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...

Sometimes Good Things Happen

One of the best parts of being a columnist is the feedback that finds its way to me.  Frequently, I will hear from...

The Grey Cliffs of Dover

So why not visit southeast England when it’s cold, wet, and dark? That’s the way it is much of the time anyway, and...

Recipe of the Week: Exceedingly Patriotic Cheesecake Bars

I found this recipe at www.RecipeGirl.com. It looked so good and Patriotic! I am 39 and on my 40th lap around the sun...

If Only Life Had Warning Gates

Recently, I was at the home of a friend who has done a great deal of traveling in South Asia – specifically Nepal. ...

Mastering the Art of Truth Tell . . . Er, Stretching

From years ago: I was over at Sabrina's with son Cailan the other day. He and Chester, her same-aged son, were playing outside.  I...

Summer’s Flood of Green Not So Bad

Summer’s green can become tiresome, unless you take it one plant at a time. Some recent botanical discoveries have made the Green Tide...