When most people hear the word “literacy,” they think about it in terms of having the ability to read and write. And rightfully so. That is the classic definition of the word, and the topic receives a great deal of attention in the education world. The ability to read, write and comprehend s…

The most important aspect of Easter is, of course, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the holiday also reminds me of the year I won the kindergarten Easter Egg Hunt.

“Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb … Entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. The angel said to them: “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not he…

When government fails, it’s the rare public official who says, “Oops. My fault.”

This weekend, we have a guest editorial from Iska Hoole, managing attorney for Legal Aid Society in Tullahoma. Read her full column here.  

Many of us long for an opportunity to prove ourselves. Despite the misery lack of appreciation we endure in life, we continue to work hard in the hopes that we will one day be rewarded and that we will be allowed to live the life we desire. For those who come from less fortunate backgrounds,…

You’d think after months of quarantine, without getting out and doing anything that my mother would be chomping at the bit to fly the coop once she got her COVID shots.

The 117th Congress is just beginning, and it is my sincere honor to serve a second term as your U.S. Representative for the Sixth Congressional District. As a lifelong Tennessean, it is a privilege to be your voice in Washington and to fight for Tennessee values every day. This position is m…

This week in Sarah's Book Corner, Sarah talks about the "The Woman in Black" by Susan Hill. Read her full column here.

In the Writer's Corner this week Paul Martin Mulroy presents, "The Crestfallen Quacker." Read the poem here.

If you tune into China Central Television (CCTV), you’ll see forced prisoner confessions, government propaganda, and the NBA. That’s right, basketball.

During the pandemic, members of local and state governing bodies have been allowed to conduct meetings electronically per executive order by Gov. Bill Lee.

National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Week is a special time for me–an opportunity to reflect on the vital role agriculture has played in my life and the direct impact it has on the success of Tennessee.

Throughout my thirty years military service, Arnold Air Force Base was famous. Not just because of the storied history of General Henry “Hap” Arnold (Father of the Air Force), or the incredible cutting-edge work accomplished for our nation’s defense, or because of Dustin Lynch’s album cover …

Just days after U.S. forces in Iraq suffered casualties from a rocket attack likely launched by an Iran-backed militia, the Biden administration appeared to turn the other cheek by signaling openness last week to talks with Iran to reenter the flawed nuclear deal that President Donald Trump …

This week in Sarah's Book Corner, Sarah talks about the "In Grandma's Attic" series by Arleta Richardson. Read her full column here.

The phrase "driving until the wheels fall off" was nearly literal for Erin McCullough. Read how this week in her full column.

This week in Sarah's Book Corner, Sarah talks about "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. Read about the book here.

This week from "That New Guy," Duane talks about how no good deed goes unpunished on Valentine's Day. Read the full column at the link.

In the inaugural Sarah's Book Corner, Sarah talks about "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. Read more about the book here. 

Today, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is partnering with the Tennessee Titans to remind Tennesseans that “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.” “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith joined the THSO for a public service announcement.

This week from "That New Guy," Duane explains why people can sometimes see him on TV.

A unifying explanation of the cause of autism and the reason for its rising prevalence has eluded scientists for decades, but a theoretical model published in the journal “Medical Hypotheses” describes the cause as a combination of socially valued traits common in autism, and any number of c…

This weekend, we have a guest editorial from Coffee County Attorney Robert Huskey. Read his full column here.

In the Writer's Corner this week Larry Winter presents, "The man in the mirror." Read the story here.

I decided I would gift myself something over Christmas after I was finished buying for others. After all, charity starts at home. The question became what would I get myself? I’m not a big gamer and my sons already have every game known to man anyway so a video game was out. I’m not rich so …

Some say they're folklore, some say they're urban legend, others say they're from outer space, and some claim they're from another dimension.

I rarely address criticisms of stories we run in the paper, as I think it is a useless endeavor, since critics have generally already made of their minds on an issue and have already taken to their bully pulpit, rallying their like-minded buddies to their way of thinking.

How many newspaper employees does it take to fix a vending machine?

When do you take down your Christmas tree(s)?

In an instant I found myself being thrown from the rollercoaster. My arms flailed as I was flung from the speeding wooden sled. I reached out to grab the rail but grasped nothing but air. I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. My life passed before me (admittedly a fairly boring v…

The ladies were in crisis, the Valentine Day party was drawing nigh;

At first, the odor seemed to only hit my nostrils here and there. It was a whiff of something off, something different, something foul.

“Look out! He’s going to crash!” a man yelled out, pointing to the sky as the small plane swooped over the top of the building, clearing the mall by mere feet.

John stands outside his parent’s house and watches Nicki through the kitchen window.

There comes a time when things must change. Not for the mere sake of change but because it has come time to do it. Such is the case for the name of my column – “That New Guy”.

After some serious thought after the past week of baseless and vile attacks on my character, motives, and family, I’ve decided to use this piece I wrote a couple years ago on September 11th instead of my originally planned one. The prompt was something to the effect of “Tell us about how you…

It’s a little early for a celebration, but I think starting early is appropriate (assuming we celebrate over a Zoom call or observe social distancing while doing so). It’s not so much that I am ready to ring in the pending new year as much as I am eager to say goodbye to this one. It’s been …

Do you ever look back on past Christmases and think to yourself, “Wow, I had some cool toys when I was a kid?”

Since moving back to Tennessee, I’ve seen many bumper stickers, memes, and flippant comments being shared by Tullahomans about assimilation. Things like “I want YOU to speak English” or “go back to where you came from.”

Voting is the beating heart of our republic, and every eligible, legal American citizen should have the opportunity to participate in our electoral system. That is a given. But this precious liberty is undermined when election integrity is not taken seriously and protections to defend it are…

Younger parents were much less likely than older parents to say they planned to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19, according to a research letter published online in medRxiv by authors at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childr…

There are a number of national trends which, in addition to the impact of the pandemic, indicate development in small towns will accelerate over the course of the coming decade. As a forward, according to a recent article published by the Brookings Institute pre-pandemic, the previous census…

It’s wide open now. There’s no stopping it. Christmas is coming, COVID or no. Black Friday may have been more of a Gray Friday this year with less of the press of flesh at the retail stores due to the need for social distancing but there was still a frenzy when it came to getting those once-…