“OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER” ~~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ~ This rebuttal is in response to a commentary and article in…
Category: Editorials
Your wealth of health… Prevent the flu
Emily Akers: Certified Personal Trainer The flu season is in full swing and can be deadly. If you are around people who have the flu, there are several ways to prevent yourself…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Crying babies and rambunctious children in church
I took my babies/children to church. Let me start off by saying that. But, I either took them to the nursery, or they behaved during church (depending on their age.) Please, hang…
Free income tax returns at the Madison Extension Office
Diann Douglas: Guest Columnist For the sixth year, Madison County Extension Office will be hosting an IRS Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site. Over forty years ago, VITA began training volunteers…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Happy Birthday Brooke
Sunday, January 21, will mark the 23rd birthday of my daughter, Brooke. I have always lovingly called Brooke my “problem child.” Brooke IS the reason I had to keep health insurance. From…
Passing Parade: The great rules rollback
Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist With the realization that a president can’t do anything that a Congress won’t allow, our President Donald J. Trump has had a great first year. This is…
National Security: Kunsan
In the early spring of 1972, I had finished flight training and was posted to a remote fighter base in South Korea, Kunsan Air Base. Departing Tampa on Mar. 10, I traveled…
Passing Parade: The free press and its cost
Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist Nothing is free! Just ask John Peter Zanger, a Colonial newspaper man, who had to go to court against the charge of telling a lie. An article…
National Security: Christmas Truce
The strangest, most wonderful thing happened a century ago on a European battlefield – the shooting stopped and the troops from opposing sides emerged from their fortifications and joined together to celebrate…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Shop locally for Christmas
Emerald G. Parsons Christmas is less than two weeks away, and everyone is busy buying and wrapping presents in preparation of the holidays. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are…
Your wealth of health… Women, lift weights
Over the last three to five years I have stepped foot into at least ten different gyms. While everyone has their go to type of workout, there is one trend that always…
Christian Concepts: The Christian and politics
Alan K. Simpson, former Senator from the State of Wyoming, once said, “If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” As a former public servant…
Emerald’s Gem Box: A hole will forever be in my heart
This past Monday my heart was shattered when I received the news of Sheriff David Hobbs’ death. The past 24 hours has been like a shock wave for me; for David was…
From the Sunny Side: Black Friday
Today is the day many folks call “Black Friday.” You probably didn’t need me to tell you that, but I did. I’m not sure from where the term originated; perhaps it came…
Preparation tips for your Thanksgiving bird
Preparing a turkey can be intimidating to most cooks. It’s because we only prepare a turkey once or twice a year, and it is so much larger than anything else we put…
Passing Parade: “Stubby” dies; Dog gained fame in war
Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist That was the headline in the March 17, 1926 Washington Post, p. 24. The subhead was: “Mascot Went Through Four Major Battles and Was Wounded Once.” Education…
National Security: Veterans Day
Joe Boyles: Guest Columnist Saturday is Veterans Day, the day we honor our veteran soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen and marines, living and dead, former and current. Originally, this observance was known…
Employment Matters: Do the math
We all know that there are certain times in life when just gotta sit down and do the math. Whether it’s determining a household budget; planning a much needed and deserved vacation;…
Florida’s economic future depends on you
Dear Editor, Everyone loves when a plan comes together. What’s even better is when a community comes together behind a plan. That’s exactly what happened last week when more than 30 leaders…
Emerald’s Gem Box: Happy Birthday Daddy
Saturday, Oct. 28 would mark the 79th birthday of my Daddy. (It would also mark the 55th wedding anniversary of my parents. My mother always said she picked my daddy’s birthday to…