• America is full of modern-day ghost towns

    In small cities and villages across America, leaders struggle to maintain their turn-of-the-last-century downtowns. Once beautiful, brick buildings sit empty or house ubiquitous flea market shops of questionable quality. Whether limited to a few vacancies spread along the streetscape or entire blocks, we’re witnessing the …

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  • 150 years ago…

    One hundred and fifty years ago, General Thomas Hindman was steadily issuing orders and writing correspondence that kept the Confederate Army in motion. While the Federal Army began fortifying Helena, the Rebs began establishing new camps in Central Arkansas. Known today for its water park, …

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  • Putting the ‘real’ in reality

    It’s hard to be optimistic about the world and society we live in when a trip to a movie theater turns deadly. It’s one of a few reasons why I question whether I want to have children. There are too many things to worry about …

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  • And the rest is history…

    Efforts to establish an Arkansas State Fair date back to 1868, when a show was held at 17th and Center streets in Little Rock. Another attempt to start a fair occurred in 1906 at Hot Springs. It was staged at Oaklawn Race Track and, in …

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  • Stranger danger!

    Stranger danger is something parents begin teaching their children at a very early age. It’s good for children to have a healthy fear because it may be what saves their life but it’s sad we have to immediately begin telling them at an early age …

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  • Heartache of being a parent

    The doctor took a deep breath before sharing the unwelcome news. “I’m afraid if you want to save her vision in the one eye, she will have to have surgery.” I looked at my sweet little daughter, Trissa, sitting so bravely on the big white …

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  • Care Less Party

    All of America should drop to its knees and thank the GOP for attempting to provide us with replacement fireworks. As you undoubtedly know, cities all over the country this year were forced to cancel Fourth of July festivities due to fear of fire, glitchy …

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  • Letters to the Editor

    Ballot issues Dear Editor: I wish to comment on the upcoming elections in November.  I see that there are efforts to get a couple of items on the ballot that I am very much against. One item is the legalization of medicinal marijuana, and the …

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  • Shrinking sodas is a start

    Freedom is under attack! In the largest city of our giant country — the liberty to drink over 16 ounces of sugar syrup is in the crosshairs of the “gubmint.” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed (and will most likely implement) the nation’s first …

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  • No go

    I failed. Yep, when 2012 rolled in I decided I would seriously take on my debt diet. That didn’t work. As obsessed as I was with getting this whole money/planning for the future things in gear, I have yet to get changes made in order …

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  • Ode to our throwaway society

    Who can fix my chair? My light, aluminum beach chair, with the wooden armrests, and canvas seat. My chair, that with a loud rip from its striped bottom, plopped me down on the sand in a rather undignified way one hot day last summer? Through …

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  • The dying art of cursive handwriting

    I’m torn about it if you want to know the truth. I speak of the death of cursive handwriting, which I read about recently in the Atlantic Wire. As it goes, many American schools are phasing out lessons in cursive. There is a waning need …

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