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Editorial

Roots of political ugliness go deep

Longtime readers of The Mining Journal’s Opinion page are familiar with columnist Cal Thomas, a reliably conservative writer who has been around for a good many years. We have found that close readings of Thomas’ columns — he typically writes at least two per week and apparently never takes a day off — will reveal, to some degree at least, what Republican Party thinking is on this topic or that one. In fact, we know of some liberals who follow him for that reason alone, to get an idea what Republicans are saying behind the scenes. So, with that as a back drop, it was with a ...

Operation Ghost Rider to focus on distracted driving

While National Distracted Driving Awareness Month concludes in April, Michigan officials in May will continue to reinforce the message that staying focused behind the wheel saves lives. To protect drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike, law enforcement across the state plan to step up efforts over the next month to combat distracted driving. They are taking part in Operation Ghost Rider, an initiative aimed at reducing injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving. With an increase in handheld device use among drivers on Michigan roadways, law enforcement ...

Leonard exit from race should be cautionary tale

Many Upper Peninsula residents are only vaguely familiar with former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Leonard, who suddenly halted his campaign late last week. Of course, Leonard had some degree of name recognition going in given his time as a state representative from Clinton and Gratiot counties. He also served as speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. But he was still struggling to put himself on the front burner of Republican politics in the mostly conservative Upper Peninsula when he stepped away from the race. Why? Because, in his own words, he is weary of the ...