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Columnists

BOB BROWN: When the Underdog Bites Has Rabies, and a Mean Owner

We have a strong human urge to identify with the “underdog.” There is nothing new about this tendency. The biblical story of David and Goliath, reported 3000 years ago,...

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

Unfortunately, Trump’s present ceasefire as of October 9 is analogous to the armistice signed between...

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...

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...

Black History, Southern Soils and A Franklin County Slave

by Fred First A few weeks back, while driving from Floyd to a Moneta destination just the other side of Smith Mountain Lake, I passed...

Breaking The Mold

by Robert Adcox Last night I noticed a smell coming from my bedroom closet. This wasn’t some “oh, really, Adcox?” kind of smell which...

Growing Old[Er]

by Lucky Garvin It was a sun-charged day; the air was spiced with scents of spring. I saw them as I sped by in...

The Thrill is Gone For Federal Law Enforcement Officials

by Mike Keeler On August 24th, heavily armed agents from the Justice Department conducted a coordinated raid on four warehouses and corporate offices in...

Recipe of the Week: Red & White Salad

by Leigh Sackett We can still eat healthy through the holidays at least part of the time! This salad inspires me to do just...

A Final Reflection on My Dear Rock

by Lucky Garvin On the 4th of May, the waters took my beloved dog Rock Home. I wrote a short series of columns about...