Quite a challenge for small towns (06/24/09)
Smaller communities across the country have been facing survivability issues in recent years and those in Northeast Arkansas are no exception. Speakers at an economic forum in Jonesboro noted that growth numbers for the booming northwest corridor somewhat skewer the statistics for the state -- making it appear Arkansas (one of the most rural of states) is doing a bit better than is the reality.. ...

Is regulation a dirty word? (06/17/09)
Most of us immediately think negative when the word "regulation" is mentioned, particularly as it applies to the government. We envision "red tape" or "paper work" or similar unpleasant images...

Understanding the pesky apostrophe (06/11/09)
One of the more interesting internet sites for those of us involved in writing -- and those who wish to be accurate in their use of terms -- is "Common Errors in English" developed by Washington State University professor Paul Brians...

Whatever happened to moderate Republicans? (06/03/09)
We were reading a column the other day in which this statement was made -- "It's no longer your father's Republican Party?" How true that is. As the Rush Limbaughs of the world continue to gain traction in the Grand Old Party, one wonders if the institution will survive at all in the face of obvious changing demographics in America...

Letters are welcome (05/27/09)
There is no question that the letters-to-the-editor section of the newspaper is one of the most widely-read each week. One of the most basic functions of a community newspaper is to provide a forum for its readers to express views on a wide range of topics -- both local and more far-reaching. ...

Cheney picks Rush over Colin (05/14/09)
If the Democratic Party were assigned the task of creating the official "poster boy" for the Republican Party, it's doubtful it could do any better for itself than to pick Rush Limbaugh...

A mystery of life: man's inhumanity (05/07/09)
Many and sharp the num'rous ills Inwoven with our frame! More pointed still we make ourselves Regret, remorse, and shame! And Man, whose heav'n-erected face The smiles of love adorn, Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn! The Scottish poet Robert Burns penned those words in 1786, but we still have no better understanding of the reason for "man's inhumanity to man" than he did more than 200 years ago...

Your community has deep qualities (04/22/09)
Many times those of us in smaller communities look with longing eyes at some of the advantages enjoyed by our brethren living in larger towns. We see the job opportunities, the wider selection for shopping and just the overall greater commerce and wish we could have a "bigger piece of the pie" ourselves...

Remembering one of history's greats (04/16/09)
"No man ever made a bigger mistake than he who could do only a little and did nothing." Edmund Burke. One of the greatest persons of the 20th Century is largely unknown in this country...

The key factors in happiness (04/08/09)
What makes you happy? We learned from an early age that we all have the right "to pursue happiness" in America, but somewhere along the line it seems our priorities may have become off-track...

Negativity infects our small towns (04/01/09)
We all know the many challenges faced in our smaller communities as economic and social trends work against them in so many ways. Job opportunities abound in larger cities and suburbs and, over time, there has been a migration to those locales. There simply are fewer economic, educational, recreational and cultural opportunities in rural communities when compared to our urban areas...

This contest has a message (03/25/09)
Nothing would please us more in the community health arena than to see a significant decline in smoking among young people. It is so tragic seeing our young people take up a habit that is so clearly harmful to their health and their future quality of life...

Smalltown downtowns wane over time (03/11/09)
Nostalgia is a mixed bag. As we grow older, it is natural to think back on the past and what was and what might have been. We recognize that memory is selective, fortunately, and we are more focused on the good than the bad as our minds wander back to earlier days...

The Great Storm brings out the best (02/06/09)
There were probably a lot of exchanges similar to this one over the past few days in the Rector area: Rectorite 1: "You holding up okay?" Rectorite 2: "Just barely." Rectorite 1: "We are all tougher than we thought we are."...

Deadlines loom despite the ice (01/30/09)
It's at times like this that we certainly learn to appreciate the amenities associated with modern life. get As with most of you, we had been watching the weather reports and anticipating bad times ahead for several days now. ...

New president seeking unity (01/22/09)
Barack Obama comes into the White House promising both change and unity. Change was the theme of the campaign, but unity has come to the forefront since that momentous election day last November...

America must adapt as we move forward (01/07/09)
In looking at the state of our society moving into 2009, there certainly are lots of reasons for concerns about the future of our nation -- this is especially true when one considers the challenges to be faced by our children and grandchildren...

Hutchinson: 10 yrs later, no impeachment regrets (12/24/08)
Source: AP - AP Wire Service Dec 20 12:53 By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press Writer LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Ten years after he argued before the U.S. Senate that Bill Clinton should be turned out of office for lies he told in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, Asa Hutchinson says he doesn't have any regrets for being one of House managers in the 1999 impeachment trial...

It is time to give thanks (11/27/08)
We hear an increasing number of people expressing the view that Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday of the year. Of course, it could have something to do with the turkey and dressing, rolls and gravy, pumpkin pie and on and on...

New president-elect appears reasonable (11/20/08)
In his first nationally-televised interview since being elected President of the United States, Barack Obama on Sunday night certainly appeared, to us, quite reasonable. Contrast that with some of the wild charges, both ideologically and personally, leveled against him in the recent campaign...

Military leader endorses Obama (10/23/08)
The major development this weekend as the presidential race winds down was the endorsement of Barack Obama by Gen. Colin Powell, widely-admired military leader and former Sec. of State for President George W. Bush...

The deal that wasn't a deal (10/01/08)
Political and financial observers were shocked Monday with the news that the House of Representatives failed to pass the so-called "bailout" of financial institutions that has been in the national focus for the past week...

There is now hope for small-town mayors (09/03/08)
Small-town mayors across the nation who harbor strong political ambition now have hope. A person who just a few years ago was the mayor of a town of less than 8,000 now potentially will be a "heartbeat away" from holding the most powerful position in the world...

'Fiscal conservatives' leaving a legacy (08/28/08)
We all realize that poll results ebb and flow and the only one that really matters doesn't come around until Nov. 4. But it is interesting to see how opinion changes out in America -- even when one is absolutely flabbergasted by the results...

Arkansas smoking down dramatically (08/13/08)
How about some good news for a change? A new study shows that there are 84,000 fewer smokers in Arkansas in 2007 than if smoking rates in 2002 had continued unchanged. The percentage of adults in Arkansas who smoke decreased from 26.3 percent to 22.4 percent in 2007...

Looking back over 30 years (07/23/08)
We heard a local resident the other day make an unfavorable comment on the relative merits of Rector now as compared to 30 years ago. In light of the fact that our annual progress edition runs this week, we thought it might be appropriate to take a look at that specific question...

Facts certainly can be interesting (07/17/08)
Going way back, we always have been fascinated by the World Almanac. To some that may seem strange, but it always been deemed here as interesting reading. We suppose it has to do with the clarity of facts -- there they are so starkly in black and white -- quite impressive at times in an ambivalent world...

The reality: "we are they" (07/10/08)
"Without prosperous local economies, the people have no power and the land no voice." --Wendell Berry It should not be surprising to learn that rural communities in various parts of the nation share similar problems and aspirations. But to see that reality first-hand in another southern state can be very enlightening...

Basic human rights upheld in ruling (06/18/08)
The U.S. Supreme Court's narrow 5-4 ruling last week upholding the concept of habeas corpus was, of course, specifically welcome news for the hundreds who have been held without being charged at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba...

Much of election is foregone conclusion (06/11/08)
As one looks at the national political landscape, one fact emerges -- a lot of the results are already in. Under the way the electoral college works, it's all or nothing for the votes in each states -- and the reality is that, from a certain perspective, one's vote really doesn't count...

What really hurts: lack of respect (05/28/08)
If one holds on to a fashion item long enough, it may very well come back into style. Take, for example, wide ties -- they went completely by the wayside at one point in favor of razor-thin models, but now they are the norm...

Memorial Tribute from Marine mom (05/22/08)
(Editor's Note: This is a tribute to all service men written by the mother of a Marine...)

A message for The class of '08 (05/14/08)
(Editor's note: This message to graduates was written 10 years ago by David Cox, who at that time served as publisher of the Cherokee Villager newspaper. His words apply as appropriately to the Class of 2008 as they did to the Class of 1998)...