Shutdown halts federal government, WNC braces again
On Oct. 1, Republican-controlled Congress shut down the federal government, bringing a renewed round of confusion, finger-pointing and uncertainty to tourism-reliant Southern Appalachia — a region still paying the price for generational poverty, and still struggling with recovery from Hurricane Helene more than one year ago.
Big ‘Bad’ Bill is gonna hurt
To the Editor:
The Congress has to finalize the Big “Bad” Bill (for most of us) by Oct. 1 or face a government shutdown. This means Congress still has the rest of September to “fix” the worst parts of this bill if they want to before the final vote by Oct. 1.
A vote for the OBBB will harm Americans
To the Editor:
This is a letter I sent to Sen. Thom Tillis:
Because you had the courage to create and make that presentation to the Senate on what war criminals and enemies of freedom Putin and the Russian regime overall are, I hold out hope that you will vote against — or abstain from voting — for the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or the Senate version of the House budget reconciliation bill with its sneak attack on our republic.
Ken Brown pledges local control, servant leadership in 118th District bid
Sales executive Ken Brown says he’ll enter the Republican Primary for North Carolina’s 118th House District, setting up a challenge to incumbent Rep. Mark Pless.
A relative newcomer to electoral politics but a familiar figure in conservative circles, Brown will campaign on a platform of “servant leadership,” with an emphasis on collaboration, transparency and deference to local governments.
Term limits promote good government
To the Editor:
The United States' founding fathers envisioned a government where elected officials would serve the nation selflessly, free from the constraints of political parties.
Lawmakers begin work on latest Helene recovery bill
For the fourth time in four months, the North Carolina General Assembly has introduced a bill to address lingering unmet needs in communities affected by Hurricane Helene last year — and there’s a strong chance it won’t be the last.
Lawmakers should support our schools
To the Editor:
Since the beginning of the new year, I have seen several photos of Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) handing out oversized checks in some of Western North Carolina’s counties.
Frightening implications of latest Leandro do-over
Imagine the following scenario: In a fit of misguided “get tough on crime” paranoia, state lawmakers enact a broad-based scheme to “stop coddling criminals.”
