"The only solution to our downtown Dalton post office is to tear it down and start all over again. I mean, we've gotten 56 years of use out of the building. It's time for a new one. But navigating the federal red tape of securing a new post office for our community requires strong, bold lead…

Ahmaud Arbery is not here, but he heard the verdicts. He knows, in that place where his restless soul resides, that his death has been avenged.

"I’ve yet to hear anyone who caught COVID say that they were glad that they didn’t get the vaccine. If you’ve dug your heels in in order to be 'free,' you’ve chosen the wrong battle."

If Bill Murray were to star in a sequel to "Groundhog Day," he’d wake up to the Sonny and Cher alarm clock, take the cold shower, step in the puddle, parry the insurance agent, trudge to the gazebo ... and see Chris Christie doing his same old song and dance.

Earlier this month, Dalton Public Schools held its annual curriculum retreat with district administrators and the Dalton Board of Education. We heard from principals from each school in the district as they presented on test scores, data and plans for continued improvement this year.

I was not going to write a Thanksgiving column this week for a couple of reasons. First, that is the predictable thing to do when you have to churn out a weekly column. I pride myself on being unpredictable.

"It’s so sad that there is such a hateful sign on I-75 exit 333 in Dalton. Why would travelers want to get off at the Dalton exit if that is the attitude of its residents? For the good of the city, please take down that sign."

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Closing down social media would go a long way into solving a lot of the world's current problems. If people had to go back to written communication and personal phone calls they would be a whole lot less likely to make a threatening or a mean-spirited remark. Idle time is in the devil's hands."

Because life is mostly made up of little experiences, occasionally interrupted by big events, it's easy to take the little things for granted.

"Could we please get a grocery store in the old Food City building on Cleveland Highway? We sure could use one besides Kroger. An Ingles would be good."

I received a letter from prison the other day. That's right. Prison -- joint, slammer, big house.

"Anyone forget the Civil War yet? I was assured this would happen if the Johnston statue was removed."

I recently read yet another article about the staggering student loan debt in the United States.

Maybe I am being a bit too Southern sensitive here but I got the distinct feeling the national media disrespected the Atlanta Braves from the beginning of the playoffs through the World Series and beyond. Had they had their way, I think they would have preferred Los Angeles or San Francisco.…

Mark Twain, in an unpublished manuscript, once wrote: "It is not worthwhile to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man's character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible."

"Nov. 17 was three years since I lost my brother, 30-year veteran Sgt. Maj. Jerry Wilson, Army. Only like it was yesterday and I still tear up every time I think about him, I thank him for his sacrifice, for being away, and I ask all to honor our veterans. If there's ever a time to come toge…

"Why does Louisiana have the right to stop me from doing what I love to do?" asks Ursula Newell-Davis in my new video.

"Gee, this liberal would really love to find some of these 'limousine liberals.' I've never had the opportunity to ride in a limousine and I'd like to do that."

Well, what do you know.

"If you think chanting 'Let’s go Brandon!' at church is remotely a Christian act, I feel sorry for your soul."

"It is my sincere hope and prayer that this country and the world will do away with carbon-based fuels during my lifetime. Future generations depend on being able to live on this planet which past generations have been determined to destroy in the name of free enterprise. But I'm not holding…

Lowering and flattening Georgia’s personal income tax rate could create tens of thousands of jobs within five years, according to a new analysis conducted for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

As we enter a new season and prepare for the Thanksgiving holidays, we continue to recover and rebuild from the last year and a half. We have all faced many uncertainties. For many in our community who already faced challenges meeting basic needs for themselves and their families, the stress…

This week, I am going to forego any discussion of politics and share a personal experience with you. It involves art, Ray Charles, the Righteous Brothers, a refrigerator magnet and me.

If you needed further confirmation of Washington's current state of dysfunction, consider this: The 13 Republican lawmakers who voted with Democrats to send a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to President Joe Biden's desk late Friday night are finding themselves threatened with primaries an…

"Is there anyone who hasn’t figured out why Trump is frantically trying to stop documents relating to Jan. 6 from being made public?"

As Virginia's gubernatorial election drew to a close last week, Democrat Terry McAuliffe brought in teachers union president Randi Weingarten.

"Please, Dalton, please get your vaccines and booster shots before the cases of hospitalizations rise again because of being indoors and close to loved ones during the triple holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. For your own sake, act while there is still time!"

My dad's hearing was damaged more than half a century ago when, as a young man, he trained to be an Army military policeman during the war in Korea.

"The Biden administration and the Democratic Party continue to harp and labor the point that they expect us to believe that they can clean up the Earth and its environment. Yet they can’t even clean up their own cities like San Francisco and Portland which are overrun with homeless and garbage."

I still remember the voicemail, four years later: I have some bad news. You need surgery. I'm scheduling appointments for you with two surgeons first thing next week …

"To the person complaining about the church’s trunk-or-treat being costumed as skeletons — get a life! Be grateful that our community and local churches care enough to provide a fun evening of entertainment and candy for your children."

A core element of our vision at Whitfield County Schools is to prepare students for success in a global community. Success may be defined differently for every student based on their interests, aptitudes and circumstances but our goal is to ensure that our graduates are college and/or career…

I get some interesting mail. And I am not just talking about the reaction to my recent opinion of Donald Trump's opinion of the late Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell. Not surprisingly, the response has been heavy.

"Micek comparing president No. 46 to Hannibal is delusional."

Democrats can certainly try to convince themselves that the Virginia gubernatorial defeat is no big deal. All kinds of rationales are available.

We're out of Afghanistan. Good. We should have gotten out before.

"OK, all you Atlanta Braves bashers, World Series final game a shutout! Go Braves!"

Democrats on Capitol Hill may not be directly taking their cues from the legendary Carthaginian military leader Hannibal, but as moderates and progressives fell on each other last week over President Joe Biden's watered-down domestic spending plan, it sure felt that way.

"Who all has been by the Hamilton House lately to drop off a donation for Johnston's upkeep? Anybody? Haven't heard about him in a while. I'd hate for history to be lost."

Most communities in Georgia are dealing with a common problem: housing affordability. The problem looks different in different places, but the commonality is having too many people who can't find a home that fits their budget.

"A Forum contributor said you find Trump supporters mostly in uneducated sectors of the South. Are you talking about Dalton? What an insult! Just because someone has a different political viewpoint as you doesn't mean they don't have an education."

Don't you feel a wee bit bad for Merrick Garland?

Classless. That is the only term I can use in a family newspaper to describe Donald Trump's comments about the passing of Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who died from COVID-19 complications on Oct. 18.

"I agree with the commenter about low voting numbers. Don't think for a second that your vote doesn't count. David Pennington won the mayoral race by 11 votes. That means 12 voters could've changed the whole outcome. Make your voices heard!"

Democrats say President Joe Biden won "a strong mandate." His government can do all sorts of good things!

"Why can't people on Social Security have dental, vision and hearing insurance? We deserve the insurance more than the crooks in the government."

I was watching "The View" the other day, and while I'd normally come away from that experience scarred by the smirking face and screeching cackle of Joy Behar, this time was different. This time there was a woman with a brain at the table. This time, it was more than just a group of caffeina…

"I hope someone has nominated Mark Millican for some awards for his fabulous stories on the local Vietnam war casualties! If not, what are the nominations and I will nominate!"