Category: Perspectives

BY REP. TODD CARVER One of my goals upon being elected to the N.C. House of Representatives was to let people know what was taking place in Raleigh and the

To the Editor: I have a question for the Town of Troutman residents: Given the massive tax increase bestowed upon us by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, coupled with

BY JEFF CORBETT Centuries ago, a group of Peruvian Indians were looking out from their ocean shores. Something appeared far away that they didn’t recognize. Seeing the sails of Spanish

To the Editor: We are planning a peaceful gathering from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 7, in Downtown Statesville to show support for Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine. Many

BY FRANNY HANRAHAN I recently read the article about the “circus atmosphere” of some Troutman Town Council meetings and take issue with some of the statements made by the town

BY JEFF CORBETT In his book “The Paradigm Pioneers,” futurist Joel Barker posed this question: During America’s westward expansion in the 1800s, what was the difference between pioneers and settlers?

BY JEFF CORBETT In “The Story File,” Steve May shares a story about three ministers from different churches in the same town who decided to go fishing. As they fished,

BY JAY SHERRILL After two decades of dedicated service, Mayor Costi Kutteh has announced that he will not run for re-election in 2025. As Statesville’s longest-serving mayor, he has led

BY JEFF CORBETT Some years ago, psychologist William Marston asked 3,000 people this question: “What are you living for?” Some 94 percent of the respondents gave roughly the same answer

BY GOV. JOSH STEIN  Every year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day gives us the chance to honor the life and legacy of a remarkable leader. Dr. King was a visionary

BY JEFF CORBETT Are you the best you’ve ever been? You say, “What?” Let me rephrase that. Looking back over your life, are you a better person today than ever

To the Editor: Now that elections are over, how about some state legislation that will help the citizens of Iredell County? We need to end the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJs)

BY JEFF CORBETT Steve Goodier, in “Do Something Great,” tells the story of how President Abraham Lincoln would often leave the White House to attend Wednesday evening services at New

BY REV. ROBERT W. LEE IV As a pastor, it is an incredibly humbling honor to preach to anyone who will listen. When that audience includes the man who served

To the Editor: I thought I would share what I stumbled upon a few days ago while I was leaving the Big Lots store in Statesville. An elderly lady’s car

BY COSTI KUTTEH 2024 has been another great year in the City of Statesville. Local government is a team sport and many folks – past and present – have contributed

To the Editor: On December 2, Troutman Town Manager Ronald Wyatt attended the Mooresville Town Board of Commissioners meeting and proceeded to make a public statement in defense of Mooresville

BY JEFF CORBETT While visiting a remote mountain town, a tourist walking down Main Street was approached by a scruffy hillbilly fresh out of the woods. Carrying a shotgun and

BY JEFF CORBETT At a hotel the night before I was to give a speech, I hung my shirt in the bathroom and turned the shower as hot as it

BY NANCY BEARD It is the time of year when we reflect on the reasons why we are thankful. We think about our family, friends, faith, career, community and so

BY JEFF CORBETT There was a busy candy store, and one clerk always had customers in her line, even when the other clerks had no one. The store owner asked

BY JEFF CORBETT Are you afraid of failing? According to Dr. Gary Winch in “Psychology Today,” “everyone hates to fail, but for some people, failing presents such a significant psychological

BY JEFF CORBETT An old dog was stretched out on the porch of a country general store, moaning and growling while lying half-asleep in the sun. “Why is your dog

To the Editor: We read the article in the Iredell Free News about the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education member proposing to require all district schools to display a poster with

BY REV. H. STEPHEN SHOEMAKER The National Institute of Mental Health defines psychosis as “a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact

BY SHELLIE TAYLOR A while back, I had the pleasure of working on a research project with an archeological field director for a surveying company based in Asheville. His company

BY JEFF CORBETT Some years ago, my pastor preached a sermon entitled “Pushing on Doors Marked Pull.” While I’ve long forgotten the details, the title never escaped me. Obviously, the

Dear Citizens of Statesville: The overwhelming outpouring of support from our community for the victims of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the

Editor’s Note: Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Jeff James sent the following letter to district parents and staff on September 19. BY JEFF JAMES Over the last week, our school and district

BY JEFF CORBETT A 10-year-old boy was captivated by a sign in his neighborhood advertising “Puppies for sale.” He went up to the house and rang the doorbell, and when

BY SHELLIE TAYLOR I recently came across a 122-year-old newspaper article that sent me down a rabbit hole. On December 19, 1902, the Landmark printed a brief story from the

BY JEFF CORBETT A friend of mine, an amateur photographer, was at a dinner party, and took along some prized photos to show the hostess. “These are wonderful!” the hostess

Editor’s Note: Ken Robertson delivered the following remarks during the Iredell County Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, August 20. BY KEN ROBERTSON H.L. Mencken said “for every complex problem,

BY JEFF CORBETT Taking oneself too seriously can derail any relationship. Queen Victoria of England learned this lesson very quickly in her marriage to Prince Albert. It was an extremely