Opinion

The toms are gobbling all around. Their call is one of the most recognizable in all of nature. Whether one is a turkey hunter or not, everyone knows this familiar sound. And even though a tom turkey will gobble the entire year, he is especially vocal during the spring mating season.

From the first sing-song prayers of childhood to the fervent pleas of hurting hearts, I learned how to talk to God from examples all around me. It started as a toddler. Jesus loved me, this I knew, and I thanked Him every night. Folded hands. Scrunched eyes. Simple words repeated with an innocent heart.

By BILL HOAGLAND Spring is such a beautiful time to be alive—so many visual pleasures that together remind us again that we are all being reborn in the spring. And if you spend time outside in the spring, you know what I am talking about: first, the wild plumb trees with their delicate white flowers,…

There’s nothing like barreling down the lake in the spring or summer at 5:00 in the morning.

John was in the mood for a favorite food. He strode into the local supermarket chain and stopped cold.

I have been practicing law in Madison County, Illinois for more than 60 years. During that time, Madison County has had a nationwide reputation as a very litigious venue; one year in the 1980’s, for example, Madison County had the highest number of million dollar verdicts in the entire country.

I’m pretty bummed right now. Turkey season remains closed in my home area for another week. That’s two weeks later than it used to be just a few years ago. For some reason, I thought it had only been pushed back one week, and I was already looking forward to a pre-Easter turkey meal.

He hitches up his jeans with his thumbs. The wrinkles around his eyes deepen as he stares out the window. From his toothpick-parted lips come the words he has waited months to utter.

In case you didn’t know, Illinois has now enacted the “Clean Slate Act;” Governor Pritzker proudly signed it into law on January 16. Under the “Clean Slate Act,” all criminal records being maintained in Illinois that don’t fall into the exceptions are to be automatically permanently sealed and not available to be reviewed by the…

If one has been hunting or fishing long enough, he has a few stories that fit into the category of either questionable or unbelievable. In fact, those tales are so unbelievable that without a witness to confirm the event, most would not only question their veracity but would deny the outcome. I can quickly think…