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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...

An Obscenity of Assets, a Dearth of Compassion

by H. Bruce Rinker, Ph.D. As a citizen of this good nation, and as a 10th-generation Virginian native to the Shenandoah Valley, I am...

“Thankfulness Takes Work”

by Keith McCurdy Have you ever noticed how hard it is to be thankful?  Our natural tendency is to focus more on the negative...

The Story of How Woody Occupied Berlin

by Mike Keeler It all started in 1893, when Isadore Baline arrived in the United States from Russia. He worked as a singing waiter in...

Windows of Opportunity

by Robert Adcox There are any number of opportunities for meals in the Roanoke valley. From supermarkets to fine dining overlooking magnificent views, one...

Is California A Window Into Our Future? I Hope Not

by Dick Baynton Governor Jerry Brown received news that California is #50 in a business magazine that ranks business climates of the states. The...

Made in the Shade

by Liza Field How’s your cooling system, this summer? “Down,” said a lot of hot people in early July, when extreme high temperatures kicked fierce...