Columnists
Last Soldier Killed in Civil War Was Hoosier
Photos courtesy Andy Chandler Portland, Indiana. May 2025. Ask most people when the Civil War ended; they’ll tell you it was when General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. History buffs like an effect as great as the cause, complete with brave men. The last of the chivalry ends with two gentlemen meeting in a parlor. However, the Civil War didn’t end with a dramatic crescendo and curtain call of…
Read MoreAsk Rusty – Help! My Monthly Payment is Less
Dear Rusty: My last Social Security payment decreased by about $400, so I went to my online SS account and found a November 2025 letter explaining that my 2024 tax return showed a greatly enlarged AGI (Adjusted Gross Income). Thus, SSA decided to withdraw monies, as of Jan 2026, from my bank account because I’d owed far more monies to them! The…
Read MoreTrio Leave Huge Shoes to Fill for Purdue Basketball
Braden Smith may not have repeated as the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year or become the first two-time winner of the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard. However, the Indiana Mr. Basketball from Westfield did claim consensus first-team All-America honors. After earning first-team All-America citations from the United States Basketball…
Read MoreLittle Beds of Flowers, Little Cans of Paint
From Time to Thyme By Paula Dunn I’ve had the phrase, “spring cleaning,” rattling around in my head ever since I mentioned it in a column a couple of weeks ago. Our attitudes toward that practice sure have changed over the years. These days we tend to take a rather casual approach to spring cleaning. Thanks…
Read MoreBranna Takes Wrong Kind of Trip
What’s black and blue and hurts all over? Well, that would be my face, neck, shoulder and left wrist! It may be spring break, but my trip wasn’t to the Bahamas. It was to the ER. Yes, late Saturday night, I became a statistic. Falls are a leading cause of injury-related death and hospitalization, particularly among…
Read MoreGETTING A LEG UP
My wife walks faster than I do. If I hadn’t broken into a full gallop down the aisle the day we got married, she’d have beaten me to the justice of the peace by a nose. I’ve mentioned this before in this column, but things have gotten much worse and far more embarrassing When we…
Read MoreGetting Permission From President’s Grandson
Photos courtesy Andy Chandler Dateline Charles City, Va. The 2020 September morning in the James Peninsula in Virginia was interrupted by a stern voice: “What are you doing here? We’re closed til 9.” I glanced at my watch; 8:55 a.m. “Seriously? Five minutes?” I gave her a Breakfast Club “get real” look. “What are you doing here anyway? I should call the sheriff on you.” That’s a really good question. During…
Read MoreHappy Easter
How appropriate that the silhouette of a child is captured with a cross in the sky, the sun and the moon . . . at Easter time. This photo was given to The Times by Pastor Bonnie Zickgraf. She told us that it’s quite common to see both the sun setting and the moon rising at…
Read MoreI Lost Money as a Widow by Not Knowing Rules
Dear Rusty: I just found out, as someone who was collecting widow’s benefits on my second husband (a very small amount) for some time, that I was, all along, entitled to divorce benefits from my first husband which are much more. I thought I had to wait until my first husband passed before I could collect…
Read MoreBig Man U Has Proud History With Purdue Basketball
Photos courtesy Purdue Athletics. During Matt Painter’s 21-year tenure leading the Purdue men’s basketball program, the Boilermakers have become known as “Big Man U.” In an era when history is regarded by some as yesterday, Purdue has been the home of exceptional center play going back to before the 55-year-old Painter entered grade school. In…
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