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Old sayings and their meanings
If you are like me, you probably grew up hearing a lot of old sayings that were more like proverbs. Their meanings made you think or were very logical when you thought about them. I thought I would whip out a few that I still use or have heard throughout the years. “The squeaky wheel
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This and that, news and sports notes
Jury selection got underway last week in Mingo County for the second trial of a man accused of killing West Virginia state trooper Sgt. Cory Maynard in June 2023. Timothy Kennedy Jr., 32, of Matewan, appeared in court, where they began the process ahead of a new trial scheduled to begin May 4. Kennedy faces
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Martin County deserves funds for clean water
Martin County Judge Executive Lon Lafferty and his staff deserve a huge congratulations for securing nearly $26 million in funding for water and sewer improvements in this rural eastern Kentucky county. For years, Martin County residents have suffered through terrible and outdated infrastructure – brown, murky water coming from faucets. And sometimes there is little
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Missing scientists and general a real mystery
I am not always a believer in conspiracy theories, but where there is smoke there is usually fire. The first news most heard on this topic was about the February disappearance of retired Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland. This missing person case brought attention to earlier incidents involving specialists in aerospace, defense and
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Memories of the Thomas Joyland Carnival
About this time in the spring, I start thinking of one of my best childhood memories. In April, the Thomas Joyland Carnival would make its way into Williamson for a week. These types of carnivals would travel around to small towns to set up for the entertainment of the locals. They were usually based in
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Space launch brings back memories
NASA’s first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years is underway, bringing back memories of when I was a youngster growing up at Nolan. I can recall the early space programs in the 1960s. Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight
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Remembering the COVID shutdown
It has been six years, but it sometimes feels like only a few weeks ago. The world stopped due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and everything came to a complete halt during the shutdown. It began in March 2020, when the COVID-19 virus began spreading throughout the United States and the world. You may not remember
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Changes that basketball needs
I love basketball, especially this time of year during “March Madness.” But I have seen some things that have changed over the past few years that I think need to be changed or to go back to the original rules. The first one is the “Euro-step.” That is mostly seen in college and in the
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Spring in Appalachia is confusing
Springtime in Appalachia can be confusing. It makes you wonder if our weather is psychotic or has split personalities. For instance, one day it was 83 degrees with record-breaking high temperatures. Then a band of thunderstorms moved through, and by the next morning the temperatures were in the 30s, with snow on the higher elevations.
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How some bands got their names
Sometimes when writing a weekly column, it is difficult to come up with a new topic. Many times I ask my wife Vicki for an idea. I recently did this again while we were driving around the other day. About that time the song “Time of the Season” by the Zombies came over the satellite


