Mt. Pleasant News

By BRYCE KELLYMt. Pleasant NewsThis May is a big month at the Kelly residence. For the very last time, my parents are going to send a child off to a high school graduation ceremony. My little sister will be walking across the stage at Danville High School on Sunday, May 17, to receive her diploma and then BAM, my parents? world will be forever changed.Needless to say, the emotional tension in my parents? home ...

The other day I was listening to a talk radio show when I heard the host say, ?What the h**l do they think they are doing??I said to myself, ?I don?t want to listen to language like that!? and changed the channel.Then one evening I was watching a TV show and one of the characters said, ?Just quit b***hing about your friend and go talk to her.?There I was again changing channels.According to an Associated ...

By Curt SwarmWhen mans? need for food, shelter, and safety is satisfied, they are free to create. In other words, food, shelter, and safety come before art, or creation.This belief has held fast throughout history, but has recently come under some question upon the discovery of artwork on the walls of trenches used during the World War I trench warfare in France. Not only did lonely or bored soldiers, on ...

To the editor:In March 2015, I had the privilege of presiding over a criminal jury trial in the always-well-maintained Henry County Courthouse in Mt. Pleasant. About 50 citizens of Henry County reported for duty. All were respectful, polite and attentive. From this group of 50, the lawyers selected 13 persons to serve as the trial jury. This group, too, was attentive, engaged and fair.During the trial, I ...

To the editor:In 1996, the citizens of Mt. Pleasant passed the one-cent local option sales tax. The local option sales tax was again voted on and passed in 2006. On May 5, we are again offered the opportunity to vote ?yes.? Why?Local option sales tax funds have been committed by city leaders only to fund capital projects. Such projects have included the Mt. Pleasant Aquatic Center ? and major street renovations ...

By Curt SwarmAlso called All Fools Day. How appropriate.Being the high school class clown, graduating to prankster and practical jokester came natural. April Fools Day is a gimme.Bright and early on April 1, I sent a text to my son, making up a whopper of a story that an official-looking letter for him had arrived at my house and I had opened it by mistake. It was a traffic summons. He had been busted by one ...

By ANDY KRUTSINGERMt. Pleasant NewsOn Tuesday night after taking pictures at the Mt. Pleasant boys? tennis meet, I decided to head to the REC Center to get some shots of the most underrated athletes in the world; casual dodgeball players.The REC was putting on a dodgeball tournament as part of their 20th anniversary celebration that has been taking place this week. When I arrived at the REC, I saw something ...

By BROOKS TAYLOR Mt. Pleasant News?Tis my favorite time of the year.Well, maybe I better take a step back. Let?s call it one of my favorite times of the year.Basketball tournament time always has been welcomed. Part of that, I think, is because generally when the basketball tournaments roll around, the weather moderates some. We?ve been ?wintering? for over three months, cabin fever is at its height and even ...

By ANDY KRUTSINGERMt. Pleasant NewsGrowing up a Cubs fan is hard. Even if you don?t follow Chicago?s north side team, you probably know that to be true. But you really can?t understand how hard it is until you?ve been in a Cubs fan?s shoes.When you put on a Cubs hat in public, you are doing two things. First, you are showing your loyalty to a team that, despite having the second most wins in Major League ...

To the Editor:We are very fortunate to have a state representative and state senator who stay involved in our area and work so well together, even though they are on opposite sides of the political arena.In regards to their support of keeping our mental health open, there are other considerations. We have many homes for the elderly and disabled. I am certain some of these owners would bid on furnishing the ...

DEAR ABBY: I?d like to know why they still call ex-presidents ?president?? For example, President Clinton or President Bush. They clearly are not president any longer. -JUST WONDERING IN EUGENE, ORE.DEAR JUST WONDERING: True. However, this is a courtesy, a gesture of respect extended to individuals for their public service. Included in this category are retired former presidents, senators, governors, mayors and ...

By Curt SwarmMe, an art judge. Ha! But it happened. Two nice ladies from the Keokuk Fine Arts Council approached and asked if I?d be the judge for their tri-state, high school art contest?not a member of a panel of judges, but thee judge. Gulp. Eight schools would be participating, Winfield-Mt. Union, Keokuk, Hamilton, Central Lee, Holy Trinity, Ft. Madison, Illini West, and Clark County. They?d never had an ...