Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Call answered: Jeff Stewart has spent a lifetime serving -- and it mattered
He didn't have to continue serving this community when his predecessor retired. He had already proven his commitment to service when he volunteered to fight for his country as a member of the Army's elite Green Berets. But when you...Published: Jun 30, 2015 11:16 AM Full Editorial
Monday, June 29, 2015
Safety first: Bottom line: Moped laws will likely keep people safe
There are reasons for laws. Sometimes it is to protect a person from himself, and sometimes it is to protect society from a person. Bottom line is, while the idea of a license for mopeds might seem like a...Published: Jun 29, 2015 11:08 AM Full Editorial
Saturday, June 27, 2015
It's about us: Taking down a flag solves nothing. Seeing each other as people does.
Removing a flag isn't going to do it. It might make some people feel better for a while -- and it might even be a symbolic gesture that becomes a milestone marker for a shift in the way people think....Published: Jun 27, 2015 11:30 PM Full Editorial
Thursday, June 25, 2015
A first step: As funerals begin in Charleston, the chance to heal grows
Today is the first day that the Charleston community will gather to begin to say goodbye to some of the victims from the horrific church shooting last week. Families and friends will remember, mourn and celebrate the lives of...Published: Jun 25, 2015 11:19 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
TSA turmoil: This is one of those that we really need to get done right
Who would take that job? That is the immediate reaction to the news that there is a new chief of the Transportation Security Administration. The announcement is on the heels of at least two extremely embarrassing screwups that not only...Published: Jun 23, 2015 10:59 AM Full Editorial
Monday, June 22, 2015
Heat thanks: It is not easy working in the heat
As most of us sit in air-conditioned offices and homes, we might not think about those whose jobs do not allow them the luxury. From city and county workers to emergency personnel like police, firefighters and EMS workers, there is...Published: Jun 22, 2015 11:24 AM Full Editorial
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Wise spending: Nonprofits help prevent more dependence on welfare
Nonprofits and tax money shouldn't mix. At least that is the impression that one would take away if he or she were to sit through one of the Wayne County Commission meetings. On the surface the complaint seems to...Published: Jun 21, 2015 12:08 AM Full Editorial
Friday, June 19, 2015
Joined hands: Charleston shootings were about ignorance, hatred
There is no getting around the facts -- what happened in Charleston Wednesday night was the action of a sick, racist individual. There is no justification in any way for anyone who would walk into a church -- or...Published: Jun 19, 2015 11:38 AM Full Editorial
Thursday, June 18, 2015
School's out! Teachers and students ready for well-earned break
Did you hear the cheering Wednesday? That's right. School is now officially closed for the summer season. These last few days were spent cleaning up, closing out and making sure the schools were ready for the official shutdown. And now...Published: Jun 18, 2015 11:21 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
It was a lie. Spokane NAACP chief can spin all she wants. She is wrong.
It doesn't matter what former Spokane NAACP chief Rachel Dolezal says to any interviewer over the next few days. It doesn't matter that she "thinks like she is black." But it does matter that the man she told people was...Published: Jun 16, 2015 10:49 AM Full Editorial
Monday, June 15, 2015
Heat watch: It is not worth the risk. Take heat seriously.
It would seem to go without saying: Don't play around with 100-degree temperatures. But sure as you are reading this, there will be someone who thinks that the laws of nature do not apply to them. So that is why...Published: Jun 15, 2015 10:49 AM Full Editorial
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Off to the future: Wayne County's Class of 2015 has new world to conquer
This message today is for the members of the Class of 2015. It will not be as eloquent as some of the great speeches delivered by the valedictorians and salutatorians at your high schools. But there was a theme shared...Published: Jun 13, 2015 11:03 PM Full Editorial
Friday, June 12, 2015
Cleveland's star: It is about heart. Not just a jumpshot.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost last night. So, if you are one of the people who is waiting for a miracle for a city that has waited for decades to have a championship team again, you know how much those on...Published: Jun 12, 2015 11:28 AM Full Editorial
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Helping hands: There are stories like this all over county every day
What happened to A.J. Underwood and his girlfriend Kayla King is not supposed to be part of the story of two barely 20-year-olds. They were supposed to be planning a new life together and doing the things young people...Published: Jun 10, 2015 10:55 AM Full Editorial
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Watch what? 73 employees identified on terror watch list
In case you missed it, the Transportation Security Administration is now admitting that 73 of its employees have ties to terrorism. That's right -- 73. Good thing we are doing all that random screening of 85-year-old women in wheelchairs,...Published: Jun 9, 2015 11:29 AM Full Editorial
Monday, June 8, 2015
Investment: Positioning community best plan for all of us
Bottom line is: You have to spend money to make money. And there is no truer place to see what spending money just might be able to do than Wayne County. With the recent rush of investment in everything...Published: Jun 8, 2015 10:47 AM Full Editorial
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Safer streets: To keep crime at bay, you have to take care of the enforcers
The news has been grim in Baltimore. Crime is up. Murders are up. Shootings are up. In general, the city is less safer than it was before the looting, before the riots and before a black suspect died of injuries...Published: Jun 6, 2015 11:22 PM Full Editorial
Friday, June 5, 2015
Litter duty: Help clean up Wayne County, pick up trash
It is summertime, and you know what that means -- more people on the roads and more litter along the highway. As a county, we want to make the best presentation possible. And with the new highway plans in...Published: Jun 5, 2015 10:58 AM Full Editorial
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Debate works: Rubber-stamping issues no good for anyone
The first sign that there is a need to worry is when everybody agrees. It might seem counterproductive, but the truth is that it is when we disagree that new and better solutions are found. So the bevy of...Published: Jun 4, 2015 11:07 AM Full Editorial
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The roundup: A positive, two questions -- and a debate over plaques
Today should not pass without a mention of what happened at the Goldsboro City Council and Wayne County Commission meetings earlier this week. Both boards reconsidered proposals to cut funding to an organization that is providing a cost-effective and meaningful...Published: Jun 3, 2015 12:04 PM Full Editorial
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Just John: Former state Sen. John Kerr an example for others to follow
Former state Sen. John Kerr won't be remembered just because of his titles and his legislative career -- although that would be enough to secure him a place in the history books. He will not be remembered because of...Published: Jun 2, 2015 11:29 AM Full Editorial
Monday, June 1, 2015
Power couple: New investigations chief is right; police need city's help
The Goldsboro Police Department's new investigations chief nailed it. His goal is to connect the community and the police -- and for both to join in fighting crime. One can't do it without the other, Maj. Anthony Carmon says....Published: Jun 1, 2015 10:39 AM Full Editorial