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Columns

  • A refreshing change in Grayson schools

    Last year, the Grayson County school system made headlines as it fought through a budget crisis and shifts in school administration. Concerned parent groups rallied in front of the school board office and crowded every meeting as the board discussed holes in the budget, cutting programs to spread the money out further, the loss of teaching positions, and how to pay the remainder of the bills and teacher salaries.

    This year, the school is making headlines again, but for a very different reason.

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  • Right to marriage is settled — for everyone

    From the cold and unemotional view of the state, marriage is simply a contract between two people. Both willingly consent to the arrangement, and enforcement of the pact carries with it the full weight of the law.

    That was essentially the argument of the U.S. Supreme Court last year. Set aside the soaring, flowery language of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion and one finds a straightforward argument about the constitutional protections that every American has a right to enjoy.

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  • With great power...

    Spider-Man once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

    No wait… that’s not right. Spider-Man didn’t coin that phrase, did he? But a quick Pinterest or Google search will provide countless images, “memes” and quotable graphics that “prove” he did.

    But let’s take a closer look. Further searches online will attribute this famous phrase to several icons from our past; Voltaire, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt and Lord Melbourne are just a few of them.

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  • Five reasons to visit health insurance marketplace today

    By Jon D. Applebaum, CEO, Twin County Regional Healthcare

    With just a few weeks left to select a comprehensive and affordable health insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace, now is the time to shop and compare. Come Jan. 31, the marketplace will close for the year.

    For those who have not previously had health insurance coverage, the question “why?” tends to pop up. Here are five great reasons why now is the time to find the plan that best fits you and your family’s needs:

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  • 2015 Editorial Awards

    Depending on when you read this, it’s possible that:

    • you’re enjoying a laugh over your morning coffee;

    • you are having this read to you, against your will, as some bizarre but innocuous torture; or

    • you found this newspaper blowing in the wind or plastered against a chain-link fence in a dusty near-future wasteland after the inevitable “Trumpocalypse.”

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  • Decision enforces existing concealed weapon laws

    Attorney General Mark Herring inspired the usual fury with a decision that will effectively bar residents of some other states from carrying concealed weapons in Virginia. The commonwealth’s 2nd Amendment absolutists, including those in the General Assembly, accused him of political toadying, repaying a debt or overreaching. Usually all three.

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  • Business challenge a good investment for Grayson

    This year, Grayson County has celebrated some important milestones, notably with business growth through the relocation and opening of larger businesses in Independence — Oak Hall Cap and Gown and McAllister Mills being two of the most recent examples.

    It is no secret that Grayson County and its localities are dedicated to becoming a trusted hub for business growth, but they are not just interested in getting the attention of larger corporations; they want local mom and pop businesses to thrive, as well.

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  • Educational experiment working in Galax

    “It takes a village to raise a child,” a phrase that first popped up in the ‘90s and is attributed to African folk wisdom, means that a child’s development is shaped not merely within the four walls of home, but from the entire social ecosystem of a tribe, a nation, a people.

    A strong, nurturing one will, in time, make a strong, grounded citizen of the child.

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  • Healthcare enrollment time again

    GUEST EDITORIAL

    By Jon Applebaum, CEO, Twin County Regional Healthcare

    Two years ago, the Health Insurance Marketplaces, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, opened for the first time.

    Since then, an estimated 10.2 million Americans have enrolled for healthcare coverage through the online marketplace, which allows people to browse coverage options, compare plans and purchase health insurance that meets their individual needs.

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  • Support your local farmers' markets

    Grayson County 4-H members are encouraged to explore their interests and do projects throughout the year to gain skills and experiences to help them prepare for their future. “Monica Osborne has an interest in communications and a passion for supporting local farmers’ markets,” said Erin Cox of Grayson 4-H. “She wrote the following review with the hope of creating awareness and reminding locals of the goods that are available to them.”

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