Meet the new writer in town

Hey folks, I’m new in town and looking forward to telling your stories.  After a two-day car journey from Mississippi, I have arrived in Robbinsville, ready to start my position as The Graham Star’s new staff writer.

Give to Caesar

A church received a letter from the IRS.  The preacher opened and read how they were inquiring on one of the church members they were auditing. They wanted to know if the previous year, he had made a donation to the church for $500.

The history of Trump, as a culture warrior

Based upon the election reporting in last week’s Graham Star, I see that a good majority of people voted for Donald Trump.  If you are like me, you may be having serious doubts about the integrity of the election process in the United States.

Our nation needs to focus on the way forward

Practicing what you preach is important. My last column was about gracious winning and gracious losing.  To my President Trump-supporting friends, kudos for a hard-fought battle and condolences for your loss. There were some accomplishments during his first term that need to be acknowledged.

Fight stress before it kills you

Stress has known to be the leading cause of premature deaths.  There are some, or many of us, who lead incredibly stressful lives, – whether it be issues at home or stress from demanding jobs – and because of that stress, it can lead to an early grave.

Brothers served country well

Many American families sent sons and daughters into war over the years, but there is one Graham County family that sent five sons into combat. John and Maude Wiggins Riddle first sent four of their sons into World War II.   Clyde Nelson Riddle served as a PFC in the U.S.

Gracious winning, gracious losing

Writing this week’s column presents a real challenge.  Timing is everything. The election voting will be over before The Graham Star appears.  The election itself may not be over for weeks. The Supreme Court did not decide Bush v. Gore until Dec. 12, 2000.

‘Tis a great time to be thankful

My granddaughter Abbie telephoned while I was waiting for my wife in a parking lot.  Husbands do a lot of that. “Have you ever heard of Ben Rector?” Abbie asked at the end of our conversation. “Yes, I think you mentioned him before,” I said. “Well, I’m going to send you a song he sings.

Thank you custodians!

When I was a child, most of the custodians at the old Rock School were older men who had wore themselves out working in the textile mills. They were friendly, helpful and we looked up to them.  I remember one giving me a compliment for something I said. That meant a lot to me.

Remain calm; the storm is almost over

There are just a few days until the most amazing and costly Presidential election in modern American history is over.  That should be good news to all voters, regardless of political leaning.