They are responsible for putting together several extra editions in addition to their regular duties in the past few weeks. The effort they have put forth is extraordinary.

Since the last week in January, we have produced the Hillsboro State of the City edition, The Marion County Resource Guide, the Hesston State of the City edition and the Marion State of the City edition, which appears this week.

We have always wanted to showcase Marion in a special section and now it has come to pass. I had the opportunity to help with a few sales calls in Marion and enjoyed the time a great deal.

Let it be known that we couldn't have accomplished one single thing without the support of the many business people whom we contacted along the way.

Bethel College just celebrated ita 50th anniversary of winning its first KCAC men's basketball championship this past week. That was the first year our family lived in Hillsboro.

My dad would always take me to see the games and I still remember what a thrill it was to see that team in action. My goal at the time as a 10-year-old was to grow up and be just as good as Larry Penner and Dwayne Reusser.

This couple was sitting on bar stools at the counter of the local diner. The man looked down the way and told his wife that the older couple he saw sitting in the distance would be how they'd look in 10 years.

His wife then said she hated to tell him but it was the reflection of the both of them in a mirror.

Creative thinking is popping up all over. I just learned Tabor College now has a store online where one can buy Tabor T-shirts and mugs.

Go to www.tabor.edu and look for the online store.

The free-paper industry in this country has made some great strides in the past few years.

Now the total audited circulation of free papers is greater than all of the dailies combined. Media buyers no longer cast off free papers when making media buying decisions.

We are a part of PaperChain that lists the Free Press on its database along with thousands of other free papers with our demographics, prices, ad sizes, etc. SRDS (Standard Rate and Data Service) which only used to carry paid-paper media information now carries free papers as well. It is the media buyer's Bible.

I have been asking my wife to take a run at writing this column for me for a while but the answer is always no.

The concealed-carry bill floating around in Topeka is making me nervous. I wouldn't even trust myself with a weapon let alone others who may not be suited for it either.