Yarbrough: September brings time of reflection

September is a time of reflection for me. Most of the year is behind me with just a few months left to go. What have I accomplished thus far this year, and what do I have left to do?Same with life. I am past the September of my years, with no idea how much time there is ahead.

Letter to the Editor: Putting Putnam General on a pedestal

Dear Editor,After reading a recent article in The Eatonton Messenger concerning Putnam County General Hospital, I felt compelled to write this letter. In the recent past, I had experienced both Putnam County General, as and Baldwin County hospitals by taking a friend who needed emergency assistance.

Letter to the Editor: Appreciate neighbors and PCSO response

Dear Editor,My husband and I have been residents of the Bluegill community for over 15 years. For most of that time, our neighborhood has been a safe and peaceful place to live. Unfortunately, that changed a couple of months ago when we experienced a series of mail thefts and a few break-ins.

Letter to the Editor: Is seeing believing?

Dear Editor,We all know the old saw, “seeing is believing,” suggesting the evidence of our eyes and ears is the best guide to reality. But do we follow it?More than 300 lawsuits against the Trump administration have resulted in nearly 200 orders finding its actions to be illegal.

Crane: The journey back continues

I have learned from others on these pages and elsewhere not to bury the lede, so, as of Aug. 13, 2025, for the moment and the present, I am cancer-free!

Smith: Tommy Lawhorne

Life has thrown A-plus linebacker Tommy Lawhorne a curveball, but the valedictorian of his class, Academic All-America surgeon, and goodwill ambassador extraordinaire has taken a stiff-upper-lip approach to managing illness — just as friends would predict for the handsome native of Sylvester.

Rich: Grave digging

Most of the local tellings — it’s not gossip — come from two places: the beauty shop and the funeral home.When Tink moved to the rural South, he had only been to two funerals in his life. On average, we have a visitation or a funeral about once a week. He’s become a pro.

Yarbrough: Presidential thoughts from the coffee club

When I saw the phone jump off the cradle, I knew immediately who it was. Skeeter Skates, owner of Skeeter Skates Tree Stump Removal and Plow Repair in Ryo, Georgia. Skeeter has that effect on people — and on telephones.

Letter to the Editor: Too much to take?

Dear Editor,Without much fanfare so far this year, on Friday, Aug. 29, the Board of Commissioners is scheduled to approve the county’s 2026 General Fund budget.

Rich: Back in 1937

When she talked about those tribulations back in 1937, her feeble voice crackled with both age and emotion. With over 70 years separating them from now, the grief still lingered, but wisdom had covered it like moss on a riverbank.