About: Margaret Vander Weerdt

Over 225 years of patents have made our lives easier, or have they? On July 31, 1790, the first patent was granted in the United States. It was to Samuel Hopkins for a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer. The patent was signed by President George Washington. Getting a patent got off to...

It has been almost 50 years since the United States won the so-called race to put a man on the moon. President John F. Kennedy had challenged the nation. It was the mission of Apollo 11 to land two men on the moon, then return them safely to Earth. It was one of the most...

With only 17 state capitals being also the largest cities in their respective states but not necessarily offering the best quality of life, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis to determine 2017's Best State Capitals to Live in. To identify the most livable seats of state government, WalletHub’s data team compared all 50 across...

By the calendar, summer is officially here even though it has seemed like summer earlier since we’ve had temperatures near 100 this spring. Local kids have already had almost a month of summer vacation from school. It’s a glorious time of the year. Glorious isn’t a word we use much except maybe when singing at...

I think I’ve probably loved words since I learned to talk. Not that talking is or was my strong point. I’d much rather write my thoughts than try to speak them. I found that out rather clearly in college when Speech 101 was a required course for a communications major. It wasn’t my worst class...

I’ve been sent a few things that seem appropriate to share during a week with one less work day due to a holiday. The title of this is “Why, Why, Why?”

• Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are almost dead?
• Why do banks charge a fee on “insufficient...