The terrible toll of COVID-19 in the United States has cleared the grim threshold of 200,000 deaths. This is a true tragedy that is being compounded by the effect of the virus on society as a whole. Economic woes are one easily identifiable problem. Flying further under the radar are missed ...
Though there is some dispute over how soon a COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the general public, it appears a few million doses may be ready before the end of this year. There is general agreement they should go to the most vulnerable among us. That is older people with pre-existing ...
At least there will be no shortage of masks. So goes one joke about Halloween 2020. It will be upon us in just a few weeks. And, while it may not seem a priority to many in government at all levels, it needs to be addressed. Halloween rivals Christmas in some ways in popularity among ...
Mention vaccines these days, and chances are the talk will be about when some protection against COVID-19 can be expected. Another killer is about to take the stage, however. “Regular” influenza — actually multiple viruses that vary in threat level, depending on the year — strikes ...
Our liberties rest only on the willingness of good men and women to charge into the fray of politics when they think change is needed in government. But merely getting into the battle is not enough. One must be willing to remain engaged. In that light, what happened recently in Georgia ...
Bad news for schools All high schools in Martin County are switching to hybrid learning Monday, given rising numbers of coronavirus cases in the county. Elementary schools will continue with in-person learning. The COVID-19 cases are not centered in the high schools, so it is a bit odd that ...
The fire chief of Kenosha, Wisconsin, reported this week that damage from riots in that city now totals $11 million. The unrest broke out in the wake of the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. To put the damage in perspective, the chief said it amounts to three years of fire loss in a ...
Some in the military brass may have applauded news a few weeks ago that Stars and Stripes, the newspaper circulated worldwide to members of the U.S. armed forces, was being closed. Stars and Stripes, which actually began publication during the Civil War, did not hit its stride until the ...
Recognizing workers To the Editor: The week of Sept. 13-19 has been designated at the national and state levels as “Direct Support Professionals Appreciation Week.” It is appropriate to recognize and honor the important role that direct support workers play in the lives of people with ...
No informed high official in our government disputes that Russia is doing its best to influence the 2020 election, not by hacking into computers and altering vote totals but by sowing dissension among us. In case you hadn’t noticed, that strategy worked well in 2016 and has since. Don’t ...
Veterans: Do you agree? To the Editor: Donald Trump said veterans are “suckers” and “losers.” How many of you identify with that? Don and Harriett Richards Fairmont Political sign offensive To the Editor: A friend of mine in Fairmont sent me a photo of a political banner ...
On Friday, the Treasury Department announced that the U.S. budget deficit has hit an all-time high, of $3 trillion. That is just for the first 11 months of the fiscal year. Billions upon billions of dollars more will be added to the total. Obviously, the vast majority of this year’s ...
We’ve all been wronged To the Editor: There is good and bad in all of us; we need God’s help to be the good. Judy Frankamp of Blue Earth recently wrote a letter to the editor. She is a good and faithful servant. I cannot top her words, but I feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to add ...
Among popular Christmas season activities during recent years has been finding the Elf on the Shelf. The stuffed toy, about 12 inches long, delights children who wonder where in the house he or she may be hiding. Thanks to COVID-19, a good place to start looking for the Elf this year would ...
Turn in census data The U.S. census is wrapping up this month, and the response rate in Martin County is 72 percent, which compares favorably to the state rate of 74 percent. Still, this result clearly indicates that more county residents need to turn in their household information. The ...
President Trump is preparing to release a list of potential Supreme Court nominees should he have the opportunity to name more justices in a second term. It is not a new move for the president, who did something similar in 2016, but it remains important. Trump’s opponent, Democrat Joe ...
Trump divides people To the Editor: One can expect name-calling from a young child, but the president of the United States of America? Trump should be like President Reagan, calling Democrats, “Our friends from the other side.” Trump prefers to divide and conquer, not unite. Even ...
Partisan politics continues to delay enactment of a new coronavirus relief measure in Congress. Regardless of your political leanings, that is hurting millions of Americans. Even emergency action taken by the White House has been affected. After negotiators in Congress deadlocked over a new ...
Concern over use of mail-in ballots for the November general election is building. Critics of the process fall into two categories: those who worry about vote fraud and those who insist many Americans may be “disenfranchised” by the system. Indeed, fraud is something of a concern — but ...
Behind the unemployment statistics are the children. Millions are in homes where the coronavirus continues to make it difficult to put bread on the table. As the economy began throttling back because of the epidemic, many public school districts shut down too. To their credit, officials in ...