Opinion

By the time November rolls around, most of us are ready to hang up the rake and call it quits for the year. The hoses are drained, the irrigation system is winterized, and the mower is eyeing its place in the corner of the garage. But before you settle in for a long winter’s nap, there are a few last […]

Homegrown. It’s a word that gets tossed around a lot in economic development, tourism, and placemaking circles. In today’s world, people crave authenticity, and if “homegrown” is slapped onto a product or expe­rience, people seem to salivate! The irony for me, as a “homegrown” LaGrange gal myself, is that the word just plainly describes our way of life around here. […]

Every fall, I get calls that go something like this: “Jeff, there are hun­dreds of ladybugs in my house! What can I do?” Well, those aren’t quite the ladybugs we grew up admiring. These orangeish-red, spotted beetles that have taken over our windowsills and ceilings in October are more properly known as multi-colored Asian lady beetles (ALB). Their story, like […]

In one of my first “pro­fessional” positions, AKA, my first big girl job, I was tasked with overseeing a team of volunteer leaders. These volunteers in turn led a larger pool of volun­teers who ran the opera­tions of the organization. As a naive youngblood, I thought, “No big deal!” Little did I know, I was in for the learning curve […]

Effective communica­tion is fundamental to building strong relation­ships, fostering under­standing, and achieving shared goals in both per­sonal and professional contexts. It involves not only expressing thoughts and ideas clearly but also listening actively to others and responding appropriately. According to research published in the International Jour­nal of Business Com­munication, effective communication enhanc­es productivity, reduces misunderstandings, and promotes a positive work […]

Last week, the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) announced that the Highly Pathenogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has once again been found in a number of flocks in LaGrange and Elkhart Counties. In the opening months of 2025, we experienced an outbreak of avian flu in poultry flocks here in northern Indiana, the largest outbreak to date. While not in […]

When businesses, community, and resources all collide, something wonderful happens. True, generational impact unfolds, and it happens every year in our communities. The Chamber has been a longstanding host of an annual event called Power of the Purse, where we simply hold a space for businesses, employees, and local individuals to participate in a live-auction and raffle event. The day […]

Most every farmer and gardener has heard the value of soil testing and adjusting the pH of the soil to meet your crop needs. What you might not know is that when you apply lime or sulfur or other amendments to adjust pH, it often takes 5 or 6 months for the pH to move to towards the desired pH. […]