
Franke: Signs of an Early Spring?
by Mark Franke Having just dealt with multiple winter storms in the last fortnight, my subconscious has drifted to thinking of spring. Given northern Indiana’s reputation for unpredictable weather, an early spring breakthrough is not beyond the realm of possibility — that’s possibility, not probability. Still, it got me thinking of spring despite the risk of disappointment Read the full article…

The Outstater
Democracy at Ground Level APPLAUD AS WE DO the preference cascade that was the recent presidential election, a historic validation of the common sense of the common American, but at the local level, ironically, democracy still is problematic. Any Indiana citizen can sign up for a tour of the Statehouse. These are scheduled through your district representative Read the full article…

The Outstater
Build it and They Will Come — Maybe MY CITY has been operating with a “build it and they will come” strategy for a couple of decades now. The thing is we have no independent verification that people are actually coming — or coming in greater numbers than otherwise — so we’re not sure why we Read the full article…

Snow: Social Media and Coming of Age
by Nathanael Snow, Ph.D. Sir Walter Scott in the first of his “Waverly” novels describes the early adolescence of young Edward Waverly. Edward is too “indolent and impatient,” to enjoy fishing. He is lacking what he needs to move forward in his life. “Society and example, which, more than any other motives, master and sway the Read the full article…

Moss: Israel Is Being Betrayed
by Richard Moss, M.D. It is painful when defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory as occurred on Jan. 15, 2025, some five days before President Trump’s inauguration. Israel was on the verge of a strategic triumph over the Muslim Brotherhood/Iranian axis in the Middle East, brought about by its unparalleled military superiority and audacity. Read the full article…

The Outstater
Education: Partisan Is Good BIPARTISANSHIP, the comedian George Carlin famously said, usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. That has been our experience with school board elections. Back in the 1980s we allowed the local political machines, some of them actively corrupt and all of them black at heart, to control the election Read the full article…
