Columnists
Ask Rusty – About When to Claim Social Security and Taxation of Benefits
Dear Rusty: I am 65 and currently working full-time. Can I apply for and start receiving my Social Security benefit? I’d expect to have to pay income tax on it if/when I do. Signed: Curious Worker Dear Curious Worker: If you are working full time, you should likely delay claiming Social Security at this time.…
Read MoreThe Jim Dandy, Broasted Chicken and a Polio Story
It’s a reader response week! Several people mourned the loss of the Jim Dandy. Sydney Susie noted that while her mother Barbara Heaton Servies Jerrell loved the Jim Dandy’s Jimbo sandwiches, she herself just missed out on the “cruising the JD” tradition. The big high school hangout in Sydney’s day was Ramsey’s Drive-In. (People…
Read MoreServing at The Coalition for the Homeless
Journal entry from May 31, 2019: I visited the Orlando Coalition for the Homeless today. We prepared and served hot meals to many shelter residents, homeless individuals, and a few families, too. All except two individuals chose prayer cards when offered during the meal. One man told me I worship a different God than his,…
Read MoreDEI, MEI, Silliness and More
Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Fred Allen. * * * DIVERSITY. Equity. Inclusion. Who can argue with the value and importance of those three words. Indeed, many of our country’s principles and notions are based on exactly those. But ever since Gov. Mike Braun and President Donald Trump took office and began fixing the…
Read MoreHeights Superintendent Shares Update
Something pretty cool happened over the weekend. Three Hamilton Heights’ wrestlers, Kendall Moe, Zoe Pugh, and Izzy Bailey qualified to compete at the inaugural IHSAA girls wrestling state finals held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum on Friday. They were among a total of 224 wrestlers representing 121 member schools at the highly anticipated event.…
Read MoreAdd ‘Big Man U’ to Purdue’s Cradle of Quarterbacks Moniker
If Purdue football is home to the Cradle of Quarterbacks, shouldn’t the Boilermakers’ basketball program be referred to as Big Man U.? The latest in a long line of talented centers in the Matt Painter era was honored on Monday as the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of…
Read MoreMontgomery Medicine #790
Gout Gout is a condition that has been recognized and documented for centuries, often referred to as the “disease of kings” because of its association with rich foods and alcohol. However, gout is far from a condition exclusive to royalty or indulgence. It is a form of arthritis that affects millions of people worldwide, causing…
Read MoreAsk Rusty – About Investing Social Security Money in the Stock Market
Dear Rusty: For most folks collecting Social Security, you get back what you put in within 3-5 years, so for those that scream – “SS is not an entitlement, it is my money”- that is not entirely accurate beyond 3-5 years. For me personally 4.4 years is the number. But had I been able to invest…
Read MoreTIME FOR CHANGE
I believe in change as much as the next person. I believe in change so much that I have an old pickle jar in my home office filled with quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies. Also, some golf tees, safety pins, and wintergreen Lifesavers. When I was a kid, I saved the very same way. The…
Read MoreHamilton County and the Polio Epidemic
There’s been so much talk lately about the possibility polio vaccination requirements could be watered down, or done away with altogether, this seemed like a good time to examine the impact polio had on Hamilton County before vaccines were available. If you’re not entirely sure what polio is — after all, it hasn’t existed in…
Read More