Editorial

Thank you, Haleyville, for all your help

Dear Haleyville,

    Recently, I had the task of cleaning out my father’s estate. This was a task that was far too large for my husband and myself to tackle. Thanks to word of mouth, people came out to help!
There were so many good people helping we didn’t get a chance to tell everyone THANK YOU for all of your help, support, and kind words! All of you were needed and greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Carla Salyers
Norwalk, Iowa

 

End grocery sales tax

Brent Addleman, the associate editor of The Center Square, a project of the Franklin News Foundation (info@franklinnews. org), has announced that two Alabama legislators have filed bills to end sales tax on groceries.

Meaning behind words: examining our National Anthem

To my own embarrassment, a recent event afforded me a few moments to do something I had not done in quite some time--contemplate the words and meaning of our National Anthem. Invited to sing our anthem at the Marion County School System teacher in-service event in August, I actually listened to the words for the first time in what seemed an eternity. As the words flowed across my lips and those in attendance stood at attention, the words had meaning like never before.

Policy statement regarding COVID-19 and school systems from Winston County Board of Health

HALEYVILLE - Over the last few weeks, we have seen an increased number of COVID-19 cases in adults and children due to the Delta variant, which is more contagious. Our goal for the 2021-2022 school year is to keep children learning in person. Virtual learning is inferior to in-person learning and changes must be made to our school policies regarding COVID-19 if we plan to keep our children in school. To do this in a safe manner, the Winston County Board of Health has the following recommendations to the school systems in our area.

What you need to know about the COVID vaccine

There are a lot of people out there who have legitimate and understandable concerns about getting the coronavirus vaccine. Questions about the long-term effects of the vaccine and whether having already had COVID is enough to protect you are reasonable questions, and I completely understand why some people feel that this is a personal choice that they shouldn’t feel pressured over.

Meth destroys so much

Across most of the country, states are struggling to quell a worsening opiate epidemic. While this is happening, one problem continues to rage on in states across the country.  
NBC News reported on meth with some shocking results. Meth - also known as ice, crank, speed, chalk or gak - is a highly addictive and damaging drug that is still a huge problem throughout the U.S According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in 2015, meth offenders made up the highest proportion of federal drug offenders in 27 states.  

ABC stores help state

Alcohol was on the minds of many Alabama lawmakers this year as the legislature considered an abnormally high number of alcohol-related bills. Several of the bills passed. Most notable was legislation that made it possible for Alabama businesses to deliver beer, wine and liquor to customers’ homes and separate legislation that allows state residents to order wine directly from wineries, even if those producers are out of state.

We’re fighting for our lives

Every four years in a democratic government, the people get to vote as to the party they want to govern them for the next four years. This has happened now for over 200 years in our beautiful America. That is democracy. There are winners and there are losers in a democracy. If that were not true, then that would not be a democracy. That is true for both parties, Republican and Democrat. It makes no difference.

We must preserve the presumption of innocence

Suppose an intelligent machine deems you guilty of a crime. Suppose the police were to treat the machine’s judgment as evidence of your guilt. Would it matter that you are actually innocent?
This hypothetical was once a plot device of dystopian novels and films. As law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on traffic cameras, cell phone data and other information technologies, we should take care that fiction does not become reality.

The truth is supposed to cut both ways

As a politician, I could blame the mountain of unfinished business before the Alabama Legislature in 2021 on the COVID pandemic. There’s some truth to it, but well-crafted propaganda combines a grain of truth with a convenient scapegoat. If money is the mother’s milk of politics, then propaganda is the baby itself.  

The pandemic is not the primary reason we fail to make progress on difficult and complex issues year after year. The main culprit remains the same as always - pure politics and its never-ending struggle for power over one another.

How much does government assist the poor?

Americans care about assisting the less fortunate, and over 100 government programs carry out this task. A closer examination, however, reveals that much of this funding goes to other purposes. This raises questions about how best to assist Americans needing help.
I will focus on two programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid. Other programs experience similar diversions. For instance, subsidized college loans often help students from well-to-do families attend elite schools.

The story of newspapers is the story of American democracy

Once upon a time, having a job at a newspaper meant working in one of the most imposing buildings in town, inhaling the acrid aroma of fresh ink and the dusty breath of cheap newsprint and feeling mini-earthquakes under our feet every time the presses started to roll. For those of us old enough to remember those days, National Newspaper Week 2019 could be one big, fat elegiac nostalgia trip.