Cooling off in the pool is one way to beat the summer heat for your canine friend. (Dreamstime)

State should let pooches on patios

The Michigan Legislature is weighing a bill that would give restaurants the option of letting dog owners bring their pets with them to outdoor dining areas. As the state seeks to reduce unnecessary and burdensome laws, this is a good one to shed.

Yesterday at 5:00 PM

A Trump supporter tries to block the signs of a pair of protesters during President Donald Trump speech at a "Make America Great Again" rally at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal/TNS)

Community Columnist

HAGER: Trump is not permission for our society to descend into hate

I wonder sometimes if the stage of the larger world is sometimes played out on our very small hometown stages.

Yesterday at 2:00 PM

The Michigan Legislature listen to Gov. Rick Snyder make his State of the State address in the state Capitol in Lansing earlier this year.

Other Views

Part-time Legislature is the worst choice

A part-time legislature may cost the state less money. It might mean more time spent at home among constituents for some legislators. And it could mean fewer session days.

Jul 26, 2017 at 4:00 PM

Community Columnist

KOEDYKER: The importance of one – and that means you!

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the importance of “one.” By now, you who are my audience know that I must have been reading some verses in the Bible that triggered my reflection on this subject.

Jul 26, 2017 at 1:00 PM

Community Columnist

PAINTER: Michigan drivers are polite, for the most part

At least that is according to a national organization’s survey. Kars4Kids, a multinational car donation organization, recently surveyed driving habits of motorists in all 50 states.

Jul 24, 2017 at 2:00 PM

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell listens during a meeting with President Donald Trump on June 6, 2017, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS)

Other Views

The future of Obamacare? Voters, over to you

The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on July 19:

Jul 21, 2017 at 5:00 PM

Community Columnist

HARVEY: Voices given to the Wild Heart of the Saugatuck Dunes

“The whole area — which they call the Wild Heart of Saugatuck — is very dear to my family’s heart. There’s so much history there … and to just cut a piece of that land out, to me, is unthinkable — sacrilegious, almost.”

Jul 21, 2017 at 3:00 PM

syndicated columnist

DICKERSON: Are journalists suffering from blue-collar blindness?

Can you remember the name of the counter clerk who hands you a cup of coffee every morning? Can you even remember her face?

Jul 20, 2017 at 6:00 PM

Pastor Rock Dillaman preaches at Allegheny Center Alliance Church in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Nate Guidry/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)

Community Columnist

IDEMA: Should politics be preached from the pulpit?

My view is that preachers should in a sermon relate the biblical lessons for a given Sunday to the moral issues of the current times.

Jul 19, 2017 at 2:00 PM

Bear Lake Tavern, 360 Ruddiman Drive, North Muskegon

blog of the week

411 on the BLT: Divas dine at the Bear Lake Tavern

The divas’ report is broken down into three separate reviews. Each described her own experience.

Jul 18, 2017 at 5:00 PM

Other Views

The FCC’s single digit for robocallers

If you’ve ever had your dinner interrupted by an annoying robocall sales pitch — and who hasn’t? — this will make you smile.

Jul 18, 2017 at 4:00 PM

Community Columnist

KALIS: Learning to drive, and to let go

When I went to driver’s training, I swear it was like only a two-week deal. I remember my partner had been driving tractors and four-wheelers from a young age and pretty much knew exactly what she was doing.

Jul 18, 2017 at 2:00 PM

Wali Altahif, from the Arab-American and Chaldean Council, leaves the World Smokers shop in Dearborn on April 25, 2007, after dropping off information on tobacco laws related to hookah pipe use.

Other Views

Chaldeans fear deportation for good reason

The legal status of Eastern Christian immigrants to the United States requires special consideration, something worth keeping in mind as Chaldeans in the Detroit area fight an immigration crackdown.

Jul 17, 2017 at 1:00 PM

Other Views

State isn't done with pension reform

Michigan lawmakers did the right thing by tackling the state's school employee retirement system last month. But now that that is off their plate, they should put reform of local government pensions at the top of their priority list.

Jul 14, 2017 at 5:00 PM