Category Archives: Opinions
A tug-of-war against nature
Briars!
Why did God make them? I inquired of the Lord as I engaged in a violent tug-of-war with a tangle of prickly, noxious vines that had decided 
to choke my azaleas and change a corner of our front yard into a jungle.
The reply came out of my own mouth with my next yank: “Ouch!”
Translation: “Duh! I put those stickers on there so you would leave them alone. For their own
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
It’s hard to say goodbye
Sometimes you don’t miss something until it’s gone. We know everything changes. But still, when someone who has always been there is suddenly gone, they leave a big empty place.
Iva Stratton is retiring after 25 years as the office manager of this newspaper staff.
There are few employees who stay with a company for a quarter of a century. It is a rarity thesedays.
But she did.
She was always there, and while there had responsibility for a vast number of things. She did a lot more than managing accounts, taking ads, balancing books and juggling the daily demands of running an office. She was a problem solver and could be counted on to take up slack
Courier Letters to the Editor 3-24-21
Dear Editor,
Money. There’s a good word to wake up a sleepy reader. America has six coins that are being minted. Penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and silver dollar. All except two are larger than the other denomination-wise and size as well. A quarter is bigger than a nickel, while a half-dollar is bigger than a quarter and a silver dollar is bigger than the half.
The penny and dime, the smallest in size, but the dime is smaller than the penny, yet worth more price-wise. Four coins have ridges around
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Still in the miracle business
Many people around the world have heard of the Moron Brothers, (Michael Carr and Michael Hammond) who live in my hometown. Mike Carr is a good friend, and I’ve actually performed music with him in church events, and we are also members of a gospel quartet. As a 
dedicated Christian, he’s had some amazing spiritual experiences, and I want to share one of these true accounts with you.
It was around 6 a.m. on a rainy morning in September 1999, when the fire station where Mike
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Important to demand sunshine
It is Sunshine Week across America. South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act — the Sunshine Law — gives you access to government meetings and public records.
Let me share with you the preface to the S.C. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA):
“The General Assembly finds that it is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner so that citizens shall be advised of the performance of public officials and of the decisions that are reached in public activity and in formulation of public policy.”
This sentence sums up the intent of South Carolina’s Sunshine Law — that it is crucial to be aware of the important decisions public bodies make in your
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Open gov’t is key to an honest gov’t
When government fails, it’s the rare public official who says, “Oops. My fault.”
That’s human nature, particularly for officials in the public eye who may have to run for office again. No one wants to be held directly responsible for letting the public down.
Case in point is the recent catastrophe in Texas, when unexpected winter storms left 4 million homes without power, ruptured pipes and tainted the water supply for
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Do you wonder what the robins know?
I heard someone this week say, “One robin A not make a spring.” Very true. But inevitably, that thought must be followed by a question. How many robins does it take to make a spring?
This is very important, because we all need to know when it’s alright to pack up the flannel shirts and bring out the shorts.
It may seem unimportant to some people, but it is not.
We can’t decide it is spring just because the date on the March calendar says it is.
According to the calendar, spring is just a few days away.
And we have definitely gone on Daylight Saving Time, that invention that is celebrated by some and cursed by others.
The peony on the walkway thinks spring has come, because its
Our future is being decided today
The greatest life-changing story ever told is that Jesus died for you, which proves he loved you more than anything in the world. He knows your every thought and intention, listens to every word, and 
sees every act and deed. He has never taken His eyes from you, nor has he ever been distracted or too busy
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
A potato by any other name
What’s going on with Mr. Potato Head? Or should I say the potato formerly known as Mr. Potato Head? Do you remember Prince when he couldn’t call himself Prince anymore but was called “the artist formerly known as Prince?”
And what about Clifford Moore, who played the Lone Ranger and later traveled the country appearing at events as a symbol of good triumphing over evil? He was suddenly forced to stop wearing his mask and donned dark glasses to play his role. He even sued over
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
2 new scams to watch out for
They never stop. Scammers are continually busy, and so must we be to stay one step ahead of them. Here are two more scams they’re trying to foist on us.
If you’re still working and receive W-2 or 1099 forms, look them over very carefully. If it’s a 1099-G, that’s for unemployment benefits. Did you receive those benefits? If not, it means that a scammer has used your identity to
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
