Mt. Pleasant News

By Curt SwarmI?m proud of the teens in Henry County for helping shatter the myths about marijuana use. They partnered with other teens across the U.S., and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to reveal some startling facts. As reported in the Mt. Pleasant news, in conjunction with National Drug Facts Week, the teens listed one major fact each day for some of the best reporting I?ve read on the subject of ...

By BRYCE KELLYMt. Pleasant NewsRecently, I got a chance to catch up with a close friend I have known for several years. We met while I was in college and have been close friends ever since.?Deb? I will call her so as not to reveal her real name, is a 29-year-old kindergarten teacher at a military base elementary school with a Master?s degree. She is undoubtedly one of the hardest working females I know. Since ...

By Curt SwarmJoe Tanner is intently working under the hood of a car at Whaley Auto Works in Mt. Pleasant. He is replacing a cooling line. What you wouldn?t know by observing is that Tanner, age 52, is blind. He does everything by feel. Also, in lesser degrees, he utilizes all senses, like smell, taste, and hearing to do any kind of work that a mechanic with sight could do. And, according to Vegas Whaley, owner ...

By Curt SwarmI had been priding myself that I had not had this cold and flu that?s going around. If I ran into a neighbor at the supermarket, who looked like death warmed over, I was quick to sympathize, offer the chicken-soup remedy, and be on my way without gloating. If you gloat, you?ll be sick the next day.When I went to refill one of my standard prescriptions, the pharmacist informed me that the doctor was ...

To the editor:I would like to suggest that all Fairfield residents throw their television sets in the trash.There is nothing good about modern television. It is filthy and crazy; non-educational, non-entertaining and eventually if you watch enough of it, it will probably give you Alzheimer?s. ? Veblen Makrides, Fairfield

By KARYN SPORYMt. Pleasant NewsI am a feminist.However, until recently I would not have categorized myself as one. No, my ideals and values haven?t changed; it?s that as a society, we?re starting to think differently about what or who a feminist is.Feminism is a topic my best friend and I have talked about quite a bit. We both see ourselves as independent, self-reliant people, but would never whole heartily ...

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV As one year comes to a close and the next year begins, I join the multitudes of people who take a look back at what has happened during the last 12 months and also take a look forward at what may happen during the next 12 months. As we celebrate New ...

By KARYN SPORYMt. Pleasant NewsLast night I was sitting in my apartment, trying desperately to come up with something, anything, to write for my column this week. As I scratched through my list of ideas?none of them being quite right?I could hear the ticking of the clock in my living room, which was quickly echoed by the clock in my kitchen.Tick, tick, tock, tock. Tick, tick, tock, tock. Tick, tick, tock, ...

By Curt SwarmI did it! I subscribed to one of those internet dating services, and the results were amazing, stupendous, in fact. In a matter of minutes, after the initial free enrollment, I was receiving ?flirts.? I?m serious.I won?t tell you which dating service I subscribed to, there are a score of them out there, I will just tell you it favors people with a country background. Heck, I lived in the country ...

By Curt SwarmGillian Flynn, that?s all you need to know. I heard her being interviewed on NPR, the source of many books I read, and gave her a shot. I wasn?t disappointed. Flynn is the author of three barn burners: ?Gone Girl,? ?Dark Places? and ?Sharp Objects.? Talk about books that you can?t put down! My goodness. And they?re pretty well written. Flynn has been on the New York Times best seller list for ...

If you have seen me recently, you might notice a slightly tanner Bryce smiling back at you. Now, I know what you are thinking, and no I didn?t join the masses in the tanning beds or lather up with self-tanning lotion. Actually, I recently returned from a trip (an all too brief trip, in my opinion) to Zephyrhills, Fla. This trip was out of necessity as my grandfather spends the winter in Florida, and needed ...

By Curt SwarmOn Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Mark Deuitch was flying for Lockheed Martin. It was not a good day for flying. A Saudi Arabian business partner had paid for his airline ticket.Eight FBI agents showed up at Mark?s door asking questions. Everything seemed to be kosher. However, he started getting calls from reporters. It seems his name had appeared on an FBI list of possible 9-11 suspects. The list ...