Everyone has a bad day

   One of my internships was at a weekly newspaper owned by a pretty famous television journalist with a just as famous mustache. His wife at the time was the publisher and his sister was the advertising manager, and they were both awesome people.

Thank you

   The snow came, as did the accidents, damage and power outages that often come with storms.    While some were sledding, building snowmen and drinking hot cocoa with our families, others found that snow isn’t always fun.

Georgia General Assembly’s fresh new year

   Teachers hear the morning bell ringing on the first day of school. Baseball players hear the thump of the first pitch hitting the catcher’s mitt on opening day.    Public-policy folk hear the crack of the gavel slamming down to launch a new session.

Jimmy Carter leaves 100-year legacy of making world better

   In 2017 three black SUVs streaked by our older son’s truck on South Georgia’s Corridor Z. His wife, Heather, turned and said, “Alan, there goes President and Mrs. Carter. I bet they are headed to the island.”    When the SUVs turned into the Friendly Express in Waynesville, Alan pulled in, too.

Be safe out there

   As we face our first significant weather in the first full week of 2025, we have a simple message: be safe.    If we get the snow and ice that’s predicted as of Thursday morning, it will not be safe to drive around to look at the sights and find a place to sled.

Fly fishing in the dead of winter

   I watched with dismay as 40-degree Soque River water poured over the top of my waders.  I knew the river was deep in the spot where I was trying to cross, but I thought I could make it if I got up on my tippy-toes.  I was wrong by about a half inch.

Colorful and Lively

   By Hannah Caudell      The room blurs a little as I try to stay awake. It’s past midnight on Jan. 1, 2025. The ball (and other various objects) has dropped, the 12 grapes have been eaten, and now, the year in review has begun.

One of Georgia’s true public servants

   When Jimmy Carter left the White House, he could have quietly come home to Georgia and enjoyed time out of the spotlight.    Instead, he used his spotlight, his influence, to continue to help people.

Letters to the Editor

Thank you for deer removal To the editor:    I want to extend a huge Thank You to the crew that responded so efficiently to my call to remove three deer carcasses along Level Grove Road. Within a few hours, the crew came by my house to let me know they had completed the job.

Plains, trains & peanut butter ice cream

   When I was about eight years old, I boarded a train to Plains, embarking on a historical journey through Jimmy Carter’s hometown. I toured the historic Plains High School, now a museum chronicling the life and service of the former president and his wife Rosalynn Carter.