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Columnists

ROBERT L. MARONIC: Is Phase Two Of Trump‘s Peace Plan In The Gaza Strip Doomed To Fail? – Part I

Phase one of Trump‘s twenty-point peace plan in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 9, called for a ceasefire, cessation of military operations, along with a hostage and prisoner...

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,...

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...

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...

SCOTT DREYER: 7-7: Protect The Constitution, So It Can Protect You

Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.”  --...

MELINDA MYERS: Plant This Fall For a Colorful Spring Display

It’s time to think spring. Fall is the time to plant tulips, daffodils, crocus and other spring flowering bulbs. Use these early bloomers to...

SCOTT DREYER: America’s Has A Short Memory When It Comes To First Responders

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.  -- John 15:13 On this date, we remember the horrific attacks...