Benning Printing & Publishing

To the Editor: No Reason To Die Who am I? My name is Norman Hagelstrom. I was born at the Thiel hospital in Bertha on January 27, 1940. I graduated from Bertha-Hewitt School in 1958. I have spent the last sixty plus years studying the human mind. The following is what I’ve learned. Our cells are constantly dying every few days to ten years. New young cells replace these retiring cells. If we completely renew our cells every ten years why do they wear out? They wear ou

Every time I scroll through social media, I see another event flyer. After a while, they all start looking the same. They all have the same bold fonts, the same glossy backgrounds, and the same over-the-top lighting. Before I even read the words, I can usually tell it was made with AI. I understand why people use AI. Not everyone has the budget to hire a graphic designer or the skills to create something from scratch. AI can be a helpful starting point. But when everyone is

Having a sick parent is challenging for anyone, but dealing with a parent who experiences hallucinations and incoherent mumbling takes it to another level. My mom is currently battling her second bout of lung cancer, which has spread to her neck and brain. She has undergone radiation treatment for her brain and is currently going through chemotherapy. Things are about as good as they can be expected, but she hasn’t gone a week without a trip to the hospital or emergency room

Editor’s Note: Letters to the editor are opinions expressed by the author. They do not necessarily represent the views of this publication and have not been independently fact-checked. To the Editor: I can’t believe it is June already! This year (2026) is half over, time really flies as we all get older each day. In June, we celebrate Father’s Day. My father passed away in 2001 of cancer and has been in Heaven enjoying our Lord and Savior for many years. I thought we cou

A conversation at a gas station this morning got me thinking. I walked in and spotted a wad of dollar bills on the floor. Another customer said it wasn’t his and handed it to the cashier to hold in case someone came looking for it. Most of us have come across random money at some point—a $20 in a parking lot or a dollar bill blowing down the sidewalk. Depending on the amount and the circumstances, you either pocket it or turn it in to the police or a nearby business and hop

To the Editor: Our greatest privilege is our private line to the desk of Jesus. He operates a tremendous switchboard, and there is never a line out of order, unless it’s down here. Prayer is the thing that is neglected the most down here, and I believe this neglect can explain the difference between “the haves and the have nots.” You’ve never met, and neither have I, a great Christian who wasn’t great on his knees. Your knees, and maybe the bend in your shoes if you pray

This month’s book club selection was Kate Quinn’s The Briar Club. This intriguing read is a historical mystery that explores the bonds formed among the residents of a boarding house. Set in a Washington, D.C., boarding house during the 1950s, the novel follows Grace March, whose Thursday night dinners become the thread that ties an eclectic group of women together. Each resident comes with her own struggles, secrets, and dreams. The cast includes Fliss, a young English moth

As many of you know, I subscribe to several newsletters that I enjoy reading. One of them is from Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck and Everything Is Fcked: A Book About Hope. Don’t let those titles turn you away from Manson’s thinking. He writes about life, hope, perspective, and second chances, which is why I enjoy his newsletter. The newsletter is basically a short reflection, and he calls it “Five Minutes Each Week That Might Change Your Life.” It

To the Editor: Empty Chairs On Monday, May 25, Memorial Day, we, along with several of our grandchildren, attended the Memorial Day program at the Bertha-Hewitt High School. There were a fair number of people in the bleacher section of the gymnasium, but there were row upon row of empty chairs on the floor of the gym. There were, perhaps, a dozen people sitting in the chairs. As I looked out over all those rows of empty chairs, I was reminded of other events I have attende

Much has happened since I first shared about my mom’s cancer returning. After 10 days of radiation treatment for the tumor in her brain, she rang the bell on April 22. Though it was a joyous moment for us, it was not the end; that was just the first step. Once her blood tests returned to determine the best course of action, Mom began chemotherapy on May 12, as the cancer is also in her lungs and neck. The treatment will occur every three weeks for 4-6 months. In July, she w