Hart of the Matter

TODAY IS MY final day at The Herald-Whig. I can’t believe 16 years have flown by, 24 years overall in the business.

I am leaving on my own accord and will miss it here, but it’s time to do something different. I believe parachutes are overrated. I will land on my feet in Quincy and have no plans to leave town.

I am eternally grateful to Quincy Newspapers Inc. This is a great place to work, and the people here are top-notch. My boss, Don Crim, deserves a medal for putting up with all my dumb mistakes and bad habits.

We have a good mix of people who have been here a long time and new blood. Don O’Brien is taking over the crime and courts beat and will do a great job.

I have worked with amazing and talented people at the Adams County Courthouse, in law enforcement and in public safety. I have learned a lot and am better for the experience.

God bless!

STEVIE DIRT AND I break down why we love college football in this week’s edition of The Perfect 10.

It’s my last Perfect 10 as a staff writer here at The Whig. Never count out an occasional guest appearance, however.

Go Blue!

Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois

WOW. NOT THAT the good people of Oklahoma are backward or anything, or lack class. Click here for the CNN story about a youngster told he couldn’t wear his Michigan shirt to his kindergarten class.

Glad the H-W newsroom doesn’t have this idiotic policy.

HERE’S CHLOE AND her buddy Carlie, who hang out at Schuecking’s in downtown Quincy and have quite a story. Click here for my column today about a resilient canine, and a charming pet-friendly business. Thanks to Jennie Frank for sending the photo.

An old dog learning new tricks? Really?

Really!

EVER HAVE TROUBLE getting in tune? Sometimes it’s the fine line you have to tread, to get it just right.

Also, this is just an excuse to put my favorite guitar player from the best band ever on a blog. Now THAT gets me in tune with the straight and narrow.

IT’S TOUGH TO compete with the weight of the your country on your shoulders, but I did my best for this week’s Perfect 10 video.

Beauty way to go, eh. Also, I need to work on my tan. GUH.

Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois

FORMER QUINCY POLICE Chief Charles Gruber was the subject of a lengthy Chicago Tribune story last week. Gruber was chief here in the 1980s, and the story dealt with a family member who died after an incident in the Lake County Jail last year. Gruber is now a consultant and lives in St. Charles, Ill.

Click here for the story. Registration is free but required.

YOU CAN’T MAKE it up. Four doubles badminton teams were disqualified from the Olympics for trying to lose on purpose. Click here for more.

Any story that has this sentence is worth reading – “Wang and Yu eventually got what they wanted by losing.”

The last time I saw this much sandbagging, I was playing golf with the boss in a scramble that was flighted after the first round.

Yeesh.

SO I’M WORKING tonight at The Whig and Olympic diving is on the tube, and it’s kind of like a car crash scene — you can’t help but look.

Steve Eighinger and I went out to Sheridan Swim Club today and filmed our latest Perfect 10 video. I won’t let the cat out of the bag, but let’s just say there was an Olympic gold medal-winning dive involved. And it wasn’t by Steve.

Really, any dive pales in comparison to this one. But they sure try hard.

PHEW! MONDAY IS recovery day after an awesome weekend of Music.

The huge Forever reunion show at Johnny Bang Bang’s was a massive success Saturday night. Hats off to Groove Stick and The Green Almighty, as well. In fact, the Green Almighty is my newest favorite band, some serious rock and roll art involved with Quincy native Ray Burke and his guys from California.

Oklahoma ended a great run at the Quincy Community Theatre. Check out the column about young Dylan Bainter, one of the dancers, here.

Sunday night was the Texaco Country Showdown at the Adams County Fair. Congrats to Jonathan Brown of Quincy for winning, I’ll have much more in my Tuesday column.

And, as always, check out The Local Q for upcoming events.