Hometown Headlines Radio Edition: Local news without the static.

The local tourism office describes Myrtle Hill as "one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the nation," sitting above "the confluence of the Etowah, Oostanaula and Coosa rivers." Guests are invited to "come explore its six terraces and rich history – and visit the place where Romans rest." Indeed, some 20,000 people are buried or interred there, now including the mausoleum added a few years ago.

Once the site of a fort, Myrtle Hill again is something of a battleground, this time over efforts to move the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest from a prime spot overlooking South Broad Street and South Rome to a location to be named later.

Just when and where -- or even if -- have yet to be decided. The city, for now,  says the decision is out of local hands, this time because of state law.  Maybe not as shown by a Decatur judge last week.

The Community Development Committee, perhaps with citizens' assistance, will study the true biography of Forrest -- racist executioner or savior of Rome -- and look at omitted black history as well.

We're talking months here, if not more.  Another solution that has been recommended is at least shifting the Forrest monument to the Civil War section of Myrtle Hill. 

But let's go a little deeper on Myrtle Hill, namely current upkeep. We're seeing two Myrtle Hills -- the well-kept sections fronting South Broad and Branham and then those in the back with a limb over a headstone, overgrown grass and weeds and other disrepair.

Area residents and those buried at Myrtle Hill deserve much better. 

As state lawmakers assemble in Atlanta next week, all eyes are on mandated budget cuts because of the impact the coronavirus safeguards have had on Georgia's economy.

So far at least, those cuts will hit the state Public Health Department and other areas, a move that could wipe out many of the services offered by the Northwest Georgia Regional Cancer Coalition.

Erin Hernandez, the president and chief executive officer of the cancer coalition, joined John Druckenmiller of Hometown Headlines to talk about the proposed cuts, their impact and what the community can do to convince lawmakers to maintain key services -- programs needed more than ever because of record unemployment and other hardships.

We'll have a list of area lawmakers and others on our story accompanying this report on our website.

 Today's top headlines:

Rant of the Day: Tweet opens open wounds in Rome.

Let's talk about something dividing our communities.

It involves a text that arrived from a colleague in Cartersville on Wednesday evening. It was a forward of a Tweet from one of the nation's more recognized sports journalists who was fed up with all the racial issues. Her tweet included a video of a demonstration by hate groups in Rome.

A quick check confirmed it was from that rally downtown five years ago and not in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. It didn't matter: the original Tweeter posted it, named Rome, Ga., had no time stamp and here it was being shared by millions of people using the Tweeter machine.

We sent the sports journalist a note telling her the images were old and that the very same event helped spawn One Community United and other groups opposing racism and hatred. It was still there at last check and some 6.2 million people -- and counting -- had viewed it. That's not a surprise as the journalist has 1.2 million followers of her own.

But that's troubling. And it comes a week after a vendor was photographed sitting on top of a Rome Police Department motorcycle and decided to use a photo of that opportunity as he exposed his support for the KKK.

Once again, Rome, Ga.

Add the Forrest monument debate to all this and we've got work to do. We just wish the Tweeter machine would include the efforts of One Community United and others when it comes to healing racism and hatred.

Maybe that's possible, one Tweet at a time. 

Today's top headlines:

RANT OF THE DAY: Make that Madam Congresswoman.

Technically, Marjorie Taylor Greene is two elections and around five months away from being the next person to represent Northwest Georgia in Congress. That's a lot of days, especially in political years. But the only thing that can keep her from going to Washington, D.C., in January is Marjorie Taylor Greene.

She carried county after county in Northwest Georgia even though a year ago she called Alpharetta home. Before 2020, did she know the difference between Armuchee and Subligna? Doesn't matter; voters in those communities and many others knew her when they cast their ballots.

Two men could stop her -- fellow Republican Dr. John Cowan, a thoroughbred neurosurgeon who likewise calls himself a serial entrepreneur, and Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal in the Nov. 3 general election. Cowan stands a better chance but not by much.

For him to win, he'll have to totally flip his campaign. She out Trumped him, out gunned him and even embarrassed him on his home turf of Northwest Georgia. He can try to come across as the tough, new sheriff in town but he's running against the 21st Century reincarnation of Annie Oakley and she's about to whiz right past him.

Sure, a lot could happen before Nov. 3 but for right now, get ready to address Marjorie Taylor Greene as madam congresswoman. 

Today's top headlines:

Rant of the Day: Of primaries, protests and pandemics.

Today's election experience will be unique with mandated social distancing, plenty of masks, lots of hand sanitizer and more precautions. The hope is that voters don't spread potential coronavirus among themselves, poll workers and elections officials.

The concern is real as we've seen from the community spread at the Floyd County Courthouse.

Of even greater concern: Potential spread at last weekend's protests in Rome and gatherings set for this weekend.

A negative outcome could mean a very long summer as well as a chaotic fall for our schools. 

Today's top headlines:

Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia.

Today's top headlines:

Rant of the Day: Remembering a star-spangled Georgia legend.

It was on a random trip to Blue Ridge by way of Ellijay years ago when we discovered Col. Oscar T. Poole.

 An official Kentucky colonel, the founder of Poole's Bar-B-Q also was a man of the cloth and a statesman as well. A staunch Republican, he often wore his patented yellow suit and Uncle Sam hat onto the floor of GOP conventions. He drew national and international attention and, in turn, made friends across the nation and the world.

Oscar knew what he was doing with his suit and hat -- drawing attention. But once he had that journalist or camera crew or temporary strangers on the hook, there was no letting go. By sheer personality, Oscar won them over.

And then there was the barbecue palace itself. Many rising Georgia politicians knew they needed to make the pilgrimage to Poole's Bar-B-Q to get Oscar's blessing. A few presidential contenders stopped by as well. It was like the days in Rome when The Partridge was a requirement for those on the campaign trail.

On Wednesday, there was another gathering at Poole's Bar-B-Q as friends and family watched a horse-drawn carriage escort the casket of the man who grew from his Central Florida roots to become a Georgia legend.

Yes, it was out of respect for their friend. And perhaps to say thank you for all he did. 

Today's top headlines:

Rant of the Day: Of primary concern ... 

More than 25,000 voters in Northwest Georgia already had made their choices in the twin primaries scheduled for this coming Tuesday, June 9. That doesn't count all the votes that have occurred since Monday, either at advance voting locations or via absentees returned by mail, drop box or drop off.

Those are numbers to celebrate and we've yet to open a single precinct.

That turnout is especially appreciated as the primaries -- plural -- of 2020 have been seemingly lost in the headlines. With one of the meatiest ballots in recent years -- the Floyd sheriff's race, a surprise contest for court clerk, an in-party challenge to a longtime House member and all the commotion over the House seat Tom Graves is giving up -- this was supposed to be an all-star edition of Campaign 2020 with the presidential sweepstakes yet to come in November.

Instead, it is relatively quiet. There are a few last-minute panic posts popping up but, all in all, it has been quiet.

And here's where it gets to be a primary concern.  The next sheriff of Floyd County will have a voice in community relations and incarceration of suspects. State lawmakers will have painful decisions to make about expenditures with depleted resources. The next person to represent Northwest Georgia in Congress will enter a federal government more divided than ever with trillions in debts, mounting pandemic deaths and a very divided America.

While we're thrilled by the turnout to date thanks to absentee and advance voting, we ask this: Please take time to vote -- whether it be advance, absentee or in-person. 

More than ever, your voice, your choice, needs to be heard between now and Tuesday night. Please make it happen

Today's top headlines:

RANT OF THE DAY: Who decides what you know?

There was a potential situation in downtown Rome Sunday night, enough to prompt "standby" operations and precautions. Thankfully, it was a false tip.

But you didn't know that.  

So who exactly makes that call? We're not exactly sure, either. If there's a potential threat -- again, enough to mobilize police and firefighters and to turn the lights on in the Emergency Operations Center -- then the public needs to know. 

What was staged Sunday night slipped through our fingers. It won't happen again. We deem such alerts to be the same as advance word of potential severe weather.

You deserve to know, especially if you need to be away from home for any reason.

Today' s headlines:

Rant of the Day: Of pandemics and protests.

On Saturday, we talked with Mayor Bill Collins as well as Rick Stevenson, an anchor in One Community United, a group formed five years ago to combat hate. Collins praised those protesting outside City Hall for keeping it peaceful. Stevenson talked about ongoing dialogues and a bid this week to talk with area pastors and ministers about expanding peacekeeping efforts.

One Community, like other organizations, had a quiet spring because of the pandemic. Unity efforts didn't stop; just some of the small group meetings were on hold.

And now, amid that pandemic, One Community and other local groups are expanding their voices in hopes of keeping it peaceful in Rome and Floyd County. There is a long summer ahead with a lot of unknowns.

We're fortunate to have One Community United already in place. We're likewise lucky to have city commissioners willing to camp out on Broad Street into the night to monitor local conditions.

Our job now is to get their collective message spread throughout the community even as we cope with an ongoing pandemic. We think Northwest Georgia can accept and surpass both challenges.