The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1437336
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 15, 2021 D-5 body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar," Luke 11:34 (MSG). There are only two lights our soul can fix its gaze upon. One light is Christ who is the true light, and the other is Satan who "transforms himself into an angel of light," 2Co 11:14. One light is the true light and leads to joy. The other light is fake and hides the darkness and leads to destruction. Ev- eryone must choose which light to follow. From time immemorial, humans have wanted to see God. God made this possi - ble in Jesus. John wrote, "We have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life," 1Jo 1:1. Paul tells the Philippians that Je- sus emptied himself of deity and took human form and be- came a servant. God's light took on human form. Scoff- ers point to the laws of biolo- gy and say the virgin birth is impossible. Christians believe that God, who created light, al- so creates life. The light of God began life as most humans do. His fam- ily was of meager means. Jo- seph was a carpenter; there- fore Jesus would take up the trade. He was born into pover- ty, which endears him to most citizens of the world. The baby Jesus represents Joy. On the third Sunday of Ad- vent a rose or pink candle is lit. It is called the "Shepard's Candle." It is pink because the rose is a liturgical color for joy and is meant to remind us of the joy to the world at the birth of Jesus. The angels told the shepherds they brought them tidings of great joy that would be for everyone. The light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is Joy! The Magi from the east saw a light, a supernatural event in the heavens above. Perhaps this occurred at the moment the angels appeared to the shepherds and the "glory of God" shined all around them. The psalmist declares the heavens sing God's praises; "The heavens declare the glo- ry of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork," Ps 19:1. The Magi understood what the heavens were sing- ing and traveled to Jerusa- lem to see the King; "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him," Mt 2:2. Jesus told Nicodemus that they who walk in darkness hate the light because they do evil things and love darkness instead of light. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life," John 8:12. As you celebrate Christmas, give thanks to God who gave you light to walk by so you will not walk in darkness. "For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," 2Co 4:6. Amen and Merry Christ- mas. cause, over many years, our courts and unelected judg- es have undermined and changed understanding of our Constitution that was original- ly written "to secure the bless- ings of liberty." Now, of course, government looms large everywhere. Em- ployers are told who they can hire and how they must speak and relate to their employees. No, I am sorry, Mr. Biden. America should be promot- ing liberty, not government. Our confusion and duplicity will be there for all the world to see. Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show "Cure America with Star Parker." than open. All for "pub- think: dangerous. tourists wait- my of- disgust- line laughed bath- pingpong, ... all bath- bath- flowers classi- from 37 was was Bie- city the business- like along and think Bie- crime Bryant dark with Cof- They object about cur- have are emo- fills activities — lots va- with says, and take the peo- and penny. says increased sur- mil- this? " responds. by a work managing dan- graffiti. prop- much mainte- depart- drums ... says ug- public? " cans. often. cares," parks in Park in Dal- while taxpay- things, and is videos that spent $2 million on its bath- room. The Parks Commis- sioner claimed $2 million was "a good deal." "But you can buy whole houses in that neighborhood for less than what you spent on this bathroom," I said. "These are very, very du- rable materials," he replied. Give me a break. Bryant Park's nicer bathroom uses similar durable materials. But it cost much, much less. Whenever possible, let the private sector do it. John Stossel is creator of Stossel TV and author of "Give Me a Break: How I Ex- posed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media." are hurt the most. It's no surprise, then, that countries with fewer trade re- strictions are more prosper- ous than those that restrict trade. According to the Her- itage Foundation's latest an- nual Index of Economic Free- dom, the United States isn't even in the top 10 freest econ- omies in the world. In fact, at number 20, there's a lot of room for improvement if the Biden administration is looking for something use- ful to do. To be fair, at the recent G20 summit, the U.S. pres- ident announced plans to ease tariffs on steel and alu- minum coming from the Eu- ropean Union. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo expressed confidence that the move will ease supply chain pressures, drive down cost increases, and be bene- ficial for American manufac- turers who use these materi- als in their products. The move is also expected to ease some tension on the strained trans-Atlantic rela- tionship between the U.S. and the EU nations. But what about the relationship with Canada? And what about cost relief for millions of Ameri- can homebuyers? The lum- ber tariff increases will hit American consumers hard, as lumber costs today remain nearly double what they were pre-pandemic. President Biden has com- mitted to trade policies that protect and empower Amer- ican workers. Well, in 2019, more than 4.4 million Amer- icans made their living in residential construction. These jobs—and the dream of homeownership for ma- ny Americans—are direct- ly attacked by import duties. Moreover, as a recent Wall Street Journal editorial not- ed, this type of measure flies in the face of the Biden ad- ministration's expressed de- sire to fight inflation. Canada and the U.S. re- main strong allies and cru- cial trading partners in our uncertain world. In 2019, Canada was the third-larg- est exporter of goods to the U.S. and the second-larg- est supplier of agricultural products. And it goes both ways—Canada is also the second-largest export mar- ket for American agricultur- al products. The Biden administration should roll back tariffs on softwood lumber from Can- ada as it has done with steel and aluminum. There are enough economic and trade troubles in the world today. The mutually beneficial Can- ada-U.S. relationship should not become one of them. Michel Kelly-Gagnon is President and CEO of the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI). Court Report FELONY Pike County Circuit Court Jesse K. Kinman charged with count I domestic battery committed in the pres- ence of a child less than 16 years old, a level 6 felony, and count II possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony. Christina Goodrich charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent, a lev- el 6 felony, count III possession of a con- trolled substance and count IV posses- sion of paraphernalia. David Goodrich charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent, a lev- el 6 felony, count III possession of a con- trolled substance and count IV posses- sion of paraphernalia. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANORS Pike County Circuit Court Nicholas Lee Rothrock charged with operating a vehicle with an ACE of .15 or more. Jesus Tamayo Hernandez charged with count I operating a vehicle with an ACE of .15 or more and count II knowingly or intentionally operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license. Leo G. Geheb charged with possession of marijuana. Tiffany M. Sexton charged with count I operating a vehicle while intoxicated and count II resisting law enforcement. CIVIL Pike County Circuit Court Midland Credit Management, Inc. sues Daniell Davis on complaint. SMALL CLAIMS Pike County Circuit Court Hoosier Accounts Service sues Mi- chael Shane Gilbert on complaint. Hoosier Accounts Service sues Tasha M. Cato on complaint. Hoosier Accounts Service sues Justin D. Braunecker on complaint. Hoosier Accounts Service sues Heath- er L. McCarty on complaint. Hoosier Accounts Service sues Blake M. Clements on complaint. INFRACTIONS Pike County Circuit Court Deanna J. Cremeans charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Laura N. Bennett charged with operat- ing a Class B motor driven cycle without proper license/endorsement. Luke R. Hopf charged with speeding, exceeding 55 mph. Noah E. Martin II charged with count I speeding, count II operating with ex- pired plates and count III driving while suspended. Nathanael Addison Fittro charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Anthony J. Merkley charged with speeding, exceeding 55 mph. Ron S. Washington charged with count I no valid driver's license and count II speeding, exceeding 55 mph. Katie Michelle Jackson charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Isaac L. Uebelhor charged with speed- ing. Cassie S. Ennis charged with speed- ing, exceeding 55 mph. Kristi E. Kingsley charged with speed- ing, exceeding 55 mph. Kole J. Williams charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Jean C. Jorelus charged with speeding, exceeding 55 mph. Jack Patrick Flanigan charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Ezekiel A. Powell charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Trystan A. Steinhart charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Hannah M. Cooke charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Mariano Chontal Cobix charged with speeding. Tonia F. Weisheit charged with speed- ing, exceeding 55 mph. Colton A. Rainey charged with driving while suspended. Paulo Garcia II charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Suraj S. Bokil charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Kyle J. Woods charged with disregard- ing a stop sign. Jodi D. Lytle charged with speeding, exceeding 55 mph. Danny L. Beavin charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Craig R. McPike charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Randall J. Harris, Jr. charged with dis- tracted driving. Shelby R. Carter charged with speed- ing, exceeding 55 mph. Robyn L. Weyer charged with distract- ed driving. PARK Continued from page 4 LIBERTY Continued from page 4 LUMBER Continued from page 4 Dear Rusty: I would like some ad- vice concerning Social Security. In Jan- uary I will be 62.5 years old. I was laid off two years ago and have not had a steady income since (though I still have bills to pay). I also did not qualify for unemploy- ment. Therefore, what little I had for "retirement" is now gone. For this reason, I have been seriously considering applying for Social Securi- ty as soon as I'm able. I re- member reading something that said I should begin the "paperwork" three months ahead of time. I'd like to be- gin that process, but don't know where to begin. Could you guide me to the right place? Signed: Ready to Claim Benefits. Dear Ready to Claim: Sorry to hear of your loss of employment and your cur- rent financial struggle, but the Social Se- curity benefits you earned from a lifetime of working are there for you. Here's what you need to know about applying for So- cial Security: Since you are already 62 years of age, you can apply for your Social Security at any time now. The process is fairly sim- ple, especially if you apply online, which you can do at www.ssa.gov. Just click on the "Retirement" icon and you'll see a link to the online application. You simply fill out the application, save it if you need more time to work on it, and later when you're done submit it on- line to Social Security. Be- fore you do that, however, you'll need to create your personal "my Social Securi- ty" online account, which is easy to do at www.ssa.gov/ myaccount. Once you have your online account set up you can fill out and submit the online application. Of course, you can also apply via telephone by calling either the national Social Security service cen- ter at 1.800.772.1213 or your local Social Security office to make an appointment to apply but applying online at www.ssa. gov is by far the most efficient way. You can apply for your SS benefits up to four months before the month you wish your payments to start. On the applica- tion you will tell them which month you want your benefits to begin so you can apply before you want to start benefits. Since you're applying before your full re- tirement age of 66 years and 10 months, there are a couple of things to keep in mind: • By claiming at age 62 ½ your benefit amount will be permanently reduced by about 29 percent. You only get your full benefits if you wait to claim until your full retirement age (FR A) which for you is 66 years and 10 months; claiming any earli- er means a permanently reduced benefit. • If you claim before your FR A and you return to work, you'll be subject to an "earnings test" which limits how much you can earn from working while collect- ing early SS benefits. The 2022 earnings limit is $19,560 and if that is exceeded SS will take back $1 for every $2 you are over the limit (half of what you exceed the lim- it by). The earnings limit will apply until you reach your full retirement age, and the allowable earnings are more in the year you reach FR A. Applying online for Social Security benefits is a reasonably easy process, and if you have even moderate comput- er skills you shouldn't be intimidated by the thought. But if you are, simply call So- cial Security and request an appointment to apply. They will walk you through the application process. To submit a question, visit website (amacfoundation.org/programs/so- cial-security-advisory) or email ssadvi- sor@amacfoundation.org. How do I apply for Social Security benefits? Social Security Matters By Rusty Gloor rewards credit card. Liberals in Congress may seize upon the "reverse Rob- in Hood" narrative to enact price controls on credit card fees before. That has been tried before, and those con- trols haven't worked to low- er prices for anyone. As part of the Dodd-Frank Act boondoggle, Durbin suc- cessfully attached an amend- ment that placed price con- trols on debit card trans- actions. At the time, many, including Durbin and mer- chants, argued that the price caps would result in retailers lowering prices. Unsurprisingly, Durbin was wrong. The Federal Re- serve Bank of Richmond found that 77% of merchants kept prices the same, and 22 % actually increased costs after the price controls went into effect. Other studies have shown that these regulations re- sulted in consumers losing access to free checking ac- counts, and the number of people without a bank ac- count increased by about 1 million. According to a Bos- ton University study, the loss of free checking accounts costs low-income customers about $160 per year. The policy goal in Con- gress should be to make it easier for everyone — rich and poor — to have access to credit and reward cards if they want to participate. This new assault on the plastic card in your wallet would achieve the opposite result. And that would cre- ate a real reverse Robin Hood effect. Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at FreedomWorks. He is also a co-founder of the Com- mittee to Unleash Prosperity and a Washington Examiner columnist. CREDIT CARD Continued from page 4 CONCEPTS Continued from page 4