ones I’ve seen at the theater. What’s funny is I never realize many of them have such twists until the stories begin and I’ve made a …
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Funny money
For most Americans, a penny at the gas pump has vivid significance but billions of dollars create a meaningless blur. Increasingly, we are unable to fathom the really big numbers in our modern world, a condition known as innumeracy. In a recent 24-hour period, Facebook …
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War brings sick, wounded to Arkansas
One hundred fifty years ago the stark realization of war has hitting home in Arkansas. The past several columns have identified a grave problem of an overwhelmed medical infrastructure in the state in 1862 as thousands of sick and wounded soldiers lie convalescing in the …
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There’s gold in them thar asteroids!
Back when I was a tyke, the “Dick Tracy” comic strip ran an ongoing storyline about mining for gold on the moon. I loved it, but this was the sort of wild science fiction that turned off many of the venerable strip’s older readers. Fast …
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Swinging for the catcher
Donetta Sterling “Say Anything” Yeah! Softball season has started. My daughter Alexas has been playing since tee-ball and I am surprised I have loved watching her practice and play as much as I do. I’m not a sports fan at all but I guess there’s …
