Columnists
Penny For Your Thoughts? Maybe Not
I could live with the arrogance of our president who’s not shy about saying anything he touches is perfect and the best ever. I could care less if he’s a scratch golfer or cheats his head off. I’m actually more than fine with arresting Nicolas Maduro, the drug dealer masquerading as a politician. I was…
Read MoreThe Zeckel’s Building Collapse
From Time to Thyme By Paula Dunn Have you ever wondered why a couple of buildings on the south side of the courthouse square aren’t as tall as others on that block? The reason for that dates back to the year 1952. Seventy-four years ago last week, January 8, 1952, a contractor and his two…
Read MoreNew Column Explores History Leading Up to 250th
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of columns looking at American history from the perspective of a presidential historian and a museum archivist. “My family is American, and has been for generations, in all its branches, direct and collateral.” Such is the start of one of my favorite works of American literature,…
Read MoreDr. Arrowood Shares Heights’ Update
Welcome to 2026! I hope you and your families enjoyed a restful and joyful winter break. One of the things I love most about education is that we get to celebrate a fresh start twice—once in August and again as we begin the new calendar year. This gives us the opportunity to carry fresh momentum…
Read MoreFrom Braden Smith to Rick Mount, Time to Retire Numbers
With the Big Ten Conference’s career assists record in his possession and Bobby Hurley’s NCAA standard seemingly reachable with a minimum of 19 games to play in his career, it’s time to recognize Braden Smith as one of the greatest to wear a Purdue basketball uniform. Many Boilermaker fans already regard Smith as the best…
Read MoreAsk Rusty – Is Social Security Really a ‘Good Deal?’
Dear Rusty: You’ve said in the past that most people recoup their SS contributions within five years of starting benefits, thus Social Security “is an exceptionally good deal.” Your calculation is correct but misleading; if it were not, SS would have been insolvent long ago. I will, in fact, get “my” contributions back in about five years,…
Read MoreSonny Beck Selected as HHSC First Distinguished Alumni Honoree
Hamilton Heights is proud to honor Mr. Lawrence “Sonny” Beck as our inaugural Distinguished Alumni honoree. A 1958 graduate of Jackson Central High School, Mr. Beck has spent his life growing far more than crops — he has cultivated a legacy of leadership, innovation, and service that has shaped agriculture, education, and the Hamilton Heights…
Read MoreIt’s Great to be Grand!
The Baby Boom has become the Grandparent Gush! There are more grandparents in the U.S. than ever before — some 70 million matriarchs and patriarchs that are embracing a new age and stage in life. Call it a second career or simply a welcome perk among the agonizing aches and pains of aging. Mary H. Waldrip’s…
Read MoreBubba Starts New Year Off With Call
It’s certainly an interesting time to be a football fan in Indiana. Is there a neater story than Curt Cignetti and the IU Hoo-Hoo–Hoosiers? How about all the controversy surrounding Notre Dame’s exclusion from the College Football Playoffs? (And thank you to those who responded to my recent scribblings on a proposed change to the…
Read MoreBranna Ponders Resolutions, Life, Faith
“To be or not to be, that is the question.” I wonder if Prince Hamlet was contemplating his New Year’s resolutions when he coined this famous phrase. It is speculated that the prince was pondering the dilemma of whether to live and suffer, or to die and end the pain. The lamentation from our legendary hero…
Read More