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Columnists

ROBERT L. MARONIC: I No Longer Watch Baltimore Orioles’ Baseball Games

I no longer watch Baltimore Orioles’ baseball games. I now only watch innings, and if I do I watch maybe two or three. I prefer to watch innings because frankly...

ANDY PITZER: “Look Mom! No iPhone!”

A very interesting visually recorded interview showed up on my feed the other night. In...

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...

SERWAN ZANGANA: I Pray No Law Enforcement Officer Or Soldier Engages In Gunfire

As a routine on my days off, the other morning I stopped by Panera Bread for a coffee and breakfast. As often happens, I...

FRED FIRST: The Glue of Community Does Not Age So Well

Living in place does not insure a lasting connection, as friends our age drop out of the picture. Will we experience new friendships close...

DEVOTIONAL: How Available Are You?

“May it happen to me as you have said.”  --Luke 1:38b (CSB) It's normal for us to have our goals, dreams, timetables and agendas for...

FRED FIRST: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Are There Future Fragments From Beyond the Pavement? I thought of this 150 yr old farmhouse and the land around it as my story for...

MELINDA MYERS: Add a Rosemary Topiary to This Year’s Holiday Season

Add a fresh look and fragrance to your holidays with a potted Rosemary plant. This favorite herb of cooks, crafters, and gardeners can be sheared...

SCOTT DREYER: Month 1: Rasoul Refuses To Retract Anti-Semitic Post–But Did He Cause Franklin’s Defeat?

As reported here, here and here, Del. Salam Rasoul (D-Roanoke City), who goes by the anglicized nickname "Sam," on Oct. 17 posted to X,...