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Columnists

ROBERT L. MARONIC: Is Phase Two Of Trump‘s Peace Plan In The Gaza Strip Doomed To Fail? – Part I

Phase one of Trump‘s twenty-point peace plan in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 9, called for a ceasefire, cessation of military operations, along with a hostage and prisoner...

FRED FIRST: Approaching the Longest Night

Yes, you’re right—if you’ve even noticed—that this space has been neglected for some weeks now,...

A Life Well-Lived: Shirley Padgett Lester (1947-2025)

Shirley Padgett Lester of Vinton went to her heavenly reward October 4. Below is the...

BOB BROWN: How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden “Presidency”

Permit me to think out loud as an old-fashioned person who respects authority, history, and...

JOHNNY ROBINSON: The Gratitude Perch

On the old road up Mill Mountain, part of Roanoke’s fabulous greenway system, there’s a...

SCOT BELLAVIA: Response to ‘To Breed or Not to Breed’

A New York Times article reported testimonies that put faces on a statistic worth noting. Apparently, the birthrate in these United States has been...

MIKE KEELER: Please Pass The Poutine . . .

Well we finally got a snow day here in Joisey. Which makes for a great time to study some French. If you asked someone in...

MELINDA MYERS: Grow Herbs Indoors for Year-round Enjoyment

Add garden fresh flavor to your meals year-round.  Grow a few of your favorite herbs indoors, harvest and enjoy. Select a variety of herbs you...

SCOTT DREYER: Letting Go

On New Year's Eve someone close to me sent this joke text: We each choose to celebrate the New Year in our own way. Looking...

SCOT BELLAVIA: Is It Just Me Or . . .

Did you too think the world itself was black and white until color photography? Have you ever thought about what it takes to become a...

SCOTT DREYER: Christmas Reflections–Have You Found The Missing Piece?

Inspired by a devotional she read in 2013, Susan Jones of Roanoke County has now written a Christmas poem for eight years in a...