Category: Perspectives

BY COSTI KUTTEH Following the pandemic, the “new normal” in Statesville is in full swing. While zoom meetings are hardly a thing of the past, more and more meetings are

BY SHELLIE TAYLOR This time of year, I can walk through any cemetery and see a plethora of holiday florals adorning the graves of those who have passed on. Christmas

To the Editor: As a resident of the Town of Troutman, I find Town Manager Ron Wyatt’s comments toward our elected officials at the end of the December 14 meeting

BY FRANK SARACO Celeste Henkel Elementary School has been a fixture in our community since 1926. It holds a rich history and many wonderful memories for several generations. When the

To the Editor: It is the public policy of North Carolina that the hearings, deliberations, and actions of these bodies be conducted openly. This statement is directly from North Caroline

To the Editor: Picture this: A mild-mannered middle school student courageously musters the strength to report a deeply distressing incident. A sexually explicit and uninvited message, sent by a classmate,

BY JEAN FOSTER For months, District 5 Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education member Mike Kubiniec has been occupying the Board’s time at meetings with his personal agenda regarding Constitution Day.

To the Editor: A perfect example of despotic political behavior and suppression of basic civil liberties has been on display during the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education’s last three meetings.

BY MIKE FUHRMAN Theresa Knight has taken a calculated risk in her bid to win a seat on the Mooresville Graded School District Board of Education. She’s betting that her

To the Editor: Thank you to Statesville! On October 15, the Wallace Brothers Herbarium Highway Historical Marker was erected on Front Street. As  Issac Wallace’s great-granddaughter and the last direct

To the Editor: Did Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education Chairman Bill Howell actually compile those accusations against board member and former vice chair Mike Kubiniec? Or did he simply repeat

To the Editor: As Statesville residents prepare for their municipal elections, I want to speak out on behalf of Jennifer Thorson DiFiore, candidate for the Ward 4 seat on the

Editor’s Note: Mooresville Commissioner Tommy DeWeese made the following comments during Monday’s board meeting. BY TOMMY DEWEESE I just completed my first year as a commissioner and asked if I

To the Editor: It is with great pleasure that I write this letter to express my support for Amy Lawton’s candidacy for the Ward 4 seat on the Statesville City

BY ERIC TODD SCOTT SR. The “book-banning mommas” in our community and elsewhere are consciously ignorant in their thinking. They say they are Christians, but remind me of Hitler’s Nazi

Editor’s Note: This viewpoint was presented during a recent Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education meeting. BY ARYA MEHTA I want all of you, real quick, to think of yourself when

To the Editor: I’m writing this in the hope that many will read it and respond appropriately. The N.C. General Assembly is still working on the State Budget that was

BY CHARLES ASHE The Full Bloom Film Festival is unique. We pour our hearts and souls into this event each year. A special thank you to Downtown Statesville for embracing

To the Editor: On Tuesday, September 12, at 6 p.m. a pseudo town hall meeting is planned at Statesville City Hall. This meeting was requested by community members in Ward

BY MIKE FUHRMAN If Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education Vice Chairman Mike Kubiniec has any ideas for improving educational outcomes for students, he’s yet to share them with his fellow

BY AMANDA CALDWELL The 2023 Full Bloom Film Festival is close at hand, and the tireless efforts of each of the FBFF committees will culminate in a stellar event for

BY SALLY NIX It is increasingly common to see ribbons and wristbands of every color symbolizing various health initiatives. September serves as the cancer awareness month for childhood cancer, ovarian

To the Editor: I am a super senior a the CCTL early college in Statesville. For my graduation project, I decided to place two hand-built dog treat boxes at Stumpy

BY BRUCE A. JOHNSON Nearly three years ago, I was sworn in as a member of the Board of Commissioners for the Statesville Housing Authority (SHA) and the Iredell Statesville

BY MIKE FUHRMAN Less than a year after being elected to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education, Mike Kubiniec has certainly distinguished himself. In my opinion — and I’ve only

BY DALE GOWING After decades in the newspaper business, I’m seeing the English language through a refocused lens. Call it journalism vs. survival English. The former is that process I

To the Editor: Thank you for publishing the beautiful piece Ms. Gatton wrote about her foster dog Khal. ( Viewpoint: There’s nothing special about this absolutely amazing pup .) It’s

BY JAIME GATTON He’s a mutt. There’s nothing special about him. But just hours before being scheduled for euthanasia because of sudden overcrowding at a South Carolina shelter, Khal lucked

BY JESSICA SMITH Five years ago, we began to see dramatic increases in the presentation of serious mental health issues in our students. The Iredell-Statesville Schools Student Services Department staff

To all taxpayers and state and federal government elected officials: I am writing this letter in response to the recent news that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

BY HANNAH BRAWLEY All too often, all we talk about in regards to the public school system are negative things. While there are a plethora of things that need to

To the Editor: If Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education member Anita Kurn thinks that adding fight classes at Statesville High School will solve the discipline problems there, we should all

To the Editor: “Oh, bless your heart.” That is the response I often get when I tell people where I work. While I am thankful for the sentiment, I would

BY BETH KENDALL There was an accident, so traffic was at a standstill. The gravitational pull of the moon causes the tides of the ocean. I stuck to a training