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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...

Time to “Buck Up” or . . . Just Another Sinner in a Tree Stand

A week ago I was sitting in my deer stand feeling very sorry for myself. “This stinks.”   “I am wasting my time in...

To Twitter or Not to Twitter . . . That’s the Question

When I first learned to use the phone, I stood on a stool and told the operator the number I wanted; it was...

Peacekeeper or Problem Solver?

Have you ever felt exhausted as a parent? Ever felt like you just can’t put up with anymore from your kids?  Ok, everybody...

A Perspective on Bullies and Kindness

It’s almost impossible to follow any news outlet these days and not hear about an instance of bullying.  It seems to be happening...

Woolly Bear Weather?

Ever heard of Pyrrharctia isabella, commonly called the Isabella tiger moth?  Perhaps you know it better in its larval form: the banded woolly...

If You Think You’ve Got It Bad, Consider Moving to Zimbabwe

This week the United Nations released the 2010 Human Development Index (or HDI), a comprehensive examination of the condition of 169 countries around...