All in Columns

John Nix: Who defines your reality?

November 3rd will be a defining and pivotal day for America. Reality tells us there is a “binary choice this election between America and radicalism”. The America as we have known it, is a Constitutional, orderly and civilized America where everyone has a chance to live the “American dream”. The alternate America we are facing is a chaotic, violent America, one where mob rule and tyrannical government control reigns. We live in a Republic, not a Democracy. Democracy is mob rule, but the media would have you believe differently. Not once in the Constitution of United States of America is the word “Democracy” mentioned. That is reality.

John Hood: Ticket-splitting still shapes elections

North Carolina, like most of the country, has become increasingly polarized in our political thinking and behavior. But what does that really mean? Well, we know it doesn’t mean that all North Carolinians are so rigidly partisan they support only candidates of one major party or the other. Split-ticket voters do make up a smaller share of the electorate than they did generations ago. They’re rarer. That doesn’t make them extinct.

Reece Gardner: Early voting begins tomorrow

All contests on the ballot this year are very important, but the races for the N.C. Supreme Court are ultra-important. As John Guze, director of legal studies at the John Locke Foundation pointed out, voters need to keep in mind that the NC Supreme Court has become a super-legislature as a result of judicial doctrines adopted in the second half of the 20th century.

Reece Gardner: Happiness lies in the happiness of others

Before I get to my main topic today on happiness, I want to highlight some deadlines pertaining to our big and very important election this year. Be sure that you are registered to vote. Regular Voter Registration forms must be postmarked or delivered to your county board of elections office by 5 p.m. this Friday, October 9. However, voters may also same-day register at any one-stop early voting site from October 15 to October 31.

John Hood: Lieutenant Governor rivals differ sharply

This year, the leading candidates for lieutenant governor are giving North Carolina voters a sharp contrast. The Democratic nominee, Yvonne Lewis Holley, says she will use the formal and informal powers of the office to check Republican majorities in the General Assembly (should those majorities extend into 2021) and to move North Carolina in a leftward direction. The Republican nominee, Mark Robinson, says that as lieutenant governor he will help GOP lawmakers continue the conservative reforms of the past decade.

Mike Parker: Virtual Learning leads to sympathy for Ms. Hannigan

Sandra and I are just two of the – ah – victims of fallout from the “virtual learning” Mondays decreed by Pitt County Schools. For the past few weeks, we have taken granddaughters Abby and Hannah home with us after church so they could spend the night and do their virtual assignments on Monday. Since Rachel and Joe both are teachers and must report to school on Mondays, they did not want to leave their girls home alone.

Reece Gardner: Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative

Mail-in balloting has always been viewed with skepticism because it is conducted outside the supervision and overview of elected officials and it destroys the secret ballot concept and allows states to send out ballots to every registered voter in the state, with very little or no supervision. This is distinctly different from what we know as absentee balloting.

Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Healthy Leftovers Remake

If you are like me and cannot bear to throw out any leftovers, especially vegetables, here are some ways to turn those old veggies into incredible dishes!! Be creative, just because you don’t usually use spinach or kale in your spaghetti sauce, you surely can, and add extra nutrition at the same time!!! You will be surprised to find some of these new combinations make great meals!!