Sunday Reads: In their own words, and into your ears

Text from our SGF Sunday email newsletter, written by Reporter Rance Burger

What better way can you get to know someone than to listen as they describe who they are and what they’re about in their own words. That’s the opportunity we at the Hauxeda afforded to everyone running for citywide office on April 4. We gave Mayor Ken McClure and challenger Melanie Bach a word limit, but other than that, we gave them the floor to tell us about themselves in these side-by-side opinion pieces.

In their own words: Mayoral candidate Ken McClure

In their own words: Mayoral candidate Melanie Bach

What’s in school board member Kelly Byrne’s ear? Statistics show readers wanted to know. While Byrne himself was miffed that reporters seemed so enthralled by the silicone in his ears, it was columnist Steve Pokin’s exchange and explanation from Byrne that drew our readers’ interest the most this week.

Sure, there’s a touch of merit to Byrne being a bit prickly with his response, but he should not be stunned. When someone asks, “Is there something in your ear?” and your response is, “Is there something in your ear?” it’s “a little bit sus,” as the kids say. 

Maybe Byrne simply misheard his colleague Shurita Thomas-Tate. After all, he did have silicone in his ears.

And it shouldn’t surprise Byrne that the Springfield Board of Education is under increased scrutiny in general. Listen, coverage of Springfield Public Schools and the school board also clocked in as our No. 2 and No. 3 most-viewed items of the week. Our readers have serious concerns and curiosity about education, and reporter Cory Matteson has coverage from a lawsuit over diversity and equity training, to school bus scheduling and start times, to requests from the LGBTQ community for political support.

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