When my local daily newspaper announced they were going all-digital, the response was fast and furious.

Overnight on August 21, an entire community was washed away in the deadliest flooding event in Middle Tennessee history. We lost 22 neighbors, parents, friends, and precious little ones. Over the course of the next few days, I spoke with families faced with the impossible task of rebuilding …

Many of us like to fantasize about how we might want to spend our golden years, but far fewer people take the time to confront tough legal questions related to aging.

In late April, the city of Memphis abruptly changed course and shut down access to records that show how the city-owned animal shelter treats the dogs and cats in its care.

Two weeks ago in this space, I asked readers to help find some new faces to lead the presidential tickets in the 2024 election. “We need a fresh start,” I wrote. I expressed concern that a couple of elderly guys, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, are the current front-runners for 2024. I suggested…

Hindsight’s 20/20, and humans have never been able to predict the future.

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, are so fresh in my mind. It’s hard to believe that today’s high school seniors were not even born when terrorists took so many lives and changed our world forever.

Most of us, I suspect, don’t think much about what life would have been like without the interstate highway system. But if it weren’t for the interstates, most of us wouldn’t live where we live and vacation the way we vacation.

Tennessee is known for its natural beauty, with 4,022 of the state’s 96,167 miles of public roads classified as scenic. These roads play an essential role in connecting communities and families as well as driving the economy.

Understanding how perpetrators gain access to children and are able to continue to sexually abuse them is critical to preventing child sexual abuse. More than 90 percent of children who are abused sexually are abused by someone they love and trust. Often, the perpetrators are people trusted …

One year ago this week, I wrote a column called “Four Years Notice.” It was an open letter to Democratic and Republican Party leaders, encouraging them to find fresh candidates for the 2024 presidential election.

“The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.”

The sign was at the restaurant entrance, plain for all to see: “Please be patient with our team. We are understaffed, and we are trying very hard.”

America is a country in crisis. Democrats have yet again forced their unwilling cash cow—the American people—to foot the bill for their radical tax-and-spend agenda. But hidden behind a facade of “green” energy and “free” benefits lie more dangerous intentions. Democrats are using these mass…

This week in "That New Guy," Duane tells his son the story about his first day of high school. Read his full column here. 

Tennessee hospitals are once again asking for support from our communities in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Every hospital in our state is experiencing capacity issues due to the surge in COVID patients. All ICU beds are currently full in most hospitals in every major metropolitan area o…

It happened in a doctor’s office. It was during one of those awkward moments, when a medical assistant and I were awaiting the arrival of a doctor. We were running out of small talk about the weather, COVID and lunch plans.

I buried momma in a purple casket just like she wanted. For those who don’t know, my mother passed away a couple of weeks ago after suffering a stroke. She was a spry 87 and was still driving right up until the event that eventually claimed her life. She only retired from her full-time job l…

It’s back to school time, at least for now. Can we be sure of anything these days? After the students return, if the new COVID variant starts spiraling out of control, will it soon be “back to home” time again?

In history books and mythology, Greece is revered as the birthplace of democracy. The world’s most brilliant visionaries looked to Greece as a model for philosophy, culture, and leadership. I’m sure those great thinkers never anticipated Greece’s fall from grace almost 10 years ago, its econ…

The final piece in this series has been difficult for me to write, and this past week has brought mental health care and the stigma associated with it center stage, making me acutely aware of comments that contribute to the stigma. 

Congress may soon attempt to pass the biggest amnesty for illegal immigrants in a generation, even though recent polling overwhelmingly shows that most voters oppose amnesty. If lawmakers defy their constituents and pass the bill anyways, it’ll worsen the crisis at the border — and make it e…

I shared a snippet of my mental wellness journey in an effort to destigmatize seeking mental health care, to let others know that they are not alone and to encourage more conversation about mental health. While we should be working toward this goal always, it is crucial that we do this right…

On July 15, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), including Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital (VTHH), announced that COVID-19 vaccinations for employees in designated leadership roles will become required. This was a carefully considered step forward in VUMC’s ongoing efforts to pr…

I first met Halie Forstner back when she drove to the beauty shop each week, grabbed a Wendy’s junior cheeseburger after church on Sunday, exercised each morning, lived alone, walked without any assistance, and cleaned her own house.

A few weeks ago, I shared a post on my personal Facebook page to commemorate my “final” (for the foreseeable future) session with my therapist of almost 15 years. I’m making some grammatical changes to the post to make it more readable and adding some more details, but I think it’s an import…

Growing up in the early years of Major League Baseball in Atlanta, the sport was so easy to love. Teams had pitchers who could go the whole nine innings, hitters who could bunt and steal bases, and managers who could fire up an entire stadium by getting in the umpire’s face.

This weekend, we have a guest editorial from Tullahoma Alderman Rupa Blackwell. Read her full column here. 

Each week the Associated Press publishes “Not Real News: A Look at What Didn’t Happen Last Week.” It is a collection of fake news, most of which has been shared online. The stories usually include quotes taken out of context, photoshopped images and doctored audio.

For months, parents have raised the alarm about the left’s effort to brainwash our children by injecting Critical Race Theory (CRT) into public school curriculum. One Tennessee mom recently warned Williamson County parents that her seven-year-old daughter came home from school saying, “I’m a…

I’ve always been a prankster. Even when I was a kid, I enjoyed getting one over on my friends. And, just like most pranksters, I was the butt of many practical jokes, often made to look like an idiot. But that’s how it goes in the prankster department. You have to take as good as you give an…

I have declared this The Summer of Joy, even though I have no legal authority to do so. I am merely comparing this summer to the last one. We are smiling again. We are taking vacations, and we are going to church, ball games, and concerts. Optimism is in full bloom.

The Biden administration gave Beijing a gift when it endorsed a petition before the World Trade Organization to force the American developers of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics to relinquish their intellectual property (IP) rights to these medicines.

As parents, we tell our kids that their voice matters. We teach them about the importance of maintaining a free and open democracy and the inviolable promise of “one person, one vote.” But as Congressional Democrats’ latest attempt to upend the American electoral system revealed, the foundat…

My Channel 3 weather friend Paul Barys hears it everywhere he goes: in the grocery store, in the mall, on vacation, even when he goes to the mailbox. “Paul said it would be like this!”

The redrawing of congressional and state legislative districts every 10 years can make and break political careers, providing new opportunities for some and placing brick walls in front of others.

As a child, my favorite Disney princess was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I loved Disney movies in general, but I was drawn to Belle because she was the character I found most relatable.

This weekend, we have a guest editorial from the Director of Military and Veterans Outreach for Wreaths Across America Joseph Reagan. Read his full column at the link. 

I have declared war on rude people. Some may consider it an unwinnable war, but so far, I am pleased with the results. My world is small, making it easy to control.