July 2025

I am going to take a paragraph and introduce myself to the readers of the Tri-County Tribune. I am from the western part of Reno County, live on a small farm with my wife, 3 house cats, a pet pigeon, 2 outside dogs, a hobby herd of chickens, a horse and mule also. I was born in 1959, the same year Jimmy Dean recorded “Big Bad John”. I have always lived in the country and hope that never changes. My wife and I married in 1981 and we live on Parallel Road, hence the line for my writings. We do share many of the same views and opinions. We have 3 grown sons and 5 grandchildren. I consider Pratt County a second home as all of my working life has been here except for a year and half. My career is as a farm equipment mechanic, now we are referred to as service technicians since the complexity of ag machinery is at such a complicated state and growing more so each year. I also have a permanent address in the state of confusion.

For five long hours I had no electricity, no internet, not even a cell phone last Tuesday, on newspaper production deadline day, and it almost proved to be my undoing. A transformer had to be replaced but I wasn’t aware it would take from 7 a.m to 12 noon on the busiest day of me existence each week.