Opinion

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish." --Sam Walton I was honored this past Saturday to get to eat breakfast and visit with the Lincoln County Farm Bureau. ...

Gov. Bill Lee's first State of the State address is history. Let's be honest about what we heard Tuesday night. The opening remarks somewhat echoed Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem "How do I Love Thee?" He even expressed the ways. When the governor finally got down to the nitty gritty, some of his proposals before the state legislature appeared promising for education. One positive is the proposed 2.5 percent teacher raise...

Government officials have found an effective way to keep secrets, especially when they don't want taxpayers and voters to know about sweetheart deals with favored businesses. It works something like this. First, the government officials sign a non-disclosure agreement with the business that says that anything in an upcoming government contract with the business could be considered proprietary, a trade secret or otherwise confidential information of the business, and not disclosable under Tennessee Public Records law.. ...

It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong. —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Governor Lee made another big announcement this week. He announced a new investment in school safety to better protect teachers and students and prepare against the threat of violence. He is proposing a $40 million investment for the school safety grant fund...

To the Editor: Hello! I am a third grade student in Northern Virginia. In third grade, we do state projects, and I have chosen your state! I am very excited to learn more about the great state of Tennessee as I work on my project. Some of the information that we get for our projects will be from books and websites, but the best information is from the people who live in each state. ...

“And this is why we’re where we are,” said a local criminal court judge recently. He made that remark following a few moments of disreputable disregard for the court by one defendant. Throughout the presentation of his case, he used the words “yeah” before the judge. Whatever happened to “yes sir, your honor?”...

To the Editor: America's founders cited God as the source of "unalienable rights" whose exercise was the prerogative of "the people". The keystone of the Declaration of Independence was "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God". Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that any legitimate law must accord with Holy Scripture. George Washington said that America's freedom sprang from "the sacred fire of liberty" and that "the republican model of government" is possible only with God's blessings...

In my line of work [pharmacy], you really see the reality of addiction. It hurts me to see so many people I went to school with in that position. They seem like the nicest souls.. but tell them you don't feel comfortable filling their suboxone with their benzos and another side shows...

Later this month, United Methodist leaders will gather in St. Louis for a special meeting which some say could determine the ultimate fate of the denomination. I’m an active United Methodist, and while I hope this column will be more explanation than opinion I want to be clear that any statements or observations I make are mine alone, and don’t represent anyone else...

A speeding driver about knocked the passenger door off a utility worker’s vehicle while parked off the shoulder of Highway 82 South Friday morning. This is no laughing matter. The passing driver swooped around the passenger side of the vehicle miraculously before the driver opened his door. There was oncoming traffic heading to Shelbyville — one of those drivers being me!...

“Give me the wisdom to know what must be done and the courage to do it.” — Unknown Hope your new year is off to a great start. The 2019 Legislative Session is officially underway and many new bills are being filed with the Speaker of the House’s office...

To The Editor: I am writing to thank Shelbyville residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Because of the generosity of donors in Shelbyville and across the United States, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, collected more than 8.8 million shoeboxes in 2018. ...

A week or two ago, a preacher friend of mine from outside Bedford County was complaining about something he’d seen online, and made the statement that the First Amendment was supposed to protect true, accurate statements, not partisan mudslinging. Several of us had to step in and correct him...

When I was driving into work Tuesday morning, I heard a gospel song once made popular by Elvis Presley. I'll tell you about that song later in the column. This spiritual got me to thinking a familiar thought. For many years, I've pondered why Elvis did not commit his life full-time to gospel music. Why didn't he just give up rock 'n roll? After all, his soulful sound came right out of Tupelo, Mississippi -- home to a ton of gospel greats...

Dear Residents of Tennessee: My name is Liana Miller and I am in fifth grade. I attend Brethren Heritage School in Modesto, California. We are doing state reports this year in our History class. I have chosen to do my report on your state of Tennessee...

Last week during our monthly committee meetings I initiated a discussion regarding a state approved program called the Tennessee Tax Freeze Act of 2007. The Tennessee legislature created this program which basically freezes the property tax for those 65 years of age and older with incomes less than $33,320 and certain limitations on the amount of property which can be protected under the act. ...

This is Tennessee School Board Appreciation Week. It's a great time set aside by Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) to focus on the crucial role an elected school board member plays in our communities and schools. During certain times of the year, school board members are lavished with gifts from educators and students. All seem very appreciative of those gestures...

When the first Congress met in New York City in 1789, it required that all bills, orders, resolutions and votes be published in newspapers so citizens could know what was happening in their new republic. A few years later, when Tennessee became a state and adopted its own constitution, it required the legislature to publish any amendment approved by the General Assembly...

Got milk? Fancy a dollop of homemade yogurt made with fresh milk? That could all be changing in Tennessee. Say hello to Tennessee Senate Bill 0015. That is, if you’re a private hoof owner — farmers, as they’re called around here. As introduced earlier this year, the legislation would prohibit a person who owns a partial interest in a hoofed mammal from using the milk of the animal for the person’s personal consumption or other personal use. ...