Untitled Document To call it the “Showdown at Lusk Creek Wilderness” would be an exaggeration; the scene would be better described as an informal negotiation. On this Saturday afternoon in May, an invisible line is being drawn across a muddy road in Pope County. On one side stands John Wallace, binoculars draped around his neck, […]
C. D. Stelzer
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BEEwitched, Bothered, and BEEwildered
Untitled Document The first reported disappearances came late last year in Florida. By January, investigators had determined that millions of individuals had gone missing, leaving few if any clues as to why. The bizarre phenomenon has prompted a nationwide scientific inquiry. In late March, a congressional subcommittee held a hearing on the matter. As the […]
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On the right track
Untitled Document Tuesday, 9:18 a.m.: The train arrives at the Alton station on time, and a mother, cradling her baby, boards. Once seated, she pounds on the window. The clamor interrupts an elderly couple’s card game and wakes the man across the aisle. On the platform below, Grandma waves goodbye. Welcome aboard the northbound Texas […]
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Gatesgate
Untitled Document The times, they are a-changin’ — or so it would appear at first glance. Within hours of the Republican Party’s rout at the polls last week, President George W. Bush announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. At the same press conference, the president vowed to work with the newly elected Democratic […]
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Mother’s Day
Bert Vancauwelaert knows the song well. At the end of the verse, he softly sings the refrain. The lyrics ask a question he answered for himself a long time ago, but it’s one that still bears repeating: “Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on?” The 80-year-old retired coal miner was among the […]
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Plane truth
There is an unwavering sense of patriotism in southwest Illinois: Flags are displayed proudly at homes and businesses. Signs supporting the troops show up behind the ice-cream counter at Dr. Jazz’s in Lebanon, outside the convenience store in Shiloh, and on front lawns throughout St. Clair County. Part of this fervor can be explained by […]
