Steve Pokin
POKIN AROUND: From a grateful columnist: Thanks for reading
There are so many more stories I wanted to tell you. But I've run out of time and this is my final Pokin Around column.
Mar 19, 2012 | 1:00 pm
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POKIN AROUND: Cell phones into guns? Sheriff says it can happen
It's the job of the good guys to stay a step ahead of the bad guys, says Madison County Sheriff Robert Hertz. That's why he takes seriously the fact that Los Angeles police have found a bad guy with a cell phone converted into a four-shot gun.
Mar 07, 2012 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: An alternative to juvenile court for teens headed down wrong path
Maybe it was lifting mascara at Walmart. Or possessing a joint when stopped by police. Whatever the crime, it was a first step down the wrong path.
Feb 24, 2012 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Prosecutors, FBI say human trafficking hard to detect, but a growing problem
You might not see it, but the problem of human trafficking is here and getting worse.
Feb 16, 2012 | 4:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: The good life of cutting hair in Granite City
A barber's pole hasn't marked the place in 15 years. Years ago, one, then another, were vandalized. There's no signage, either.
Feb 07, 2012 | 5:30 am
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POKIN AROUND: Hanging with a UFO group; or, what did you just say?
Last Wednesday night I attended the monthly meeting of the UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis. The group gathers in a big room in the St. Louis County Library on Lindbergh Boulevard.
Feb 06, 2012 | 6:00 pm
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POKIN AROUND: The adventure of a scenic drive
On Sunday afternoon the sun shone and the temperature hit the upper 40s. There was no pro football on TV. No Illini basketball to watch. No clothes to launder.
Jan 31, 2012 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Abortion foe promises grisly Super Bowl ad
This could very well be the year of the Super Bowl ad few of us wanted to see.
Jan 20, 2012 | 4:03 pm
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POKIN AROUND: A house divided: Two columnists in one home
Over a year ago my wife of 26 years became a columnist. She had been a minister. Well, actually, she is still a minister, only she's not working full-time at it.
Jan 13, 2012 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Not all are happy about online sales for Illinois Lottery tickets
Illinois this spring could become the first state to sell lottery tickets over the Internet.
Jan 06, 2012 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Who is he really? Gangster? Caring friend? Terrorist?
Olutosin Oduwole, 26, was sentenced Wednesday, Dec. 21, to five years in prison for making a terrorist threat in 2007 while a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Dec 21, 2011 | 4:39 pm
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POKIN AROUND: Dear Blago, look for a prison with a running track
Dear Rod Blagojevich, As a fellow distance runner I am conflicted about your 14-year prison sentence. On the one hand, you are a serious and talented runner, which I respect. On the other, politically you are a major disappointment. A sleaze ball, even.
Dec 08, 2011 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Founder of Goshen Coffee a brash tight-fisted capitalist, social activist
Matthew Herren, 40, is a driven, tight-fisted capitalist. Ten years ago he formed the Goshen Coffee Company in Edwardsville.
Dec 05, 2011 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Concern over a Holy Land without Christians
There's a danger that someday the Christian community in the Holy Land will disappear, leaving only lifeless Christian museums and historical sites.
Dec 01, 2011 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Concern over a Holy Land without Christians
There's a danger that someday the Christian community in the Holy Land will disappear, leaving only lifeless Christian museums and historical sites.
Nov 28, 2011 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: School official says Christian clubs not overlooked at Granite City High
A woman recently called me to complain about a 5K and Fun Run/Walk sponsored by Granite City School District No. 9.
Nov 21, 2011 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: PayDay Loan sues Collinsville over property rights
In Collinsville, what do flea markets, pawn shops, and payday loan businesses have in common?
Nov 15, 2011 | 12:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Times change, but the sausage supper lives on
For decades there have been far more funerals than baptisms at St. Peter Evangelical United Church of Christ in Granite City.
Nov 09, 2011 | 11:15 am
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POKIN AROUND: Not your traditional columnist
My editors asked me to explain who I am. I told them I've worked here for eight years and they should already know who I am.
Oct 28, 2011 | 10:03 am
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POKIN AROUND: Madison County child-abduction team has 400 volunteers ready to assist
The new Madison County child abduction response team has not yet been put to use.
Oct 25, 2011 | 9:14 am
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POKIN AROUND: Warrior Dash: If the course doesn't kill you, the obstacles will
With brutal hills, ruts, fallen trees and low-hanging branches, it was one of the most challenging cross-country courses I'd seen.
Oct 17, 2011 | 5:00 pm
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POKIN AROUND: Fairmount's top jockey rides with a Zen-like calm
When jockey Rafael Hernandez leaves his Granite City home to go to work he never leaves angry. He and his wife Cynthia make it a point to say good-bye on good terms. They offer God's blessings to each other before he walks out the door.
Sep 23, 2011 | 6:00 am
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POKIN AROUND: Collinsville woman finally pooped out by rude dog owners
There's no getting around what I'm about to tell you. You might smirk. You might guffaw.
Sep 12, 2011 | 12:00 am
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