Category Archives: Opinions
Letters to the Editor 8-20-25
Annexation issues
Open Letter to Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for the work you do for the benefit of the City of Pickens. For more than two years the subject of annexation, leading to a high-density development, has consumed much time and effort.
As one who has followed this closely, it appears that more effort has been directed toward making annexation work than toward evaluating why it should be approved.
Despite a lack of critical information from the developer, on May 28, 2025, Council
Is the Antichrist a real person?
Last week, we began a conversation about our current position in the biblical prophetic 
timeline. We touched on the subject of the Anti-Christ and the Rapture, and this week I want to delve into a little more detail. As you know, there are many books on this subject, and they all have their own interpretations, which makes it difficult to
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Thoughts about the coming tribulation
I rarely discuss end-time events, but I’ve been receiving emails with questions pertaining to the church being removed from the earth, the second coming of Jesus and the antichrist.
The reason is simple why I avoid these topics, and it has to do with being unsure of my interpretations of them. I’m sure you are aware there are many opinions about
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A revealing or a warning?
Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and
from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
If you wanted to convince someone of the reality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, would it be logical to “beat that person over the head with a Bible” until they confessed and repented?
Of course we all know the answer to that question. Coercing someone into believing may get a required verbal response but would that person really believe?
I well remember an older cousin and hunting/fishing buddy. When I was a teenager in
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Courier Letters to the Editor 8-13-25
Issues at Midway recycle center
Dear Editor,
I’m sure someone had good intentions when they redesigned the recycle center at Midway Road. But … disaster!
Trying to utilize the center is now a chaotic, time-consuming, dangerous mess.
Living on Fox Squirrel Ridge Road, I use the recycle center weekly. It’s never taken more than a few minutes to dump recyclables or trash. I’ve never seen more than one to two vehicles backed up on the road, and then, for only a few minutes. I went by Saturday a little after noon and there vehicles lined up down Cold Springs Church Road into Midway Road — an accident waiting to happen. The wait was a good 45 minutes to
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When the punishment isn’t enough
It’s most disturbing when one in a position of authority, someone tasked with the specific job of helping veterans, turns out to be a thief. This is what came to light 
recently when a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) pleaded guilty to stealing money from the very veterans he was supposed to help.
The scammer broke a federal law when he solicited
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Do we really want spiritual maturity?
As a messenger who presents the word of God, it’s an honor to serve. My goal in communicating is to ask the Lord what He wants me to say and to use me to do His will. For those of you who are dedicated Christians that love Jesus and follow Him, I’m sure you also pray for this every day. I believe that we should be a lighthouse filled with God’s love and all the fruits of His Spirit,
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Has the future changed?
Leviticus 26: 14-16a “The LORD said, “If you will not obey my commands, you will be punished. If you refuse to obey my laws and commands and break the covenant I have made with you, I will punish you.”
We have long realized the Biblical perspective of Israel being God’s designated nation and the Jewish people as beig God’s chosen (Deuteronomy 7: 6).
God established Israel and the people to provide the
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Weighing in on parental leave
Dear Editor,
I want to respond to the article, “County Council Discusses Paid Parental Leave.”
Years ago the county government was having trouble recruiting new employees and retaining existing employees because our pay was too low (e.g., truck drivers, EMS personnel, prison guards, many others). The 2023-24 round of inflation made it worse.
As a result, the previous council leadership and the administration decided to channel available employee funds into boosting pay. Last year the county did a salary study and boosted employee pay an average of 14%. A good idea and the new council continued
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The Dole Act: Benefits and improvements
Have you wondered what exactly is included in the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act? There’s one way to find out: Scroll through it. There’s more to the Act than you might imagine, and all of it is to benefit you.
Sec. 301 calls for burial benefits for veterans who were under hospice care at the time of their death. It concerns those veterans who
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