Opinion & Editorial

Make the Great Investment

By Gatlin Correia   With much of our world spiraling out of control and a divided nation with more uncertainty everyday, we are often lost in our own selves.
The bill must be paid

The bill must be paid

The bill must be paid

Franklin County and Georgia voters will decide the fates of two proposed State Consitutional Amendments and one statewide referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Please, get out and vote in the Nov. 5 election. Your ballot is important. And after you vote, have confidence that however the election results turn out, the people have spoken.

Please, get out and vote in the Nov. 5 election. Your ballot is important. And after you vote, have confidence that however the election results turn out, the people have spoken.

Vote and trust

The polls are now open for U.S. President. Early voting kicked off with a good turnout Tuesday and will continue through Nov. 1, Monday through Friday and the next two Saturdays at the Franklin County Elections and Registration Office. At the end of Election Day on Nov.
The photo and headline on last week’s front page of the Mitchell News-Journal tell the story of what happened in Spruce Pine, N.C.

The photo and headline on last week’s front page of the Mitchell News-Journal tell the story of what happened in Spruce Pine, N.C.

Hellish hurricanes put things into perspective

By Dink NeSmith Albert Einstein theorized that things (such as time, space, mass and motion) are relative.  To me, that suggests putting things into perspective. In a seven-day span, my personal perspective couldn’t have been more powerful if a jackhammer had been pounding inside my brain.
True colors shine during trials

True colors shine during trials

True colors shine during trials

Like people, communities show what they are really made of in trying times. The remnants of Hurricane Helene brought a trial to Franklin County late last week. Thousands in the county were without power, some for a couple of days, and trees blocked roads and damaged structures.
Our family gathered with friends Monday at a surprise party for my Mama, Sherry Scoggins. Mama turns 78 years very young – except for those achy knees – today.

Our family gathered with friends Monday at a surprise party for my Mama, Sherry Scoggins. Mama turns 78 years very young – except for those achy knees – today.

Today is Sherry Scoggins’ Day

Today is my mother’s birthday. Sherry Scoggins turns 78 today. While her knees give her fits and she walks a little stooped over now, Mama’s spirit is just as alive and young as it has ever been. She truly is a remarkable woman.
When Athens hosted four 1996 Olympic events—as a presidential ambassador—I had the privilege of hosting Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter in UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum during rhythmic gymnastics competition.

When Athens hosted four 1996 Olympic events—as a presidential ambassador—I had the privilege of hosting Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter in UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum during rhythmic gymnastics competition.

Happy birthday, James Earl Carter Jr.

On South Georgia’s Corridor Z in 2017, three black SUVs streaked by our older son’s truck.  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.
The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and Lavonia Chamber of Commerce announced last week that the two organizations will merge as of Jan. 1.  It was welcome news and a great thing for Franklin County.

The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and Lavonia Chamber of Commerce announced last week that the two organizations will merge as of Jan. 1. It was welcome news and a great thing for Franklin County.

Merger of chambers good news for all

The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and Lavonia Chamber of Commerce announced last week that the two organizations will merge as of Jan. 1. It was welcome news and a great thing for Franklin County.

A newspaper worth its salt prints stories without favors

R emember The Waltons on TV?  It was a long-running yarn following the lives of a struggling, Depression-era, God-loving family in the mountains of Virginia.  It might have been a bit too syrupy for some, but we thought it was a nice break from some of the crime shows of the 1970s.