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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...

Who Fills Your Gas Tank? by Rev. Barkley Thompson

In high school, my friend Patrick drove an enormous 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88.  It was burgundy-red, and due to its size and color...

Go Now In Peace!

by Mary Jo Shannon After retiring, I spent much more time volunteering at church, and as the cliché goes, I benefitted more than those...

Notes From Home

by Lucky Garvin Sabrina seemed a bit preoccupied that morning. I watched for a while, then asked, “You seem to have something on your...

The Hazards of Spring Gardening

by Nick Thomas You have to wonder what God was thinking when He created poison ivy. Was He having a rough day, or was...

Wild Bill’s Weekly Sports Roundup

by Bill Turner High school baseball and softball district play is in full swing this week with numerous teams looking to advance to next...

“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.” – Emerson

byMike Keeler  It's time we admit it: we cannot kill the Lion's Tooth. Every spring we carpet-bomb it with pendimethaline (the toxic ingredient in...