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Back in the 1960s, when Tom Dempsey was in the National Football League (NFL), kickers typically approached the ball from a straight-on or head-on position. Once soccer-style kickers became common in the league, most kickers began approaching the ball from an angle. Some researchers believe that this manner of hitting the ball leads to increased distance and accuracy. Certainly, professional and amateur football place kickers are attempting and making longer field goals than used to be the...
Recently a man we know died in his 90s, after serving in the military until he retired and then had a long career as a police officer until retirement again. Jimmy covered his beat not in a patrol car or on foot, but on the back of a horse. At one point, he became a training officer for young police cadets, teaching young men and women how to do their job with the help of their faithful, four-footed companion. The night before the service for Jimmy, we had the honor of sitting with the family...
Joyce Kilmer wrote: “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.” According to experts, planting trees is one of the most impactful and sustainable actions humans can take to improve the environment and enhance quality of life. Growing up on First Street in Alva, I spent a lot of time climbing and sitting in my favorite tree. It was one of many “Trees of Heaven,” a species which was introduced into the U.S. from China in 1784. Ours was at least 20 years old when I was first i...
It’s that time of year again, the time when people talk about New Year’s resolutions. I asked Google about people’s resolutions and found survey results posted by Statistica. About four in ten of those surveyed said they’re not making a new year’s resolution. Of those who plan to commit to a resolution, 21% say they want to save more money. Next at 19% is to eat healthier followed by 17% to plan to exercise more. Another 15% have resolved to lose weight. Close behind at 14% is the resolutio...
Homelessness is a pressing social issue that affects millions of people worldwide. We see the tragedy brought about by war as thousands of refugees seek shelter, but why, in the richest country in the world, do an estimated 650,000 Americans live in the street? Many of them suffer from mental illness and/or substance abuse issues while millions with the same issues are not homeless. In addition, most homeless people are male, one-half are white, and the rate is much higher for Pacific...
To paraphrase a comedian from years ago, “D’ya know what makes me sick?” No? Well, I can gladly tell you. And there will be no referring to the cost of eating, or heating the house, or driving across the street nowadays, although I certainly could. The topic eating my lunch today: Having friends that I love … and they can’t stand each other. I enjoy church on Sunday morning, singing, praying and then listening to a minister explain a part of the Bible in a way that is understandable. (Understa...
It just wouldn’t be the same, would it? Think about it, if Jesus had been born at the Ritz or in another five-star hotel of the time, instead of in a manger surrounded by animals in a stable, because there wasn’t room at the inn – it wouldn’t have been the same, would it? If He had been born in a fancy inn and the announcement of our Savior's birth went out by government messengers and carrier pigeons, and they carried official scrolls that were sealed with wax, from the rulers' rings imprinted on the official papers, making it official, If tha...
In 1981, Donald Igwebuike became a place kicker on the Clemson University football team. He was “a” kicker, not “the” kicker. He shared place kicking duties with a teammate named Bob Paulling. Igwebuike kicked the majority of the team’s field goals while Paulling converted most of the extra points. In Clemson’s opening game of the season, Igwebuike booted a 52-yard field goal in his first-ever attempt in his first ever football game! The two-kicker strategy worked well for Clemson that year a...
I know Christmas is over, but these songs will still put a smile on your face. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Grandpa Got Run Over by a Beer Truck, and Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song. I hope you had a great Christmas. We had the annual Christmas breakfast, and it was fun. My family did a fine job of preparing a feast. There were so many happy faces from all the little children. Jaylyn has had a steady boyfriend for a while. Zack is in college, employed, and doesn't have a parole of...
Christmas is this week, and I'm reminded of the challenge it sometimes is to keep the emphasis on Jesus. He is the reason for the season after all. I think about that first Christmas when Mary and her new husband Joseph were called to make the journey to Bethlehem to be counted in the census. They found no place to stay other than a lowly stable. There were no decorated trees, no silver bells, no shiny packages tied up in ribbons and bows, no carolers or any of the other things that make up our...
If your Christmas gifts haven’t been opened yet, they soon will be. Unfortunately, the bills and impact of all those gifts will show up in January. When I was newly married, we didn’t have much money for Christmas so we used credit cards and then spent several months paying them off. I knew a few people who set up special accounts or set aside money during the year to plan for holiday spending. The data for 2024 isn’t compiled yet, but USA Facts says Americans spent an estimated $586.98 billi...
It's a little early, but when is it too early to celebrate Jesus' birthday? Remember on Christmas day there will be a free meal at the 818 Diner. I know it will be great. Many thanks to the Parsons family for all they do for the community. It looks like we are going to have Christmas breakfast. I wanted to have it last year, but Cleo wasn't here to guide me. My kids took over, and it really was a great time. I still am in charge of the pigs in a blanket. There will be somewhere over a hundred...
As we have seen, place kickers can be key to a football team’s success. They are often enigmatic individuals for several reasons, including the fact that they have a limited albeit crucial role to play on the team. That is, they are often not “regular” football players. A few who have played football at the highest professional level—in the National Football League (NFL) – grew up in countries other than the United States where they had no knowledge at all of American-style football. Rather, t...
It is amazing to me how indoctrinated and sheep-like we are today. Now, if you have been around sheep at all, you will understand. If you haven’t been, let me give you a little education. Sheep can be stupid. I truly believe they would follow each other off a cliff and jump to their death just because the sheep ahead of them jumped off the edge before them. They play follow the leader the best. It doesn’t matter whether it is jumping out of a hole in the fence or jumping right into a coyote’s mouth, sheep do whatever the one in front of them...
As I left my office yesterday, I was so mad at myself for how I had acted throughout the day, I want to make a confession to you regarding my behavior. As I got up yesterday it was the coldest day we have had so far this winter, and as I tried to get ready for work, I was struggling with the thought of going out into the cold air, and it took me several cups of coffee and some strong words of motivation to ultimately force myself out the door. Now you may be asking yourself, “Dal, what are y...
Many people do. Many people find this particular holiday season to be full of heartache, or a nameless void. They can feel a myriad of unwelcome emotions that threaten to overwhelm and sink them into a black hole – sadness, depression, loneliness, anxiety, or just the very fear of any of those. Any one or all of these emotions can descend without warning on their lives and take the wheel. Others around them may understand their problem and attempt to help, or they can be totally clueless. S...
It is time to give thanks to the almighty for another year, a privilege that some of our friends have not had. For many of us it has been a year filled with finding meaning in the will of God but every morning when we wake up we have to decide what kind of person we are going to be and ask ourselves, will I have any original thoughts today? Most people live their lives on “autopilot,” thinking only what they have learned from parents, friends or someone they were around who, just like them, got...
I hope you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the Christmas Holiday. As the year draws to a close, many holiday events are scheduled, and I am also actively preparing for the upcoming session, which starts Feb. 3, 2025. With the new Senate leadership, I am pleased to announce that I will serve as chair of Select Agencies, vice-chair for Agriculture and Wildlife, and assistant majority whip. Each of these selections is important, and I am honored to serve in these...
This year the Newsgram publication day falls on Christmas, Dec. 25. Scheduling is always an issue around Christmas and New Year’s Day (which also falls on Wednesday). If we followed our usual schedule, we’d need a bunch of people working on Christmas Eve. That conflicts with the holiday plans of many people. This year, we’ve decided to finish up the Newsgram on Monday night and mail it a day early. That means moving up deadlines to this Friday at 5 p.m. for regular ads with noon on Monday for t...
Alcohol has become part of the season for many households. Alcohol use spiked during the pandemic, especially among women, but thankfully returned to pre-pandemic levels. How risky is a “cup of cheer” for the holidays? People are aware that alcohol can damage the brain, jeopardize the health of a fetus and affect other organs as well, but they continue to imbibe. Questions arise as to how much alcohol is too much. The answer is that there is no safe amount. How about the data that res...
I am convinced of a truth after living all these years on this earth. Simply and baldly stated, there are some people who have bathed themselves in misery for years. And they truly do not want anyone to hand them a big thick towel to dry off. They experienced a severe trauma in their life some time before, and rather than grieving it, and then slowly moving past it – or at least WANTING to move on from it – they get stuck with that wet muck all over them. Now I am not saying they con...
Have you ever wondered why humans so often focus on some inconsequential thing, and let the big things slide. Several years ago I had a lunch meeting, and after the business matters were resolved, the guy told me he had recently purchased a new vehicle. He pointed to it out the window, and it was a very nice looking automobile. He then proceeded to tell me his biggest regret in purchasing it, was he did not purchase the optional large display turning and brake light package for the rear of the...
Having family near Alva, I read the Alva Review-Courier article "Looking at the future of agriculture" (Dec. 6 issue). The writer was speculating that most likely larger corporate farms will increase in the future. Sadly, I tend to agree. Back when my late grandparents were alive in the mid-1920s, they had two parcels of 160 acres each, plus one 40 acre tract, plus a smaller 20 acre tract. The Great Depression caused some lands to be sold. In time, my grandma kept the bulk. But I recall my dad saying that over in Europe at the time, farmers...
I knew I was getting older. But when did it happen that your brain tells your feet to move and your feet don’t move? We were sorting some calves off today and one calf in particular was being a little waspy. He had tried the other two guys in the sorting pen and got his bluff in on them, so I guess it was naturally my turn. As we were sorting and loading, the delinquent made a charge at me. Now I should have known better. He gave me a warning. I, however, didn’t want to climb the corrals to get out of his way, like the other two cowboys did...
As we saw last week, Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints kicked an unprecedented 63-yard field goal in a National Football League (NFL) game in 1970. His record stood for 43 years! In 2013, Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos kicked a 64-yard field goal against the Tennessee Titans, eclipsing Dempsey’s effort. Eight years later, in 2021, Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens booted one from 66 yards against the Detroit Lions, and that remains the record. Poor Dustin Aubrey! In September 2024, k...
