Category: Perspectives

BY ROY COOPER RALEIGH — This pandemic has affected every corner of our state, including our state budget needs. For many families, it has also shifted their priorities. Last week,

BY REV. STEVE SHOEMAKER What kind of sign would Jesus put in his yard? Of course, the “Son of Man who had nowhere to lay his head” had no yard,

BY DARREN CAMPBELL We have all heard the saying, “There’s an app for that.” “Dad, what’s the Apple ID?” asked one of my boys the other day. So, of course

BY WILLIAM MORGAN JR. Several few years ago, in my role as a member of Statesville City Council, I was in Washington, D.C., advocating for the Larkin Industrial Development Project

BY H. WAYNE WILKINS EnergyUnited is defining a future for our members and the community we all share – a brighter future that continues our commitment to delivering reliable electricity

Editor’s Note: This viewpoint was submitted by the president and advisory board of Our Schools First. Six and a half years ago, the children at Cool Spring Elementary had to

BY GOV. ROY COOPER RALEIGH — North Carolina has seen more than its fair share of devastating storms, particularly in the past few years. When hurricane season comes around, we

To the Editor: We have all heard recently from the Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control, that we could stamp out COVID-19 in four to eight weeks

BY BRIAN SUMMERS Today, we learned of the passing late last evening of Congressman John Lewis, an icon and giant of the Civil Rights Movement and life-long advocate for voting

BY DARREN CAMPBELL One of the most poignant and most recognized sentences in the English language, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….” is

BY RACHEL ANDERS What if I told you most of what you learned about the Civil War was incorrect? What if I told you it was written by the victors,

BY MIKE FUHRMAN A friend and I were discussing the current state of affairs in our country recently when he recited a Bible verse that has really resonated with me:

BY SARAH KIRKMAN I am sorry that Mr. Scott thinks that I have declined to meet with him. I spoke with him by phone during the time when we were

BY THOMAS KIMBRELL It was the late 1960s and we were living in a revolution, arguably the last revolution up until now, 2020. The revolution of the 60s was the

BY JANE HINSON I have made exactly three visits to retail stores in the past three months. Two were to my usual pharmacy and one was to a local grocery

BY ROBERT W. LEE IV If you were to sit outside the Old Courthouse on Center Street in Statesville, you’d witness many people passing by the old Confederate statue, which was

BY DARREN E. CAMPBELL As most of us are terribly aware, 2020 has been trying to say the very least. This year has already seen its fair share of major

BY DALE FOLWELL RALEIGH – North Carolina is reeling from more than 1 million new unemployment claims filed since mid-March, triggered by an economic virus that demands action equal to

BY BRYAN DUNCAN I-CARE Inc. unequivocally denounces all forms of racism and white supremacy. Period. The events we have witnessed in the past few months – the murders of Ahmaud

To the Editor: All of us, in one way or many, are living through a variety of extreme challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to acknowledge the serious

BY BRADY JOHNSON Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the countless Americans who have been the victims of racial

BY JAMES HOGAN The Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont exists to bring hope and opportunity to children in our community who need it most. We seek to provide

To the Editor: The Statesville Human Relations Commission was re-organized in 2016 to provide the community with a resource and vehicle to stand up against acts of hatred and racism

“A leader takes his people to a different place that is better.”                                    

BY SARAH KIRKMAN When I was looking up the dates of National Police Week (May 10-16), I happened to notice that May 17-23, 2020, is National Emergency Services (EMS) Week.

BY JOSH SNOW Hospital Week has deeper meaning this year as the Davis Regional Medical Center team celebrates our work to provide safe, high-quality care for patients. The COVID-19 pandemic

BY JOHN GREEN Every year during the first two weeks of May, we celebrate National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week. This year, National Hospital Week is May 10 –

BY SARAH KIRKMAN May 10-16, 2020, is National Police Week. In normal times, there would be a big ceremony in Washington, D.C., which would draw people from all over the

BY LISA FAMILO Every day, we learn more about how COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on families, businesses, and communities. This frightening pandemic has hit homes and our community with hardships

“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”                                

BY KEN ROBERTSON As I asked you to do last week, before you read this and my next few columns, please Google “Chesterton’s Fence.” The premise is that one should

BY KEN ROBERTSON Before you get started reading this and the next few columns I am writing, please Google “Chesterton’s Fence” or “Chesterton’s Gate.” The premise of the concept is

  BY MIKE FUHRMAN Incoming Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Jeff James’ academic credentials are solid, his success as an administrator well-documented, and his professional references are impressive. But the optics for

BY SARAH KIRKMAN April 19-25 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. It is a time to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights, and a time to raise awareness