I saw an Associated Press story this morning about the start of a federal civil trial involving pork-producing giant Smithfield Foods and folks who unfortunately live near massive industrial livestock operations -- sites labeled quaintly as "farms." This is apparently the first of dozens of lawsuits stemming from neighbors of the facilities where millions of … Continue reading Can’t you smell that smell? Industrial hog farm practices go to court, finally
Reporting and journalism
Remembering April 1, 1993, when a shooting spree rocked Burlington
Update on Aug. 11, 2019: The New York Times today published a telling story that examines the lives of recent mass shooters in the United States. No one is surprised that all are men, but also nearly all expressed anger or hatred toward women in a variety of ways to friends, via internet chat rooms, … Continue reading Remembering April 1, 1993, when a shooting spree rocked Burlington
Monitoring breaking news: About that ticker at Elon
Nine days ago on March 13 a sharply divided Elon town Board of Aldermen decided to alter its existing law regarding electronic signs and allow Elon University to begin operating a non-stop news ticker outside the School of Communications, on Citrone Plaza overlooking the main drag -- Williamson Avenue. The ticker had been shut down … Continue reading Monitoring breaking news: About that ticker at Elon
Throwback Thursday: Five years ago we noted a special day in Burlington
Five years ago this week -- on March 19 -- we managed to pull the wool over the eyes of Don Bolden, a retired newspaper reporter and editor, editor emeritus of the Times-News, historian, community leader and community treasure. He's also the guy who originally hired me at the Times-News in 1984, but don't hold … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Five years ago we noted a special day in Burlington
Remembering the nicest person I’ve ever known
Six years ago this week just about the nicest person I've ever known passed away after a long battle with esophageal cancer. I used to call Tom Woody the Times-News unpaid intern for life because he spent so much time in our newsroom helping his longtime spouse, newspaper administrator and columnist Frances Woody with any … Continue reading Remembering the nicest person I’ve ever known
Happy birthday James Madison, a believer in open government
Today (Friday March 16) is the birthday of James Madison, a primary architect of the U.S. Constitution and the fourth president of the United States. He is one of those "Founding Fathers" folks in politics are fond of referencing repeatedly -- usually after they symbolically spit upon what the Founding Fathers espoused. Yeah, the United … Continue reading Happy birthday James Madison, a believer in open government
Newspaper memories: One and done at the 1986 ACC Tournament
March 7, 1986: I kept telling myself not to be nervous on the short drive from Burlington to Greensboro. It wasn’t working. Stupid I know. After all, I was only going to a basketball game -- well, four basketball games really. No big deal. Not at all. I got up early that Friday morning after … Continue reading Newspaper memories: One and done at the 1986 ACC Tournament
What Billy Graham told Elon students back in 1951
When the Rev. Billy Graham visited Elon on the morning of Nov. 7, 1951 he was in the midst of a rise in national prominence that would one day lead to the label "America's Pastor." I saw that designation quite a few times on Wednesday when the famous evangelist and arguably the most notable North … Continue reading What Billy Graham told Elon students back in 1951
A year of new and welcomed challenges
From 2007 to 2016 when part of my job as a newspaper editor involved hiring college students as reporting interns I was often surprised by how many expressed an interest in writing for magazines. When I was a college student back during the dark ages magazine writing never once crossed my mind as a career … Continue reading A year of new and welcomed challenges
Throwback Thursday: A coach who set an example for us all
UNC and Duke are in the final hours today before another installment of the most intense rivalry in college basketball is renewed again. Dean Smith, the legendary coach of the Tar Heels, was right in the thick of it for decades. Smith passed away three years ago on Feb. 7. This is the editorial I … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: A coach who set an example for us all
Madison's Avenue 