(Editorial) Nutrition is key: Recipes for boosting immunity and overall wellness
The road to a healthier you starts with your nutritionally-sound diet choices and making those choices a habitual lifestyle. Along with elevating your heart rate by exercising at least 30 minutes a day, three times weekly, your nutrition is key in your overall health...
Editorial: Parenting—It’s not a contest
Here’s a question for you: Why do we, as humans, feel the need to go completely overboard when it comes to everything to do with our children? Somewhere along the way, it seems we have forgotten the joy in simplicity. From over-the-top gender reveals...
(Editorial) The Policies of Starting Over: The Final Policy
There are few things that we are in constant opposition to than change. As I began this column, I envisioned something quite a bit different than what has emerged now six months later. This could not be less of a complaint. In fact, I...
Editorial: High School marching bands—Cullman’s pride and joy
Last weekend, the City of Cullman was bustling as Oktoberfest celebrations were happening in Depot Park and the Cullman County Fair Parade made its way through town. While both were beautifully organized and tons of fun, it was the annual event taking place Saturday...
Editorial: I Love How I Drive
My best friend of nearly a decade visited me this past week. He lives in Mississippi and though we try to have face-to-face visits as frequently as possible, life gets in the way sometimes and we most often end up on a Facetime call....
Editorial: The 2021 Paralympic Games – inspiration in the midst of tragedy
Over the past two weeks, it seems every news story has brought more and more sad news. With Afghanistan, Hurricane Ida, COVID-19 and wildfires – we could all use some inspiration right now. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games began Aug. 24 and will continue...
Editorial: The Policies of Starting Over – Forgiving Yourself
I have never been able to see the forest from the trees. At 5’2, I have needed to stand on my toes to see the top of most things for as long as I can remember, and it seems life often travels the same...
Editorial: Plagiarism – The heist of ideas
Plagiarism—quite possibly the dirtiest word in academics and journalism. Oxford Languages defines plagiarism as “the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.” In other words, it’s theft and continues to pose a real problem.
In journalism, plagiarism...
Editorial: Rock The South 2021- Grey skies and happy times
There is a nearly constant negativity in the Cullman community surrounding the mere existence of Rock the South. This year was no different and the naysayers are having a field day after this year’s festival. Yes, it rained. It rained a lot. What they...
Editorial – The Policies of Starting Over: Continuing the Conversation
Isn’t it funny how if you hear something repeated enough, it begins to sound like the truth? I am not referring to actual statements of fact, no. I am speaking in reference to how we tell ourselves the same lie over and over, which...
Editorial – The Policies of Starting Over: Stop apologizing
How many times a day do you apologize? I am not talking about when you actually feel as if you did something wrong either. I am asking, how many times a day are you apologizing for things that do not actually require one?
For instance,...
Editorial: How the Olympics inspired me
In 1977, my kindergarten teacher asked each of us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Overwhelmingly, the answer was an Olympian. Whether we were on the playground at school or playing in our yards, my friends and I played “Lympics” and...
The Policies of Starting Over – Putting your best foot forward
When in the process of moving forward in life, do you ever find yourself gravitating toward what you ran from in the first place? Maybe not the exact circumstances or person, but the recognition of patterns you were trying to break reemerging?
Maybe you left...
Hiding behind a screen – the negative impact of social media
When will I ever learn? I know better, but it’s so hard to fight the urge. I’m talking primarily about indulging in the horrible comment section under pretty much any post on social media. Have people always been so hateful? Why has the internet...
Editorial: The Policies of Starting Over – Patience
It has been a few weeks since I last wrote anything for The Policies of Starting Over, and for this, I feel I owe at least a small explanation. I am not the type of person who enjoys forcing ideas, I feel like there...
Editorial: Arrest records and the dominos which fall…
For as long as the newspaper industry has existed, issues have included arrest reports and incidents reported in the given area by the county sheriff and city police departments. To this day, it is a practice which has not changed.
Well, maybe there has been...
Editorial: Don’t feed the ducks
A few years ago, I was employed in an area which harbored a substantial feral cat colony, 20 or so, with kittens. I was disgusted after showing up to work one day, only to discover they had been poisoned and suffered a brutal death.
It...
Editorial: ‘It’s just like this for now’
I heard a phrase the other day that sat with me for a while before it really began to settle. “It’s just like this for now.” It sounds quite simple when you hear it for the first time. “It’s just like this for now.”...
Editorial: Has Generation X been lost in the shuffle?
Over the past several years, there’s been plenty of chatter about generational differences between the boomers, millenials and Generation Z. It's been mostly insults and finger pointing as those involved in the ongoing conversation duke it out over who is to blame for everything...
Editorial: I’m not pregnant and yes, I am sure
One of the most awkward interactions that a person can experience is when an unsuspecting woman is asked if she is pregnant or when she is due. I thought by now that everybody just knew that pregnancy is not a subject to mention unless...
Editorial: Summer recommended reading list
Something magical happens when you first reach for a book. The possibilities become endless and worlds you knew nothing about become visible- fallen cities, lost loves, thrilling challenges around every corner. This summer, allow yourself to explore a book or two--whether it be to...
Editorial: A love letter to my son
As I strolled around the Cracker Barrel gift shop Monday night, I passed a display that’s been there for a long time; one that I never really thought about. It was a display of T-shirts, cups and other items representing the branches of the...
Editorial: Don’t honk at me! I live here!
I’ve noticed that as the City of Cullman grows, so do the unexpected consequences and problems. One of those problems is the traffic on the incredibly narrow Highway 31 and those who are choosing residential streets as their alternate route. Over the past year...
Editorial: The policies of starting over – Asking for help
When it comes to writing, I have always enjoyed getting things done. I love the feeling that comes when I have completed a piece and feel satisfied by the result. Everyone has something that provides that little release. You are proud of whatever it...
Editorial: The policies of starting over pt. 2
Change is a largely evolving concept. Occasionally, we are swept up in this giant wave of newness and gives us a feeling of being dipped into ice water. Initially, when submerged in freezing water, the human body has what is known as a “cold...
She Reads: ‘One Step Behind’ by Lauren North
Any time you open a new book, you are introduced to a world of endless possibilities. There are a thousand--no, a million different places that stories could take you. As local libraries begin to reopen at full capacity and access to hands-on literature becomes...
Editorial: Laying stress at the door
As a certified yoga instructor who has taught for over seven years, Beverly Dotesy found her neighboring passion in massage therapy. She had always wanted to open her own place to practice and thus, Massage and Yoga with Beverly was born. While her space...
Editorial: The policies of starting over
There are few things that we as people seem to love less than change. The disruption to our daily patterns, motions and moments rattles us so greatly that occasionally, we break under the pressure—and why wouldn’t we? As creatures so comforted by our habits,...
Editorial: Education dedicated to community
The city and county schools always do an amazing job at taking care of Cullman’s students and with summer just around the corner, they don’t plan to slow down. This summer, both the City and County Schools are implementing a Summer Feeding Program.
Here in...
Editorial: Music’s comeback in Cullman
CULLMAN, Ala. - While live music may have been a staple for many before the pandemic hit, it has certainly dwindled to a crawl over the past year, but as many places are reopening throughout Cullman, the lights of many our old favorite venues...
Editorial: Time to check your wall heaters
I consider myself quite lucky after discovering a fire in my living room Monday afternoon. For anyone with older homes with built-in electric wall heaters, please pay attention. Even if you think the heater doesn’t work, do not put anything in front of the...
Editorial: What Do Moms Want?
Mother’s Day is just a week away and compared to last year’s quarantined Mother’s Day, this year, shopping and planning a special day for your mom should be much easier. All of Cullman’s local shops and restaurants are open and eager to help you...
Editorial: The guide to ‘one-uppers’
We all know someone who seems compelled to ruin any and every conversation. I call them the one-uppers. Regardless of your experience, they feel compelled to one-up every single one. They can effortlessly make every statement, story, situation and conversation about them. To the...
Football field graduations are underrated
“I can’t wait to graduate in Wallace State’s gym!” said no high school senior ever. After spending the end of last year wondering if graduation would happen at all, the wonderful news came that they were still to take place. The news was made...
Editorial: 2021 fashion trends? Yeah, no thanks
I have never claimed to be an expert fashionista, but I know ugly when I see it. Lately, as I have walked through some of the bigger name stores here, I have thought to myself, “That’s it. These people are crazy!” The thought occurred...
To the Class of 2021
To the Class of 2021, I applaud you! Last year, as the school year came to an abrupt end, there was profound sadness followed by an abundance of community support for the seniors of 2020. As a mother of a 2020 senior and a...
Whitmire: Alabama is dead last for open records. The Legislature could fix that.
You’ve probably heard something like this before: another national ranking, another instance when Alabama ranked dead last.
But I promise you, this one is different, and by the end of this column, I’ll explain how.
A couple of years ago, University of Arizona journalism professor David...
Tornado safety tips from State Farm Insurance
During the peak of storm season, our greatest concern is for the safety of everyone who will be affected by a storm. State Farm encourages all residents in the projected path of any storm to protect themselves and their property.
Despite taking proper precautions to...
Editorial: Clearing the fog on COVID’s effects
The doctors call it “COVID fog,” and it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as respiratory issues and ventilators. It is a very real effect of COVID-19, though, and it can be difficult to define as it strikes different victims in different ways, including...
Editorial: Hopes for 2021 from the perspective of a young college student
At midnight on Jan. 1, 2020, I was at Goat Island listening to the band perform with my dad and thinking about the year ahead. Even in my wildest dreams, I don't think I could've predicted how things actually turned out.
My spring break stay...
Editorial: 2020 hasn’t been all bad
This year has seemed longer than others, and it's hard to believe that J. Lo and Shakira’s Super Bowl halftime performance was less than a year ago. Remember when THAT was the craziest thing about 2020? Looking back at 2020 could be a stroll...
Editorial: Masks up: We can get through this school year together
In a few weeks, kids will be heading back to school for the first time in five months. Wednesday, Governor Kay Ivey addressed the state informing us that students and teachers from second grade through college will be required to wear a mask at...
Editorial: College in the time of COVID-19
Since August of 2017, I've been surrounded by orange and blue and calls of "War Eagle." Auburn became my second home (though Cullman will always be my real home), and the friends I made became my second family. I didn't know how many other...
Look twice, save a life
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. If you remember my piece from last year or know me outside of my profession, you know I’ve been riding motorcycles since July 2018. The number of close calls I’ve had in that short amount of time is...
Editorial: I miss my senior friends
The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted everyone’s lives in many ways. Those of us in the media are no exception. There are those, especially on social media platforms, who seem to believe that the media is enjoying this pandemic or even perpetuating it. This is...
Editorial: Our seniors deserve more. Cullman can do better!
At the heart of every great community are its seniors. Cullman County is no exception, and with hard-working entities such as the Cullman County Commission on Aging and Senior Outreach, the county if full of fun activities for its seniors. So much so that...
Editorial: ‘Make me look good, now!’ A guide to positive media relations
More than half the time I conduct interviews, the episode concludes with the interviewee saying one of two things (actually the same thing in two different ways):
“Make me look good, now!” And yes, most of them add the “now;” this is the South, you...
Tribune Editorial: To audit or not? A chamber of misdirection
For several months there has been discussion and downright controversy surrounding the use of lodging tax dollars by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce. It’s time for a formal audit to disclose exactly how and where the lodging tax money is spent. Secrecy and...
EDITORIAL: The First Amendment and an elected Cullman official
If you gonna write for us, I want you to write positive. Anytime the commission name is in an article, it’s all positive. No negatives.”
Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker
Editorial- Noah Galilee, Cullman Tribune publisher
Amendment I
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of...
GUEST EDITORIAL: Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell urges Congress to ratify USMCA trade agreement
Farming Feeds Alabama, but our state’s farmers also help feed the world.
That’s why the Alabama Farmers Federation is urging Congress to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement.
Canada and Mexico are our first and third largest export markets. This agreement not only preserves our partnership...
GUEST EDITORIAL: Alabama Bicentennial: 200 ways to save Alabama for the next 200 years
Ben Johnson South (Cullman Tribune file photo)
The following is a guest editorial by local author Ben Johnson South, who offers Gov. Kay Ivey his suggestions on how to save Alabama for the next 200 years as we celebrate our state's Bicentennial. See more about...
OP-ED: In Alabama, we have our veterans’ backs
Dedication. Honor. Commitment. Sacrifice.
Those are the traits that come to mind when I think about our nation’s veterans. I saw these qualities lived out every day by my dad. Boadman Nettles Ivey, my father, served in WWII as part of a field artillery division....
Guest Editorial: Part 1 of 3: Where is the American Church?
Following is an opinion/guest editorial piece- Part 1 of 3: Where is the American Church?- submitted by Pastor Tom Fillinger, IgniteUS Ministries- info@igniteus.net.
There are 300,000+ churches in the USA. The latest figure developed by formal research completed by Dr. Thom Rainer, president of Lifeway,...
Moving forward
Moving forward...
CullmanSense was launched on Dec. 31, 2010 as a daily e-publication and quickly grew into Cullman's only Monday print publication in less than one year.
On April 1, 2016, CullmanSense acquired The Cullman Tribune, Alabama’s oldest continuously published weekly newspaper.
For the last year, CullmanSense...
EDITORIAL: ATRIP2 and how it will affect Cullman County
The following editorial was submitted by Association of County Commissions of Alabama Executive Director, Sonny Brasfield:
Tomorrow morning millions of folks in Alabama will turn the switch, throw the car in reverse and head out for the daily responsibilities. Before leaving they'll give a great...
On the topic of headlines…
Last night we posted a news story about the grand opening of the new Cullman County Democratic headquarters in Cullman. The headline of that story, "Cullman's with Her! Democratic HQ opens in Cullman," has been met with fury and vitriol the likes of which...
OPINION: First Source for Women
Photo: Members of First Baptist Church of Cullman giving a check to First Source with funds they raised through our Baby Bottle Boomerang program.
Have you ever felt challenged by parenting? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by pregnancy? Any parent can honestly say that parenting...
Letter to the Editor: true meaning of Memorial Day
This month, our nation will observe Memorial Day. This is the one day each year that we pause to mourn those Americans who have given their lives for our country; except, most of us don’t! Most of us don’t pause to mourn. Most of...
The Force is Strong in Cullman
CULLMAN – Ten years waiting for the announcement that there would be another movie. Waiting a month and a half after purchasing tickets for the day to arrive. Three hours waiting in line to grab a seat. Waiting through thirty minutes of previews. But...
Opinion: Go Green Regardless of Your Stance
Climate change has become a phrase that can spark a debate in no time at all. The debate of whether or not mankind is speeding up the process of global warming has become not a question of science any more, but a political statement....
Why You Should Care About Net Neutrality
You have probably heard the term before, and chances are the term slipped by you. It’s easy enough to understand, but it is has been buried beneath a swarm of technical terms and lingo, mostly to keep you bored and ignorant. The term is...
OPINION: No(ah)-It All: Mystery leak at crypt not so mysterious
Following wild reports of a mystery fluid leaking from crypts at Cullman Memory Gardens, I decided to go out to investigate this peculiar claim.
Upon arriving, Ron Foust, owner of Stone Bridge Farms, was speaking with a local police officer and a former employee of...
Cinderella Leaves a Lasting Impression at St. Bernard Prep School
CULLMAN - St. Bernard Preparatory School’s production of “Cinderella” was held recently and their talented students and staff presented the story like no other. “Cinderella”, a Rodgers & Hammerstein Production, is a timeless classic enjoyed by many for generations. The junior version of the...
Vinegar…The Eighth Wonder of the World!
The Cleaning Agent That Has Superpowers
With the many uses and capabilities of vinegar, it’s astonishing that there hasn’t been an infomercial about this amazing product. I can see the video reel now: “It cleans, it shines, it disinfects, it deodorizes, it protects. But wait,...
2013 – A Retrospective Look
Just as we are sweeping up the leftover tinsel and bits of wrapping paper that have gone astray from our Christmas celebration, we are getting ready for New Year’s Eve. It seems like the same thoughts enter my brain every year at this time....
Eliminating Nuclear Weapons is Just as Important as Eliminating Chemical Weapons
The apparent employment of chemical weapons in Syria should remind us that, while weapons of mass destruction exist, there is a serious danger that they will be used.
That danger is highlighted by an article in the September/October 2013 issue of the Bulletin of the...
Letter to President Obama from a Loyal Supporter
Dear President Obama,
I supported you in both elections, with my vote and financial giving. When you were elected, I was overjoyed that the US had a leader in the White House who was bright, articulate and honest. After the Bush years, many of us...
Congress, Beware of Secret Briefings
Our Congressional Representatives and Senators were called back last week and briefed before the fall session starts. They will have to decide whether to support Obama’s call for a military attack on Syria. I shudder when I think about this whole process. I remember...
Taking the Profit Out of War
We now have a huge war machine that dwarfs President Eisenhower’s warning about the undue influence of the military-industrial complex. In an Aug. 29, 2013 editorial for Common Dreams, Bruce Gagnon of the Global Network says, “We’ve become a killer nation. We have to...
Pay Attention to Teachers Who Bully
While bullying between school children has rightly received much attention in recent years, other types of school-based bullying are rarely discussed. Bullying of students by their teachers remains a significant problem and is every bit as dangerous as peer-to-peer bullying.
Teacher-on-student bullying takes many forms,...
The Missing Choice
There is a glaring hole in the choices being considered by the United States and the international community in response to the Syrian chemical weapons attack that left 1,400 dead. The only two options that are being seriously debated are action in the form...
