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Columnists

ANDY PITZER: “Look Mom! No iPhone!”

A very interesting visually recorded interview showed up on my feed the other night. In 1966, several British adolescents were interviewed about their vision of the future (circa year...

FRED FIRST: There And Back Again

RECAP: I would be able to visit southwest Virginia again–home for almost 40 years, and...

SCOT BELLAVIA: Am I Proud to Be an American?

How proud are you to be an American? I posted that question on Facebook a few...

BOB BROWN: “Portraits of the Human Person”

On the night of June 21, 2025, President Donald Trump said all seven B2 Bombers...

BECKY MAUPIN: The After Bedtime Search

Picture this: You manage to get everyone fed and the dinner aftermath cleaned up. Then...

Lucky to Live a Most Blessed Life

It is 9:30 in the morning. I look out the window at the counterpane of snow that fell throughout the night, at the...

“Please Don’t Pick That Flower!”

On my frequent “walk-abouts” with students in my biology and environmental studies courses, I set a couple of important rules for our hikes:...

When Suffering Clouds the Sun

It’s a bright time of year, and the beauty of the greater Roanoke Valley has opened to its full splendor. We are so...

Recipe of the Week: Fish Kebabs

My son suddenly wants to eat lemons! We were at the grocery store the other day and he asked me to buy lemons....

The Oh So Many Joys Of Camping

Although Harry grew up camping with his buddies and the Boy Scouts, I had never spent the night outdoors before we were married....

It’s That Time Again . . . Commencement

There is probably no month that engenders more non-political speechifying than May.  Commencements are all over the place.  Even graduation from pre-K now...