back to top

Columnists

FRED FIRST: Approaching the Longest Night

Yes, you’re right—if you’ve even noticed—that this space has been neglected for some weeks now, and it has been hard to figure out where and how to jump back...

A Life Well-Lived: Shirley Padgett Lester (1947-2025)

Shirley Padgett Lester of Vinton went to her heavenly reward October 4. Below is the...

BOB BROWN: How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden “Presidency”

Permit me to think out loud as an old-fashioned person who respects authority, history, and...

JOHNNY ROBINSON: The Gratitude Perch

On the old road up Mill Mountain, part of Roanoke’s fabulous greenway system, there’s a...

ROBERT L. MARONIC: Sometimes President Trump Needs To Think Before He Speaks – Part II

Contrary to what President Trump believes, I think that Lakanwal was adequately vetted before September 2021,...

SCOTT DREYER: Why Are So Few People Asking These Questions? (Part 3)

Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly. - John 7:24 (NLT) What do you think of these questions I'm asking? As a continuation to...

MELINDA MYERS: Do-it-Yourself Holiday Centerpiece 

Dress up your holiday meals with a centerpiece crafted from greens, colorful stems and seed heads collected from your garden. Or purchase fresh materials...

SCOTT DREYER: Why Are So Few People Asking These Questions? (Part 2)

The person who tells one side of a story seems right, until someone else comes and asks questions.  –Proverbs 18:17  (NCV) The other day I...

JAMES FINCK: Christmas in 2020

For many, Christmas is the happiest time of the year. For Christians, it celebrates the birth of the Jesus when the Angels proclaimed to...

SCOTT DREYER: Why Are So Few People Asking These Questions? (Part 1)

The person who tells one side of a story seems right, until someone else comes and asks questions.  --Proverbs 18:17  (NCV) As a teacher since...

LUCKY GARVIN: The Tale Of The Ugly Christmas Tree

All Christmas trees are beautiful aren’t they? My wife, Sabrina, looked at the artificial Christmas tree and shuddered. “That thing’s been in my family...