Slimantics: Reeves’ SNAP proposal targets the poor, not poor nutrition
The federal government shutdown has focused considerable attention on the federal SNAP program, which provides federal funds to alleviate hunger and improve nutritional quality for low-income households.
Letter: A learning lesson
We all know that people stand up when their backs are against the wall. That’s what happened in this partial election. These are the same
Letter: Commentary on local and national politics
For years there has been an effort to have a forensic audit and it was voted down by a majority of the council. Columbus’ finances
Raymond Barranco: Slippery slope
In my last op-ed, I drew on my 18 years of teaching experience to emphasize the importance of educators resisting the pressure to shape their courses around current political trends. Unfortunately, this is exactly what we are being asked to do when it comes to topics like race, gender, and sexuality.
Our View: Protect yourself when buying from classifieds or Facebook Marketplace
Private-party sales, once strictly the domain of the classified ad section of newspapers, have largely moved online.
Letter: Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame
On April 15, 2025 a large crowd gathered at The Trotter Convention Center to recognize and celebrate the inaugural class being inducted into the Lowndes
Possumhaw: The testimony of John Tate
My name is John Tate. I am an inmate at Oktibbeha County Jail. If you close your eyes just a minute I can tell you how I got there and the action that I did and how it affected the people that I love, my wife, my kids, my mother, my father who was dying of cancer, my wife who was on chemo.
Our View: Trusted nonprofits know how to help best
In times of crisis or when someone is in need, our first instinct is to help. This is true throughout the Golden Triangle and particularly true in Columbus. It’s one of the things that makes its slogan “The Friendly City” more than just words.
Roses and thorns: 11-1-25
A long-distance rose to Alabama Stackers restaurant in Jasper, Alabama, for coming up with a creative response to the looming SNAP crisis, providing an example
Letter to the editor: Kelly Williams
Welcome to the South Africans! I just read the current President’s new policy on refugee quotas dropping from 125,000 to 7,500 a year. I’m sure
Letter to the editor: Lee Roy Lollar
Bothered by the local politics Where to start? Having a PhD from the “School of Hard Knocks,” graduated Suma Cum Lordy in Common Sense, I
Thom Caraccio: Watching the clocks: my neurosis
Whether you believe it or not, every one of us has their own quirks, neurosis or even occasional out and out madness.
Ask Rufus: Lowndes County oil boom, oops bust of 1920
It’s been called everything from black gold to Texas tea, and since the mid-1800s oil oozing from the ground has meant an economic bonanza.
Other editors: Getting used to 3% inflation
Is “three” the new “two?”
Letter to the editor: Bill Gillmore
Data fight From his corner, Professor Barranco, in his second letter, gave us percentages for SNAP distribution. From the opposite corner, Stan Wheeler gave us
Letter to the editor: Kabir Karriem
Open letter to the Governor I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you on behalf of concerned constituents regarding an imminent
Our View: In Columbus audit, speculation helps no one
The news that the city of Columbus is the focus of an investigation by the state auditor is certain to conjure memories of a previous investigation.
Letter: Welty Gala was a great event
The Welty Gala was a triumph. Beyond the chance to meet and share ideas and opinions with a wide variety of people, to eat wonderful
Our View: Arboretum proposal is ideally suited for the Riverwalk
One of Joni Mitchell’s early hits was the song “Big Yellow Taxi,” which includes the stanza: “They took all the trees and put ‘em in a tree museum. Then they charged the people a dollar-and-a-half just to see ‘em. Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?”
Raymond Barranco: Political winds
In a previous op-ed, I argued that the primary purpose of higher education is to introduce students to new ideas and equip them with the tools to evaluate those ideas critically.
