“Geez, David. I’m glad the newspaper business is doing so well. I can hardly find the news anymore because of all these ads cluttering up my paper.” S.
Who needs a hurricane to launch homeowner’s insurance rates through the roof when the Florida Legislature can do it for you?
My wife was on a search committee for our church. The search committee carefully and thoughtfully gathered a list of all the qualities they wished for in their new priest: A persuasive and engaging orator, a nurturing minister on the individual level, a sharp administrator, and someone who w…
“In the paper, you wrote that "at one time, the core of our American democracy was the concept of majority rule. That is factually untrue. Our government is a constitutional Republic based on the concept of representative government. While I agree with many of your statements that followed …
“Polk County is having growing pains, as listed in your column. Yet, this county is set upon a swamp. This Chain of 100 Lakes is a wetland. You fail to bring this issue into your discussion. Your discussion fails to talk about stormwater issues regarding all of Polk county's roads and freewa…
In your column, you stated, "Remember, the no-state income tax was started by Democrats in Florida."
Regular readers know that my bias is toward the rights of the individual and maximizing participatory democracy.
Reader S politely questioned my column comparing various Florida city’s crime rates to New York City. Thanks for the great questions, S. “Not questioning your accuracy in the statistics…..but wondering. Does the population density alter any of that information? Or does it skew it to where on…
Over quite a few weeks, I have asked our readers to send an example of how their local state representative or congressman had been responsive. Not one example of public service was shared. Instead, here’s a sample of what I received.
There are a lot of numbers because the area our papers cover has a lot of small towns.
Quite often I am asked about the newspaper business. There are a lot of clickbait stories discussing the demise of the American newspaper. Those stories make our readers and advertisers wonder if we will be around in 30 years.
It was a bit jarring. I was at my friendly neighborhood Speedway getting gas and a refreshment. I started to pick my gasoline grade and was surprised to see a rather large sticker glued on to the pump near the gas selection keys.
Our adventure began on the beautiful Banana River, which is part of the Indian River lagoon. This lagoon is said to be the most diversified estuary in North America. The water is brackish, as there is no current, and flows to the Sebastian inlet.
One of the main reasons we live in Florida is the weather, and as the temperatures are on the rise, lots of folks are heading to the beaches, lakes and pools to cool off.
Everything about Southern Hill Farms makes you feel like you’re far away from Central Florida’s main attractions.
I’ve tried to help our readers understand how the state of Florida government managed to cut taxes at the state level every year since 2009.
Getting out and walking is a good way to stay healthy, and it can be very enjoyable. But it’s good to make an effort to be safe about it.
Experts suggest that little doses of sunshine can be good for people — and, here in Polk County, we like to think weekly doses of our Sun Newspapers are, too.
I'm a new subscriber to the Winter Haven SUN and just read "Viewpoints" in the April 14, 2021 edition (“What does it mean to be a public servant?” by David Dunn-Rankin). I am in so much agreement with it that it's scary. If I am able to vote for any of these seven (7) representatives it will…
ONA — Nestled back in the woods of Ona lies a castle that fairy tales are made of.
April is Animal Cruelty Prevention Month — and a perfect time to remind people what it means to be a responsible pet owner.
The Florida legislature is dramatically changing how public notices work in Florida.
Experts suggest that little doses of sunshine can be good for people — and, here in Polk County, we like to think weekly doses of our Sun Newspapers are, too.
“I don’t even want to calculate the hours of my life over the last 50 years that I’ve spent in public meetings and hearings listening to self-appointed scolds telling the rest of us that we’re not preserving enough of Florida before they return to the comfort of their air-conditioned single-…
Early last month, two of our elderly citizens were scammed out of over $65,000 by criminals who played on their emotions — and I can’t begin to express how angry I am over this. The sad truth is that these victims will likely never get their money back, even if we can identify and arrest the…
Experts suggest that little doses of sunshine can be good for people — and, here in Polk County, we like to think weekly doses of our Sun Newspapers are, too.
No trip to Lake Wales would be complete without a visit to the beautiful Bok Tower Gardens.
“Hey David, I read your note on national immigration. If it is true, as you say it is, that GDP is the sum of productivity growth and population growth, why not focus instead on just productivity growth. Why do we have to grow the pie and then divide it among even more people? If the populat…
An organization called Smart Growth America published a study in early March regarding the most dangerous metropolitan areas in the United States for pedestrians.
“For someone who a few weeks ago complained about how much taxes your company had to pay, you sure make it sound like the Republicans in Tallahassee are all to blame. Yet you think they should raise state taxes to take the ‘burden‘ off local governments. Isn’t that what local governments are…
It goes without saying that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are working from home.
From shooting hoops to creating jobs in Polk County, one star-studded athlete is part of a new sports-themed restaurant concept that is open for business.
One of the great things about living in the U.S. is that our city and county governments are required to keep their citizens informed about their actions.
In reading feedback from readers about my column on immigration, I realized many of us don’t have useful information on the subject. Let’s see how much we know about immigration.
You will likely be seeing a lot of Jeeps in the area as February comes to a close.
Even though I am in my 60s, part of my brain still thinks I am still in my 20s. My 20-year-old self doesn’t want to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
When I began my career with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office 48 years ago, I remember stopping in at the Mulberry police station and watching the dispatcher answer and dispatch calls from a radio room tucked away in a tiny corner of that police station.
A quiet moment of clarity produces the reality of the major concerns 2020 has left for us to work together to resolve. We find in 2021 the need to create and maintain solutions for inequalities, race relations, the judicial system, educational institutions and economic parities locally and n…
Several readers took me to task when I wrote in a previous column that small business is not being treated fairly.
Every year, traffic crashes kill more than 30,000 people in the United States.
One of my favorite messages in scripture is from Ecclesiastes 3.
Perhaps you look at the political wrangling in Washington, D.C., during the worst health care crisis in 100 years – and you wonder what has become of our great country.
You may have seen on the news that we had a pretty scary situation happen in the southeast unincorporated part of our county.
Did you dream of owning a flying car when you were young? I know I did.
This Christmas season, we thought a neat gift we could give to our citizens would be free pet adoptions from our Animal Control facility during the week before Christmas and all the way until Christmas Eve.
Our nation has survived the worst health care crisis in 100 years.
My agency and I have a long-standing commitment to protecting children, especially those who have been victimized or exploited.
“(Recently) Dunn-Rankin’s lead editorial stated that the government was taking 40% of his profits. I believe he should take a close look at his bookkeeper or accountant. The corporate tax rate is 21% flat, or better yet get Donald Trump's accountant. The Donald didn't pay any taxes 10 of the…
It was nine months ago, almost to the day, when I wrote my first column about the world’s new pandemic — a term usually found only in crossword puzzles — and its impact on our lives.
“Hey David. Your column about politicians not respecting small business blamed both Republicans and Democrats for the delay in passing another COVID-19 relief package.
