Tag: Opinion

During the 2025 regular session of the Alabama Legislature, lawmakers have worked hard to address the needs and issues in every portion of our...

America’s economic future hinges on energy — its reliability, affordability and availability. Nowhere is that future being written more decisively than in Alabama. While much...

The need for accountability and broader perspectives In recent times, Cullman County residents have witnessed a concerning trend among some elected officials: a shift in...

Wait for a rainy, cold, black-and-white movie kind of afternoon. Have a box of tissues handy, then grab a pint of Ben and Jerry’s....

I’m wondering if Saturdays have always been cake-baking day. That seemed to have been the case when I was a child, and now, many...

President Abraham Lincoln said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but...

I did not grow up in a family of readers. Oh, I don’t mean my family was illiterate.  My parents could read; they simply...

Here’s a friendly reminder to all of you travelers hitting the road this spring and summer: your GPS routing system is only as good...

Keeping to his word, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has initiated the re-renaming of military bases. Renaming, not to their original names, but their rightful...

Editor’s note: This column was written last week. I am a Baby Boomer. There, I said it, and I’m not ashamed of it. I was...

Happy NCAA Division III Week from Alabama’s only NCAA Division III institution – Huntingdon College in Montgomery. This week, Huntingdon joins the over 400...

If you have a minute to read an excerpt from long-winded Lauren’s heart:  I run. I run often. I enjoy it. It relieves stress for...

Today (March 19, 2025) is the 15th legislative day of the 2025 regular session, which marks the halfway point allowed by the Alabama Constitution,...

ADDISON, Ala. – In today's world of instant gratification and what have you done for me lately, it begs the question, what does a...

Well, I said, “Let it snow,” and it did. Thankfully, this one was no blizzard, but it was deep enough to make some snow...

To those feeling trapped in a desperate place — whether by financial burdens, the absence of meaningful relationships, or an overwhelming sense of being...

When residents of Cullman County open their wallets to donate or when city and county entities contribute significant funds to local organizations, there’s an...

I began shaving when I was around 13. Why, you might ask? Not because I needed to, but because I wanted to. I did have...

I was born in the South. And I live in the South. That means I eat fried food – me and about everybody else...

People can say some strange things. Some of these statements are quite annoying, while others may be funny and enjoyable. Some of the things...

Mama had a mysterious situation. Her dried apples kept disappearing. Each day their number seemed to be less than it had been the day...

Youth football has changed in the past handful of years. Gone are the days of “Good game!” and “We will work harder next time.”...

On Monday, July 29, Auburn University announced that the Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID) would be dissolved by Aug. 15. In an email...

October will be here before we know it, and we all know what that means, bow season opener. July is a great time to...

Several years ago, working on a garden design project at the Governor's Mansion (Montgomery), I discovered the FREE resources of the Library at the...

We must change our laws in Alabama so that people with mental illness can get adequate mental health (care). Today, what we have in...

It’s springtime, and I knew it was bound to happen with all this warm weather we’ve been having. Today, I almost stepped on a...

On Feb. 22, 2024, Cold Springs High School Family and Consumer Sciences classes took 25 students on a field trip to tour local Cullman...

Carrying a heavy burden is not the easiest thing in life, but for the rare few it's something we know has to be done...

Ah, Christmas.   This writer has never seen the community of Cullman pull together so tightly until wreaths are strung amid streetlights, the Warehouse District is...

Recent changes in the newspaper landscape in Alabama have us wanting to share some good news about newspapers. Alabama newspapers are alive and printing.  Like...

Love is in the air, and what better way to celebrate than with a romantic movie? From heartwarming love stories to steamy romances, here...

In January of last year, Governor Kay Ivey awarded $18.2 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to fund infrastructure improvements and upgrades all...

“If we all just lend a hand, we can lift some hearts.”—Melody Minagar  HEART IN HAND is a centuries-old symbol of compassion and a willingness...

“When do we learn that the world, like any diner worth its salt, is open 24 hours a day?”—Daniel Handler  American diners are the perfect...

Remember when America was all about freedom-loving fun and people fought for “The Right to Party?” Even in 1773 (evening of December 16), our...

                                                        ODE TO JOY-ZINES                                    A self-pub, a journal, a dream board, a zine;                                    All the positivity one might glean.                                    For you and by you,...

                                                                      ODE TO MY DAD                             Dad, I’m glad you were one of my favorite parents,                             Even though we disagreed about most sermons and nearly...

NEVER TRUST A GERONTOLOGIST UNDER 70! Please hear me saying that playfully. However, I’ve done my 70 years and spent much of it studying...

                                                                       ODE TO SUMMER                                                   My longtime favorite season is summer.                                                   Though fall, spring nor winter is a bummer.                                                   At 70, this thought’s not a...

Since the early part of 2020, Covid-19 has been a major element in our daily lives. It’s rare to speak to a neighbor, coworker,...

                                                        AMERICAN HEROES by Cheryl Alexander (American poet, Cheryl Alexander, about her ode to heroes: “This poem is dedicated to all the heroes in our...

I LOVE LIBRARIES and I have a dream of a beautiful, FREE, public one with happy colors, patron-selected seating, art murals, craft/study/activity areas, cubbies,...

CULLMAN, Ala. - In its April 2022 term, the Grand Jury of Cullman County issued felony and misdemeanor indictments in 257 cases with a...

                                                             When I get the urge to purge,                                                              I first put on some music.                                                              A little more punk and a little less dirge,                                                              Then...

                                                                ODE TO ZZZ                                                      ZZZ are A-okay methinks,                                                      Each regarded with great esteem.                                                      A long sleep or just 40 winks,                                                      To doze, perchance to...

                                                                    ODE TO WANDERLUST                                                  I long to walk there, maybe there and then there.                                                  More joy-filled I’ll return, you may surely trust.                                                  In my...

l. His death was certain A. Joseph of Arimathaea came to Pilate the Governor after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and requested the privilege of...

                                                              ODE TO REINVENTING                                                   Any given day can be a time to start over,                                                   It just takes hard work, luck and good intention.                                                   So,...

In the five years since I became Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, nothing has been a higher priority than making sure we...

Each and every job is different and unless you have done that occupation, you may not realize the challenges involved. My page, Alabama at...

There’s an extremely antiquated mindset of masculinity that was passed down by our fathers, grandfathers--including our matriarchal figures that have embraced that men have...

CULLMAN, Ala. - Well, here we are, we have made it to the conclusion of 2021 and as we’re introduced to 2022, we might...

“When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.You will assume she is obsessed...

There are some novels that we return to after a while; books that resume their places in our hearts as we turn their pages...

“Of Women and Salt” by Gabriela Garcia, follows Jeanette, a young woman who is battling addiction and in search of the deeply hidden truths...

CULLMAN, Ala. - Whether on warm summer evenings or brisk winter nights, people head into local  venues to shake off the work week and...

The Iron Bowl: Any time the Tide of Alabama travels to the plains of Auburn magic happens, and unlike the norm this time the magic...

Another One Bites The Dust: Another week, another chaotic outcome that's beginning to paint a clear picture. No. 23 Utah ended the first half with...

-Don't Forget Your Popcorn: Lane Kiffin's Rebels were able to notch their biggest win of the season against the surging Texas A&M Aggies. Ole Miss...

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...

There are few things that we are in constant opposition to than change. As I began this column, I envisioned something quite a bit...

After quite an eventful summer season, we transition into fall with a cloudy sky freckled by falling leaves, or rainy weekends that blur into...

Last weekend, the City of Cullman was bustling as Oktoberfest celebrations were happening in Depot Park and the Cullman County Fair Parade made its...

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...

Long time, no see, readers. We are picking after She Reads’ small hiatus and hitting the ground running with this week’s story, ‘A Simple...

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...

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...

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...

Though I cannot speak much to what exactly I was expecting from “Then She Was Gone,” author Lisa Jewell’s name has come up several...

There is a nearly constant negativity in the Cullman community surrounding the mere existence of Rock the South. This year was no different and...

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...

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’ve mentioned in other reviews how I am not a fan of love stories, but this week, I found Karen White’s "The Sound of...

This week in She Reads, we have an incredibly surprising work, “Zoe Rosenthal is Not Lawful Good” by Nancy Werlin. In this novel, we...

In 1977, my kindergarten teacher asked each of us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Overwhelmingly, the answer was an Olympian....

When in the process of moving forward in life, do you ever find yourself gravitating toward what you ran from in the first place?...

Last week, I wrote about how I had greatly enjoyed Ruth Ware’s work on, “Into A Dark, Dark Wood” and this week, I have...

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...

“I am running. I am running through moonlit woods, with branches ripping at my clothes and my feet catching in the snow-bowed bracken.” With...

It has been a few weeks since I last wrote anything for The Policies of Starting Over, and for this, I feel I owe...

This is a story that deserves to be spoken about with respect. Author Julie Kibler transports you back and forth through time as you...

For as long as the newspaper industry has existed, issues have included arrest reports and incidents reported in the given area by the county...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Recent heavy rains put the spotlight on one of the most common yet difficult to resolve environmental concerns – untreated or...

A few years ago, I was employed in an area which harbored a substantial feral cat colony, 20 or so, with kittens. I was...

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...

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...

“Edward Fosca was a murderer. This was a fact. This wasn’t something Mariana knew just on an intellectual level, as an idea. Her body...

One of the most awkward interactions that a person can experience is when an unsuspecting woman is asked if she is pregnant or when...

Something magical happens when you first reach for a book. The possibilities become endless and worlds you knew nothing about become visible- fallen cities,...

Let me begin this review by simply saying, y’all, I could not put this one down. This week, the book of choice has been...

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...

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his...

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...

When it comes to writing, I have always enjoyed getting things done. I love the feeling that comes when I have completed a piece...

Change is a largely evolving concept. Occasionally, we are swept up in this giant wave of newness and gives us a feeling of being...

As a certified yoga instructor who has taught for over seven years, Beverly Dotesy found her neighboring passion in massage therapy. She had always...

There are few things that we as people seem to love less than change. The disruption to our daily patterns, motions and moments rattles...

“But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.”  John 16:13 NIV                 Personal trainers are a wonderful asset in...

When initially reaching for “The Woman in the Window”, I hoped sincerely to find a novel that would truly capture the magical essence of...