How on earth are we supposed to stay upbeat in today’s mostly negative environment? I wish I knew. I so want to recover my positive, usually happy attitude. I know the internet has some …

The holidays are here, and while they are often a time filled with joy and excitement, they can also be a difficult time for our canine companions. While some dogs thrive on the increased activity …

Now that the dust has settled and the stats are in: $16 billion spent on the presidential race; $4.6 billion on state elections; $182 million coming from dark money; $100 million on Washington state …

Santa’s full-time and auxiliary workers have increased substantially over the years. Most Santaologists know that too many of Santa’s holiday supporters have no clue about …

Hello, friends! When one is suffering from injustices, one might understandably reach out for some due acknowledgement and succor, and even some charity. We hear their plea and then we pretty …

Editor’s note: This is Bill Trueit’s final column for Beacon Publishing. We’ll miss his insightful work, and encourage readers to read his previous columns online. Beyond the …

Back in the 19th century, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” — the more things change, the more they …

I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled all over the world for my computer business. Here are a few stories about those travels. Who is the Duke of Edinburgh? I was walking down a …

At the Nov. 25 City Council special meeting, the council voted 5-2 (Councilmembers Mike Dixon and Steve Schmalz against) to adopt the biennial budget for the years 2025-2026. The adopted …

F ull disclosure: The following comes from a wizened (grizzled?) editor/reporter who has long endured in the journalism trenches. There’s a point coming to this intro, so let’s get …

December begins the season of Advent or literally “coming.” To get ready, Our Savior’s and other churches that follow a liturgical calendar change the altar coverings to blue and …

In March 2018, I wrote about theoretical physicists’ view of time relative to our Universe (Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time"). This week I decided to write about time …

Reality Check has been on hiatus for the past several months. The reality is, I came to a point in July where I felt there was nothing positive I could write about. It seemed like I was rehashing …

“ The mass of the rich and poor are differentiated by their incomes and nothing else. The average millionaire is the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit.” – George Orwell …

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. As anxiety rises, people are …

I have way too often found many views on how and why events came into existence. This was the case as I tracked down the history behind Black Friday.   Some stores open their doors two …

At the Nov. 4 regular council meeting, the council voted to close the public hearing on Mayor Joe Marine’s preliminary budget for the years 2025-2026. The mayor’s 2025-2026 budget draws …