How’s this weather treating you?
Fine, thanks for asking.
We’ve had temps in the 50s, 60s, even 70s here in the month of February. Nice. What this means is that when March turns out to be a bear we shouldn’t complain. But we will anyway. Because that’s what humans do.
So anyway, I can’t wait to gripe when we get multiple snowstorms next month.
I believe it was Joe Lauria of Fox 4 who posted that we’ve had nine inches of snow so far this winter, which if I recall correctly was like a three inch snow in December and a six inch snow in January. Can anyone verify me on that? I think I nailed it.
And Bryan Busby, weatherman for KMBC channel 9, on Tuesday posted this in regard to the month of February: “We are running out of time. We are passing the halfway point in the month and have not had an official measurable snow in Kansas City. The last snowless February in Kansas City was 1892.”
Busby demonstrated just how long ago that was by pointing out the United States was on President 23 as opposed to now President 47 (Benjamin Harrison was president in 1892. Donald Trump is president today, for those who don’t keep up with current events). And the rotary phone was only about a year old. And the first American automobile wouldn’t come into being until one year later.
Here’s your final two minute warning, so to speak.
Filing period for countywide election candidates opens next Tuesday, Feb. 24. And there will be a bunch of names hitting the ballot, as you know if you’ve been paying attention. I’m sure you’ve noticed some candidate announcements being publicly made, including some that are in this week’s edition of Platte County’s finest newspaper.
Filing ends on March 31. The primary election is Aug. 4.
Grab some popcorn and settle in.
If you think just because it hasn’t been on the front page for a week or two that the hard feelings among some of Platte County elected officials over the recent budget decisions have all gone away, think again. Unfriendly feelings remain and I don’t think those bad vibes are going away anytime soon. That’s where grabbing the popcorn comes in.
Are they just not making as many babies as they used to?
The population growth in the United States has slowed significantly over the past year. That’s according to the new Vintage 2025 population estimates released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau, which says the increase has been 1.8 million people or just .5% between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025.
This was the nation’s slowest population growth since the early period of the COVID pandemic when the population grew by a historically low .2% in 2021.
The reason for population slowdown is in fact not due to birth rates, the experts say, but rather due to “a historic decline in net international migration,” says Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections at the U.S. Census Bureau. She said births and deaths are remaining relatively stable. The sharp decline in net international migration is the reason.
U.S. Census Bureau folks tell us the slower population growth was felt across the country. All four census regions saw their growth rate slow, or their decline accelerate.
As for population numbers and not rate of growth, it should be noted the Midwest was the only region where all states gained in population from 2024 to 2025.
Slight gains in natural change (births minus deaths) for some of the states in the Midwest contributed to their population growth.
What is the nation’s fastest growing state? I’m glad you asked, because I asked the same thing. The answer is South Carolina. South Carolina’s growth was “fueled by a sizable net domestic migration increase of 66,622,” says the Census Bureau. The state’s overall population grew 1.5%, though that’s down from a 1.8% growth in 2024.
States that closely followed South Carolina in population growth were Idaho (1.4%) and North Carolina (1.3%).
The U.S. total population as of July 1, 2025 is 341.8 million.
States that experienced population decline? I’ve got that for you, too. There were five: California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia.
Somebody should’ve talked me out of it. Can’t believe I’m admitting this moment of weakness, but a couple of days ago I actually put 25 real American dollars on Purdue–a perennial choker–for a national basketball championship futures ticket. Yes, I put $25 on the Boilermakers at 25-1 for a potential profit of $625.
I really can’t in good conscience recommend any of you make that play. Purdue’s basketball team has choked so often over the years that the school should change its name to Purdon’t. I think I have a better chance of being killed by the Clintons than Purdue has at winning the title.
For a little safer idea, maybe you could put some pizza money on Purdue to make it to the Final Four at 5-1.
My other futures tickets are on Florida, Illinois and Connecticut.
(Find Foley following population trends and being fooled by Purdue. Email ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
