I have a thought about banning fans from the stands at high school sports events:

Republicans across the country have a right to feel proud about what has happened in the past three weeks. All Americans should feel that pride.

The garden hoe can be sharpened and the handle cleaned for winter storage. Another tool used for managing weeds are herbicides. All tools need stored properly until needed again.

The decision to allow indoor sports to proceed this winter in Kansas high schools strikes us a bit of a risk, but a risk probably worth taking.

Of the big three, one is really the problem. And it’s not the mask.

By all rational measurements, 2020 has been a disaster in the Manhattan area, as it has been across the country and around the world. A viral pandemic has killed 21 people in the three-county region that we consider home; it has shuttered businesses, closed schools, and forced our college to…

It’s too late for Marvin Rodriguez.

For many months now, we all have been in our homes probably more than usual on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

There’s a political question that I almost hate to address, but I can’t help it. Moth to a flame, and all that.

The Manhattan school district is going through the tortured process of redrawing the attendance boundaries for its elementary schools. There’s almost no way to do this in a way that keeps everyone happy, because somebody is going to get shifted from a school they like into a school they thin…

I had a visit the other day with a loyal subscriber who, thankfully, renewed for a year.

Copple: Local leaders should support mask requirements

Several months ago, when mask requirements were being debated here, we said in this space that government requirements were not ideal. Better for the government to strongly encourage mask use than to order it, and for leaders to set an example rather than issuing mandates.

What exactly happened in Triangle Park and on Poyntz Avenue on a Sunday afternoon a week ago?

Some introduced plants are just too prolific in our environment. Amur honeysuckle, Siberian elm, hackberry, Callery pear and other plants can spread into the landscape. The dormant season is a good time to be managing these unwanted plants.

COVID death tolls is like four daily plane crashes with no survivors

“Man, my PTSD’s really affecting me hard today.”

This is an open letter to Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts.

Manhattan, please help curb COVID-19 cases

One of my kids asked me the other day if I thought there would be a civil war. This was evidently a hot topic on Spap/Tok/Gram, in the hazy days after the election when the winner had not been determined. Which, depending on who you ask, we might still be in.

I’d like to throw an idea in the hopper, while we’re all on this subject: How about we make the job of running elections a non-partisan gig?

I’d like to offer you a peek behind the curtain in local journalism, circa early November, 2020. It’s a high-wire act, and I think maybe it helps to share.

At this polarized moment in our country, there’s something I think we can all agree on: Let’s investigate every possible instance of illegal voting. Let’s dig in, and really get the evidence on the table, for everybody to see.

You may come across the term “winterizing” the lawn. It is usually in connection with a fertilizer bag. There are a few things one can do to keep your cool-season lawn healthy at this time of the year. The lawn will “winterize” even without our input.

The perception and the reality of the coronavirus situation here have certainly shifted. I suppose that’s a reflection of the trends across the whole country.

I’ve had two conversations with intelligent people lately that are telling:

The year 2020 has been one to remember. We seem to be in a suspended state – a limbo. As we await the results from the presidential election, we still find ourselves mired in the COVID-19 pandemic. Everywhere, we hear it: “I’m ready to get back to normal.” People from all walks of life seem …

So, while we’re in limbo….

Whatever the outcome of the 2020 elections, all you really need to know about the two presidential candidates was evident in how they reacted Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

Politicians always hype up the importance of the race they’re running. This year is certainly no exception. “The stakes are high,” they say, and “this is a turning point,” and “this is the most consequential election in my lifetime.” And so on.

I buckle my seat belt when driving to be prepared for an accident that I hope never comes. Some gardening practices are done in the hopes they aren’t needed. Prevention is better than treatment after the fact.

Editor's note: The following are paid political letters. 

Seeing him in person after nearly 30 years took me back, but hearing his voice again sealed the time hop. The flat, nasal Great Plains twang with an upward inflection, almost sing-song, on certain words for emphasis, like he’s leaning into what he’s trying to communicate.

Voters who have not yet cast ballots in this year’s elections will head to the polls Tuesday with many choices to make. We encourage you to participate, and more importantly at this moment, to prepare yourself to make those choices.

An elected county commissioner took issue in a public meeting Thursday with my use of the word “squawking,” which I take as a major accomplishment. Verbs are right in my wheelhouse, and I’d like to throw out a few more. Nouns, while I’m at it.

It’s the Thursday before Election Day, and so I’d like to talk about Thanksgiving. It’s not a great time to be talking about politics.

Editor's note: The following are paid political letters.

This is usually the space for opinion, and we’ll get to that eventually here. But for the moment, I’d like to just do some explaining.

Editor’s note: The following are paid political letters.

There’s an excellent show that you ought to watch. I also have a suggestion about one way to address one aspect of the problems it describes. Back to that later.

Leaves and other plant tissues are in abundance in the fall. This is the time of year when nature replenishes the soil. These materials will break down over the winter to make fertilizer for spring growth. I suggest leaving the leaves to reduce your fertilizer application next season.

This past month, we have been grateful to speak with several community groups across the region about the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. From those discussions, we know that one of the most common concerns about the facility is safety.

I never thought a phone game would create so much fun and excitement for me.