I have a friend who lives in Owensburg. His name is Sam Mitchell, and I admire him greatly. He’s only 18 years old, but has the wisdom of someone much older. Sam has autism and that’s only part of what makes him so special to me. Today, you’ll notice a story about Sam on our front page. ...

I was just reflecting on how strange, surreal and satisfying (I love alliteration) coming back to Linton has been for me. Back to the newsroom I know and love, but this time with a much bigger job to do. Every place I have worked, I have found myself starting out at the bottom rung, or sometimes a rung or two up the ladder and continuing to climb until I reach the top or a rung close to the top. ...

On Tuesday, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced his plans to relax state coronavirus restrictions. I feel uneasy about that, like an extra on The Walking Dead. Like it’s only a matter of time before the virus spreads anew, or one of the many variants crawls up my nose...

A little over a month ago, I was in Tacoma, Washington, jobless, purposeless and sooooooo bored. I blinked my eyes and suddenly I’m back in Linton, working (yay!) back at the Daily World and trying my hardest to keep up as the editor. It’s a lot, you guys. ...

The eternal optimist in me manifests itself in my head as an annoying squeaky little voice, much like the voices of any of the chipmunks from Alvin and the Chipmunks. If you don’t get that reference, you’re young. Put this newspaper down and go outside to get some sun, it’s better for you than listening to me, I assure you. ...

I’m back, Greene County, did you miss me? Like a streak of bad luck or a kink in your neck from sleeping on it funny, I just won’t go away and stay gone, sorry about that. I enjoyed my time in the Pacific Northwest, winding up as house manager of a seven-bedroom house in Tacoma, Washington which housed 10 adult tenants, two adult dogs who were often dyed different colors with cruelty-free vegetable dyes, three rambunctious puppies with no common sense and razor-sharp teeth and two cats, one outdoor and one indoor (my best friend Meep).. ...

So, here it is. After more than four years at the Greene County Daily World, meeting people from nearly every civic group, philanthropic organization, town council, veteran’s organization, Chamber of Commerce and school board in the land and writing about them all, I must bid you adieu...

When Sabrina Stockrahm first told me she had landed an exciting new work-from-home position, my initial reaction was pure joy for my friend, happiness that she had found employment that would give her precious time at home with her family while also helping to pay the bills...

On Saturday, Feb. 22, my teammate Keshia Buskirk picked me up at my house wayyyyyyy too early and the two of us headed to the ISU campus to meet the rest of the Greene County Popsicles: Linda Bedwell, Riley Mayfield and Matthew Hayden so we could take part in the 2020 Special Olympics Polar Plunge...

I know this is out of character, but I feel like ranting today. At the risk of sounding like the grumpy old lady on the block (which I actually am, so I get to), has anyone else over the age of 30 noticed the decline of the standard work ethic in the last 20 years?...

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with three teachers, one elementary, one middle school and one high school, to write a story explaining what a teacher’s job looks like and how they manage to succeed in light of state requirements and new standardized testing...

Man, I love coffee. I love the smell of freshly brewed coffee, freshly-ground coffee beans, a freshly-pulled perfect shot of espresso with golden crema on top, coffee ice cream...the list goes on and on. I worked for Starbucks in Seattle from 1990 to 1995 and it ruined me for life. ...

My friend, Bob Turner, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019 at 87 years of age. I first met Bob at a meeting of the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, which he attended with the Library Director, Austin Stroud. Stroud introduced Bob and explained Bob’s main function at the library, working as an Outreach Coordinator. Bob delivered books, DVD’s and other materials to homebound library patrons, often staying to chat awhile when he did...

Life in the newsroom at the Greene County World looks vastly different today when compared to the same place a year or even six months ago. Sabrina and I have been forced to do more with less and to test the limits of our efficiency. We joke that “it’s a good thing we eat chaos flakes for breakfast,” but it’s not always funny.....

Danner’s Manners Back to the future: I didn’t choose the plant life, the plant life chose me As I write this, I am closing out my fifteenth day meatless and I am rather proud of myself. When I lived in Seattle, I was a vegetarian for about 12 years. I went back to eating meat shortly after moving to the Midwest. Frankly, it was a challenge to find the veggie foods I was used to finding so easily on the west coast without driving to Bloomington weekly...

Last November, my blog featured a few stories about my adventures hand-raising a litter of feral kittens my husband, John, had rescued from the recycling center and brought home. We had quickly made ourselves experts in kitten-raising, out of necessity, learning how to feed them, clean them and care for them when they were sick...

I am an unashamed word nerd, a grammar nazi and what can I say? Words are cool. The English language (which is the only one I know well enough to have an informed opinion on) is a beautiful thing, especially when it makes you think and you can have fun with it...

I learned this new skill for my son, Jake, and his wife Lindsey. For their wedding, I made favor packets of seeded paper confetti in heart shapes for guests to throw at the couple in place of rice or to take home to plant by scattering the confetti in their yard. I had never made paper before, so I was excited to learn this new skill...

I have been a wedding officiant for 15 years. It all began in 2004, with the wedding of two of our dear friends, Timberly Ferree and Kade Puckett. They had a courthouse wedding, the day before their planned ceremony, to make their union legal but wanted a ceremony held at their home to be able to celebrate the day with loved ones, dress up a little and to have cake...

Last week, I was invited to attend the annual Greene County School Safety Drill by White River Valley Superintendent Dr. Bob Hacker. Hacker thought the topic would be a timely one to cover for the newspaper, with the advent of the coming school year right around the corner...