Today's Opinions

I would like to take this opportunity to say a very deep and heartfelt “thank you” to some very special people.
First, the volunteer fire department of Galax.
When our house caught fire on May 10, these guys fought valiantly to save our home and possessions. Though everything was lost, it was certainly not from a lack of trying.

So you’ve seen or heard the helicopter circling for hours.
Grayson County will now be blanketed with pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers for all us victims to breathe in, contaminating your food by falling on your gardens, causing an uptake through the skin, especially if your children walk bare foot, drinking it as it lands onto the waterways also known to have leaching issues and having aquatic and animal toxicity.
Watch your pond fish and animals.

The expanded background check bill was blocked from debate by Republican leadership in the most undemocratic, heartless and shameful votes ever cast in our Senate!
Since 92 percent of us want these checks, the vote of 54 for debate and 46 against should have ensured continuation of our democratic process.
Four Democrats — Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska and Heidi Heitcamp of North Dakota — broke from their party and cast shameful votes against debate.