Wednesday, May 22, 2013
If you've got wit, add your caption to Patch's weekly comic challenge and win a personalized print.
Are you blessed with insight and good humor? Or just bored today? Share your wit with your neighbors by entering Patch's comic caption challenge. Just add your dialogue for today's comic in the comment section of this post. Our only requirement is that you keep it clean! At week's end, we'll pick the winning punchline based on how many of us here at Patch giggle and smile at your contribution. The user who produces the winning punchline will get a personalized proof of the comic, with the winning words and a credit line, from cartoonist Chuck Ingwersen and Patch. Congratulations to Mary DeKlerk, who provided the winning punchline to last week's UFO cartoon: Clyde, I think your relatives have arrived ...
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Donating money to organizations that help victims is quick and easy.
Americans across the country are reacting with shock to the devastation caused by a 2-mile wide Tornado in Oklahoma. Dozens have died, and President Obama has declared the path of the tornado a major disaster area. If you would like to help, you can do so from your computer or mobile device right now. Patch will be posting stories of locals who are working to help victims from afar. If you know of someone local was affected by the tornado or who is working to help the victims, please contact your local editor.
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends reducing the limit. Some say it would save lives. Others say it's unreasonable.
One drink could be the standard for drunken driving—at least for some people if the National Transportation Safety Board has its way. On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended states lower the blood-alcohol threshold for driving under the influence from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent. About 10,000 deaths a year are related to drunken driving. The NTSB says the lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives a year. Officials at the American Beverage Institute called the proposal "ludicrous." It said the average woman could reach the 0.05 percent limit by having one drink. We reached out to readers of our Tri-Cities sites and asked them: Should the DUI limit be lowered to 0.05 percent? Here’s some of the responses we got: Tracy Ryder: “How many less sips is …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Peanuts, beer, hotdogs and summer sun — it's baseball season in Illinois and we want to hear all about the our Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles high school teams, the Kane County Cougars and of course the Cubs and the Sox!
Calling all sports fanatics, Patch wants you! Are you passionate about the Kane County Cougars? How about the Cubs or Sox? Are you wild about Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles high school baseball or softball? A local league? Attend every Little League game? Then we want hear all about it! Part of the Patch mission is to strengthen communities and improve the lives of their residents, but we can't do it without you. Our Local Voices section allows members of the community — from cooking enthusiasts to local politicians and everyone in between—to interact and post directly to the site. These posts then appear on the homepage, in the daily newsletter and are shared by editors via Facebook and Twitter. The best thing about sharing your stuff …
Some people are destined to draw more attention than others, apparently.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Tri-Cities residents, Patch wants to hear from you on the issues that affect you and your neighbors.
Welcome to Tri-Cities Talk—a regular feature in which we ask our Facebook fans to share their views on current issues facing Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles. Every week, we get the conversation started by taking a look back at a question we asked the Tri-Cities community in recent days on local Patch Facebook pages. There's been discussion recently about the quality of food served to our children in school lunches. Some parents say there should be healthier or more affordable options for students; others control what their children eat by packing their lunches at home. That brings us to this week's question: Take a look at what people had to say and join the conversation in the comments section. Manou Chahmirzadi: Since the change of …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
It's been a long week. You need a pick-me-up.
Friday's here. Thank goodness. One more day of work, and that's it. Here's a little inspiration to get you through to Saturday. For more than a month now, Patch and Grape-Nuts have teamed up to present stories about your neighbors, neighbors who have faced challenges that would seem insurmountable to many of us. But not to the people we've featured in this series, Journeys. Not surprisingly, the stories have generated dozens of comments on Patch and on Facebook: "Great story..." "Thanks for sharing..." "So wonderfully inspiring..." And, so, here they are again. Great stories shared to inspire. Take a look at what these people have faced. Then click on the story to see their responses. And feel better about your tough week. Pit Bull …
Someone looks pretty spiffy. What's this pup thinking?
Patch readers, you're up! We need your wit, creativity and animal psychic abilities to craft the perfect caption for the next edition of our pet photo caption challenge! Suggest your caption in the Comments section below. Comments will close at 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. The winner will be announced Thursday, May 23. The author of the winning caption and pet owner can find a Patch-branded version of the photo, with the caption inserted included in the next week's edition. Congratulations to ALLEN CALVIN SR, who won last week's edition, Caption This: A Pup Cools Off. The paparazzi are always hounding me. Have a photo you'd like captioned in future editions? Add it to our collection and your pet will be featured in weeks to come! Remember:
They put their lives on the line each day, helping us when we’ve been victimized, protecting us from those who would harm us.
While scouring the Internet for the stories behind two police officers who lost their lives as a result of their dedication to the communities they served, I came across a funny YouTube video that offered a warm glimpse into the character of St. Charles police Sgt. Daniel Paul Figgins. Recorded in a doughnut shop, the video spoofs television’s COPS show and shows Figgins as an affable, good-natured guy. The video is all the more heartwarming to me because it also features Elgin police Sgt. Tom Linder, who retired in February 2012. He suffered a crippling stroke several months later. My wife and I met Tom and his family when we moved to Elgin in late 1994, and in the following years, it seemed that every time I bumped into him, whether he …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
If you've got wit, add your caption to Patch's weekly comic challenge and win a personalized print.
Are you blessed with insight and good humor? Or just bored today? Share your wit with your neighbors by entering Patch's comic caption challenge. Just add your dialogue for today's comic in the comment section of this post. Our only requirement is that you keep it clean! At week's end, we'll pick the winning punchline based on how many of us here at Patch giggle and smile at your contribution. The user who produces the winning punchline will get a personalized proof of the comic, with the winning words and a credit line, from cartoonist Chuck Ingwersen and Patch. Congratulations to Chris Roethel, who provided the winning punchline to last week's Cubs, Sox Island cartoon: Sox fan: 'How can you sit so patiently and wait to be rescued?' Cubs …
B Davis
2:49 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Look on the bright side, they're not sausages. more ›