The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1458183
My So Called Millennial Life By Stephanie Hayes Beware the celebrity cringe posts The world is in a crisis as Russia at- tacks Ukraine. It's heartbreaking to watch people flee amid explosions and violence. And it's normal to feel helpless and drawn to say something, anything, to show we care. That, unfortunately, brings us to ce- lebrities. Take that feeling of unease and multiply it a thousandfold, and you will know the insatiable urge of Celebrity Sharing. Whenever a major geopolitical event unfolds, famous people can't stay away from the enormous cringe post le- ver locked behind glass. Celebrities will be all, "Look, over there! A spider! " And the people hired to stop them from do- ing anything regrettable will be distract- ed while the star breaks the glass with a vape pen from a T-Mobile party swag bag. There's a difference between genuine celebrity activism, people with platforms pointing followers to vetted resources, and cringe posts. The latter is akin to walking into a knife fight and throw- ing glitter. It reminds me of the time a friend and I sprayed our dead insect sci- ence project with Bath and Body Works Sun-Ripened Raspberry Body Splash, just to lessen the stench. There! Fixed it! Must we recall the Imagine video? At the outset of the COVID-19 pandem- ic, Gal Gadot spearheaded virtual kara- oke to John Lennon's most optimistic tune, looping in Natalie Portman, Jim- my Fallon, Zoe Kravitz and lots more to sing painfully out of tune lines in self- ie mode. Rich people crooning about liv- ing as one while frontline workers and ev- eryday people were gripped by fear and death? Awkward! For this disaster, we got Bravo emi- nence, Andy Cohen, who of- ten manages to be charm- ing and cringe-resistant, even when drunk on live television. However, we all fall down. As violence erupt- ed in Ukraine, he shared a Wordle screen via Insta- gram stories featuring the word PEACE. Andy! Do not bring Word- le into the world ... le! The populous has agreed that Wordle is a place to retreat amid the incomprehensible, be it global affairs or the fact that a work deadline is looming and we have not even opened the file. Wordle is not for diplomacy. Wordle is to S -T-A-L -L. Wordle is to W-A-S -T-E T-I-M-E... um... T-O-M... T-A-Y-E... ugh, anyway. Next on our tour is wrestler-turned-ac- tor John Cena, who plays a comic book character called Peacemaker in "Sui- cide Squad" and on a self-titled HBO show. Thursday, he tweeted: "If I could somehow summon the powers of a real life #Peacemaker I think this would be a great time to do so." Ah, the grand tradition of celebrities thinking they could achieve world peace, if only they, or their Spandex-clad alter egos had the chance. It segues nicely in- to the theories of AnnaLynne McCord. She is from "Nip/Tuck" and the "90210" reboot. She was also in a movie titled... wait for it... "Tone-Deaf." In reaction to the Russian invasion, she filmed herself reading original po- etry. To wit: "Dear President Vladimir Putin, I'm so sorry that I was not your mother. If I was your mother, you would have been so loved. Held in the arms of joyous light. Never would this story's plight. The world un- furled before our eyes. A pure demise of a nation sitting peaceful under a night sky." Firstly, what's it like to sit around and think about being Vladimir Putin's mother? That's honestly not some- thing I have ever thought about being. Secondly, this reminds me of a deranged college ethics class question about being Hitler's mother. Why do mothers always have to be the ones responsible for saving the world from autocratic tyrants? Where are the dads!? Thirdly, I publicly admit to having composed bad wartime poetry. I was 18 on Sept. 11, 2001. There was no getting around it. I was in a glass case of emotion, and the only saving grace for me as I sit here today is that no one knew who I was. It is fine to linger by candlelight and re- flect poetically in a journal, but it is also fine to gently close the journal, shelve it, and call your representatives to encour- age continued sanctions. The process is not pretty, but it's better than body spray on bugs. Stephanie Hayes is a columnist at the Tampa Bay Times in Florida. Follow her at @ stephhayes on Twitter or @ stephrhayes on Instagram. Taia Hinton New esthetician at Solutions Taia Hinton has recent- ly joined the staff at Solu- tions Hair Studio in Peters- burg. She is a licensed es- thetician, specializing in fa- cials, partial and full-body waxing, lash extensions and microdermabrasion. Taia is a Pike Central High School graduate and a graduate of The Salon Pro- fessional Academy of Evans- ville. She is a resident of Winslow. Taia is available on Tues- days, Thursdays and Satur- days and by appointment. Solutions Hair Studio is located at 709 Main, Pe- tersburg. By Alex Mahrenholz Agriculture & Natural Resources/ 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator amahrenh@purdue.edu The pandemic has changed a lot of things, but one thing Americans con- tinue to enjoy is one of the world's most abundant and safe food supplies. While prices fluctuate, and in some cases, skyrocket, the United States has seen food prices remain relatively stable in re- tail markets. In 2020, Amer- ican consumers spent an av- erage of 8.6 percent of their disposable personal income on food. The COVID-19 pan- demic resulted in the sharp- est annual decline in the share of disposable income spent on total food since US - DA began tracking these ex- penditures. In part, this de- cline was the result of the largest annual increase in disposable personal income since 2000 and the sharpest decrease in food-away-from- home spending. To keep up with growing demand and a growing pop- ulation, agricultural pro- duction of the globe's four primary crops, corn, rice, wheat, and sugar cane, has increased by approximate- ly 50 percent since the ear- ly 2000s. New technology, crop-protection tools, genet- ically modified crops, and regenerative soil initiatives have helped American farm- ers meet these production needs. One vital tool that has been utilized for decades, but is commonly forgotten, is ni- trogen fertilizer. The devel- oped world has enjoyed easy access to nitrogen for many decades, but that's about to change. While food prices have remained stable, agricul- tural fertilizer prices have most certainly not. Anhy- drous ammonia is averaging $1,412.88 per ton, and urea around $ 889 per ton, with the likely possibility of continued increases as we continue into the spring season. 2022 will mark the first year in most active farmer's careers that they will be reducing their re- liance on fertilizer. The risk of a reduced harvest has the potential to impact the glob- al food supply. Less money means less product and less fertilizer means lesser food production, almost any farm- er would say so. The demand for food is ris- ing with every infant born and the population requires year-on-year record harvests to continue feeding the world as farmers have always done. See the issue here? This ex- periment farmers are unwill- ingly conducting has almost a certain outcome ahead. Even with opportunities to make up for the less than fa- vorable conditions this eco- nomic environment will pro- vide to our agricultural one, crops will likely face declines in yield. Farmers will pre- sumably try to take advan- tage of precision techniques and various cropping ap- proaches to encourage max- imum yield potentials, which could prove to be positive for non-traditional and conserva- tion-minded farming practic- es in the future. However, the end result of a lesser yield for a growing population re- mains. The process and results of this high-stakes experi- ment are undeniably impend- ing and will be experienced worldwide. Preparing for the worst is more important now than ever, because if we fail to prepare now, everyone will lose out on more than nitro- gen prices or yields. Every- one in the food supply chain from farmers to each person with a dinner plate, and espe- cially those with low incomes who depend on the abundant food supply more than any- one else will be forced to make choices that will less- en their quality of life. A dif- ficult year lies ahead, but famed agriculturist Benja- min Franklin's words still hold true, "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail." The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, March 9, 2022 D-5 the his invasion cru- remains not Ukraine, but us Today, coun- 30,000 home. own Amer- direct things Trump back we didn't we fi- governance at for. final- wrong. vac- assured re- fed- man- employees. freedom non- freedom Supreme endless Dis- main- ab- con- bu- because both mon - hap- check,' American $1,400 money of gift; Washing- handed Claus. stop na- unsustain- can reckless worse. my inflation. mis- irre- depart- De- Agriculture. 100,000 farmers Washing- know Department of even respon - gov- my De- just bureau- and what keep us our what I Ar- what- nonsense. will you TV How I Scam the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Upcoming global food experiment Purdue Extension News Court Report CRIMINAL DOCKET Pike Circuit Court Robert Beach charged with count I op- erating a vehicle after being a habitual traffic offencer, a level 6 felony; count II operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a class C misdemeanor. Shandell C. Nelson charged with count I maintaining a common nuisance (con- trolled substance), a level 6 felony; count II possession of meth less than 5 grams, a level 6 felony. Levi Russell Nelson charged with count I maintaining a common nuisance (controlled substance), a level 6 felony; count II possession of meth less than 5 grams, a level 6 felony. Robert Tinsley charged with count I strangulation, level 6 felony and count II domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANOR Pike Circuit Court Matthew Arnsperger charged with possession of marijuana, a class B mis- demeanor. Robert Wayne DeWeese charged with visiting a common nuisance (controlled substance). Lulu JB Lopez charged with posses- sion of marijuana, a class B misdemean- or. Terry D. Clayton charged with posses- sion of marijuana, a class B misdemean- or. Matthew A. Batson charged with pos- session of paraphernalia, a class C mis- demeanor. Brady Downey charged with minor consuming alcohol, a class C misde- meanor. Deandre Flowers charged with mi- nor consuming alcohol, a class C misde- meanor. Delissa Mayoni Ragland charged with possession of marijuana, a class B mis- demeanor. Benjamin Cory Mason charged with count I possession of marijuana, a class B misdemeanor and count II possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor. CIVIL DOCKET Pike Circuit Court In re: Dissolution marriage of Jeffrey Ronald Davis and Chrystale Marie Davis. In re: Dissolution marriage of Kacy Tharp and Travis Tharp. In re: Dissolution marriage of Kelsey Watson and Gregory A. Watson. CAVALRY SPV I LLC sues Jacob Mor- ton for collection. OneMain Financial Group LLC sues Craig Cook for collection. LVNV Funding LLC sues Donna Roth for collection. Cavalary SPVI LLC sues Andrew Hick- man for collection. In re: name change of Bailey Rachelle Jones. SMALL CLAIMS Pike Circuit Court Hoosier Accounts Service sues Zach- ary R. Cato on complaint. INFRACTIONS Pike Circuit Court Malinda King Anthony charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Amanda R. Lavalle speeding in a school zone. Kyle Dale Kammers charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Ted T. Kaufmann charged with speed- ing in a 55 mph zone. Jamison J. Manca charged with unlaw- ful purchase of tobacco. Grace Madeline Williams charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Albert J. Umbach III charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Austin Michael Wardwell charged with failure to change lanes for authorized emergency vehicle. Jeffrey R. Adams charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. David M. Lipman charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Kate M. Hamblin charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Brianna R. Reeves charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Elizabath Truelove charged with speeding in a 30 mph zone. Aaron R. Watson charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Bret A. Bass charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Laura A. Miller charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Ulises Luque-Gomez charged with speeding in a 30 mph zone. Sandrea E. Schimer charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Laura A. Johnston charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Gabriel J. Glover charged with speed- ing. Karla S. Magana charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Rayyan M. Khan charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. William L. Cody charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Abigail B. Fisher charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Alfonso D. Greene charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Cydney M. Evans charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Benjamin J. Brandenberger charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Alexandra A. Gipson charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Laura A. Hunsucker charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Hanna L. Nasstrom charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Teresa M. Garcia charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Destiny L. Graham charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Justin M. Koremlink charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Daniel W. Theus charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Marvin F. Juan charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Justice D. Phipps charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Raeghan Miller charged with speed- ing in a 70 mph zone. Christian Mora charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Maraya A. Brodie charged with speed- ing. Carol Johnson charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Dominc R. Burkhart charged with speeding in a 55 mph zone. Sarita Ardila Ramirez charged with speeding. Gracie M. Jones charged with speed- ing in a 55 mph zone. Paula M. Cane charged with speeding in a 70 mph zone. Yasmany Alverez Corvea charged with speeding. Chandler M. Corn charged with speed- ing in a 55 mph zone. Storm M. Weisling charged with speeding in a 55 mph zone. Dear Rusty: I just turned 64 and now get stuff about Medicare and Medigap and so on. I really don't know how to re- tire when it's time. What should I do? What am I looking for? Am I eligible for anything as of now? I'm so confused about all this, that I don't even know if I can retire when it's time. Maybe I should just continue working so I don't have to try to figure this out. Signed: Confused. Dear Confused: Deciding when to re- tire from work is usually a difficult deci- sion for everyone, so don't feel alone as you struggle with deciding what's best for you personally. I'll try to provide some insight into what you should be looking at now, at age 64: The reason you're now getting all that unsolicited information about Medi- care and "Medigap" is because you're approaching the magic age of 65, when you first become eligible for those se- nior healthcare services. But if you are still working and now have "creditable" healthcare coverage from your employ- er, you don't need to enroll in any Medi- care plan until your employer coverage ends (If your employer healthcare cover- age is a group plan with at least 20 partic- ipants, that coverage is "creditable"). So, if you plan to continue working and have creditable healthcare cover- age, you can simply ignore all those healthcare solicita- tions. You don't need to wor- ry about enrolling in Medi- care until your creditable employer coverage ends, at which point you will be able to enroll in a Medicare pro- gram without incurring a late enrollment penalty. You also do not need to apply for Social Security now (or at age 65) - you can wait until you retire from working full time to ap- ply for Social Security. In fact, you prob- ably should wait until you fully retire from working to claim Social Security, because at age 64 (or 65) you will be sub- ject to Social Security's "earnings test" if you claim SS benefits. The earnings test limits how much you can earn be- fore Social Security takes away some of your benefits and, if your earnings are high enough, it could even disqualify you from getting SS benefits while you are still working. Social Security's earn- ings test applies until you reach your full retirement age, which is 66 years and 6 months. If you claim Social Security before that and ex- ceed the annual earnings limit ($19,560 for 2022), SS will take away benefits equal to $1 for every $2 you are over the limit. So, if you're working full time and plan to continue that, waiting to apply for Social Securi - ty would be prudent. Delay- ing Social Security would al- so mean a higher benefit when you lat- er claim because your benefit will grow for as long as you delay (up to age 70). And although you will become eligible for Medicare when you turn 65, if you're still working and have creditable health- care coverage from your employer at that time, you can defer enrolling in Medicare until your employer coverage ends. To submit a question, visit website (amacfoundation.org/programs/so- cial-security-advisory) or email ssadvi- sor@amacfoundation.org. I'm confused about taking Medicare and Social Security Social Security Matters By Rusty Gloor Signed letters must be received by noon on Monday