Much of my work as a local reporter is about just being a bystander to current events. I'm expected to not have any favoritism. I am to report things as they happen, and provide further context where it might help readers better understand why. This equally applies to controversy as it does to covering a town council or a block party...

For me, it was rather shocking to read last Sunday evening that what appeared to be a noose had been found in Bubba Wallace's garage space at Talladega Superspeedway. The only African-American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, he is its vocal advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement. His black car with pro-BLM messages was a surprising move. It is the kind of controversial activism that the sport is not used to...

Yesterday marked two years since I joined the Banner Graphic newsroom in 2018. Eric was still editor-in-chief then, and Jared found himself taking me under his wing as the new staff writer. I was bestowed my beat, and I was rarin' to go in my new job. When I reflected on my one-year anniversary this time last year, I considered it a fresh start, a kind of personal redemption, to come back and be a reporter in my hometown...

Since the story broke on George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, Minn. about three weeks ago, I have not publicly expressed any opinions or reactions on social media about the incident, or about the protests rocking the political and social landscape...

When I heard Tuesday afternoon that there was a long line at Dairy Castle stretching into the street, it had slipped my mind that this was the local staple's second opening. Jared went out to see what the commotion was, and he was able to capture the scene above. ...

To try and put it objectively here at the outset, South Putnam High School's commencement for its graduating class last Saturday was an unprecedented one. The class of 2020 was the first class in the school's history to effectively have their graduation outside. It was also the first class to turn their tassels while soaking wet...

While I was a student at Wabash, I was pretty much a teetotaler and shunned alcohol. My prime excuse for not drinking was that it was detrimental to my health as a Type 1 diabetic. I was somewhat judgemental of my peers who did drink, though I certainly did not (and do not) condone underage drinking or any type of alcohol-related abuse...

After effectively being the only reporter in the office this week, I'm devoting some time to this week's post. I will say that this one is a little bit sobering and reality-affirming. Yesterday, I was invited by Principal Jason Chew to watch and take some photos of North Putnam High School's commencement ceremony. However, this one was decidedly different from what would've been a normal graduation prior to COVID-19...

What if you knew her and/Found her dead on the ground?/How can you run when you know? - From "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young...

The theme from the eponymous show starring legendary slapstick comedian Benny Hill has effectively become -- in my mind -- the unofficial theme of Cloverdale politics. Digging into some articles by a few of my predecessors, it has been for at least the past decade. There are some parallels between the current imbroglio manifesting there and controversies which hounded former Cloverdale Clerk-Treasurer Cathleen Monaco...

While I was getting ready yesterday morning, I got a chat from a buddy that Dick Funk had passed away. It was an anticipated message, but one I can't say I was ready for. Mr. Funk, known locally as the Volkswagen mechanic who worked out of D&K Beetles on Jacob Street for almost half a century, passed away yesterday at the age of 87...

Even though it is Friday, I now have had some time to devote to this week's blog post. I actually wrote up another post before this one. However, I scrapped it because I became weary of the direction it took. Frankly, this isn't the first time I've done this...

The only thing I can say to that question is that it's still too early to tell. However, this makes the prospect no less a disappointment for me and many others looking forward. During this time, everyone should be aware that health-care professionals and first responders - and indeed all of us - are at risk of getting sick. It is extremely important not to forget this, and to practice social distancing and stay at home as is necessary...

If you haven't yet read Jared's recent Last Minute Musings column on how we at the Banner would address anonymity during the COVID-19 spread, I encourage you to. I think it would give some grounding into my thoughts shared here in this week's post...

Last Monday morning, I took a call from someone in the Roachdale area who asked if daycares were being ordered to close in light of the developing COVID-19 spread. I responded that I had not heard of such a mandate, after which she said she was shocked that a local daycare was being allowed to stay open. I got her single point being that daycares may be prime places from which the virus could spread quickly...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No it hasn't; and y'all should know me better than to let a week go without something. All our patterns and routines have been disrupted to some degree within the last week. I think the newsroom has paced well with how the COVID-19 spread has impacted our community. It's been stressful, because it has been an hourly development up to now...

When I left the office yesterday afternoon to take my customary pre-meeting snooze, I did not really have much of a notion about what I wanted to write about this week. Every once in a while, though, something will drop into my lap; and this one came to me as a surprise. I will turn the focus toward my alma mater once again for this post...

It is still true that religion or faith in something higher has rarely, if ever, come up in conversation between us in the newsroom. However, I've recently had to consider how I can approach them as a reporter. I have found the implications to be reflective...

A week ago, I was excited to attend a campus event up at my alma mater. I was hopeful that I would see some faculty and staff, as well as maybe a few alumni I knew. In the end, I sat by myself. As such, I was an easy target for a few interesting roasts...

For the past week, I have felt decidedly sluggish and a little off-kilter. I caught a head cold last Thursday, which brought with it a sore throat, stuffiness and clogged ears. But after some Cepacols, a Mucinex pack and replacing my usual coffee with Turkish tea, I am just about out of it. I think that I finally went over the hump a few days ago...