Opinion & Policy

Inspired by the 1814 Defence of Fort M’Henry, Francis Scott Key referred to our nation as “the land of the free and the home of the brave” in his poem, later retitled “The Star Spangled Banner” and our national anthem. 208 years later, if we were to have a nation-wide contest for someone to write…

  Most of you know I am not originally from Coosa County. My husband and I moved here almost 25 years ago so, since I don’t have at least five generations buried here, I am a relative “newcomer”! But, once we got here and started looking into Larry’s genealogy, we did learn that he WAS…

  Alabama has seen so much violent crime the past couple of years that unfortunately the headlines are no longer shocking. And it was not too long ago that a triple murder by a violent parolee in Marshall County led to the Alabama Legislature enacting permanent reforms of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Before…

Benjamin Franklin is quoted as stating that “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” The quote originally was reference to the durability of our U.S. Constitution. If you’ve read anything that I have written here before in this column, then you know that I hold our Constitution sacred, but let me take a moment to…

Special to the News By John M. Taylor   In these Orwellian times it can be difficult to discern fact from fiction. One individual who has been falsely demonized is Robert E. Lee. Having two family members who signed the Declaration of Independence, a father who was a Revolutionary War hero, being the only individual…

  First, I want to thank all the wonderful people of Coosa County who came to the aid of their neighbors after the tornadoes last week. Needs were great, and response was greater! Once it was determined what was needed and where it was needed, the calls went out and volunteers showed up. With the…

  As I write this piece, the national debt of the United States is rapidly approaching $31.5 trillion. To grasp the concept of how much debt that is, imagine first a stack of a million dollars; then imagine if that stack was multiplied into a million stacks of a million dollars; and then imagine 31-and-a-half…

  As we start a new year, everyone begins making plans for resolutions that they want to make for themselves. Of course, most of them fade away within weeks. So what goals are our state leaders making for Alabama in the new year, and will they actually work to achieve them in the upcoming legislative…

Dear Editor, I just wanted to take a moment to say how I enjoy reading the new column by Jennifer Williamson. It is well written, interesting and thought provoking. During these times, people are always so quick to criticize and complain about anything and everything, but very slow to offer a compliment or give praise…

  When I was Gov. Fob James’ appointments secretary in 1995, there was a woman who insisted we find qualified women and get them appointed to various positions in state government. It’s good to see that woman is practicing what she was preaching because that woman was Kay Ivey, now soon-to-be the longest-serving governor of…