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Columnists

BOB BROWN: “Portraits of the Human Person”

On the night of June 21, 2025, President Donald Trump said all seven B2 Bombers had safely returned from an unprecedented successful attack on Iran’s fortresses of nuclear weapon...

BECKY MAUPIN: The After Bedtime Search

Picture this: You manage to get everyone fed and the dinner aftermath cleaned up. Then...

ROBERT L. MARONIC: Israel’s Second Sum Of All Fears

I first heard about a dirty bomb in early September 1993 when an IBM coworker,...

BOB BROWN: What Happened to Happiness?

We can quibble about the origin, even the definition or meaning of “happiness,” but I’m...

FRED FIRST: Homeward Bound

It would happen: the trip back to Floyd. And then it wouldn’t. And then it...

MELINDA MYERS: Grow Garlic this Fall for Flavorful Meals and Health Benefits

Add a bit of flavor and health benefits to your main course with some homegrown garlic.  This vegetable has been used for thousands of...

SCOTT DREYER: Will Supreme Court Nomination Default to “Smear and Destroy?”

With the September 18 passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court is (once again) at the forefront of our national conversation -...

MIKE KEELER: “Pi-KAHN,” or “PEE-can”? Who Knows!

We've learned that pandemics are times of intense personal and communal distress, softened somewhat by the simple act of cooking. So, in the interest...

EVAN O’NEIL: Don’t Let Fall Mean Falling Temperatures

According to historical weather records, the summer of 2020 in Southwest Virginia has been 5-10 degrees hotter on any given day than the average...

MELINDA MYERS: Create New Garden Beds This Fall

Fall is a great time to create new garden beds. Cool, usually drier, fall weather makes it easier to work in the garden and...

SCOT BELLAVIA: Is The World Getting Better or Worse?

Can anyone deny that wrongdoing has been around since the beginning of humanity? Whether you believe in the book of Genesis, the Big Bang...