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No Compromise — by John Reed

No Compromise Whenever I spoke to coaches while I was teaching, I was struck how their particular field affected their mindset in other areas. Every game, every sport, they’re faced with a binary decision: their team either won the game or they lost. There was no middle ground, and that often played into their classroom…

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Who’s In Charge? — By John Reed

This perennial question is at the root of just about every political debate we have ever had in this country. The framers of the Constitution spent much of their time laying out the relationships between Congress, the judiciary, and the executive branches. The power of the federal government versus the states is hotly contested even…

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We Need Change — By Tommy Purser

I went to last night’s meeting of the Jeff Davis County Republican Party because three candidates for the office of Mayor of Hazlehurst were going to be there to speak. And I must say, all  three of them — John Ramay, John Bloodworth and Laneka Smith — represented themselves well. The last time I went…

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Those Who Forget The Past …. — By Tommy Purser

At last week’s meeting of the Jeff Davis County Commission, each commissioner present was given a questionnaire with the introductory line, “Many of our Jeff Davis Republican Party members would like to know where our local elected officials stand on important issues. So, in the public interest of transparency we respectfully request your reply to…

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God Works In Mysterious Ways — By Tommy Purser

We said our last goodbyes to the good wife’s brother this week. It was a sad time but not an unexpected time. We knew it was coming. Dementia …. alzheimers …. whatever it was — there are few things pleasant about the condition. But let me share a kind of silver lining in the dark…

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Shenanigans At City Hall — By Tommy Purser

Sometimes I just want to throw my hands up and give up. Just quit worrying. I worry about things too much. I worry about how our city and county and, to a lesser extent, our school system are functioning. And I worry about the fact that my worrying makes me an outlier. No one else…

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Talking About The Weather — By John Reed

Talking about the weather Many readers know that I grew up in Florida. During my time there, I developed a healthy dislike of beaches, tourists, snowbirds, and the Mouse that ate Orlando. During the same time, I grew fond of fresh picked citrus, fresh water fishing, and Florida State University. Despite the law of averages,…

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Sad — By Tommy Purser

I read a magazine article this week about how the extreme heat, exacerbated by global warming, was affecting workers who have to do their work outdoors under extreme heat conditions. Mostly the article zeroed in on farm workers, who labor in the fields, picking fruits and vegetables, harvesting watermelons, bending their backs and straining their…

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It’s Not Rocket Science — By Tommy Purser

It’s not rocket science, City Council members. The solution to the ongoing golf course fiasco is right there in front of your eyes if you’d only open your eyes and see it. Avid golfers all over Jeff Davis County and neighboring counties can see it, so why is the council so blind? When I decided…

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To tell or not to tell — by Tommy Purser

When I attended Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) training as a member of the Hazlehurst City Council, instructors taught city officials that they cannot disclose what is discussed in an “executive session.” Since pretty much the same folks that teach GMA classes also teach Association County Commissions Georgia (ACCG) classes, I feel confident in assuming county…

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