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Today's Opinions

  • Hopeful signs buoy nation's free press

    By GENE POLICINSKI
    First Amendment Center
    Maybe it's the influence of springtime, but with the change of seasons there seem to be positive signs of a renewal of spirit in the nation's free press.
    In a meeting of the nation's top news editors in San Diego, and at a panel discussion at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., experts this week expressed new hopes about the future of journalism — citing new technology and new approaches to funding news operations.

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  • Impressions: A lot of sunshine, a little nap ... oh, what joy!

    Oh, what joy!
    A  long, lingering recession and a long, hard winter finally seem to be behind us.
    At least that’s how I felt Thursday morning when I stood at the front door of the Goody’s store grand reopening in Rockwood.
    The sunshine was harsh, but smiles were prevalent.
    I chatted with about three dozen eager customers lined up to catch the early-bird specials at the store.
    One lady mentioned she was in town from Memphis and looking forward to some excellent purchases.

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  • Teacher behind oinking incident is one bad apple

    I have a grandchild who attends Bower’s Elementary, and I have always found it and many of its teachers to be wonderful.
    Although, like anyone who read about the 5-year-old boy being teased by his teacher and other students, I found it appalling.
    Even worse than the fact this took place in one of our schools is how it has been handled! Bower’s has a strict no-bullying policy that is posted on posters thru out the school.

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  • New state rep’s actions speak louder than words

    I guess Julia Hurley’s actions, or lack thereof, speak louder than her words ... about wanting to move past disagreements she has with the county commissioners, and incidentally, the law.  
    I include the latter because it seems to me, after reading the transcript of her extensive words with a state trooper, she has a problem with the citation as well.

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  • HUB board makes the right call on new warehouse

    We were pleased to see Chairman Gary Goff and other members of the Harriman Utility Board shoot down plans for a fancy-shmancy $17 million warehouse.
    Even if, as proposed, the utility could have received grants to pay for most of what some were calling the “Taj Mahal” warehouse, that’s  still ratepayers’ hard-earned money that could go for much more needed items in this tough economy.

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  • LOOSELEAF LAUREATE: Spring road trip — wouldn't change a thing

    You know how it is with road trips.

    With the wrong people, nothing can be miserable. With the right ones, little in life can be more fun.

    I’m coming off of one of the latter.

    I’d promised a friend a couple of counties over I’d drive him up to retrieve his motorcycle from Western Kentucky.

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  • Religion in school battles heating up gain

    By CHARLES HAYNES
    First Amendment Center
    Just when First Amendment principles seem to be working in public education, new fights over student religious speech threaten to reignite culture-war battles in schools across the country.
    It's little known that many public schools made significant progress toward getting religion right over the past decade.

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  • Writer squawks about legislative priorities

    Cock-a-doodle-don’t! Roosters to your neutral corners — go!
    In an apparent effort to avoid appearing reactive to the serious education, infrastructure and financial crisis facing Tennessee our legislators in Nashville instead chose to tackle the more serious problems of Rooster Sports and extended breast feeding by the state’s mothers.
    After determining that the cockfighting promoters and casual observers are equally guilty, it was proposed that a $2,500 fine (first offense) would be preventative.

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Copyright © 2013

The Roane County News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Roane County and Kingston, Tennessee, and the surrounding area.