Coming Sunday in The Star's Insight section

Remember the cool tease I blogged about a few posts ago? Here's the more that I promised:

Sunday's cover story in the Insight section is penned by Katie Adams, a rising senior at the Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile. She's from Saks; she's one of us. And she's written a particularly good essay on the pressures of applying for college and trying to decide which school to attend. Too bad she's gone back to Mobile; I'd love to have her on our staff.

Our Insight section also will have:

-- An op-ed written by Bradley Byrne, chancellor of the embattled Alabama two-year college system.
-- Star Publisher H. Brandt Ayers' weekly column.
-- Syndicated columns by Nicholas Kristof and Paul Krugman of The New York Times.
-- And our weekly Bookshelf page.

It's all there Sunday.

Coming Saturday on the editorial page

Like moonshine? Got a still in your backyard?

Then stick two quarters in the box or click over to our Web site on Saturday. Our lead editorial is all about moonshine, stills and Southerners. What a combination.

By the way, we also have two eloquent letters to the editor in support of Jacksonville State University President Bill Meehan, who has been involved in a difficult situation this week.

Oh, and did I mention the moonshine?

Breaking news in the Speak Out department

Normally, The Star's large staff of editors in the letters department works days in advance on our Speak Out submissions. It's more than rare -- ultra-rare, to use a bad phrase -- to have breaking news in Speak Out.

Until Thursday.

Al Harris, the retired former director of the Jacksonville State News Bureau, sent in a lengthy letter after quitting time. It took our crack staff of Speak Out editors all of 30 seconds to make a decision. Imagine yelling "Stop the presses!" So we did.

We tore up the page, removed our normal letters and published the letter of Harris, who is involved in the story of plagiarism involving JSU President Bill Meehan.

Go to our Web site and read Harris' letter, or read it in our print edition. You'll be glad you did.

Coming Friday on the editorial/op-ed pages

Between cooking eggs (or trying to) on the pavement and slurping down ice cream in the middle of the newsroom, we've put together two pages worth the price of admission for Friday. I promise; no lie.

-- On the editorial page, The Star is offering its take on the Minnesota bridge collapse -- a clear sign of what happpens when the upkeep of our nation's infrastructure is ignored. And don't miss the accompanying chart that explains how our state's infrastructure measures up. We're also opining on the need for coal-mine safety, considering parts of our state are heavily invested in the mining industry.
-- Pastor James Evans, one of our syndicated columnists, takes a look at hate-crime legislation and the church.

-- On the op-ed page, my column examines a critical back-to-school issue for parents -- the importance of parental involvement. We also have an interesting story on the legacy-to-be of Alabama's-own Condi Rice and a collection of national editorials on the tainted, or not-so-tainted, home-run record of Barry Bonds.

Monday's best online reads

5 new principals prepare for school by Steve Ivey

Hart's Ferry steeped in memories for residents by Matt Kasper

Storm knocks out service for 2,400 Alabama Power customers in Calhoun and Cleburne by Andy Johns

Two editorial pages items attracted readers
Monday's letters to the editor and The Star's editorial decrying the conduct of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales -- Growing tired of obfuscation.