Yarbrough: Looking back on a visit to Iraq 20 years ago

It was just a small paragraph buried in the paper's news briefs stating that the U.S. was drawing down its mission in Iraq under an agreement with the Iraqi government. A Pentagon spokesman said the drawdown reflected “our combined success in fighting ISIS.

Crane: Sharing the wealth of AI

As a loyal Georgia Bulldog, it stings a bit to have to admit how much rival university, the Georgia Institute of Technology, is leading and contributing to the advancement of practical uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI), in a wide array of settings and industries.

Rich: Simple contentment

One fair summer evening, in the gloaming of the day, Tink and I were down at Mama’s, sitting in the yard swing.Not a lot was being said. We were just enjoying the quietness and watching the lightning bugs as they prepared for their nightly entertainment.

Yarbrough: Survey confirms the great state of Georgia

It is my obligation as your modest yet much-beloved scribe to remind you of important stuff others tend to overlook. Only here will you read that broccoli can be detrimental to your well-being unless you consume large amounts of banana pudding as a cure.

Rich: Gunsmoke

Tink and I were in Los Angeles on business.That’s the only reason we go. We had a few hours between meetings.He said, “I’d like to take you out to the Radford lot.”Radford is a studio a bit off the beaten path from other studios.

Yarbrough: 2026 gubernatorial primaries a toss-up

Before I tell you what I am about to tell you, I need to tell you this: Back in 2001, as incumbent Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes was gearing up for a second term, a know-it-all columnist wrote, “I hear people say Roy Barnes will have a tough reelection. Forget it.

Letter to the Editor: Recovering some American common ground

Dear Editor, At a troubling moment in our country’s history, last Saturday’s prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the Putnam County Courthouse rightly called for unity.

Letter to the Editor: Concerned about right to free speech

Dear Editor,Our democracy is hanging in the balance, and the First Amendment is the rope we’re all holding onto.Freedom of speech is not a luxury or a privilege — it is the foundation of every other freedom we have. If we allow it to be weakened, every right that depends on it will crumble, too.

Rich: The light of wisdom

By the time I was 21, my good parents had taught me much of what they knew. And, that was a lot. Some of it had been hard learned in the mountains, some came from town life, and some were just born in them.

Tocher: We’ve got an ‘all of us’ problem right now

I’ll be honest, I’ve been deeply disturbed by the reaction of many of my friends, acquaintances, and colleagues to the horrific, televised murder of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk last Wednesday at Utah Valley University.