back to top

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...

On Stage With Livingston Taylor

by John Robinson “Hey, we lucked out! Seats in the center of the front row”  My friend Hendon deals out the tickets to our...

A Checklist of Little Monsters: Don’t Read This If You’re an Arachnophobe!

by H. Bruce Rinker, Ph.D. For us scientists, checklists of flora and fauna are all-important tools that indicate our proficiency in the natural world. ...

Is Honesty Your Policy?

by Stephanie Koehler I have been thinking a lot about truth and honesty lately.  It seems to be a topic that permeates the public landscape...

Looking for Tolerant and Thoughtful Dialogue on Abortion by Quigg Lawrence

There is nothing worse than a dogmatic zealot who cannot have a discussion with someone who holds an opposite view without resulting to...

Six-legged Plagues Afflict Farm and Forest

by Fred First The color purple is not so common in nature, and so it immediately grabs our attention when we round a bend on...

Recipe of the Week: Slumber Party Pretzels

by Leigh Sackett Ten might be a magical number. I say this because my daughter will turn ten on June 2nd and working towards...