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Local Commentaries

Be Careful Who You Vote For

A short story about why voting is important. Eight people are on a bus - three voted to drive off a cliff, two vote to go get ice cream and three do not vote at all because they don’t like either option. They all end up in the same place. The 2025 election results show 2,052,031 people ...

Just End Bathroom Breaks

DURHAM, N.C.—It’s almost college-basketball season. That means it’s almost time for an annual ritual at a university in this formerly sleepy tobacco town that has become one of the points in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Duke—which you, faithful reader of the column, will ...

Learning More About Medication Coverage Through EPIC

Question: I have EPIC, but how do I know when EPIC will help pay for my medications? Answer: First, for those that don’t know what EPIC (Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage) is, this benefit is available to residents of New York state, over age 65 and with an income of less than ...

Organizing All That Wonderful ‘Stuff’

I foolishly planned a yard sale. I even hornswoggled Dear Richard into the idea. I’m an idiot. For the past three or four years, we’ve been donating our worthy goods to worthy charities. Simple. Easy. Sensible. Then one day I found a bunch of little things I don’t use and put them in a ...

Winter Is On The Way!

I hate to admit it, but winter is on the way! This morning one of the weather prediction sites said that we could have “intermittent snow” next week. I have never been a big winter guy. I think I would be happiest if we had continual rotations of spring and fall - but such is not the ...

No Reason Not To Help The Poor

My church, Zion Covenant of Jamestown, is sponsoring a refugee family with seven kids. The father works as a janitor in a public elementary school making $16 an hour. Why is our government threatening their SNAP benefits? Some say the Democrats are at fault, but why is a federal judge ...