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Local Columns

Just Jonathan: My double life

Well, the time has come. In this piece I will be exposing myself and the double life I have been living since the beginning of April. By now most everyone knows me as one of the dedicated local reporters, however I feel it’s time to expose myself. Here it goes… When I’m not manning a ...

Magic Mike 6XL: Cheddar Cheese and an Old Stick

Opposites, man, yin and yang, cats and dogs, cookies and lettuce, they are some funny things. The counterpart or the thing that completely contradicts an item. I've known mine my entire life. My sister. See, there is a way that we are opposite already. I don't mind writing about myself or ...

Just Jonathan: Dogs, dogs, dogs – my running encounters

Nothing makes my heart rate spike quite like the age old dog chase! After years and years of running the streets of Tama-Toledo I certainly know where some of the more ruthless canines live and will plan accordingly. I’m not big on the surprise that follows a mean sounding bark and a furry ...

You’ll Figure It Out: The Good Old Days!

Attention all of us senior citizens, do you remember the "good ol' days?” Walking to school in 20-below zero several miles, uphill each way? Doing "inhumane" chores around the house like mowing the lawn with a PUSH MOWER. In fact, the Shedas never even had a push mower with a motor. We ...

Who’s the pilot?

Flying is not my thing. It’s ridiculous. You are placing your complete trust in someone you’ve never seen nor met, flying something you know nothing about, speeding through the air at speeds unfathomable, and landing safely in someplace when you’d wished you’d stayed home! Flying to ...

Just Jonathan: Tama-Toledo, a look at my home

One of the biggest privileges of my job is covering the community that has shaped me into who I am. Working for the newspaper has been so much more than a job, it’s been a way to give back and contribute what I feel the community deserves. I would describe myself as a civically engaged ...

Just Jonathan: Believe in yourself

Never in a million years did I think I would be a year out of high school working as a local reporter. As a matter of fact, I backed out of the position when it first came before me in February. The newspaper was something I read, not something I played a part in making. After the initial ...

Magic Mike 6xl: Fat Pride

I was a chubby baby, a chunky toddler, then a husky pre-adolescent. When I got into my teen years, the pretty adjectives went out the window, and the phrase "Jeez, you're fat" came flying in. Now, if you've ever seen me on the street, you know what I'm talking about here. I am not ...

Thank you veterans

As I sit here typing, I think of the great fun we'll all have on the 4th. My second daughter was born on this day at 9:30 in the evening. The doctor told us we have our very own fireworks! We've always enjoyed the festivities on Independence Day. For about the first seven years of her ...

For crying out loud!

We’ve all cried at one time or another. As an ornery kid, my dad would give me well-deserved, overdue whoopins’ and I’d cry. Or have you laughed so hard that you cried? Interestingly, the older we get, we tend to cry less. In college, I got ticked off at my dad and said some things ...