Twenty years ago-April 19, 1999-we took possession of our funeral service business in White County, Southern IL, consisting of four locations, Carmi (which we made our home) Enfield, Mill Shoals and Norris City. For different reasons, after a few years, we closed Mill Shoals and Norris City,…

China’s National Science Review reported in March 2019 that Bing Su of the Kunming Institute of Zoology has inserted human genes into monkeys. His apparent goal was to investigate how the brains of early primates developed along different paths with monkeys remaining in the trees and Homo sa…

For many years many of America’s universities have gladly accepted contributions from wealthy donors whose children or grandchildren then receive special consideration for admission to those schools. The mock shock of the academic world over the current debacle concerning bribery and fraud i…

A wise friend once said, “If the answer you’ve been given seems just too easy to be real, that’s probably because it is.”

I read the reports of the death of 85-year-old Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) who was one of the Western World’s most famous fashion designers. Lagerfeld had his own design company and designed for Chanel and Fendi. Although I had never heard of him until he died as my clothes designer is Levi S…

The first television I saw was displayed in the front window of an appliance store on Main Street in Pawhuska, Oklahoma in 1950. It had a real wood cabinet which swallowed the 9” screen. The picture was a blurry black and white that showed the same Indian Chief test pattern for hours. It jus…

As many of you, my first job for pay was mowing neighbors’ yards. My brother Phil and I would start the first week after school let out, usually about June 01, asking around for jobs. We charged $2.00 for mowing and trimming a house and yard on one or two lots. The lots were 25’ wide by 100’…

When I started reading your December 12th issue and saw the editorial by

The state's next governor said he'll make legalizing marijuana a top priority, but adult consumers could be waiting a year or more for recreational sales to begin in Illinois.

The chairman of the Illinois Republican Party said he didn't know Gov. Bruce Rauner had asked other people to take his spot in the governor's race after a narrow primary victory and ahead of the November election contest with J.B. Pritzker.

For thousands of years humans have pondered the same theological issues: Are there gods and, if so, are they benevolent, malevolent or indifferent towards humans? Of course, this debate can readily be applied to humans without reference to gods. How do we relate to one another? Are we genera…

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s campaign for a pardon got fresh attention Sunday from President Donald Trump.

Memorials take many forms and have many purposes. Some are large in scope covering acres of land containing statues and museums, such as Gettysburg Battlefield, or are smaller in area but allow visitors to absorb history and meaning through sober reflection, such as the Washita Battlefield N…

Gov. Bruce Rauner said Thursday that taxpayers will end up paying for the decisions of lawmakers who voted to override two of his vetoes.

Surprisingly to me some people actually read last week’s column about a memorial to justice on the courthouse campus. There were telephone calls, personal inquiries and Facebook posts. Thank you everyone! It speaks well for Posey County that people today are taking an interest in recognizing…

It’s now law for police in Illinois to certify in a timely manner complaints of abuse or assault filed by illegal immigrants, who can then use such reports in working toward certain citizenship visas.

Illinois’ agriculture community is cautiously optimistic about a 90-day trade war cease fire that U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart revealed over the weekend.

It’s easy to criticize longevity in politics. “Career politician” is a pejorative for a reason. But there’s a big difference between persistent public service and a political machine.

Work and family are at the center of our lives, the foundation of our dignity as a free people. - Ronald Reagan

A group of Illinois lawmakers are promoting legislation that would use a combination of state, local and federal funds to put metal detectors in every school in the state, but some school leaders say it’s simply not feasible.

In Hidden Hills, California the average price of a home was over one million dollars before the fires. I imagine the current price is now lower. Those of us who do not live in million-dollar homes, and that’s most of us, may momentarily succumb to the meaner angels of our nature when we hear…

Peg and I voted early. I am not aware of whose idea early voting was, but it was a good one. Perhaps the period could be expanded and maybe a safe and secure system of voting from home could be devised. My opinion is that the more citizens who cast one legitimate ballot the better. If we ca…

November 6th cannot get here fast enough for those of us accosted by the national media about the acclaimed virtues of their favorite candidates and the attributed evils of those they dislike. But there is another group of citizens who will be even more grateful when the election is over, th…

I want to thank everyone for your support during this sheriff's election. I’m a regular guy saying

October is a wonderful month, cool, warm, wet, dry, crisp and colorful. I was enjoying this marvelous gift of nature while I traveled home from work last Friday. As I passed Larry Williams’ McKim’s IGA grocery store in Mt. Vernon, Indiana I was reminded of another reason October is special. …

Cut the highest state and local taxes in the country or remove the federal SALT deduction cap, that’s the debate between Illinois' Democratic congressional delegation and their Republican colleagues siding with Gov. Bruce Rauner.

In a Cajun funeral one’s family and close friends form the First Line and send him/her off with a procession dancing to “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Homilies are recited, personal remembrances are told, and a sad time becomes a good time. Although neither Cajun nor Creole, I was honored…

Why are so many people on all sides so angry about the United States Supreme Court life-time appointment? The answer may be in the question: it is an appointment and it is for life.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office said its review of Gov. Bruce Rauner's handling of deaths at a state-run veterans home is unique.

A new survey of Illinois manufacturers shows overwhelming opposition to a possible gas tax hike.

For those of you that work with us (The Carmi Chronicle) on a consistent basis, you have probably noticed a slight shift in leadership over the past three weeks. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Jeff Skaggs will be the new editor of the Chronicle, because I have accepted a position with the …

Expect some wheeling and dealing in the Illinois House from Democrats working to get votes to override the governor’s vetoes of dozens of bills.

If CNN, MSNBC and FOX News were covering the entertainments in the Roman Coliseum in the First Century they would have been exhorting the lions. Of course, the reason for this is the ratings would suffer if they sided with the humans. The public demands spectacle, not fairness.

I took a trip back in time the other day.

Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) says Republican policies are helping boost household income in central and southern Illinois. 

J.B. Pritzker has labeled Gov. Bruce Rauner a failure and called the incumbent's agenda "radical" and "extreme."

When I was an undergraduate at Indiana University I wavered between majoring in English or Psychology. I ultimately concluded a life spent seeking answers to life’s mysteries from mice running mazes held less promise than one trying to find wisdom hidden in the words of pundits. Over the yea…

Adan Villafranca never thought about buying a home.

Thank God for immigration!

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed an emergency declaration Friday to allow increased weight limits for Illinois agriculture haulers on Illinois roads.

My great-great-uncle, Ahart Staley Harsha, never married before his death in 1892 in Carmi.

Law enforcement agencies often rely on Confidential Informants to investigate criminal matters. Many times crimes cannot be solved if those who commit the crimes or those they voluntarily tell about the crimes do not talk to the police. It is a truism that it is hard to catch a fish that doe…

With Rahm Emanuel's announcement this week that he won't seek re-election, Chicago has a new opportunity to elect a mayor who will help the city tackle some of the systemic issues that have it held it back for decades.

I’ve shared with you, each week for the last month, some details from the diaries that my great-great-uncle, Ahart Staley Harsha, kept while living in and around Carmi between 1877 and 1881.

Illinois could soon be back in the hemp business.

“If you have 10,000 regulations, you destroy all respect for the law.”