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The always moving TikTok of the clock

The news business is constantly changing and that means changing with the times. So, reluctantly, I have started a news TikTok. I’m not a fan of TikTok. I don’t like how the app is designed or how it’s meant to keep a user swiping for minutes and sometimes hours. I don’t like its connection to the Communist Chinese government and how it constantly scrapes information and data. The problem is that is where the young’uns are, and if you want the teens and young adults to read your news stories, you have to be where they are. And TikTok is where they are. I don’t know when I ...

Can Halloween and football coexist?

The youth of our area, no doubt, are looking forward to their opportunity to roam around their neighborhoods (with parental supervision) to seek their fill of candy as part of the trick-or-treating tradition. We’ve published a list of local times in several editions in recent days to help our readership know when their local trick-or-treating has been scheduled. I know this year has probably been a little more confusing than usual when it comes to the practice. In recent years, we’ve noticed many of our communities have begun to communicate with each other when planning their ...

Guest Opinion: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month — a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our digital lives. In an era where nearly every aspect of our personal, professional, and civic life is connected to the internet, cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue; it’s a personal responsibility. From phishing scams and ransomware attacks to identity theft and data breaches, cyber threats are growing in both frequency and sophistication. The good news? There are simple, proactive steps every person can take to protect themselves, their families, and ...

Guest Opinion: Electricity prices are soaring — and coal is a key solution

Electricity bills are climbing almost everywhere, and the reasons have little to do with ideology. Three forces are driving prices higher: Massive new utility spending on infrastructure, rising natural gas costs and growing capacity shortages in electricity markets as power demand soars from the AI revolution. In some states, prices have jumped more than 60 percent since 2022. The Trump administration inherited this mess and now has its work cut out for it. The strategy the administration has embraced is built around reinforcing dispatchable power—the generating resources that run ...

What’s not to love about autumn?

I can remember a time when autumn was simply amazing. Cool breezes on amber days. Fallen leaves in colors one could only imagine. Yet, here they were … a mix of hues intertwined. Yellows, oranges, reds and browns … each a masterpiece all its own, appearing as if strategically placed by the author, himself, who created them. And every time the wind blew, you could somehow detect a faint glimpse of what heaven must smell like. Hints of pumpkin, apple, cinnamon ... collectively filling the air. Autumn used to be a beautiful time. At least in my mind. But all ...

History in the Hills: Ghosts of the past

This week is Halloween, and usually around this time of year, I get in the mood to read a good spooky tale or ghost story. I guess this is to prepare me to write a good local history tale of my own. Believe it or not, it is hard to find honest-to-goodness ghost stories from our area. They are just not written down. Rather, they are spread by word of mouth and passed down. I have heard of a few and many of those I have related in these columns during the past six years, but I am always on the hunt. For me, just because a story doesn’t have a “ghost” component, doesn’t mean it ...