With Labor Day behind us, the public pools are starting to be drained and the leaves are beginning to fall. Summer is unofficially over. So, there’s no better time to recap the season then right now. Here’s my list of “Stories of the Summer”. Did I miss any? What did you feel was the most important news? Drop me a line sometime.

-Jake (Aaron Rochester’s dog) escapes
-Jaxson Stark tragedy
-North High wins state baseball title
-Michael Jackson death and surrounding drama
-City Council vs. porch furniture
-Three year old Evelyn murdered in SSC
-Female ex-jailers sue Dakota County
-Longtime businessman Dwight Hauff dies
-Another successful Saturday in the Park
-Musketeers name new head coach
-Jon and Kate breakup (…just kidding)

Say…doesn’t this look like a great topic for a daily SCJ front page poll or Speak Out? Alert the nearest editor.

-DeRoin.

Should cell phones be illegal on the  road?

That’s the question being asked across the state this week as lawmakers gather in Des Moines for the meeting of the Legislature’s 83rd Assembly.

A member of the Iowa House has introduced legislation to ban the use of hand-held, wireless devices by drivers. Previous attempts to ban cell phone use, some aimed only at teenagers, have failed. That has been in part due to the number of lawmakers who use their drive time to make phone calls.

Many Journal readers sounded off this week when we asked their opinion.

So what do you think – should cell phone use in cars be made illegal? How about just the use of handheld phones, with hands-free units still legal? Do you talk on the phone in the car? Do you think it is safe?
What do you think? To contribute to this conversation, add a comment below or just write your own post.