A recent letter in the Kokomo Tribune told us  the Preamble to the Constitution gives the government the authority to mandate masks because of the phrase “general welfare". I will not bicker with the letter writer or anyone else concerning whether a mask will help or not. I have been told th…

Brad Knigga of Russiaville sends the Tribune a Jeer for an editorial advocating mail-in voting:

Janita Beall of Kokomo sends this Jeer to those who still refuse to wear masks in public:

Lots of names are being changed these days because someone or some group is offended. If a name honors something bad, of course it should change, but most names honor a good thing and shouldn't cause offense. Confederate generals, separatists, and supporters of slavery should not be honored;…

Indiana mourns the loss of Joe Kernan, a bona fide American hero, decorated Navy officer, and truly selfless statesman who always placed the interests of his fellow Hoosiers first.

"Putricia" is a parasitic plant, growing and living in the Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Planted in 2000, it first bloomed on July 12, 2018, drawing a large crowd to witness this rare occurrence.

Wear mask for others’ safety

Deborah Zent of St. Vincent Hospice here in Kokomo sends this Cheer for those supporting the creation of hospice gowns for area patients:

Holly Sklar, CEO of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, sends this Cheer for the nation's essential workers:

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 110,000 here in Indiana, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report.

Our laws did not anticipate the situation we have today, and it has raised valid concerns about individual liberty while protecting public health.

The Indiana State Medical Association applauds Gov. Eric Holcomb’s courageous leadership to require face masks for all Hoosiers throughout the state.

Too many Indiana companies, employees and their families are in their fifth month of financial turmoil.

Their words will echo through history, but it is in their courageous action that has cemented lasting change. Words alone did not carry John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge or seat C.T. Vivian at lunch counters in Peoria. Each man exhibited an unrelenting predisposition toward action. …

As Indiana joins with other states to reopen our schools, too many questions are being left unanswered. According to the AASA (School Superintendent Association) and the ASBO (Association of School Business Officials) the added cost of reopening is estimated to be around $1.8 million dollars…

Former Howard County Sheriff Marty Talbert sends this Cheer for the Lt. Michael Andry Memorial motorcycle ride:

No one ever wants to receive bad news from their doctor. But among the many Hoosiers living with cancer, like my nieces and their loved ones, this scenario is all too real.

Tonia Sherrod of South Side Christian Church sends this Cheer:

I was angry after reading a newspaper article and the racism coming from Mr. Jesse Sisk, the pastor of the Smyrna Christian Church. His use of the Bible is not even close to the understanding he espouses.

If I had school-age children, I wouldn’t consider sending them to school in a state where COVID-19 is alive and spreading - not even if the virus lasted a full year.

Is there anyone out there who really believes that pro-life judges, pro-life politicians and the pro-life establishment at large is really working to end human abortion, when they are committed to blocking any legislation that would abolish human abortion and criminalize the mother? Anyone?

Acting to protect against COVID

The current Kokomo animal ordinance is broken and antiquated. It tolerates levels of animal neglect because it has no sections concerning animal care and treatment. This is unacceptable and needs to be updated.

Thank you, Sen. Mike Braun for helping farmers and agri-business in Indiana and throughout the U.S. by introducing the bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCS). This bill will put money in farmers' pockets while also improving their soil quality.

President Donald Trump is so much more than just a mere carnival barker. As would appear, he's a three-ring circus. The greatest show on earth.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, we may want to turn inside our borders, but it is now more important than ever that the U.S. does its part in helping developing countries strengthen and sustain their global health security. As a supporter and ambassador for The Borgen Project, a nonprofit org…

The health experts have informed us over and over again that wearing a face covering helps to slow the spread of COVID-19. We know that the U.S. has flunked the test for flattening the curve in our first attempt due to the patchwork plan put forth by our ineffective Republican leadership at …

How do we reform criminal justice? The question of the moment. I know everyone wants this to be easy, something someone else does. This won’t work. Policy needs to be changed at the federal level, the state level and the local level. There needs to be societal change. White people need to ca…

SLAVERY AND ISLAM

A scene from the popular 1970s "M*A*S*H" TV series featured two of the leading characters, Doctors B.J. Hunnicutt and “Hawkeye” Pierce refusing to shower for days. Forced to sit outside the mess tent due to their odor, they spot Chaplain Mulcahy and ask if he’d join them. Mulcahy politely de…

A lady asked Dr. Franklin, 'Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"

I have an idea I would like to share as to a possible stand-alone building for our Kokomo Automotive Museum.

Across Indiana, the coronavirus hurt our economy, our health, and our morale. Mass shutdowns were the only way medical professionals, myself included, knew we could take control over the spread of this unknown virus to protect our hospital systems. But thankfully, due to the sacrifices Hoosi…

U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, representing Indiana’s 4th Congressional District, sends this Cheer for local input on the coronavirus:

I would like to respond to a letter about Joe Biden’s fitness. A lot of people do not seem to know that Biden has had a stuttering problem since childhood. If you hear him halting in his speech, it is the stutter that he is trying to control.

I am a white man, 72 years of age. I am a Christian, imperfect but still a Christian. I too am deeply concerned about our nation and our future.

To the Honorable Eric J. Holcomb, governor of Indiana:

My friend, my brother in Christ Jesus, my brother in recovery and fellow former educator just slipped away out of my life in April. Due to this COVID-19 crisis, there was no funeral, no celebration of his life, no nothing. And nothing I could even do about it but hold my head in my hands and cry.

How do we reform criminal justice? The question of the moment. I know everyone wants this to be easy, something someone else does. This won’t work. Policy needs to be changed at the federal level, the state level and the local level. There needs to be societal change. White people need to ca…

Lorene Sandifur, a member of the Kokomo High School Class of 1972, sends this Cheer for its Spirit of Harmony Scholarship:

There are some people who have tried to tell us about mental issues they say President Trump has, that are clinical and seem to explain some of his behavior, and are sufficient to put him out of office.

Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel is the right candidate to restore integrity to the office of the Attorney General. Now, more than ever, we need leaders focused on fighting for working Hoosiers and delivering results. I’m proud of the campaign of ideas both our candidates ran.

What’s critical to our nation