Columnists - The Journal

The devil and pawn

The renowned French opera composer François-André Danican Philidor produced over 20 operas in the mid to late 18th century. He was also the world’s best chess player during this period. A ch...

DATE: Jun 2, 2025 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner

Lake Nighthorse has plenty of new improvements

Try some ‘podcasting’ to catch some stocked trout

DATE: Jun 1, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

House reconciliation’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ contains some good, bad and ugly

On May 22, the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, otherwise known as the Budget Reconciliation Act, with a vote of 215 to 214 with 1 “present” vote. The heart of the...

DATE: May 30, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

A look back at the week June 2-8

The following is a recap of local events for this time period throughout history. 25 years ago (2000) A local teenager will head to the nation’s capital in September to discuss ways to preve...

DATE: May 29, 2025 | CATEGORY: This Week In Local History

Avoid the speech you’ll regret. Ask, listen, learn.

By the time you’re reading this, the Roman Catholic Church has had a new Pope for some weeks now. What a spectacle it was. The whole world seemed to watch with bated breath – whatever that m...

DATE: May 27, 2025 | CATEGORY: Lessons from the Sandbox

Look this way

In the Battle of Cannae (216 B.C.), the Carthaginian General Hannibal deflected the Romans toward the center and then flanked the Romans from behind, encircling the Romans with a devastating...

DATE: May 22, 2025 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner

For waste and inefficiency, you really can’t beat corn ethanol

Corn ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, has been burned in gasoline engines and human stomachs since before Henry Ford was born. It’s hard on both, so until 35 years ago it never caught o...

DATE: May 21, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Cut a rug

DIAG 1 On the chess board, the bishop pair is like the legendary dancing pair Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers. Together, the bishops can dance across the floor and deliver checkmate with ...

DATE: May 18, 2025 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner

2025 legislative wrap-up: Lower health care costs, lodgers tax, rural hospital and education support

The legislative session wrapped up this past Wednesday after weeks of long days on the House floor. Four of my bills passed this year with bipartisan support, and I also picked up three more...

DATE: May 16, 2025 | CATEGORY: Guest Columns

The best medicine

DIAG 1 Penicillin was discovered because a petri dish was unchecked over the summer of 1928. With this hint in mind please try to find white’s best move. In this week’s position, white ...

DATE: May 13, 2025 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner

Rep. Hurd fights to protect national forests, advances bill to fix them before they burn again

Our forests are burning. And Washington can’t keep standing by, stuck in process and politics, while homes go up in smoke. Over the past decade, we’ve watched catastrophic wildfires sweep ac...

DATE: May 7, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

A theater of romance

White to move and win The chess board is a theater of romance and seduction. When a knight flashes both its right angles, linear-minded rooks are lured into a natural checkmating position. T...

DATE: May 5, 2025 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner