SULLIVAN - Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear a comment or two concerning the state of newspapers in America. They’re dying, pretty much dead, they say. The Internet is killing off the dinosaur of print media – it’s just a matter of time. Being an owner of one of those dinosaurs, it isn’t exactly a have-a-good-day pleasantry. Although there is some truth that a massive meteor has struck Planet Newspaper, the ironic situation is that print media has greatly distorted the state of its own future.

While several large daily newspapers have folded (Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Tucson) and a myriad of others are in severe distress (New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago), the fact remains that newspapers are simply in a state of economic turmoil and socio-technical change. The economy is killing and/or changing media, like everything else, but it’s our society and culture that is changing the way Americans get their news. Newspapers aren’t dead – never will be. Newspapers are changing, and those that can make the....

SULLIVAN - In what was becoming a dangerous (if not impossible) battle Friday evening, the motorists finally got their wish as guardrails went up and paint stripes went down just before the reopening of the Interstate 44 exit 225 overpass. The overpass received a total makeover, including two additional lanes for turning and a reconfiguration of how traffic will flow across and around the busy bridge. Motorists will no longer be allowed to cross the south service road from Jack-In-The-Box to Cracker Barrel; that will be a right-turn only and a concrete island will be installed to create the traffic flow. Turn lanes have been installed across the overpass, allowing vehicles in each direction to continue across unimpeded by turning cars. The overpass has been widened to 60 feet and additional shoulder support added for traffic entering and exiting the highway. MoDOT footed the entire $1.2 million project, which was performed by L. Krupp Construction from Ellisville, Mo. The contract called for a total shutdown of the overpass, with completion date by the end of May. According to one construction worker at the project Friday afternoon, good.....