Guest Columns
Latest Guest Columns
We need bold action on infrastructure, climate change
By Karen McElfish Virginia Mercury This past year has challenged Virginia in unforeseeable ways. Our faith communities have been tested by not one, but four ... Read more
6 days ago by Guest Columnist.
New law causes energy bills to increase
Democrats have been doing their dead level best to make electricity more expensive for Virginians. In 2020, they passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which ... Read more
7 days ago by Tommy Wright.
Opinion — REV initiative offers training assistance
Employment data for Virginia presents a complicated picture. In 2019 before COVID-19 shutdowns impacted the economy, Virginia reported an unemployment rate of only 2.7%. During ... Read more
2 weeks ago by Quentin Johnson.
Opinion – Democratic policies have made Virginia less safe
Last week’s news was filled with violence and bloodshed all too close to home. Central Virginia saw a rash of murders unlike anything in recent ... Read more
2 weeks ago by Tommy Wright.
Are we really a racist nation?
The phrase “Can’t we all get along?” by the late Rodney King was uttered after he was brutally beaten by Los Angeles police officers three ... Read more
3 weeks ago by Frank Ruff.
Opinion – Court upholds prior ruling on gender equality
Last week the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Gloucester v. Grim, ending a long fight over whether a student born female ... Read more
3 weeks ago by Tommy Wright.
Opinion – Are we really a racist nation?
The phrase “Can’t we all get along” by the late Rodney King was uttered after he was brutally beaten by Los Angeles officers three decades ... Read more
3 weeks ago by Frank Ruff.
Opinion – New laws took effect July 1
Thursday, July 1, legislation passed during the 2021 General Assembly session became law, with some exceptions. This session, the Democratic majority passed a significant number ... Read more
4 weeks ago by Matt Fariss.
Opinion — Amazingly, parole board investigation turns up nothing
With great shock and amazement, I write to tell you that, after a few weeks study which concluded that “there was nothing to worry about ... Read more
1 month ago by Frank Ruff.
Virginia’s community colleges bring unparalleled value
For the fourth year in a row, tuition at Southside Virginia Community College will remain unchanged. The State Board for Community Colleges made the decision ... Read more
1 month ago by Quentin Johnson.
Opinion – School improvements should be funded by supervisors
I agree with Prince Edward County Supervisor Jim Wilck’s June 11 guest column and news article published June 9 in The Farmville Herald and Herald ... Read more
1 month ago by Guest Columnist.
Opinion — A new plan for Prince Edward County Schools
With none of our three schools accredited, student SOLs falling yet again and a high school that has fallen to a ranking of 314 out ... Read more
2 months ago by Jim Wilck.
Opinion — Virginia has a low rate of recidivism
Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced Virginia had maintained its consistently solid ranking as a low-recidivism state. Those who are incarcerated in Virginia return to prison ... Read more
2 months ago by Tommy Wright.
Opinion — The founding fathers were far from perfect
While perfect is what we should all work toward in everything we do, seldom do we reach that goal every time. There has been only ... Read more
2 months ago by Frank Ruff.
Biden’s tax plan will hurt the economy
In Washington, President Joe Biden is patting himself on his back for his plans to raise your taxes. During his campaign last year, he repeatedly ... Read more
2 months ago by Frank Ruff.
OPINION — Save some time for solace this Memorial Day
As Benjamin Franklin walked out of Independence Hall at the close of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, an elder woman approached him and asked, “Well ... Read more
2 months ago by Guest Columnist.
OPINION — Resources for DMV and unemployment help
On May 14, Governor Ralph Northam announced his administration was ending the mask mandate in Virginia immediately, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control ... Read more
2 months ago by Matt Fariss.
OPINION — We must reverse the trend of violent crime in Virginia
The lead story of the May 16 Gazette Virginian was a murdered teen shot to death. Same newspaper, next edition, the lead story was a ... Read more
2 months ago by Frank Ruff.
OPINION — Inflation is quickly becoming a problem
In previous weeks, I warned you that the policy of the administrations in Richmond and Washington would result in inflation. To the surprise of many, ... Read more
2 months ago by Staff Report.
Democrats want to bring back parole
It flew under the radar, but last week’s Democratic gubernatorial debate laid down a significant marker for the party headed to November. Regardless of who ... Read more
2 months ago by Tommy Wright.
OPINION — New voting laws to bring more people to the polls
In four weeks, Virginians will return to the polls for primary contests, including the statewide races for the Democratic ticket for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney ... Read more
3 months ago by Guest Columnist.
OPINION — We must work to restore our nation’s work ethic
As acid corrodes aluminum, once it starts it gets worse faster and faster. We are watching this happen before our eyes. The headline in the ... Read more
3 months ago by Frank Ruff.
OPINION — The SVCC Class of 2021 is stupendous
Southside Virginia Community College will honor its 2021 graduates in a virtual celebration to be released May 15 at 9:30 a.m. Students, their families and ... Read more
3 months ago by Quentin Johnson.
OPINION – Our students must be prepared to compete
The education of our young people is at risk. Parents, grandparents and would-be parents need to be aware. Attacks are coming from many directions. We ... Read more
3 months ago by Frank Ruff.
OPINION – We need children back in school now
President Biden is coming to Yorktown this week to talk about his education plans. This is an excellent opportunity to remind him and Virginians that ... Read more
3 months ago by Tommy Wright.
OPINION – Windsor police incident should be investigated
On Wednesday, during the reconvened session, Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a marijuana legalization bill were accepted by the General Assembly. This allows limited ... Read more
4 months ago by Matt Fariss.
OPINION — Marijuana legalization is very bad policy
The 2021 General Assembly reconvened session that occurred last week was almost exactly what I expected it to be – a confirmation of the 2021 ... Read more