Opinions

At the start of February Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow in western Pennsylvania, thus signaling an early spring. And last weekend certainly felt like spring had arrived.

Unexpected visitors are a common phenomenon at our newspaper office. Folks pop in regularly to take care of transactions with our business office, either to pay a bill or update a subscription.

Last Sunday was our first without the Kansas City Chiefs playing, and it felt...well, it felt weird. There was a threehour hole in my day that I did not know what to do with.

Dear Savvy Senior, What are the IRS income tax filing requirements for retirees this tax season? I didn’t file a tax return the past two years because my income was below the filing threshold, but I got a part-time job late last year, so I’m wondering if I’m required to file this year.

Editor's note: Publisher Paul Rhodes is in Chicago this week, visiting his youngest daughter, Katie. Here's a look back at one of his columns from nine years ago, reflecting on a visit to the Windy City.

Some of us are adventurous and some of us tend to be homebodies. I tend to be more on the adventurous, although I've become more of a stay-at-home person thanks to being on the high side of 50 and living in a post-COVID world.

Dear Savvy Senior, Does Medicare cover any weight-loss treatments for overweight retirees? I just turned 65 and need to lose about 100 pounds and would like to know if Medicare can help. Overweight Owen Dear Owen, Yes, traditional Medicare does indeed cover some weight-loss treatments like counseling and certain types of surgery for overweight beneficiaries, but unfortunately it doesn’t cover weight-loss programs or medications.

To the editor, About 80 percent of what Americans throw away is recyclable. Recycling saves money and energy.

Dear Savvy Senior, What safety tips can you recommend for older drivers? My 86-year-old mother, who still drives herself, had a fender bender last month and I worry about her safety. Back Seat Daughter Dear Back Seat, With more and more older Americans driving well into their 70s, 80s and beyond, there are a variety of things your mom can do to help maintain and even improve her driving skills.

On Sunday evening, I found myself settling in to watch the Grammy Awards. I turned on the awards show almost by accident as I was settling in to get some writing projects done.