Letter to the Editor: Other ideas for federal spending

Dear Editor,The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that the first 100 hours of the Iranian war, “Epic Fury,” cost $3.7 billion. With $3.5 billion of that unbudgeted, we are on track to spend approximately $26 billion in the first month alone.

Crane: Time to be alert and aware

I was a senior in high school when the Shah of Iran fell, and Ayatollah Khomeini came to power. In the aftermath of that revolution, a ragtag group of Iranian revolutionaries captured the American Embassy and 62 American hostages.

Stone: I have decided not to run

Remember what you said about Mr. Lincoln? You said he was sitting up there, waiting for someone to come along. You were right. He was waiting for a man who could see his job and sail into it; that’s what he was waiting for. A man who could tear into the Taylors and root them out into the open.

Rich: The real world

A few years before singing star Glen Campbell was forced to give up his fabled career due to illness, I spent a couple of hours listening to his stories.Actually, I was the guest of his opening act, Grand Ole Opry star Roy Clark.

Rich: My regret

Fifteen years ago, I wrote a column that I came to regret as soon as it was published.Whenever I hear someone say proudly that he has no regrets in life, a string of regrets runs through my heart and quickly humbles me (‘umbles as we say in the mountains).

Letter to the Editor: So, have we forgotten Epstein yet?

Dear Editor,Have you figured out the real reason for this war?This whole event is manufactured as a distraction by both Trump and Netanyahu.

Letter to the Editor: ‘No more regime change’

Dear Editor,Dear Editor, As bombs fell on Iran, former MAGA loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene reminded the public of what was promised on rally stage after rally stage: “No more foreign wars. No more regime change.

Letter to the Editor: Why did 50 Dems skip SOTU?

Dear Editor,On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, recognizing the long-standing tradition of the State of the Union address. More than 50 Democrats skipped the session. Why? Multiple choice…1. They do not take their jobs in Congress seriously.2.

Stone: The beat goes on

When I was a young man beginning my journey into manhood, I was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Base near Chicago, Illinois.Iranian sailors trained with us there. All of us had goofy-looking hats.

Yarbrough: More random thoughts on random subjects

A reader in Calhoun sent my recent column on the Monks Walk for Peace to a Facebook page devoted to that extraordinary event. As of last week, it had received over 3,000 likes, more than 200 comments, and 20 Facebook users had posted it to their own page. I suspect that number has grown since.