I was next in line at the grocery checkout. The woman in front of me was ready to pay; she fumbled her hand inside her purse and withdrew a worn, black, checkbook cover.

Nineteen years ago today at 8:46 A.M., terrorists flew a highjacked plane of Americans into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. By 10:03 that morning, three more planes had crashed into the South Tower, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, PA. This was not only the most …

When it comes to living in the St. Louis metropolitan area, this isn’t my first rodeo. 

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there is a lot of LOOKING going on. Just turn on any news show (if you dare) and turn up the volume when politicians are replying to questions.

I just finished a bowl of ice cream. I feel immediately guilty, knowing I’ve gained weight over the last few months and that ice cream is not a diet food. But I am weak. So weak.

This was the first week back to school for many students in the Third District. Since our state’s schools closed in April parents, students, and teachers have all stepped up to adapt to distance learning and ensure our kids don’t fall behind. While learning from home was an acceptable altern…

Ask Rusty – About the Virtues of Claiming Benefits Early

Morning People shimmer. Their perky little faces glow like lighthouse beacons, glaring a cheery “hello” in the gray light of dawn. 

For well over two decades, the sounds of marching bands practicing, shoulder pads popping, cheerleaders replicating moves and the smell of fresh-cut grass signaled one thing to me: it was time to cover high school football.

My granddaughter calls me Grandma Nanaw. It’s a name my children called my mother, and the moniker seems to have become a family tradition. It is hard to spell, though, and my newly-5-year-old granddaughter, Bree, found all those letters tedious. She was coloring a picture for me and wanted …

My driver’s license is good for six years. The picture on the front looks just like me…right now. But that will certainly change. 

Earlier this year, I was honored to be one of five Republicans selected to serve on the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis. My committee colleagues and I attend hearings weekly with experts from across the nation to find solutions and see where improvements can be made in areas like …

It’s not one of his more well known songs, but one of my most favorite Bob Marley songs is “Hypocrites,” which is one of his earliest.

I would have been a perfect contestant for “Let’s Make A Deal”. Not because I like to trade doors for boxes. And not because I want to dress like a housewife in pink sponge curlers (the most common costume, as I recall).

“[T]he right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

After I came home from the newsroom last Saturday, I sat on my couch to do some lazy channel-surfing.

Want a dose of REAL Reality TV? Turn on TV Land or MeTV.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, life has looked much different for most adults. Some have worked from home, some have unfortunately lost their jobs and essential workers have worked harder than ever. And while the adults have been trying their best to navigate the difficulty of the past c…

ts time again to go to the voting booth. As always, I want to thank all the candidates for putting themselves on the ballot. Politics has always been a nasty game but with social media at everyone’s fingertips it’s at a whole new level. There also seems to be a lot more republicans in these …

Ask Rusty – Should My Wife Claim at 62? Will She Get Widow Benefit?

A matrimonial malady of horrific proportion threatens the sanctity of hearth and home. It leaves its signature ink marks on every couple with a newspaper subscription and reading skills, and no one is immune.