Opinions

Paul Rhodes | Publisher & Editor When you live in a well-established neighborhood, you form all kinds of bonds. You learn that the couple who lives behind you will give you a hand with your garden when needed.

Cool-season grasses, like the Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue lawns common to many parts of Kansas, have had about enough of summer. The state’s high temperatures and sporadic rainfall often cause cool-season varieties to become thin by summer’s end.

Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, What retirement planning tips can you recommend to single women? I’m a divorced 58-year-old women with a teenaged son and have very little saved for retirement. Financially Vulnerable Dear Vulnerable, It’s an unfortunate reality, but many single women – whether they’re divorced, widowed or never married – face much greater financial challenges in retirement than men.

Random Thoughts It's hard to rear children. They're smelly, unpredictable little things that more often than not are mirrors of our worst qualities.

Guest Column Tim Stauffer Iola Register Editor's note: Times-Sentinel Newspapers stands in solidarity with the Marion County Record, which was subject to a raid last week that appears to violate both federal law and First Amendment protections given to journalists to help them serve their Constitutional role as watchdogs of the government. We feel our colleague Tim Stauffer, managing editor of the Iola Register and president of the Kansas Press Association, spoke on the situation as eloquently as anyone in the state.

Paul Rhodes | Publisher & Editor Call me crazy, but there are still work assignments at our newspaper group that I'll take off the news department's hands just about anytime. One of those assignments was up for grabs this past Monday evening down in Wellington.

From the Editor’s Files Before going to see “Barbie” this past weekend, I had heard that the recently released movie about America's favorite doll was filled with social commentary. Spoiler alert: It is.

Random Thoughts College sports, and specifically college football, are at it again. Teams are moving, breaking old conference ties, and chasing the money that live televised sports offers.

From the Editor’s Files Kansas lost a man of many hats last month with the passing of Roger Ringer, a former resident of this area who was still leaving his mark here even after he moved to the Medicine Lodge area 20some years ago. At his recent funeral, Roger was described as eclectic in his interests and his life.

Random Thoughts Being back in Kansas this week feels a bit strange after spending nearly a week in New York City. I went to New York City last week.