When is it officially the dead of winter? Maybe it's when writers start writing columns about the official start of the dead of winter No one seems to know exactly when the dead of winter is, but you can get a fair estimate by multiplying the number of icicles hanging from your nose by the … Continue reading The dread of winter

What happens when you can't sleep three nights in a row? You rewrite Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring themed lyrics. So, enjoy or don't. I won't lose any sleep over it. We Did Depart the Shire (Frodo's Song) Sung to the tune of … Continue reading Billy Joel sings … Lord of the Rings?

This fun and important (at least to the family of the missing lizard) story began as a two-line press release. Unlike Godzilla, he won't likely be terrorizing any neighborhoods. But “Squirt,” the 7-year-old green iguana owned by one local family is on the loose somewhere in Boyne City. According to owner Michael Cain, his three-and-a-half-foot … Continue reading Northern Michigan lizard on the loose

This hard news story began with a police department news release. Joseph Benjamin Baugh, 18, of Boyne City, was arrested on Friday June 1 in connection with bomb threats made to Boyne City Public Schools. Baugh has been charged with one count of “false report or threat of terrorism” which is a felony and carries … Continue reading Boyne youth arrested for bomb threat