A few months back we launched a very-local Web site called ChinaSentinel.com. You can access it directly or from a prominent link on our home pages www.onlinesentinel.com and www.kjonline.com.

The idea was to provide that single community with all kinds of news, directories, contact and other information.

We promised at the time that more "micro-local" Web sites like ChinaSentinel.com would be forthcoming. This weekend, we make good on that promise.

So, on Tuesday I got a new Maine drivers' license, as my birthday is a few days away.

Before I go on, I must say Maine does a good job with drivers' licenses. I lived in Florida for six years and getting a new or renewed license there was a nightmare. You had to count on spending hours waiting to be served.

I want to point out some good work by our copy editors Sunday night, regarding the Iraq War and U.S. deaths.

We print the Morning Sentinel first, and its deadlines basically are 11:15 p.m. for the "Up Country" (Franklin and Somerset counties) edition and midnight for the second edition. The Kennebec Journal is printed last, with a deadline of 1:15 a.m.

Part of my job includes reviewing letters to the editor. I do this pretty much every day, and see all of them when Naomi Schalit is otherwise occupied.

Today, I reviewed one, written by a Waterville woman, that basically just says "thanks" to the local snow plow drivers. I agree with her.

Spring is here. I can tell because the Sports season has gone from Maine high school hoops and hockey to NCAA hoops and Major League Baseball.

Today, we carried a story saying Dice-K will start the Red Sox' season opener. The season opener! All right. On Monday, we ran the NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket. We're going to make it through this winter now.

Maybe the AARP knows something about my lifespan that I don't. But I hope not.

I turn 47 next month. So imagine my surprise when I received an AARP membership card in the mail this week. I knew they went as young as 50. But I'm not 50 for three (plus) more years!

I wouldn't mind retiring early, but this is probably a little too early — like, 15 years too early. Or more.

Sex sells. Right? Everyone knows that.

An occasional criticism of newspapers is that we sensationalize things to sell newspapers. While it's true we want to sell newspapers, it's also true we try to be responsible with our story decisions, especially on the front page. Otherwise, over time, we'd run the risk of turning off more readers than we excite by routinely overplaying what titillates.

The school districts for Maranacook and Winthrop high schools, and the town of Fayette, are merging and talking about merging, in light of the still-in-effect state law mandating school consolidation.

This month's newsletter to residents in these "three" districts was interesting in itself. The 16-page newsletter, itself, was consolidated.

It's been overwhelmingly positive, so far.

I received one call from a female reader saying she and her husband liked the Kennebec Journal better before. That was the only call or e-mail I received, out of about 50, that was an outright criticism.

Last Thursday, we carried a Portland Press Herald article on page B8 of the Morning Sentinel about a U.S. Sen. Susan Collins campaign video that showed Iraq War protesters burning flags, and also showed a separate image of U.S. Rep. Tom Allen — Collins' opponent.

Our copy editor working on the page made a bad error. His headline said, "Collins camp launches video attacking Allen" and went on to say, "Video shows Allen burning flag." The second part of the headline is false.