October 2017 archives

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Too familiar: Attacks on Americans only strengthen our resolve

Another act of terror inflicted upon citizens simply going about their daily business in the course of their lives signals that in today's world at no time and in no place is the assumption of safety afforded to any of...

Monday, October 30, 2017

Teflon Don? Hard to say whether Monday's indictments put Trump in the clear, or in the crosshairs

It remains to be seen whether the indictments handed down Monday of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and two others will in turn become an indictment on the presidency -- or of the president himself. What is certain is...

Sunday, October 29, 2017

A breath away: Many in the middle class struggling just to hang on

What does it mean to be middle class? What used to be a measuring stick for keeping up with the Joneses bears more weight today, especially with tax reform looming. Now news outlets and both political parties are scrambling to...

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Ooohh, scary: Adult worries take the place of youthful fears

We spend much of our time as adults either being frightened or pretending not to be frightened by what we expect whichever political party we oppose will do next to further erode our way of life. And if that doesn't...

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Opioid alarm: Crises on a personal level grow into a national emergency

Take a walk down Any Street, USA and you might not see crack vials lining the street gutters like you might have in the 1980s. You might not see hookers and junkies huddled at each corner like in the mid...

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Happy to hear from you: Let us know what's on your mind, even if it's about us

It's not all dollars and cents. We generally reserve this space for addressing current events, political discourse, maybe spotlighting a do-gooder in the community or, sometimes, taking to task an official or a board who missed the mark in...

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Comedy ensues on Twitter: It's enough to make you laugh and shudder at the same time

It would be funny if it weren't sad. It's hard not to blame the president for his own misfortune -- if you see it as such -- being on the receiving end of a deluge of laugh-laden tweets made at...

A child's world: Geography lesson inspires a drive to alleviate suffering

The sympathetic impulses of children when seeing others are in need are enough to warm the coldest of hearts. We all know that children on the playground can often be cruel to one another, but for any parent or older...

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Safe trips: School board's decision on background checks prudent

Naivete sometimes creeps in, and complacency then leads to the intersection of cliches. That's where "I never thought it would happen to me" generally collides with "hindsight is 20-20." So after giving it some thought, and learning that it would...

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

It computes: Middle school's technology derived without tax dollars

People often write in or comment on our social media platforms after we have reported, well, just about anything having to do with education in Wayne County. Among the most frequent comments are those that ask the question, "Where is...

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Ticket to ride: In gratitude, bus system offers a lift to military, veterans

Sometimes we discover a nice thing being done with no strings attached and have to collectively shake free the cobwebs of cynicism in our heads. It's the old "there are selfless people left in the world, after all" phenomenon that...

Monday, October 16, 2017

You too? Confronting sexual harassment requires candor and willingness to hear

A new trend is developing on social media, mainly on Facebook and on Twitter, with women sharing posts containing the phrase "Me too." It means the person posting has at some point in her life fallen victim either to sexual...

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Bitter pill: Halting insurance subsidies toys with health of poorest

In either another master stroke or episode of senility -- depending from which side of the political fence one peers over -- the president's latest action on health care has resulted in a bipartisan effort to shore up health care...

Saturday, October 14, 2017

One fine day: Celebration on Center Street brings out the best in everyone

We rolled down our windows and rambled downtown Saturday for a stroll along Center Street. The annual Taste of Wayne was rolling along by the time we got there, and though it was a bit more humid standing still than...

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Punting: Who's to say 'special master' would be any less biased on maps?

The future of the state's contested House and Senate district maps might soon be in the hands of a "special master." That is the name being used to describe an independent third party who would be tapped to do the...

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Uncensored: President speaks without restraint. Same has to be true of the press.

While our support of the president remains steadfast in the hopes he can bring about the resurgence of American industry and economic might that he has promised, we find ourselves struggling to understand his apparent impulse toward censorship. Take into...

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Rainy days at the DA's office: Crime victims, defendants pay a price for state's cutbacks

When the General Assembly decided to slash $10 million from the state budget earlier this year, it in turn forced the state District Attorneys Office to dump 9 percent of its staff. It seems lawmakers did not consider the downstream...

Monday, October 9, 2017

Unrelenting: Steadfast team keeps focus on real news

Over the past few days, we have published a series of stories recapping the year-that-was in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. We also managed to slip in a special section centered around cancer awareness -- covering all cancers, not just...

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Hands up: It is the quick-draw of the wallet, not the guns, at issue

As responsible gun owners we are taught to place safety above all else when storing, handling or discharging our weapons. Instructors at gun ranges and in concealed carry classes across the country make it a point to emphasize safety with...

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

No news here: National media didn't get what it wanted from secretary of state

Who are you calling a moron, loser! Maybe that was the reaction the national media was hoping for from President Trump on Wednesday when NBC "broke" the story that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson allegedly called him an "expletive" moron...

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Shapes on trial: Court's eventual decision will have long-lasting impact on U.S. politics

The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up this week the issue of partisan gerrymandering. Its ruling in the Wisconsin-based case before it could have a direct effect on North Carolina's contested district maps and the overall political landscape as we...

Monday, October 2, 2017

Again, horror: No sense to be made of a senseless act

The first few officers through that hotel room door on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino Sunday night in Las Vegas were spared the burden of having to take a life. Despite their bravery, willingness and training, Stephen...

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Company of heroes: Don Malarkey served not for acclaim, but we owe it nonetheless

Don Malarkey died this weekend. It had been more than 70 years since German soldiers tried to kill him. He managed to avoid death throughout the war, despite his "Easy Company" seeing some of the worst fighting in Europe.  ...