Local Voices: ObamaCare, Paranoid Pups and a Business Expelled

As Patch’s resident Local Voices aficionado, I think it’s safe to say that our bloggers have been on fire this week—and not just because of the oppressive temperatures outside. Between a historic post from Mercy St. Louis, a Patchy post from a lake-lover, some sage advice and a certain adorable kitten, I found myself amused, informed and once again in “aww” of the brilliance of our blogging neighbors.

That’s why, yet again, I’m here to share seven of the most interesting, entertaining and/or useful posts I found around Patchland this week.

• When the Supreme Court upheld ObamaCare this week, I was very excited to see that Mercy St. Louis . Bottom line, the organization says it’s been preparing for and working toward healthcare reform for a long time and will continue to do so.
• As Local Voices blogger Elizabeth Liebel so eloquently puts it, “life’s challenges and grief can overwhelm us at the most inopportune times.”  But she’s not just theorizing here. In her post this week, she’s offering
• Boom, bang—don’t take Fido to the fireworks display this year. , dog-lover and Local Voices blogger Dorene Olson warns that our canine family members may not always enjoy the fireworks like the rest of the family—and she explains why. You might be surprised to find that there’s a physiological reason behind this common pup paranoia.
• You’ll find her by the shore. Local Voices blogger Katie Sullivan, that is. In her very Patchy post this week, Sullivan explains . She makes me want to move closer to the lake, too. How about you?
• Now here’s an interesting way to use a Patch Local Voices blog. Realtor Karen Goodman is using her blog to . I’m including this one because I think Goodman’s idea is smart—she’s got a targeted, local audience at her fingertips when she blogs at Patch.  Local business owners: take note! How can you use a Patch blog to promote your business? Lots of ways, I’ll bet—and it won’t cost you anything but a few minutes of your time.
• Have you ever heard of Car Hop? My mechanic didn’t have very nice things to say about the company and the way it handled its vehicle sales—and apparently, he may not have been too far off the mark with his comments. Better Business Bureau blogger Jerri Stroud confirmed my mechanic’s suspicions in her recent post when
• I don’t know about you, but I can’t resist an adorable kitten. That’s why I’m including APA blogger Becky Krueger’s latest post in which she shares a real gem of a kitten who happens to be available for adoption. Also worthy of note: Krueger says that this is the time of the year that the APA sees a large increase in the number of cats and kittens—and at the APA, you can “pick your price” for the adoption fee. What are you waiting for? .

As you might know, this is only a very small cross-section of the Patch Local Voices blogger population. Which blog posts did you enjoy this week? Share your favorites in the comments section, below.

Got something to say? Consider starting a blog using the free Patch Local Voices blogging platform. You’ll have a built-in, local audience, and we’ll help you promote your posts. It’s simple and easy to set up your blog, and you can start blogging right away.