Lincoln Memorial, Arlington are reminders of freedom's cost

If you were to suddenly appear this weekend at the numerous BBQs or pool parties without any knowledge of our nation's history, it might be hard to understand the real meaning of Memorial Day.

Morgan: From Covington square to Capitol Hill

The Covington News office is conveniently located for its local government reporters within easy walking distance of city hall, the Historic Courthouse and the county administration building. Today Gabe Khouli holds down that beat, but before Gabe, there was Rachel Oswald, trudging those well-worn paths and developing far more friends and admirers of her work than enemies. She was back in town this week for a visit with some of those friends.

Travis: How do teachers savor their summer? Let’s count the ways

In just a few days, the school year for Newton County children will be over. We'll see pictures of them rushing out of the schools' doors, cheering.

Yarbrough: They’re schools, not businesses, as teachers know well

Dear Public School Teachers in Georgia:

McCoy: Where am I? Brain is not playing fair

It's not cool to keep silent

I remember the first time I ran away from home. I was in sixth grade and I had been wronged in some way. I was sure my parents loved my sister more or denied me some privilege, and I was having none of that. I stayed home when my parents left for work, skipped school, packed a bag and took my bike to this little secluded spot by the river, thinking that was an awesome place to live. I was home before my parents.

Credit report coding trips up buyers

Are large numbers of homeowners who have negotiated short sales with lenders at risk because of a startling omission in the American credit system? Do their credit reports and scores indicate that they were foreclosed upon, rather than having negotiated a mutually agreeable resolution with their lenders?

Sometimes, perspective changes things

Single and lonely in a new neighborhood, a guy invites his neighbors to a drop-in party. With ample food and drink, he sits alone as party time comes and goes.

Who's teaching students to hate U.S.?

Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who are accused of setting the bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon, attended the University of Massachusetts. Maybe they hated our nation before college, but if you want lessons on hating America, college attendance might be a good start. Let's look at it.

Where am I? Brain isn't playing fair

Last week, while out of town and staying in a hotel, I had a most exasperating experience.

Property tax proposal doesn’t add up

The word tax is a three-letter word that might as well be a four-letter word these days.

Cushman: Crisis management

My graduate course in crisis management was the 2012 Republican presidential primaries as a senior advisory and national media surrogate for Newt Gingrich.

Crosswalk confusion is rampant

I try to walk at least five days or more a week for close to an hour.

Dalton mayor mulls run against Deal

David Pennington, the mayor of Dalton, is making noises about challenging incumbent Gov. Nathan Deal in the 2014 Republican primary. Say what?

Carter: Character, integrity are true pillars of society

I was conversing with a couple of friends this week, each of whom expressed frustration and disappointment at having been wronged recently in a business transaction.

Priorities

What's most important in your life right now? Do you find yourself running a routine, following a calendar, or tending to whatever your electronic personal assistant device tells you is urgent today?

Lying as a “Family” Value

The leaked secret reports about Afghanistan were disappointing. That Republican and Democratic administrations had kept these secrets was more disappointing. But the reaction of Republican and Democratic officials to the leaked reports was the most disappointing.

Gotta love the library

"I cannot live without books," wrote Thomas Jefferson to John Adams. Apparently, neither can the citizenry of Newton County whose love affair with the Newton County Library helped propel it to the ranking of tops in the entire state, as judged by a national library ratings organization. But we knew this before the nation knew it, didn't we?

The Ox is gored

When they fall, they fall fast.

An look at the recent primary results

As promised, I have the latest analysis of the recent primary results, courtesy of Junior E. Lee, general manager of the C. Richard Yarbrough Worldwide Media and Pest Control Company, located over a pool room in Greater Garfield.

September 6, 2012

Instead of commenting again on the ability of the Democratic House and Senate to ignore pay-as-you-go when they feel like it (i.e., passing unemployment benefits without paying for them), I have decided this week to indulge in a bit of folderol. In thinking through the following possible scenarios, just imagine what could be:

Back-slidin’ into oblivion

Unfortunately, my children never experienced a real, live traveling tent revival. When the subject came up recently, they even professed ignorance of the subject. Seizing the moment, I explained how traveling evangelists would appear on the outskirts of small towns back in the 1950's and 1960's and set up what appeared to be a circus big top - in actuality a surplus Army tent. For a week or so the evangelists would ...

Blissful ignorance

At the time you're reading this, we two will be readying to fly home after a few days off the coast of Maine on tiny little Peak's Island, three miles east of Portland and reachable by ferry. Dear friends loaned us their perennial summer cottage for a mini-vacation when they would be away, and we jumped at the offer. Who wouldn't? A car would not be required, and bikes were available for ...

Opportunity trickling away

One year ago, a federal judge from Minnesota named Paul Magnuson signed his name to a 97-page court order that was part of the ongoing water wars involving Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Just a lib, demo, pie in the sky, fool

What, you may ask, am I going to say this week about the primary elections? The answer: Nothing.

It's too hot

Think snow. Think lots and lots of snow. (OK, this is Covington, so think 1-2 inches of snow.) Think trees bowed down with ice, bending toward the ground. Think icy, impassable streets. Think about snow-covered hillocks and the shrieks of kids barreling down the inclines on cardboard slides. Do not, repeat: do not, think of crackling fires, being bundled up like Ralphie or hot toddies.

The quiet streets

My father was an ordained minister who emigrated from Bulgaria in 1939. He spent the last 23 years of his working life as an editor, writer, broadcaster and assistant desk chief for the Bulgarian Desk of the Voice of America. Before the VOA, he was a specialist for the Office of War Information during World War II. The U.S. was his adopted home and he had great affection and concern for its future.

Georgia voters will conduct the final poll

The race for governor has been a very stable one so far, at least if you believe in the validity of the polls. For more than a year now, every credible poll has indicated that Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is at the top of the list of Republican candidates while former governor Roy Barnes has been the choice of Democratic voters.

We don't need school vouchers

I am unalterably, unequivocally, and un-any other word you can conjure up opposed to school vouchers. I consider them somewhere south of Gov. George E. Perdue's beloved horse barn that got tanked earlier this year. Lord willing, school vouchers will tank, too. They are a bad idea.

Why football matters at the polls

While most political pundits follow polls, they might want to start following college football.