Varda

The knock on the door seemed frantic, so I quickly put down my book and dashed to the door. I asked who it was and got four words in return: “Rock Island police, sir.”
Through the window I see two officers, both baby-faced and looking less than happy to be standing in the rain. A bit [...]

Looking ahead 35 years

Assuming his conviction and sentence survive the appeal process, Raymond Stinde and I will be 59 years old when he is released from prison.
Stinde, who is exactly two months and 18 days younger than me, was sentenced to 35 years in prison today for his role in a September, 2008 murder.
Being a police/courts reporter, I [...]

Signs of change

I got a haircut yesterday. Not just a trim. I didn’t just get my normally-shaggy hair neatened up a bit. Oh no. That’s too easy. I got a chop. As in electric clippers instead of scissors and piles of hair on the ground.
It felt really good to get the haircut. In reality, it was a [...]