Anyone who knows me knows I’ve never been big on politics. My husband enjoys it; he’s involved in it and follows every twist and turn. I’ve always tried to steer away from it. But lately, the noise has been impossible to ignore: Anger, accusations, division and a whole lot of shouting from every direction. Let me be clear: I am a conservative. Since becoming a registered voter, I’ve voted Republican most of the time but I’ve also crossed over and voted Democrat when the person running was simply the better candidate. One example was our good friend and former employer...

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The marque race next year will be for our open U. S. Senate seat left vacant when Coach Tommy Tuberville decided to run for governor. This Senate vacancy has attracted one of our U. S. Congressmen, which leaves an open congressional seat in the Heart of Dixie. Congressional seats are drawn by state legislatures. Throughout the nation, they are crafted by partisan legislatures to favor the party that is in the majority in their state. This has been the case forever in American politics. Republican and Democratic leaders and partisan pundits today decry this gerrymandering. However, the U. S. Supreme...

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Volunteering makes an immeasurable difference in the lives of volunteers and those they help. Many people may be surprised to learn how positive volunteering can be for volunteers. Indeed, studies show that volunteering leads to better physical and mental health, among other benefits. According to an article published by the American Heart Association and Jeffrey Burr, a professor of gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, “compared to non-volunteers, volunteers have less depression, less anxiety, higher self-esteem, greater happiness, and a greater sense of meaning in life.” Burr and the AHA note the health benefits of volunteering occur among all...

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Since 2020, economic development projects landing in Alabama’s targeted rural counties have generated billion in new capital investment and created nearly 9,000 jobs, according to data from the Alabama Department of Commerce. Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair applauded the significant strides to attract transformative investment and high-quality jobs to Alabama’s rural regions — a cornerstone of the economic development strategy for Gov. Kay Ivey’s administration. “Alabama’s rural communities are on the verge of a new era of opportunity,” she said. “Over the past several years, we have seen rural regions harness their strengths, attract transformative investments and lay the...

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Alabama’s Black Belt Adventures Association is sponsoring its Big Buck Photo Contest for the 14th consecutive year. The winner will be determined by online voting. The winner of the year’s contest will receive a 0 gift card and a copy of “Black Belt Bounty,” a coffee table book filled with stunning images, wildlife essays, stories on Alabama hunting and fishing traditions, wild game recipes and more. Voting will conclude on Feb. 13 at 11:59 p.m. Alabama’s deer season began last month for bow hunters and the gun deer season starts with special youth hunts on Nov. 14-17. The full gun...

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A soldier wrote his dad from a combat zone in a war-torn country. In the upper left hand corner under his name he wrote, “Not Here for Very Long.” True of the soldier - true of each of us. Life at its longest is very short in light of eternity. Wisely Moses advised us to go to God and ask him to: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Time has no favorites. We are each given 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 52 weeks a year. It does...

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DOTHAN — A major narcotics investigation in Dothan has taken a dangerous quantity of fentanyl off the streets— an amount police say was enough to kill the entire population of the city “and then some.” According to the Dothan Police Department, narcotics investigators seized 700 grams of fentanyl pills, along with 759 THC vape pens, approximately 465 pounds of marijuana, and two firearms during a Nov. 4 search warrant at a residence in the 2000 block of Woodland Drive. Police arrested 37- year-old Vasquez Ramon Bryant of Dothan, charging him with Trafficking- Fentanyl and Trafficking- Marijuana. Additional charges are expected...

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Two Marengo County men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a wire fraud conspiracy involving more than [post_excerpt].2 million in stolen building materials, according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama Sean P. Costello. Bryan Keith Gracie, 40, of Demopolis and Ellis Tyrone Miller, 35, of Dixons Mills worked together to steal materials from a Thomasville company between June 2021 and March 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Gracie to 27 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay...

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The Bible says that envy and jealousy are sins and they are to be avoided. Galatians 5:19-21, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” That means that we must avoid envy and jealousy along with all the sins of the flesh but while envy and jealousy are both sins they are not exactly the same...

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Molly Smith, age 11, recently killed her very first deer. She is the daughter of Joshua and Taylor Smith. The deer was killed in Putnam.

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