Smith: Georgia, so diverse

With balmy temperatures about to gain traction, there will be cool mornings trending toward warm conditions, which will allow for more time outdoors –shirt sleeves after daybreak and a sweater on the porch as sundown envelopes us late afternoon.

Rich: Jesus was a Jew

In the modest country home where I grew up, prejudices were not allowed.However, there was a serious bias against what Daddy called “no accounts,” men who laid up drunk and didn’t feed their families.

Yarbrough: Do politicians even care about the Okefenokee Swamp?

Between the time I write, and you read this, conditions can change.Particularly in politics.

Rich: How prayer works

This is how prayer works: Tink and I were one hour into a seven-hour trip home from Memphis.I’d been on a book tour for two exhausting weeks and had a stomach bug, very rare for me. Our good friend and house sitter, Kathy Lanning, is alert and doesn’t miss a thing.

Yarbrough: The state of this column can’t be overstated

My fellow Americans, my fellow Georgians, and my loyal readers without whom I would have to go get a real job! (Laughter and applause!)I come before you today to submit to you my annual State of the Column address.

Letters to the Editor: Volunteers make a difference

Dear Editor,Most Greene County Citizens would agree that one cornerstone for any community is the successful education of their children. Locally, Lake Oconee Academy’s public charter school has set a high bar for academic excellence since its inception in 2007.

Letter to the Editor: Many thanks from Seuss on the Loose

Dear Editor,Ferst Readers of Putnam County wants to say a great big thank you to so many for their support of our 10th annual Seuss on the Loose festival held March 2 at Putnam County Primary School.

Rich: Tellers of songs — part four

Several years ago, I cohosted a radio show that was recorded in a studio on Nashville’s famed Music Row.Top on my wish list of guests was songwriter Rodney Crowell. His songs range from light and fun to deep and thought-provoking.

Yarbrough: A reader’s reminder of the goodness within us

I get a number of suggestions from readers regarding topics for a column. For that, I am grateful. I also get suggestions from some readers about what I can do with the column and where I can go while placing it where they suggest.That, I will leave to your imagination.

Letter to the Editor: Our country is in mortal danger

Dear Editor,From the earliest days, our country faced challenges to its survival and won. Once again, we face a threat which can destroy us.In the beginning, we fought the most powerful empire on earth, the British Empire, and prevailed.