The primary election has ended in Illinois and there are some surprises, as usual.

I think we should commend those who put their names in the hat as candidates. It takes a lot of work to campaign and the scrutiny involved in politics can be difficult.

We had several races where candidates ran unopposed and I don’t think that is a good thing. The less choices we have, the more likely government will continue as it always has been. Changes need to be made.

The voting turnout was poor, throughout the state. The turnout in Madison County was only about 15 percent. Macoupin County was even lower than that. I heard a lot of people commenting about candidates, but obviously, many didn’t go to the polls.

What do you think about the election and the low turnout? Send your response to my blog.

The Telegraph’s first Focus edition will appear in Friday’s newspaper. The first section is on Community.

Other sections are Health, Wood River Township, Finance, Development, Lewis and Clark Community College, Education and Business/Industry.

I encourage readers to check the section out each Friday in The Telegraph newspaper. The entire Telegraph editorial staff works on the project and we start in late November each year. The advertising staff also spends a considerable amount of time with advertisers.

We also receive contributions for the section from several local sources each year and I greatly appreciate that assistance.

If you get time, read the Focus section each Friday in The Telegraph over the next five successive weeks. Let me know the opinion about the sections after you get a chance to see them. We will also post our Focus editions to the Web as they appear in the newspaper.

I am going to use this blog for some conversation with you, the viewers of our Web site content.

I would like to know the kind of things you would like to hear about in my blog and our blogs in general. What types of topics interest you?

We would like to see the blogs become more conversational, but the key is to touch on topics that interest the viewers of the Web site.

If you have some suggestions for me or any of our bloggers, e-mail me back at my blog or my work e-mail at dbrannan@thetelegraph.com.

I appreciate your input.

The townspeople and people around Troy made me especially proud this week with their reaction to the death of Senior Airman Bradley Smith.

Smith, 24, was buried with military honors this week at Sunset Hill Memorial Estates in Glen Carbon. U.S. flags lined the route between the church and cemetery in Troy and many people stood along the roadside saluting the fallen airman.

Smith died in a roadside bomb incident on Jan. 3 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He is the first local casualty over the last few years. I was sad for Smith’s wife, TiIffany, and their young child at his loss.

We should all be exceptionally proud of Bradley Smith and the men who are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Brad Smith gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country and I am glad to see the reaction of area residents in support of him and his family. We should all keep his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Former St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire finally admitted using steroids on Monday, which was a shock to me.

I long suspected that McGwire had used steroids but never thought he would confess to it. I was glad to see that he came clean on Monday. It took a big man to step forward after years after avoiding the topic.

I don’t understand why it took so long for the former Cardinals slugger to come clean, but it was good that he did break his silence.

I wonder how much steroids played a part in his record home run year in 1998, but I guess we will really never know. Now, I wonder whether Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa will confirm our suspicions about steroid use.

I look back and remember the days when baseball was a more pure game, and the likes of Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris played the game. Those days seem to be so far away today.

I think we all owe Commissioner Bud Selig and the Major League Baseball Players Association a deep sense of gratitude for cracking down on steroids ny implementing testing. We should welcome Big Mac back to St. Louis when he joins the team in the spring as the new hitting coach. Let’s face it, everyone makes mistakes, and at least for now, he has admitted his past infractions.

I have a positive story to end the year that Jeri Holland, one of The Telegraph business office employees, told me about this past week.

Holland’s family received an early Christmas present when her granddaughter Madeline Horrell, 9, learned that her cancer remains in remission. Horrell learned the news just before Christmas, so it was a wonderful holiday for her family.

“She has gone through so much so fast, but this is what we had looked forward to four years ago,” Holland said. “She is an awesome little girl. This proves to me that miracles happen.”

Horrell first learned of her tumors in her cerebellum on Oct. 20, 2005, in Columbia, Mo. Madeline’s mother, Teresa, attend St. Ambrose School in Godfrey and Marquette Catholic High School.

I think as we end this decade and begin another, we all need to be thankful for what we have and look to a positive future. I am also so glad that young Madeline is in remission from her cancer and is doing so well.

I don’t think anyone exemplifies what Christmas is all about any more than Betty Altermott, 84, a double amputee in Godfrey.

I have a story that runs on Christmas Day in The Telegraph about Altermott and her baking 180 dozen Christmas cookies this year, despite having some severe physical limitations.

She truly has the Christmas spirit we should each possess and her cookies are her gift to family and those in the Alton-Godfrey area. The Godfrey woman even baked some sugar free cookies for me and those were most appreciated.

I encourage people to follow Altermott’s advice today on Christmas Eve and Friday on Christmas Day. Her advice is to enjoy your family and don’t let get anything down.

“Try to keep a bright outlook on things,” she said.

On behalf of myself and the other Telegraph editorial staff, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season!

I was out over the weekend shopping and thought a few people were about ready to roll me over.

Motorists were in fine fashion around the region and it left me wondering if some people have forgotten what the Christmas season is truly all about. I was glad to see a strong contingency out shopping and buying. That means the area economy is recovering from some of the difficult economic times.

The gift giving and presents are fine, but we remember that dashing over people to get the item is not what Christmas is about. I felt last weekend that some people would have been willing to crush me or anyone else like a bulldozer in their quest for their items. I laughed at the seriousness of some of the shoppers and didn’t take it too much to heart, but it did bother me, how several that I met didn’t seem to have any concern for anyone else around them, even if they just about knocked whoever was around them down.

My other suggestion is try not to be stressed during the holidays. Step back and enjoy your company and your family. It’s amazing how quickly things change and how we do lose relatives as time passes on.

What are you encountering as you search for the right present? Did you see some of the same things out there that I did over the weekend? If you did, send me a comment to my blog.

The NAACP Alton Branch shopping spree at Target in Altonwas Monday night and 45 children were able to spend $100 each.

Without the spree, there would be 45 young children in the region who likely would not have much of a Christmas here in the holiday season.

I wanted to say a word of praise for James Gray, the president of the NAACP, and the sponsors of the program. Just a few days ago, the local NAACP branch assisted 55 young children with shoes and socks at Payless. A grand total of 100 area needy children were helped recently by the NAACP programs.

James Gray, who grew up poor in Dogtown in Alton, never forgot what it was like to grow up that way. He vividly remembers growing up without shoes and having to attend school. I think that motivates him to help the area children with shoes.

He also recalls times at Christmas not having presents and that is a motivator to assist children with the shopping spree.

Several area attorneys and community leaders provided the funds for the shopping spree and they should all be commended for that effort.

I have said it several times before, but I truly believe the Alton area has some of the most giving people I have ever seen anywhere across the country. I also hope those helped at the NAACP shopping spree will not forget that kindness and when they becomes leaders one day, they will emulate Gray and the others in helping other less fortunate children.

I don’t go to movies at the theater often anymore, but I did make it out over Thanksgiving weekend to see “The Blind Side” in Edwardsville.

I am glad I made it to see the movie. “The Blind Side” portrays the story of a homeless teen who eventually grows up to be a star athlete. The drama was inspired by author Michael Lewis’ bestseller “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.” The story in Lewis’ book and the movie is about Michael Oher, who was living on the streets and then taken into the home of a conservative Southern family and over time he matured into a talented athlete. Oher became a top draft pick in the NFL and is now a star offensive player for the Baltimore Ravens.

Sandra Bullock and country singer Tim McGraw star in the movie directed by John Lee Hancock.

Bullock is typically in comedies, but she did a stellar job in this movie. I thought she seem to portray her character perfectly. I also thought McGraw did a good job in one of his first acting performances on the big screen. The Edwardsville theater was packed when I attended. In fact, I obtained one of the last two seats for our showing.

I am tired of most of the movies out today. My pick is the inspirational stories that motivate people to achieve better things. There is a strong message behind “The Blind Side” and I hope people pick up on it.

I am glad Hollywood recognized that people want to see positive stories and not just see movies about crime and mayhem. This gives me hope that the American public does still want inspirational books and movies in their quest for entertainment.

Let me know your thoughts about “The Blind Side” to my blog.