Strong communities don’t just happen. They rely on connection—residents knowing what’s going on, businesses reaching the customers who keep them open, and citizens having the facts to make good decisions. Local newspapers provide that connection in ways no other...
If there was one thing Ashdown, Arkansas had when I was growing up, it was plenty for kids to do. During the summer months, activities included baseball, day trips to swim at the lake, visiting kinfolk, and spending the night at a friend’s house. And of course, lawn...
Forty-five years ago, my mother began collecting a series of antique canning jars. I can’t remember why this happened, but my best guess is that she came across one that was unique, she liked it, and she bought it. This purchase would start a chain reaction and a...
Cell phones have certainly changed our lives, but I’m not altogether convinced it’s for the better. If my life were a TV series, this would have been a recent episode. By John Moore To Login to read the full story or to subscribe, visit...
When it comes to criticizing the powerful or politically connected, the First Amendment protects the little guy. No matter who you are or how much money you have in the bank, you have the right to speak your mind. Because our founders knew all too well the danger of...
Whenever I see canister sets, cookie jars, clocks and Formica dinette sets from the 50s and 60s, I feel as if I’ve gone home. These items adorned my youth, but as often happens, new things come and old things go. As the 70s made way for harvest gold, avocado green,...
I'm not sure how a tomato became the symbol of sewing in the South, but it did. My mom, and every other mom I knew in Ashdown, Arkansas, had a pincushion in the shape of a tomato. Many of those pincushions are still around. Judging from the workload that women endured...
I saw a T-shirt that said, “I like a couple of my buddies, my dog, and that’s about it.” It substantiated what I had long felt, seldom said, and had heard from others. Many of us like our dogs better than most people. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with...
My uncle’s mother, Mrs. Ward, had a storm shelter. And I snuck into it every chance I got. Few others had one, so a storm shelter was absolutely fascinating to me. At least, a storm shelter is what they told all of the kids it was. It doubled as a storm shelter, but...
