Opinions

From the Editor’s Files My level of excitement about this week and next week started growing last weekend. That's when Kim and I took our camper down to Winfield, Kan., and got in line for the annual Walnut Valley Festival.

Guest Column Congress couldn’t pass a new farm bill last year, so it punted. The extension of the old bill ends in less than a month, on Sept.

Saturday night brought a pair of visitors back to my house, as the “grand dogs” paid a visit from Hutchinson. Sugar, an older black Labrador, and Penny, a Boston terrier who is younger and much more of a lunatic, stayed overnight.

Last week I talked about my upcoming eye surgery. This week it's time for an update on that surgery.

Although the temperatures outside suggest otherwise, summer is over as the kids have returned to school. While I always miss the extra daily chaos of the kids being home all day during the summer, I also always enjoy a bit of calm during the days following their return to school.

Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, How does Medicare cover cataract surgery? My eye doctor recently told me I’ve developed cataracts and should consider making plans for surgery in the next year or so. Almost 67 Dear Almost, Like gray hair and wrinkles, cataracts are an inevitable part of the aging process.

Paul Rhodes | Publisher & Editor I know it sounds a little crazy, but when it comes to preparing for surgery, I usually find myself acting like I do when I'm getting ready for vacation. The two events really don't have anything in common, but my preparation for each of them does present some similarities.

Guest Column U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was in a town hall meeting recently, where a bunch of Kansans expressed their displeasure about a large-scale power line called the Grain Belt Express set to go through the area they live in.

Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, Because of my back pain and mobility problems, I’m interested in getting a walk-in bathtub that’s safe and easy to get in and out of. What all can you tell me about walk-in tubs, and can you recommend some top options? Old and Achy Dear Old, For mobility challenged seniors, a walk-in bathtub can be a terrific option to consider because they’re much easier to get into and out of than a standard tub, which also helps prevent falls.

Paul Rhodes | Publisher & Editor Sometimes, you just have to plan to do pretty much nothing. Kim and I took that bold leap last weekend, and got away to a favorite place where doing nothing really does rival doing something exciting.