Make no doubt about it, LSU deserved to win the women’s college basketball championship Sunday afternoon. The team shot lights out. I mean c’mon, they banked in an off-balance 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer. It was just their time.

Windy Wilson dropped anchor at the philosophy counter just about the time we’d finished the hash browns with chile on the side. Red this time. Windy looked terrible.

“What’s wrong, Windy?”

“These here folks today …” he said. And we gulped a bit when we hear a sentence begun that way. “Folks today …” he sounded resigned, “they don’t ever try to unnerstand folks who ain’t perzackly like them. And people who have a leetle handiclap? Fergit it!”

In 2019, the United States became energy independent for the first time in 62 years — a major milestone for our nation’s energy and national security. That same year, according to the Energy Information Administration, the price of a gallon of gasoline averaged $2.60 nationwide and just $2.49 in the Midwest while household electricity bills averaged $115 for American families.

Keep your favorite herbs within easy reach for cooking and seasoning by growing them in containers. A few pots set by your door and grill or on the patio, deck or balcony make it easy to include some homegrown flavor.

Start by growing those herbs you like to use for seasoning food and beverages, making pesto or preserving. Include some with fragrance for a bit of aromatherapy or for your craft projects.

Spring is here! Our office has begun our spring programs, camps, livestock weigh-ins and tagging, and poultry orders. One of my favorite days every year is when we receive baby chicks because it is so much fun to watch the 4-H members pick out their favorites for the Clay County Fair. I also enjoy talking to the gardeners that come in to get applications for the Spencer Community Gardens.

In early March, Enterprise Media conducted an unscientific poll on its websites for the Spencer Reporter, the Dickinson County News in Spirit Lake and the Kossuth County Advance in Algona. People were asked to select one of several options to answer the following question: What do you say about the U.S. and the situation in Ukraine?

The acclaim for Iowa Hawkeye ballplayer and Naysmith Award winner Caitlin Clark is far-and-wide. Hoop All-Stars Magic Johnson and Steph Curry have both heaped praise on the shooting star and ESPN noted that the Iowa Elite 8 matchup against Louisville outpaced any NBA offering to this point in the season.

• Editor's Note: This writing refers to two pieces of legislation recently supported and signed into law by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Senate File 538 prohibits medical personnel from providing gender-altering treatment for minors even if they have their parents’ permission. Senate File 482 requires transgender youth to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their biology at birth, providing separate facilities only with parents’ permission.

A 103-year-old Catholic nun who serves as the chaplain for the Loyola Ramblers basketball team may not be on your radar as a person of note. Sister Jean has been a big Loyola University fan for decades. She's also a published author having recently penned "Wake Up With Purpose,” a motivational and inspirational tome that aims to enhance one's spiritual life.

By now, fans of the “Scream” series know what to expect. Ghost Face (voiced again by Roger L.Jackson) stalks around, making random phone calls, then striking — traditionally against a group of unsuspecting teens and young adults. The movie series follows tongue-and-cheek traditional horror film themes which at least one of the cast generally seems to have a great knowledge of.

Some time ago I was “worry-praying.” What that is, is when the topic of my prayer is packed with descriptions of all that I think is going wrong and not much else. Prayer can be a peaceful thing but when I pay attention to the state of my mind when I worry-pray, I’m not getting more peaceful, I’m getting more upset. My focus is on the problem and not on who God really is to me.

The media has gone to great lengths to ensure that everyone knows about the impending decline in cattle numbers and subsequent expected drop in beef production. Is the material herd liquidation a good thing or a bad thing? I am going to be a contrarian here and say that it is the latter. The futures market is attempting to price in this historical decline in cattle numbers. Feeder cattle futures have soared to levels that will be problematic for the feeding industry.

Sure are hearing lots of rumors about “big” money going to farmers selling out to the pipelines. The number I am hearing might be enough to pay off some credit card bills and put money down on a new combine.

The massive United States economy has been at the center of world finance for a lifetime. But the economy, and the international system based on it cannot last forever. Anyone willing to face the reality of America’s impossibly enormous debt can see that this is an economy that is gravely sick. Other nations recognize this and seek to protect themselves and are thus, taking advantage.

The "editor" of a blog called the Iowa Standard recently visited us here in Spencer. He apparently is upset with our state representative, Megan Jones, over her lack of support for a plethora of homophobic bills recently introduced in the Statehouse. There have also been a number of columns on the Daily Reporter editorial page expressing support for actions at the Statehouse supposedly designed to "protect the little children" from books and people who dress differently.