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Common Thoughts, Common Sense

From gay marriage to obesity to the Girl Scouts

A battle line for this year’s election was drawn last week when President Obama endorsed gay marriage. Predictably, Republican Mitt Romney said his definition of marriage is a relationship between a man and woman. ... Read more

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Perhaps it’s time that we call an end to hazing practices

Having never seen it, it’s tough to describe the act of “power gobbling.” ... Read more

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On grisly photos, Secret Service and more

Here is a little bit about a few things to start your week off. ... Read more

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'Get tough' legislation not tough enough

Since it’s an election year, we shouldn’t be surprised when incumbents running for office go overboard to prove how they are watching out for us, the taxpayers. ... Read more

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Sooner or later, city will need to address smoking issue

In February, Clean Air St. Joe released the results of a survey the group had conducted about whether our city should ban smoking at indoor establishments. There were no surprises: 70 percent of those who responded thought the city should ban indoor smoking, even at bars and restaurants. ... Read more

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A full life of only 38 years

When attending a funeral, sadness rules the day. Sadness on the part of family and friends, who will miss the deceased. Sadness on the part of acquaintances who obviously liked the deceased well enough to attend the funeral, but missed the chance to get to know them better while they were still alive. ... Read more

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An idea to reduce home burglaries

Last week, our newsroom received a phone call and heard an all-too-familiar story. ... Read more

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Crime takes a strange turn in our area

One of the things that the St. Joseph Police Department takes pride in is that people feel safer in St. Joseph than they did a few years ago. ... Read more

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The difference between 'here,' 'here illegally'

At first glance, Missouri Senate Bill 560 seems like a bad idea. ... Read more

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Italian captain's reputation likely sunk

In 1991, Joseph Hazelwood was convicted of the misdemeanor crime of negligently dumping oil in the seas of Prince William Sound off the southern coast of Alaska. He was fined $50,000 and sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service. ... Read more

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Chatty clerks no match for cranky shoppers

Charles Dickens probably wasn’t talking about holiday shopping when he wrote the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” ... Read more

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Why wait until December?

Curse those lousy Mayans and their calendar of doom. ... Read more

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Invention could help drivers focus

Last week, the News-Press ran a story about the increasing number of people who text while driving. The story centered on a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey, the results of which were released Thursday. ... Read more

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Sorry, Emma, but apology is necessary

Count me in the minority here, but Kansas high school student Emma Sullivan should apologize to Gov. Sam Brownback for tweeting that he “sucked,” after meeting him on a field trip. ... Read more

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Lunch situation puts district in tough spot

Last week’s story about the St. Joseph School District’s alternative lunch program drew plenty of reaction from readers. People’s hearts go out to the little girl who sat with her head on the table because she was ashamed of having to eat a cheese sandwich. ... Read more

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After 600, maybe winning isn't everything

Out of the 600 victories that Tom Smith has earned in his coaching career, Saturday night’s win over Fontbonne University won’t win any beauty contests. ... Read more

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Who will survive scandal? Bet on Bieber

When you read the news regularly, you often run across common themes that seem to bring divergent subjects together. For instance, who knew that Herman Cain and Justin Bieber would have something in common? ... Read more

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Coming to terms with college expenses

At some point, you have to wonder if getting a college education is really worth it. ... Read more

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Attend a PACT meeting before criticizing

At first, running for the local school board seems pretty straightforward. ... Read more

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Missing baby case begs for answers

OK, let’s blame Susan Smith. In 1994, the South Carolina woman drowned her two kids, then appeared on camera, tearfully begging for their safe return and telling them to “be brave, boys, be brave.” ... Read more

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Move on after fight video

Imagine you’re relaxing in a calm, pastoral place, enjoying the sunshine, the moderate temperatures and the blue sky. ... Read more

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International trouble brews in a Texas town

Booker, Texas, is a small town of 1,300 people a few miles below the Oklahoma border. Probably nothing much of interest happens there, certainly nothing of international interest. ... Read more

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Website shows who big pharma is paying

So I found out last week that my doctor is a pretty honest guy and, no, I didn’t discover this because he refused to issue me a handicapped parking permit, despite the fact that I’m an able-bodied citizen. ... Read more

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Hate groups or just concerned?

Chaz Bono’s personal life, including the hormones he takes and the surgery he’s undergone, doesn’t interest me in the slightest. But, hey, add him to the cast of the hit show “Dancing With The Stars” and ... ... Read more

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Facebook interaction is not the real issue

These days, teachers use a host of tools to try to reach kids and drill some knowledge into them. ... Read more

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Waiting can be nerve-racking

Be patient with us Northwest Missourians. We might be a little edgy when it comes to the state helping our corner recover from destructive flooding. ... Read more

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If I receive a text, be very afraid

A friend said she saw me walking down Ashland Avenue a couple of weeks ago. That’s not unusual since I’ve been on a health kick lately and have been tearing up the sidewalks on both sides of our town’s signature street. ... Read more

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Remove bad restaurant parents

A restaurant in Pennsylvania recently banned children from its dining room and the move has sparked more stories and emotional debate from North Carolina to Los Angeles. ... Read more

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Sometimes you just need to have fun

A few years ago, I remember distinctly asking the following questions: “So, this Facebook deal... You just write how you’re feeling or what you’re doing and post it. Why would I want to do that? And, why would anyone want to read it?” ... Read more

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Nothing says Downtown like a clock tower

Missouri Western State University has a really nice clock tower right in the middle of its campus. It’s been a place where students gather for rallies and vigils. ... Read more

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The dark side of social networking

There is no doubt that the most amazing phenomenon in the past few years has been social networking, especially Facebook and Twitter. ... Read more

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Get your pants off the ground

This guy was slowly ambling into Phil Welch Stadium to watch a Mustang game the other night. One hand switched to and fro, helping propel his easy gait. ... Read more

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Waiting for a flood can try one's patience

One of our readers, an elderly woman, who called the newspaper over the weekend was pretty distraught. Barely a few words into the conversation, she scolded the News-Press and other local media for not doing enough to warn folks, especially senior citizens, about the impending flood. ... Read more

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Nothing like kicking a town when it's down

Sometimes politicians and those who work in government seem genuinely surprised at how angry regular citizens can grow over what the government thinks is a trivial matter. ... Read more

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Regrets? We've all had a few

Those of us who weren't taken up in last weekend's rapture are left to deal with what's left of life. Part of that is coming to terms with the fact that a popular local priest stands accused of an ugly transgression. ... Read more

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Let's protest, or just pay up

Last week’s decision by the Public Service Commission to hike St. Joseph’s electricity rates by almost 21 percent should surprise exactly no one. Heck, the PSC has been putting the screws to St. Joseph for years. ... Read more

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The story may change, but the outcome is what counts

So it turns out that Osama bin Laden was not the self-sacrificing, cave-dwelling terrorist we thought he was. ... Read more

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No such thing as ‘pen and pad’ anymore

Last week, Carla Marinucci, veteran political writer with the San Francisco Chronicle, was removed from the White House’s list of approved reporters. ... Read more

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Maybe we should play harder to get

Wow, Dick’s SportingW Goods is coming to St. Joseph. And, just think, in order to land such a big retail fish, all we had to do was write off a few years of property taxes. ... Read more

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Passing judgment on police can be tricky

A few comments posted on a website is neither scientific nor a groundswell, but, with a steady reading of NewsPressNOW.com, you get the idea that our local police department does have an image problem. ... Read more

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Maybe there's a reason so many are upset

So last week, Democrats and Republicans played a game of budgetary chicken, and President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blinked. This whole process was so unpredictable. ... Read more

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10 dying industries in America

For years, it seemed my family almost single-handedly kept Larry's Video Palace in business. We lived just down the street from Larry's and a couple of times a week, I'd give the kids a few dollars and they would hustle up to Cambridge Corners and rent some movies, usually from Larry himself. ... Read more

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Ag Expo Center shows future of development

Sometimes we forget that economic development did actually happen before the advent of tax-increment financing. ... Read more

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Good luck in battling the bullies

Bullying was in the news again last week as President and Michelle Obama hosted a White House conference on anti-bullying. Mr. Obama even related a story or two about how his big ears and funny name made him a schoolyard target. ... Read more

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Let's cheer, cheer for old BYU

You just don’t see many Brigham Young University fans around our region of the country. ... Read more

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Meet me in (almost deserted) St. Louie

St. Joseph received some good news last week when the Census Bureau released our population figures for 2010. ... Read more

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Wrestling with an athlete’s personal beliefs

Personal beliefs are a great thing. They’re awesome to talk about and even better to hide behind. ... Read more

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Immortality is only a few decades away

In case you missed it, we now know the exact year that man will begin to live forever. The event, called The Singularity, will happen in 2045. Science can now check the box on achieving immortality. ... Read more

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Good times are here again ... or are they?

Few people in St. Joseph or Northwest Missouri or Northeast Kansas are economists. Some know a thing or two about economics, but most of us rely on experts to tell us how the economy is doing. ... Read more

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Emanuel's bid is symptom of larger problem

Last week, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that former presidential adviser Rahm Emanuel should be included on the ballot for mayor of Chicago. ... Read more

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Don’t give in to knee-jerk reactions after shooting

It was pretty interesting last week how politicians reacted to the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in Arizona. Often a strong initial reaction will reveal the true nature of a group of people. ... Read more

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Let’s stop this execution until we learn all the facts

Richard Clay might be guilty of first-degree murder, guilty as sin. But before we, the good people of Missouri, put him to death Wednesday, we need to stop and consider if it’s justice in this particular case. ... Read more

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Give zero tolerance an out-of-school suspension

One of the final stories of 2010 should point to a new direction our educational system should take in 2011. Two words should be eliminated from our schools: zero tolerance. ... Read more

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Jets lead the NFL in 'weirdness'

Few predicted it, but the Kansas City Chiefs will qualify for the National Football League playoffs this year. ... Read more

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Angry British students aren’t doing anyone any favors

As popularity goes, it’s unlikely that Karl Marx has many fans here in the middle of the country. Oh, every once in awhile, you run into a Marxist, usually on a college campus, but they appear to be rare around these parts. But Marx did come to mind this week for of a couple of reasons. ... Read more

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Why does the WikiLeaks founder hate the U.S. so much?

It’s doubtful if anyone on this side of the Atlantic knows for certain if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange did rape two women during a recent sexual encounter. ... Read more

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Let’s listen to, and not just look at, Sarah Palin

Noted author and self-proclaimed liberal feminist Elizabeth Wurtzel recently wrote a political blog about Sarah Palin for The Atlantic called “Sarah Palin, Riot Grrl.” ... Read more

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If you want to fly, deal with new TSA requirements

Apparently, the Transportation Safety Administration allows every airplane passenger to pick their own poison: either a full body scan or a full body pat down from one of its agents. Both options have passengers howling mad and it’s likely to get worse as more travelers line up at airports during the holiday season. ... Read more

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Associated Press file photo

What's the FDA smoking these days?

The FDA announced its latest quit smoking campaign last week. Brace yourselves here; this one’s a monster concept, the kind of idea that only agencies of the federal government would embrace. ... Read more

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Associated Press file photo

Maybe Steve Forbes had it right

Billionaire Steve Forbes was probably a man ahead of his time. He ran for president in 1996 and 2000 and some of his ideas were cutting edge. Stuff that we’re talking about today. ... Read more

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Voters in other states face intriguing issues

Tomorrow is Election Day. This might be the most watched, most hotly-contested, off-year election in recent memory. Tea party members are hopeful. Republicans are confident. And Democrats are, well, somebody’s got to lose. ... Read more

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Don't let the house burn to make a point

By now most people have heard the story about the firefighters in Tennessee who watched a house burn to the ground because the home’s owner hadn’t paid a $75 fee in order to get fire service. ... Read more

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Missouri has right idea when it comes to electing judges

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner visited Iowa last month, saying she was there to support the Hawkeye State’s method of selecting and retaining judges. That’s probably true, but she may have had an ulterior motive. ... Read more

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  An accident that killed a Clinton County man closed a Northeast Kansas road for five hours Wednesday.
- Late notices, May 17, 2012
- List to reveal state’s most endangered properties
  A statewide spotlight will soon shine on one of St. Joseph’s most endangered properties.
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  Multiple law enforcement agencies are searching for a St. Joseph man after he allegedly fled from a County Club Village police officer early Wednesday morning.
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