Articles by John W. Bateman
A Gap Exists Between Mississippi Arts Orgs and Communities
Anquanizia Hall walked into the Meridian Little Theater in her Mississippi hometown in August 2013 to audition for a role in its production of “Legally Blonde.” Hall quickly realized that she was the only Black person in the building in a city that, as of the 2010 U.S. Census, was only 30.7% white. Although she believed she should be there, Hall still felt out of place. “Do you need people like me?” she asked the two women taking names for the auditions.
The planet just had its warmest October on record
The planet added another record-breaking month to 2023, with October ranking as the warmest October in the 174-year global climate record. Last month was also 2023's fifth month in a row of record-warm global temperatures, according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
National debt
Gift this article Share this article paywall-free. The national debt isn't a partisan issue - we all held hands to get to this point. Administrations of both parties enacted policies that brought the debt to where we see it today.
Climate continues to challenge agriculture
The average annual temperature of the contiguous United States was 53.4 degrees F, which is 1.4 degrees F warmer than average, ranking in the warmest third of the record. Annual precipitation for the contiguous United States was 28.35 inches, 1.59 inches less than average, ranking in the driest third of the historical record.
Home Technology for Aging in Place
Technology 11/4/2022 | By John W. Bateman From touchless faucets to voice-controlled lights, conveniences to health and safety, home technology and other contemporary tech is making it possible for seniors to age in place. Here’s how. Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work.
From touchless faucets to voice-controlled lights, technology is making it possible for seniors to age in place
By John W. Bateman Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90 percent of his social life had revolved around work. Washburn, 77, knew he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home.
From touchless faucets to voice-controlled lights, technology is making it possible to age in place
Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work. Washburn, 77, knew that he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home.
Redefining Ballet, Redefining Form, Challenging Control: The Art of Brendan Fernandes
“I was told I was good, but that I’d never be a principal dancer because Romeo is a white male,” Brendan Fernandes says. “I wasn’t tall enough, my feet didn’t have arches. Ballet has a hierarchy that there’s only ‘one way’ to do ballet. I’m challenging that system.” The Kenya-born, Canada-raised artist finds pleasure in dismantling stereotypes.
Technology is helping seniors to age in place
By John W. BatemanChicago Tribune (TNS)October 11, 2022 5:00 am Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work. Washburn, 77, knew he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home.
Technology is making it possible for seniors to age in place
Chicago Tribune (TNS) CHICAGO — Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work. Pull Quote Washburn, 77, knew he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home.
From touchless faucets to voice-controlled lights, technology making it possible for seniors to age in place
CHICAGO — Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work. Washburn, 77, knew he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home.
From touchless faucets to voice-controlled lights, technology is making it possible for seniors to age in place
CHICAGO: Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realised once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work. Washburn, 77, knew he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home.
From touchless faucets to voice-controlled lights, technology is making it possible for seniors to age in place
CHICAGO — Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work. Washburn, 77, knew he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home.
From touchless faucets to voice-controlled lights, technology is making it possible for seniors to age in place
Mel Washburn is a former firefighter, professor and litigation attorney. Whether fighting fires in a building, a classroom, or the courtroom, he realized once he retired that 90% of his social life had revolved around work. Washburn, 77, knew he needed to find a way to build a social network in retirement. Washburn also knew that he and his wife, Pam, 75, wanted to continue living independently in their own home. He quickly learned that technology could play a vital role in accomplishing both goals.
Librarian and Filmmaker Expand West Point Library’s LGBTQ+ Collection
As a child and student at East Side Elementary in West Point, Miss., Jayme Evans loved going to the school library, where the kindergarten librarian Elizabeth O’Brian would often help her check out extra books to read at school and home. “I was the kid who always wanted to be in the library rather than anywhere else. And if I wanted an extra book, Ms. O’Brian made sure I could get it,” Evans recalls.
Listen, Listen Well, and Tell it All
A sweltering summer evening in Chicago didn’t deter journalists from attending the June 21 ceremony for The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting. These awards, organized by the Illinois watchdog organization Better Government Association (BGA), recognize and highlight investigative reporting as a vehicle for reform. True to that purpose, this year’s slate of 30+ nominees uncovered a wide range of abuses and reinforced the need for accountability.
Mississippi children's book project aims to close racial and gender literacy gaps
While hiking in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park in 2016, Alison Buehler and Jo Winn, former college roommates at the University of Southern Mississippi, started discussing the books that their kids enjoyed. When Winn, who is Black, shared that "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Captain Underpants" got her children most interested in reading, Buehler, who is white, asked, "But what characters do they like who look like them?" Winn had no answer.
This Land Was Your Land and Now It’s My Land …
Land acknowledgements are curious creatures. Quite simply, they recognize indigenous populations as the original inhabitants of an area, displaced as the result of colonization. Yet, something always feels… off, particularly when the land is never offered back.
RESULTS: 2022 Betfred Challenge Cup Sixth Round
Results and Scorers: All the results and scorers from the sixth round of the Challenge Cup. The draw for the Quarter Finals took place over the weekend. The matches to be played on the weekend of April 10 are: Wakefield Trinity v Wigan Warriors Hull Kingston Rovers v Castleford Tigers Huddersfield Giants v Hull FC Catalans Dragons v St Helens All listed times are AEST (NSW/QLD/VIC/ACT). RELATED: See the full list of 2022 Betfred Challenge Cup Draw and Results.
Unicorns Are Real: A Queer, Feminist Bookstore in Rural Mississippi
The establishment of a queer, feminist, trans-inclusive bookstore in small-town Mississippi sparks gasps of disbelief, no less than if one claimed to spot a unicorn roaming the forest. But, unlike those elusive mythical creatures, Violet Valley Books is very, very real.
Earth had its coolest February on record since 2014
Credit: NOAA Headquarters February 2021 was the planet's coolest February in seven years due to La Niña in the tropical Pacific Ocean and unusually brisk temperatures that enveloped much of North America and northern Asia. But vast temperature contrasts during February—and during the three-month season—were at play in other parts of the world.
Remarkably warm October fuels march toward second-hottest year
An annotated map of the globe showing notable climate and weather events that occurred during October 2020. Credit: NOAA Headquarters Earth endured exceptional heat last month with October 2020 ranking fourth-hottest October on record. The year to date (January through October) ranked second-hottest for the globe as Arctic sea ice coverage shrank to historic lows for the month, according to scientists at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
U.S. endured record wildfires, historic hurricanes in October
An annotated map of the United States showing notable climate and weather events that occurred across the country during October 2020. Credit: NOAA Headquarters Extreme weather events took the spotlight again in October as the nation saw raging wildfires, record hurricane activity and record snowfall in some parts. Temperature and precipitation, however, ranked very close to average across the contiguous U.S. last month.
Warmest September recorded globally
The September 2020 globally averaged temperature departure from average land and ocean surfaces was the greatest for the month of September in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s global temperature dataset record. Recordkeeping dates back to 1880. The September 2020 global land-and-ocean surface temperature was 1.75 degrees Fahrenheit greater than the 20th-century average of 59 degrees Fahrenheit.
Warmest September recorded globally
The September 2020 globally averaged temperature departure from average land and ocean surfaces was the greatest for the month of September in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s global temperature dataset record. Recordkeeping dates back to 1880. The September 2020 global land-and-ocean surface temperature was 1.75 degrees Fahrenheit greater than the 20th-century average of 59 degrees Fahrenheit.
Warmest September recorded
The September 2020 globally averaged temperature departure from average land and ocean surfaces was the greatest for the month of September in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s global temperature dataset record. Recordkeeping dates back to 1880. The September 2020 global land-and-ocean surface temperature was 1.75 degrees Fahrenheit greater than the 20th-century average of 59 degrees Fahrenheit.
Warmest September recorded globally
The September 2020 globally averaged temperature departure from average land and ocean surfaces was the greatest for the month of September in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s global temperature dataset record. Recordkeeping dates back to 1880. The September 2020 global land-and-ocean surface temperature was 1.75 degrees Fahrenheit greater than the 20th-century average of 59 degrees Fahrenheit.
U.S. hit by 16 billion-dollar disasters this year so far
Credit: NOAA Headquarters September will be remembered as a month of extremes: Historic wildfires burned across the West, unprecedented tropical activity churned up the Atlantic, and parts of the country saw record heat. What's more, the first nine months of 2020 brought a record-tying 16 billion-dollar weather disasters to the nation, according to scientists with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
July 2020 set heat records for many U.S. states
Credit: NOAA Headquarters It was an unusually steamy month for the country—even for July. Some states recorded their hottest July ever as others tied with previous years. The month's precipitation was also higher than average and ranked in the wettest third of the 126-year period of record, according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
Writer’s Road Trip: Finding a Mississippi Muse
I didn’t expect an Englishman from Cambridge to draw this Mississippian into the Delta blues, but that’s exactly what happened this past January in Clarksdale. Perhaps my citizenship should be revoked: I grew up and attended college in Mississippi, even returning after several years of unsweetened tea as an ex-pat Southerner. Oxford was my college home, where someone had once introduced me to the sound of Mose Allison. Maybe it was at Proud Larry’s or the Gin or Lafayette’s or none of the above.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with John W.
Contact John W., search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack