Opinions

Let’s face it. Some things are difficult if not impossible to love. Take snakes for instance. Have you ever had anyone, even a genuine snake handler, tell you that they love the slithery things. In fact, most people will shiver just at the mention of one. Many ordinarily peaceful travelers in the country will stop their car and hunt a stick to terminate any serpentine creature that might be innocently trying to get to the other side of the road. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor and community, friends and family,

On September 22, 2012, Marsha Atwell will be having a car wash fundraiser for her husband, John Mickens, who needs a liver transplant. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor and to the Body of Christ,

God began speaking to me concerning the Body of Christ. God began to say unto me, He said, Son, Everybody cannot be an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor or Teacher. He said to me these are “Gifts” of working for the ministry. [Full Story »] 

Dear Parent(s)/ Guardian(s):

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) submitted an application to the U. S. Department of Education (US ED) requesting flexibility through waivers of ten Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) requirements and their associated, regulatory, administrative and reporting requirements. On February 9, 2012, Georgia’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver was approved by the US ED. Two of the ten requested waivers directly affected Supplemental Educational Services (SES) and Public School Choice (Choice). The waiver allows local educational agencies (LEAs) greater flexibility in designing a flexible learning program tailored to the needs of their schools and will have the capacity to serve more students in need for additional academic support. [Full Story »] 

An editorial from the National Newspaper Association

The newspaper business—both small and large papers—has sounded full-throated opposition this past month about a plan by the U.S. Postal Service to purposely entice advertising out of the newspaper so ads can be placed instead with USPS favored stakeholder Valassis Inc., which bought direct mail company ADVO in 2006. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor,

Hatred has to cease God is watching and listening. There is a storm coming what are we going to do or turn too? Winds will be strong, waters too swift, sun too hot, and fires are still burning. He is tired of his people suffering because of so much HATRED. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor and Citizens of Baxley and Appling County: [Full Story »] 

Are you a Republican? Are you a Democrat? Here’s one better. Are you an American? Why ask these questions? Because it is time for all of us to remember that, first and foremost, we are Americans. [Full Story »] 

I am honest in my writing in that I sometimes tell of things that might go unmentioned by normal people. I don’t do this to embarrass anyone, including family members; it’s just that I feel led sometimes to discuss touchy subjects in order to teach the wayward among us, to bring some light into the darkness. Here goes. [Full Story »] 

The temperature was rather warm when I put the riding mower (is there any other kind?) in gear this afternoon and headed out front to cut the grass that the rain keeps bringing up for me. I’d just cut maybe three days ago, but it was definitely time to cut again. As I drove along the edge of the lawn, I slowed to admire the cotton plants growing in the field beside us. Big blooms waved in the breeze. Obviously the daily rain was growing that cotton, too, not just my grass. It was practically jumping up. [Full Story »] 

The fog was beginning to lift. We could see more clearly the huge aircraft carriers docked along the shore of the St. Johns River. Where the St. Johns River flows into the Atlantic Ocean is huge. Although the water was calm, we felt intimidated by the immensity of our surroundings. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor,

The Appling County School System experienced an array of events last week. During these times the following personnel were available to assist Appling County Schools: Chief Godrey and the Baxley Police Department; Sheriff Benny Deloach and the Sheriff’s Department; the Georgia State Patrol; and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. [Full Story »]