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Saturday morning was a perfect day, more than perfect for a late January day. The sun was shining, a few clouds floating in the sky, a little breeze and in this setting our Effingham Hospital — now known as Effingham Health System — brought the citizens of Effingham into their just completed expansion project. Read More
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The nest is delicately balanced between two branches of one of the saw-tooth oaks Adam planted at the edge of the yard eight years ago. At just-about eye-level, I have to ease up onto my tiptoes a bit for the right angle to see into its depths, to make sure that it is empty. It could not be more symmetrical if its avian architect had used computer-aided drafting — a cup-shaped scoop of twigs and thread-sized roots perfectly built for what? two eggs? three? Read More
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As you may know, I have attained a somewhat upper echelon status in the category of “heathen.” Read More
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Georgia voters of the Republican persuasion will be choosing their favorites in the presidential preference primary coming up on March 6, and it looks like those could be very important ballots. Read More
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Whew! That was close! I almost became a Baptist the other day. Not just any Baptist, but a (gulp!) Southern Baptist. Read More
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Georgia’s growing prison population (fourth in the U.S.) and the $1.1 billion yearly cost caused Gov. Deal to form the Criminal Justice Reform Council last year and the council issued its findings this fall. Gov. Deal has started to address the issue through budget and policy initiatives starting with his FY12 and FY13 budgets. Read More
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To our readers: State Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative session. The session began Jan. 9 and is expected to last until the latter days of March. Read More
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We returned to the House chamber on Monday, Jan. 23, welcoming friends from all counties that comprise District 157. It was great to see folks from home at the Capitol. Read More
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From where I’m sitting, the future of Effingham County is in good hands. Read More
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One of my friends commented to me recently that she was concerned about me. Read More
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To their credit, Effingham County commissioners are stepping away from what is a dangerously bad precedent. Read More
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Back in March 2005, I sat in the press gallery of the Georgia Senate reporting on the debate over a bill to give tax breaks to major corporations that amounted to nearly $1 billion over a 10-year period. Read More
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The amended FY2012 and general FY2013 budgets have been submitted by Gov. Nathan Deal. This week the House and Senate Appropriations Committees held weeklong joint hearings with the heads of state agencies. Read More
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Georgians have made it clear that attracting and retaining jobs should be the No. 1 priority of every elected official. Removing this tax as an impediment to job growth and creation is a great first step. Read More
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State Sen. Tommie Williams (R-Lyons), one of our two unelected lieutenant governors — Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) is the other — sent out a puff piece taking much credit for authoring a bill to require local school boards to consider a teacher’s “effectiveness,” not seniority, when getting rid of teachers. People both inside and outside state government tell me that Williams has solved a problem that doesn’t exist. Many school boards are already doing this. Seniority ... Read More
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While the members of the General Assembly were not in session this week, there was a flurry of activity around the Capitol. Read More
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Order. The arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern or method. A state of proper readiness or preparation or arrangement. Read More
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Funny how a sip of cabernet sauvignon brings out the taste of vanilla in a chocolate...I like that. Read More
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State School Superintendent John Barge knows what teachers can do, given the opportunity. “A teacher turned my life around,” he said in a recent telephone conversation. Monty Fountain, a teacher and a coach at Alexander High School in Douglas County, became a father-figure and set him on his career path. Read More
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The first negative month in 18 months showed state revenues for December at a -1.2 percent. Read More
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In a normal year, the first week of the General Assembly session is a time when very little is happening. Read More
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This past weekend Bill and I had privilege be a part of an old friend of ours saying goodbye to his mother. This friend of ours, Robert Williams, and his family lived in Springfield for years but moved away a number of years ago, possibly as much as 30 years ago. His mother died at the age of 92. Read More
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The folks at Lake Superior State University in Michigan have just released their recommendation for words and phrases that should be erased from our vocabulary in its annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness. Read More
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Let me be clear about this first: This is intended to be a positive column. And as you, dear reader, peruse these listings of green roots of optimism, I hope you will resist as I did, the urge to provide a counter negative to every positive point made. That has been the problem this year, every time I would read or hear of some reason to be optimistic, before I could write it down, I would run across a countermanding reason to be pessimistic. Read More
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Georgia’s legislators will do plenty of talking about the major issues that confront them during the General Assembly session that kicked off Monday. Read More
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Another week has gone by with Granny in tow, but the rescue team came down for a few days to take her out and about and just do some general visiting. Read More
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It was early. The sky was a solid gun-metal gray. The rain smelled like summer rain, light and a little musty. It fell softly and met the concrete lip of the carport like the skirt of a ball gown lowered over satin shoes. A womb outside a womb, the morning pulled me from the warmth and stillness of the house into the cool and stillness of the day. Read More
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Last week this column began a review and discussion of ideas that either have been floated on tax reform or are being discussed at the present time. Please remember there is no tax bill at this time. Legislators are discussing various tax reform theories and there will start to be projections of how various proposals would affect income tax rates or other taxes affected. There is a widely felt belief that lowering state income taxes promotes economic growth and ... Read More
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It is with a great deal of pleasure that I announce the Yarbrough Worldwide Media and Pest Control Company, located over a pool hall in Greater Garfield, has signed an exclusive contract with one of the nation’s premier prognosticators, Plum Nelly Pitts, of Varnell, Georgia. Read More
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It’s a tradition for political columnists to close out the year by picking their list of winners and losers for the 12-month period that just ended. Read More
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So for the last couple of weeks, we’ve had the “pleasure” of Granny’s company. After her stint at the restaurant upon arrival, she’s settled down a little bit. Read More
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In the final days of the 2011 legislative session, tax bills dominated the conversation in both chambers. Ultimately it was decided that the issue would be postponed until the 2012 session. In a couple of weeks, that next session will be on us. Read More
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I first noticed it on Sunday — a sycamore leaf, the size of a spread hand and the color of cured tobacco, was stuck in the stems of a cotton plant at the edge of the driveway. Surprisingly, it was still there Wednesday morning, having withstood a couple of days of stiff wind and one day of sustained rain. Obviously, I was meant to take note. I got out of the car and walked to the edge of the field for a closer look. Read More
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As we move toward the not-much-awaited “Ten Reasons to be Optimistic About 2012” column now in the development stage, here are some other issues besides the state budget that will be on the legislative agenda as the General Assembly convenes Jan. 9, 2012. Read More
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Editor’s note: Beginning today, the Herald will offer our readers two new columnists, in addition to our current lineup of columnists. Today we debut veteran Georgia humorist Dick Yarbrough and longtime political observer Tom Crawford, who will offer his views on issues affecting the state. Read More
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For all the emphasis that our political leaders put on bringing business giants like Kia and Porsche to Georgia, it’s easy to lose sight of this fact: the state’s largest industry is still agriculture. Read More
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“On the first day of Christmas, my husband gave to me ... a nutcase in a pear tree...” Read More
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State revenues came in at a healthy 7 percent growth rate for November but a look inside the numbers gives every reason to be concerned as national budget inaction is transferred into apparent low consumer and business confidence. Read More
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This year 483,605 Georgians have the same item on their Christmas wish list — they want a job. Read More
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The Georgia National Guard has had a higher profile in the past decade than it has had in years, due to the fact that so many of its members have been deployed overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. And as of last week, it now has an official new headquarters befitting that enhanced status. Read More
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Lest we forget … did you remember the significance of Dec. 7? Or do you know, if you are too young to remember? Read More
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I’ve dealt with motherhood fairly well considering I came to it at a rather “late” stage in life. Over the years, I’ve watched The Kid grow, develop his personality, and learn things at an alarming rate. Read More
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Initial reports indicate that the Monday after Thanksgiving, known as “Cyber Monday” was the biggest online shopping day in history. According to comScore Inc, online sales rose 22 percent over last year to $1.25 billion. According to IBM Benchmark, the average Cyber Monday order grew 2.6 percent to $193.24. The percent of online shoppers who used a mobile device went up threefold to 6.6 percent. Though this is just one day, it is easy to ... Read More
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I’m at the point in life where walking up the steps at the funeral home is beginning to get routine. Read More
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Of all the many things I’ve done in my life, I’ve never been much of a club joiner, or anything that requires being among a group of people on a regular basis. Read More
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Choosing between energy independence and energy security is like choosing between cherry pie and pie-in-the-sky: Only one is real. A 1,700-mile planned oil pipeline from Canada to Texas could bring security to this nation’s oil supply, but environmental activists and (more recently) “Occupy” types pushing for pie-in-the-sky independence from fossil fuel energy are doing everything they can to deny Americans energy security. Read More
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Over the past few weeks, I have explored topics with a consistent tone: We need to be cautious with the state’s financial decisions and the choices we make. Read More
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Unfortunately in our society today, there is the fall back of “if you don’t see it, hear it, or feel it” it is not there. Citizens just don’t want to get involved, are willing to let someone else do it or just plain feel that it is not their problem. Read More
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