By: Dick Yarbrough
Do me a favor, will you? I would greatly appreciate it if you would see that my obituary gets printed as is, just in case I happen to kick the bucket or cash in my chips or buy the farm or any other euphemism that you deem appropriate for the occasion.
Let me say emphatically that I have no plans to die anytime soon. I have sock drawers to rearrange, political egos to prick and sunsets to ponder. I got a glimpse of death a few weeks ago and didn’t like what I saw. Evidently, Death wasn’t crazy about the experience either and gave me a pass. A good friend suggested that the reason I survived the ordeal is that God wasn’t ready for me and the devil wouldn’t have me. What would I do without my friends?
But that experience did make me think about how I want to be remembered. The best way to do that is to go ahead and get it down on paper like I want and then depend on kind souls like you to see that it gets in the paper that way I wrote it.
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Columns - Topics from September, 2017
Celebrating Old Glory
By: Mary Ann Ellis
I can’t remember the first time I saw the American flag rise over a football field or some other arena filled with people who rose as one body to salute it. Well I remember the feelings I experienced even as a child, and those feelings only intensified as I grew and matured. Many a time I watched Old Glory rise in all her splendor over the Jeff Davis County football field as I and the other fans cheered on the Yellow Jackets. As the wind caught the red, white, and blue fabric and helped to unfurl it high above the stadium, my heart filled with pride. Occasionally a tear would slip down my face as my emotions took over. I don’t think anyone ever explained to me the significance of the flag. I grew up in a era when we pledged allegiance to that flag every single morning and learned to respect its bright colors.
Later on I stood as it flew over Sanford Stadium in Athens. I watched it fly over the Jimmy Swain Stadium in Appling County for numerous years as the Pirates took the field. It flies proudly on courthouse lawns and in many other places as a symbol of our hard-won freedoms. People who are physically able, stand. As long as I am able to stand, I will continue to do so in respect for that flag......
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I can’t remember the first time I saw the American flag rise over a football field or some other arena filled with people who rose as one body to salute it. Well I remember the feelings I experienced even as a child, and those feelings only intensified as I grew and matured. Many a time I watched Old Glory rise in all her splendor over the Jeff Davis County football field as I and the other fans cheered on the Yellow Jackets. As the wind caught the red, white, and blue fabric and helped to unfurl it high above the stadium, my heart filled with pride. Occasionally a tear would slip down my face as my emotions took over. I don’t think anyone ever explained to me the significance of the flag. I grew up in a era when we pledged allegiance to that flag every single morning and learned to respect its bright colors.
Later on I stood as it flew over Sanford Stadium in Athens. I watched it fly over the Jimmy Swain Stadium in Appling County for numerous years as the Pirates took the field. It flies proudly on courthouse lawns and in many other places as a symbol of our hard-won freedoms. People who are physically able, stand. As long as I am able to stand, I will continue to do so in respect for that flag......
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Bridging the great divide
By: Billy G. Howard
There have been occasions during the past year on which I’ve listed experiences encountered as part of the Kairos Prison Ministry. The group of volunteers generally attends meetings that extend for a period of ten weeks. Three hour sessions are utilized to build upon relationships in the name of an agape love which facilitates a “brotherhood.” This group of “brothers” then goes into the maximum security prison, Union Correctional Institution, located outside Starke, FL for the purpose of ministering to the residents. Time spent in the facility spans three and-a-half days beginning Thursday afternoon and extending to a “graduation” ceremony the following Sunday. A structured, very intense prison ministry that began in 1976 has spread throughout the entire world. Ironically, the group of volunteers is comprised of people stemming from various cultures, nationalities, and social backgrounds. The most interesting dynamic lays in the fact a multitude of denominations are represented. Oddly enough, there are never grounds for division as the specific “identifying practices” of the different sects of Christianity aren’t even allowed as topic of conversation.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
There have been occasions during the past year on which I’ve listed experiences encountered as part of the Kairos Prison Ministry. The group of volunteers generally attends meetings that extend for a period of ten weeks. Three hour sessions are utilized to build upon relationships in the name of an agape love which facilitates a “brotherhood.” This group of “brothers” then goes into the maximum security prison, Union Correctional Institution, located outside Starke, FL for the purpose of ministering to the residents. Time spent in the facility spans three and-a-half days beginning Thursday afternoon and extending to a “graduation” ceremony the following Sunday. A structured, very intense prison ministry that began in 1976 has spread throughout the entire world. Ironically, the group of volunteers is comprised of people stemming from various cultures, nationalities, and social backgrounds. The most interesting dynamic lays in the fact a multitude of denominations are represented. Oddly enough, there are never grounds for division as the specific “identifying practices” of the different sects of Christianity aren’t even allowed as topic of conversation.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
What does the future hold for rural Georgia, Appling County?
By: Jamie Gardner
To get a look at the future, let’s first consider some of our history. At a May meeting of the Georgia House of Representatives Rural Development Council, held in Tifton, Matt Hauer, with UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute, reported that Georgia has doubled in population over the last 40 years. One area that contributed to this increase is migration from other states. However, a total of 37 rural counties in Georgia had larger populations in 1920 than they did in 2010. Eleven counties had larger populations in 1860 than they did in 2010. Seventy-eight counties have lost population since 2010 and 99 counties have more people moving out of them than moving in. So where are all these people going in Georgia? Plainly speaking…metro areas.
Here is another tidbit Hauer offered at the meeting. By the year 2030 rural Georgia will have a -1 percent growth in ages from 0-19, a -1 percent growth in ages 20-64, and 60 percent growth in ages 65 and older.
Why are people locating to urban/metro areas in our state? In most situations you only need to follow the money to find the answer and of course jobs or better opportunities are probably the best answers to that question.
So how do we turn this tide around? How do we get industry to look at us? Unfortunately, many believe there is not a simple answer to that question.
In my opinion, rural Georgia must have a change in attitude if we ever want to buck the trend. To paraphrase some of Hauer’s valid points, do we have a strategy to attack the problems? Are we focused? Do we understand the problems facing our area? And finally, do we have the commitment to find resolution to these problems? We should also probably understand that change will not come quick or easy. Some of the problems he identified focused on education, workforce and leadership issues.
Last week I spoke to Kevin Williams of Williams Dairy Trucking here in Baxley. I knew Kevin has been struggling to find qualified truck drivers for his company. The company is offering all types of incentives to try to get drivers to sign on with them and the pay and benefits Kevin outlined are incredible. I’ll just say that it is very good compensation for this part of the state.
During the discussion I asked Kevin if he had talked with the local technical college about any type of partnership with the school’s truck driving program. Kevin stated that he has, but no partnership has been established at this point.
Williams is not alone in trying to find drivers. I have another friend that works for a large trucking company, also in a rural setting, and his job is specifically recruiting and retaining drivers for the company. Again, the company offers excellent pay and benefits, yet they struggle to find people willing to work.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
To get a look at the future, let’s first consider some of our history. At a May meeting of the Georgia House of Representatives Rural Development Council, held in Tifton, Matt Hauer, with UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute, reported that Georgia has doubled in population over the last 40 years. One area that contributed to this increase is migration from other states. However, a total of 37 rural counties in Georgia had larger populations in 1920 than they did in 2010. Eleven counties had larger populations in 1860 than they did in 2010. Seventy-eight counties have lost population since 2010 and 99 counties have more people moving out of them than moving in. So where are all these people going in Georgia? Plainly speaking…metro areas.
Here is another tidbit Hauer offered at the meeting. By the year 2030 rural Georgia will have a -1 percent growth in ages from 0-19, a -1 percent growth in ages 20-64, and 60 percent growth in ages 65 and older.
Why are people locating to urban/metro areas in our state? In most situations you only need to follow the money to find the answer and of course jobs or better opportunities are probably the best answers to that question.
So how do we turn this tide around? How do we get industry to look at us? Unfortunately, many believe there is not a simple answer to that question.
In my opinion, rural Georgia must have a change in attitude if we ever want to buck the trend. To paraphrase some of Hauer’s valid points, do we have a strategy to attack the problems? Are we focused? Do we understand the problems facing our area? And finally, do we have the commitment to find resolution to these problems? We should also probably understand that change will not come quick or easy. Some of the problems he identified focused on education, workforce and leadership issues.
Last week I spoke to Kevin Williams of Williams Dairy Trucking here in Baxley. I knew Kevin has been struggling to find qualified truck drivers for his company. The company is offering all types of incentives to try to get drivers to sign on with them and the pay and benefits Kevin outlined are incredible. I’ll just say that it is very good compensation for this part of the state.
During the discussion I asked Kevin if he had talked with the local technical college about any type of partnership with the school’s truck driving program. Kevin stated that he has, but no partnership has been established at this point.
Williams is not alone in trying to find drivers. I have another friend that works for a large trucking company, also in a rural setting, and his job is specifically recruiting and retaining drivers for the company. Again, the company offers excellent pay and benefits, yet they struggle to find people willing to work.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
This and that around Baxley
By: Mary Ann Ellis
It’s been a rough week here in Appling County, but we all know it could have been much worse. Irma damaged us a bit and left a big mess behind her, strewing trees and power lines in her wake. We endured a few hours or days without power and our usual electronic entertainment. We might have even been forced to converse with each other a bit more than usual, albeit in the dark. Oak leaves still cover my back deck and limbs litter my yard, but my homegrown vegetables are safe in the freezer, thanks to Larry and his trusty generator. I had nightmares about losing all that summer squash that’s supposed to take us through until next summer’s garden. Fortunately, it’s still there waiting to be made into casseroles for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as for many other Sunday meals when we have a hankering for squash. Other garden foods await our consumption as well. For our safety and the safety of our frozen foods, I am thankful.
And now that Irma has disappeared, for the moment we turn to other problems. This weekend I’ve had several calls about dogs being thrown out in the country. One lady called and said, “I can’t stand to see them starve, so I’ve been feeding two strays.....
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It’s been a rough week here in Appling County, but we all know it could have been much worse. Irma damaged us a bit and left a big mess behind her, strewing trees and power lines in her wake. We endured a few hours or days without power and our usual electronic entertainment. We might have even been forced to converse with each other a bit more than usual, albeit in the dark. Oak leaves still cover my back deck and limbs litter my yard, but my homegrown vegetables are safe in the freezer, thanks to Larry and his trusty generator. I had nightmares about losing all that summer squash that’s supposed to take us through until next summer’s garden. Fortunately, it’s still there waiting to be made into casseroles for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as for many other Sunday meals when we have a hankering for squash. Other garden foods await our consumption as well. For our safety and the safety of our frozen foods, I am thankful.
And now that Irma has disappeared, for the moment we turn to other problems. This weekend I’ve had several calls about dogs being thrown out in the country. One lady called and said, “I can’t stand to see them starve, so I’ve been feeding two strays.....
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Some reflections on an ill wind named Irma
By:Dick Yarbrough
It is hard to know what to write about when you have been through the likes of Irma. Maybe it was “only” a tropical storm when it hit Georgia and not the powerful hurricane that ripped through Florida, but it was bad enough as many of you can attest. I will return to my acerbic roots soon, I promise, but not today. Nothing funny about disasters. If Irma accomplished anything besides tossing trees on houses, ripping off roofs, bringing down power lines and generally scaring us silly, she helped put things in perspective as well as bringing out our better side. For me, she was a little late in her tutorial on perspective. Been there. Got that. It seems that I was one lucky soul following my recent bout with sepsis. I have been informed by medical professionals that the mortality rate for people “my age”........
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It is hard to know what to write about when you have been through the likes of Irma. Maybe it was “only” a tropical storm when it hit Georgia and not the powerful hurricane that ripped through Florida, but it was bad enough as many of you can attest. I will return to my acerbic roots soon, I promise, but not today. Nothing funny about disasters. If Irma accomplished anything besides tossing trees on houses, ripping off roofs, bringing down power lines and generally scaring us silly, she helped put things in perspective as well as bringing out our better side. For me, she was a little late in her tutorial on perspective. Been there. Got that. It seems that I was one lucky soul following my recent bout with sepsis. I have been informed by medical professionals that the mortality rate for people “my age”........
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"Whatchu gone do?"
By: Billy G. Howard
Interesting circumstances occurred last week “more-or-less” pitting me at odds with a gentleman regarding the “obligation” of the Lord to keep His word. The individual, I’ll refer to as Mr. Rick, stated he didn’t consider it a blessing from the Lord when reasoning the benefit of anything he’s capable of accomplishing himself. According to him, if he can achieve something on his own power there’s no point giving Jesus credit.
Of course, I instinctively moved a few feet from Mr. Rick to avoid possibly getting caught up in the fall-out of anticipated lightening strikes. Queries were then posed as to whether he’d been able to reach out that, or any morning, and wake himself from sleep. “In fact,” I questioned, “Were you able to post up at the head of your bed and keep watch over yourself throughout the night or prevent any number of untold incidents from occurring that could have proven harmful?”
The obvious answer to every question was a resounding, “No.” But Mr. Rick went on to insist he controlled his own destiny and had the power to do for himself without the Lord’s involvement. I pointed out the simple fact, were it not for the Lord, even those who don’t believe wouldn’t have the ability to contest the truth of His existence.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Interesting circumstances occurred last week “more-or-less” pitting me at odds with a gentleman regarding the “obligation” of the Lord to keep His word. The individual, I’ll refer to as Mr. Rick, stated he didn’t consider it a blessing from the Lord when reasoning the benefit of anything he’s capable of accomplishing himself. According to him, if he can achieve something on his own power there’s no point giving Jesus credit.
Of course, I instinctively moved a few feet from Mr. Rick to avoid possibly getting caught up in the fall-out of anticipated lightening strikes. Queries were then posed as to whether he’d been able to reach out that, or any morning, and wake himself from sleep. “In fact,” I questioned, “Were you able to post up at the head of your bed and keep watch over yourself throughout the night or prevent any number of untold incidents from occurring that could have proven harmful?”
The obvious answer to every question was a resounding, “No.” But Mr. Rick went on to insist he controlled his own destiny and had the power to do for himself without the Lord’s involvement. I pointed out the simple fact, were it not for the Lord, even those who don’t believe wouldn’t have the ability to contest the truth of His existence.
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The People's House
By: Greg Morris
As you know, last week the primary focus of all of us as well state government was preparation and clean up due to the devastation to our state from Irma. I agree with Gov. Deal when he said it was almost impossible to believe that the damage was caused by a tropical storm. I am sure I speak for all of us in expressing gratitude to all of the linemen and emergency personnel who worked to keep our citizens safe and to restore power to our homes and businesses as soon as possible. I am told this is the first time all 41 EMC’s had property damage from a single storm. We are also grateful for the line crews from other states who came from as far north as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and Wisconsin, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. I have been asked about the cost of the cleanup. The federal government usually pays.......
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As you know, last week the primary focus of all of us as well state government was preparation and clean up due to the devastation to our state from Irma. I agree with Gov. Deal when he said it was almost impossible to believe that the damage was caused by a tropical storm. I am sure I speak for all of us in expressing gratitude to all of the linemen and emergency personnel who worked to keep our citizens safe and to restore power to our homes and businesses as soon as possible. I am told this is the first time all 41 EMC’s had property damage from a single storm. We are also grateful for the line crews from other states who came from as far north as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and Wisconsin, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. I have been asked about the cost of the cleanup. The federal government usually pays.......
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Stiff neck generation
By: Billy G. Howard
When scripting this week’s column, news reports of hurricane Irma had saturated the airways for the previous seven days. Remarkably, I’d witnessed people gathering in parking lots of hardware stores at 5:30a in search of ever-valuable emergency generators. Water, gas, and other essentials were in short supply as everybody flocked to the stores to stock up in lieu of the impending storm. Hurricane Irma; billed as the worst in history as it passed through the Caribbean Islands and Cuba last week and into the weekend. At one point, sustained winds reached speeds of 185mph with gusts up to 225mph. It completely annihilated homes and entire communities. The hurricane, twice the size at nearly 1000 miles wide, dwarfed Andrew which ravished southern Florida in August of 1992.
Sir Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group, which owns Virgin Records reportedly, rode out the storm at his island home when the hurricane passed over. What’s known as Necker Island, a private getaway for the British billionaire, was “utterly destroyed” according to him. He’d been fortunate enough to find shelter in his bunker-style wine cellar but emerged to realize the home was demolished by winds that exceeded 150mph.
More and more, I’d encountered people who expressed concern, fear, and even skepticism regarding anticipated conditions of things on the other side of the storm. Some meteorologists labeled the intense occurrence as the first “Nuclear Hurricane” in modern history. By noon Sunday, a death toll of twenty-seven included one Florida man who’d actually perished after falling from a ladder while preparing for the storm. Also, a 16-year old junior professional surfer in Barbados drowned Tuesday, September 5th trying to navigate immense swells generated by the approaching storm.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
When scripting this week’s column, news reports of hurricane Irma had saturated the airways for the previous seven days. Remarkably, I’d witnessed people gathering in parking lots of hardware stores at 5:30a in search of ever-valuable emergency generators. Water, gas, and other essentials were in short supply as everybody flocked to the stores to stock up in lieu of the impending storm. Hurricane Irma; billed as the worst in history as it passed through the Caribbean Islands and Cuba last week and into the weekend. At one point, sustained winds reached speeds of 185mph with gusts up to 225mph. It completely annihilated homes and entire communities. The hurricane, twice the size at nearly 1000 miles wide, dwarfed Andrew which ravished southern Florida in August of 1992.
Sir Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group, which owns Virgin Records reportedly, rode out the storm at his island home when the hurricane passed over. What’s known as Necker Island, a private getaway for the British billionaire, was “utterly destroyed” according to him. He’d been fortunate enough to find shelter in his bunker-style wine cellar but emerged to realize the home was demolished by winds that exceeded 150mph.
More and more, I’d encountered people who expressed concern, fear, and even skepticism regarding anticipated conditions of things on the other side of the storm. Some meteorologists labeled the intense occurrence as the first “Nuclear Hurricane” in modern history. By noon Sunday, a death toll of twenty-seven included one Florida man who’d actually perished after falling from a ladder while preparing for the storm. Also, a 16-year old junior professional surfer in Barbados drowned Tuesday, September 5th trying to navigate immense swells generated by the approaching storm.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Waiting for Irma
By: Mary Ann Ellis
The seasons are finally about to change, for which I am truly grateful. Summer is not my season of choice. The rain situation has been dire most of the summer and still is. We’ve dragged hoses and sprinklers around constantly until I had my surgery and then we more or less quit. I decided that Larry has enough to do to take care of me. I can’t ask him to take care of all my myriad plants, too. Throughout the summer, no clouds have darkened the blue skies, and my heart has been heavy. I thirsted for rain. I’ve been dry, brittle, withered. As of right now I need about a week or two of rain, steady, soaking water to refresh the earth and me. How I’d enjoy the soothing spattering of raindrops against the roof and my bedroom window as I sprawl on the bed with some book. The rain would sing me to sleep long before I finished my book, but I’d gladly wake to it again after my nap. Everyday I prayed for rain. In church we prayed for rain. Above us, the sun blazed and white clouds hovered in the bright sky. When I turned on the Weather Channel, I sat and gazed at the brown colors of a drought-stricken countryside. My sister told me that she read somewhere that this area will be a desert in the next century. I scoffed, of course, but I started to change my mind as we continued to move from one day to the next with no rain.
This morning the patter of rain on the roof awakened me, but I wasn’t so happy about it. I wanted rain, but I want no part of Hurricane Irma.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
The seasons are finally about to change, for which I am truly grateful. Summer is not my season of choice. The rain situation has been dire most of the summer and still is. We’ve dragged hoses and sprinklers around constantly until I had my surgery and then we more or less quit. I decided that Larry has enough to do to take care of me. I can’t ask him to take care of all my myriad plants, too. Throughout the summer, no clouds have darkened the blue skies, and my heart has been heavy. I thirsted for rain. I’ve been dry, brittle, withered. As of right now I need about a week or two of rain, steady, soaking water to refresh the earth and me. How I’d enjoy the soothing spattering of raindrops against the roof and my bedroom window as I sprawl on the bed with some book. The rain would sing me to sleep long before I finished my book, but I’d gladly wake to it again after my nap. Everyday I prayed for rain. In church we prayed for rain. Above us, the sun blazed and white clouds hovered in the bright sky. When I turned on the Weather Channel, I sat and gazed at the brown colors of a drought-stricken countryside. My sister told me that she read somewhere that this area will be a desert in the next century. I scoffed, of course, but I started to change my mind as we continued to move from one day to the next with no rain.
This morning the patter of rain on the roof awakened me, but I wasn’t so happy about it. I wanted rain, but I want no part of Hurricane Irma.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Honoring the memory of a special person in a special way
By: Dick Yarbrough
This week marks the ninth anniversary of the loss of our oldest grandson, Zack Wansley. And, yes, it hurts as much today as on the day he collapsed and died while training for a marathon. Zack was special. He was a true scholar-athlete. He was president of just about every significant organization in his high school. He won the Journal Cup as his school’s Outstanding Senior. Zack was proof that one could get a quality public school education if willing to work for it. He is one reason that I am so hawkish on public education and remain intractable regarding those politicians who would rather cut-and-run from what ails our public schools rather than try to fix the problems. I saw what Zack accomplished in the classroom and know it can be done. Zack was also an unrepentant and unapologetic Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket in a family of Georgia Bulldogs. He was a Tech man through and through and, as usual, he was excelling academically when his life was cut short.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
This week marks the ninth anniversary of the loss of our oldest grandson, Zack Wansley. And, yes, it hurts as much today as on the day he collapsed and died while training for a marathon. Zack was special. He was a true scholar-athlete. He was president of just about every significant organization in his high school. He won the Journal Cup as his school’s Outstanding Senior. Zack was proof that one could get a quality public school education if willing to work for it. He is one reason that I am so hawkish on public education and remain intractable regarding those politicians who would rather cut-and-run from what ails our public schools rather than try to fix the problems. I saw what Zack accomplished in the classroom and know it can be done. Zack was also an unrepentant and unapologetic Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket in a family of Georgia Bulldogs. He was a Tech man through and through and, as usual, he was excelling academically when his life was cut short.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Pres. Obama was right the first time
By: Augusta Chronicle Editorial Staff
They were brought here illegally. The former president legalized them unconstitutionally. Yet now the media are “live screaming” that it’s somehow mean for the current administration to seek a lawful fix for the “dreamer” mess it was handed. First, let’s agree to examine the facts, not the emotion-crazed hysteria. President Obama used an executive order in 2012 to unilaterally change immigration law when he exempted from deportation those who’d been brought to the U.S. as minors. The “law” he imposed is called DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Notice, if you will, the first word: “Deferred.” It’s temporary – in this case, two-year renewable residency and work permits. By its very name, DACA was kicking this can down the road. It was also of constitutional question. Remember: A similar Obama program shielding the illegal alien parents of citizens or lawful permanent residents – DAPA – was struck down by an appeals court.
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
They were brought here illegally. The former president legalized them unconstitutionally. Yet now the media are “live screaming” that it’s somehow mean for the current administration to seek a lawful fix for the “dreamer” mess it was handed. First, let’s agree to examine the facts, not the emotion-crazed hysteria. President Obama used an executive order in 2012 to unilaterally change immigration law when he exempted from deportation those who’d been brought to the U.S. as minors. The “law” he imposed is called DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Notice, if you will, the first word: “Deferred.” It’s temporary – in this case, two-year renewable residency and work permits. By its very name, DACA was kicking this can down the road. It was also of constitutional question. Remember: A similar Obama program shielding the illegal alien parents of citizens or lawful permanent residents – DAPA – was struck down by an appeals court.
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Americans all
By: Mary Ann Ellis
I’ve been an invalid since my surgery, so I spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the television. This week, non-stop coverage of Hurricane Harvey and its devastation of Texas and parts of Louisiana filled the screen round the clock. I know you, too, have seen many of the same scenes. Police boats, kayaks, fishing boats, and airboats filled rivers of flood waters flowing where streets had been a week before. People from Texas and other places brought those boats to rescue the needy. Strong arms pulled people and animals alike from the murky, life-threatening waters. They rescued the elderly, babies, toddlers, and people of every age. I watched as they saved dogs, cats, horses, deer, cattle, and even one hermit crab. Helping hands helped the helpless in a flooding nursing home. They transferred patients from a flooded hospital to helicopters to be flown inland to other hospitals. I could spend the rest of this column just describing a small part of what I saw, but I won’t. You saw for yourselves. .....
To continue reading this article, pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
I’ve been an invalid since my surgery, so I spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the television. This week, non-stop coverage of Hurricane Harvey and its devastation of Texas and parts of Louisiana filled the screen round the clock. I know you, too, have seen many of the same scenes. Police boats, kayaks, fishing boats, and airboats filled rivers of flood waters flowing where streets had been a week before. People from Texas and other places brought those boats to rescue the needy. Strong arms pulled people and animals alike from the murky, life-threatening waters. They rescued the elderly, babies, toddlers, and people of every age. I watched as they saved dogs, cats, horses, deer, cattle, and even one hermit crab. Helping hands helped the helpless in a flooding nursing home. They transferred patients from a flooded hospital to helicopters to be flown inland to other hospitals. I could spend the rest of this column just describing a small part of what I saw, but I won’t. You saw for yourselves. .....
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Thoughts from the shower
By: Jamie Gardner
I received the following from my Aunt Georgie a few days back. She and I tend to share the same sense of humor. These are too good not to share. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
- If you attempt to rob a bank, you won’t have any trouble with rent/food bills for the next 10 years, whether or not you are successful.
- If poison expires, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous?
- Which letter is silent in the word “Scent”, the S or the C?
- Why is the letter W, in English, called double U? Shouldn’t it be called double V?
- Maybe oxygen is slowly killing us and it just takes 75-100 years to fully work.
- Every time you clean something,......
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I received the following from my Aunt Georgie a few days back. She and I tend to share the same sense of humor. These are too good not to share. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
- If you attempt to rob a bank, you won’t have any trouble with rent/food bills for the next 10 years, whether or not you are successful.
- If poison expires, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous?
- Which letter is silent in the word “Scent”, the S or the C?
- Why is the letter W, in English, called double U? Shouldn’t it be called double V?
- Maybe oxygen is slowly killing us and it just takes 75-100 years to fully work.
- Every time you clean something,......
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Getting back in action after too long an absence
By: Dick Yarbrough
Okay, boys and girls, I’m back. I would say that I am as good as ever, but there are those humor-impaired grumps among us who would say that would say I was never that good to begin with. May they kiss my grits.
This has been a surreal experience. One day, I am a modest and much-beloved columnist with no shortage of opinions on anything and everything, and the next day I am on a gurney in the intensive care unit at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta with non-functioning kidneys and a precipitously low blood pressure (81 over something) suffering from septic shock. As the doctor told me later, “You almost died.” Needless to say, I survived and am ready to get back in action. It has been too long.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that not a lot has changed since I emerged from the purple dusk of twilight time. We remain a nation deeply divided thanks to publicity-seeking fringe groups on both extremes of the political spectrum and self-serving politicians who fan the flames as well as a president that can’t put away his infernal Twitter machine. Where is Ronald Reagan when we need him?
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Okay, boys and girls, I’m back. I would say that I am as good as ever, but there are those humor-impaired grumps among us who would say that would say I was never that good to begin with. May they kiss my grits.
This has been a surreal experience. One day, I am a modest and much-beloved columnist with no shortage of opinions on anything and everything, and the next day I am on a gurney in the intensive care unit at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta with non-functioning kidneys and a precipitously low blood pressure (81 over something) suffering from septic shock. As the doctor told me later, “You almost died.” Needless to say, I survived and am ready to get back in action. It has been too long.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that not a lot has changed since I emerged from the purple dusk of twilight time. We remain a nation deeply divided thanks to publicity-seeking fringe groups on both extremes of the political spectrum and self-serving politicians who fan the flames as well as a president that can’t put away his infernal Twitter machine. Where is Ronald Reagan when we need him?
To continue reading this article pick up a copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
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