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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...

How Are You Handling Your Rings? By Pastor Ed Dunnington

Perhaps you are familiar with the films of J.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy or you have read the books.  According...

Recipe of the Week: Beef Barley Soup

Seasons, children, careers, friends, places, health, everything - just life itself - seems to hold at a standstill and stay the same for...

A Hot New Car With That Certain “X Facto”

This baby was built by a team of expert designers and engineers with experience at the racetracks of LeMans and Daytona.  It is built...

A Perspective on Value

As we enter the final months of the year – I always seem to go into an evaluative state of mind – a...

Lessons Learned – Lucky Briefs . . .

The lady was beginning to annoy me.  I had explained both her diagnosis and the best therapy for her condition, but she was...

America’s Great Outdoors: What Makes Here a Special Place?

The America's Great Outdoors initiative aims to develop a new strategy for 21st century conservation and to reconnect Americans to the outdoors. Conservation...