In all of my writings, I have consistently advocated for the economic growth of Highlands County. One aspect about economic growth that I often highlight is small and locally owned businesses. I have written before that those with ideas of opening their own business must be encouraged to do …
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. — In a world seemingly gone mad, Thursday’s funeral for Rep. John Lewis offered a refuge of sanity and presented a confluence of humankind’s best qualities – honor, dignity, humility and grace.
I love campfires. Love watching the flames flicker. Multiple little sparks of fire leaping upwards against the dark night sky. Fire is a guilty pleasure of mine.
Governor Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran have directed Florida’s public schools to begin instruction in the fall. At The School Board of Highlands County, we have worked diligently to make sure we are ready to welcome students back in August. We were initially schedu…
OK, normally, a potential hurricane this time of year would be something to deal with, but not beyond coping with. Floridians are used to being threatened by these windy entities, and we cope by buying up water, junk food, and batteries.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag states we are, “One nation under God.” President Ronald Reagan said that if we ever forget that we are one nation under God we will be a nation gone under.
The White House may soon issue an executive order that would require drug companies to manufacture certain essential medicines here in the United States. Lawmakers in both parties are pushing for more domestic manufacturing of drugs and medical products.
People, people, people, so little faith as Jesus said to his apostles. The liberal media loves crisis to defeat their opponents; as they say, “Never waste a crisis.” Some people accept what the liberal media say and others do their research. Let’s look at some factual numbers posted on the C…
People haven’t gotten along since the days of Cain and Abel. But to me, the arrival of “The Morton Downey, Jr. Show” in the later part of the 1980’s made it “fashionable” to consider offensive and foul behavior to be entertaining.
When I hear someone use the label “a true conservative,” I think of President Ronald Reagan and Senator John McCain. These two men served our nation with nothing but dignity and respect. President Reagan led the United States during a time of diplomatic unrest, which included the Cold War wi…
Good grief: Apparently, America has yet to move past the anger phase regarding COVID-19.
I have this “friend” with a wacky idea. I am interested in what you all think of his proposal.
Editor’s note: The Highlands News-Sun asked Congressman Greg Stuebe if he was in favor of additional assistance for the hardest hit of our locally owned businesses. What follows was his full reply.
The above title is courtesy of my 2-year-old granddaughter Lavinia. I asked her this morning what I should call my column this week, and that was her answer.
I wrote a column about three years ago that hate and jealousy were going to destroy this nation ... it is. In fact, it has been for quite some time as it’s been left unchecked.
One of the things we learned as pilots is the “GO, NO-GO” decision point. On a long flight over water, there is a point of no return to be able to get back to land safely. Or, just beginning the flight at all, continuing or not rather than carry on into marginal weather, or having some mecha…
No nation is handling this pandemic less responsibly and competently than America is. It’s embarrassing; the world now pities America. We must harken to what our scientists are telling us, for all of this carnage is completely unnecessary; we must cease being delusional about the threat, the…
In 20 days, Highlands County students will be expected to return to classes. Students like myself, children of your own, and your family members will be expected to receive classroom instruction in the midst of a global pandemic. Teachers will be forced to stand in a crowded classroom with f…
If you want to learn why many big newspapers in America are struggling to stay afloat, just read Bari Weiss’ resignation letter to The New York Times. As a staff writer and editor for the opinion section of The New York Times (whose slogan should be “All the liberal opinion whether it’s fit …
With cases of COVID-19 on the rise in the state of Texas, and Halloween just around the corner, Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed an executive order requiring the wearing of masks in public. Exceptions to the order include Texans under 10 years of age (probably the demographic that would most…
One of our team was visiting a client. A lady came up to her and asked, “Who is that David guy that writes every week?” Our team member said, “He is our owner and CEO.”
We are on day whatever of the pandemic. So far, many of us don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. We’re trying to cope with things on a day to day basis, adjusting to what I referred to in an earlier column as “the new abnormal.”
Reading about the county budget discussions in the July 9, 2020 Highlands News-Sun left me with several thoughts.
Burning off some vacation time, my beach trip got derailed by a heat index north of 110 degrees. I sipped coffee and considered my options. More yard work? I don’t think so. Slugging the rest of my java, I sprang into action.
I don’t know what to say. I stand back and look at what is going on in everyone’s life and its anger, hatred, bitterness, and self rightousness.
Early education is viewed as the time between birth and kindergarten where children learn the basic foundations of developing language, literature and numeracy skills. One may ask why social and emotional development holds any importance in educating the young. The answer is that this develo…
Before I say anything at all, let the following be known: Although I am a correspondent for this paper, these are my own thoughts. They are not necessarily reflective of the Highlands News-Sun or anyone other than myself.
For a little bit, Florida and Highlands County seemed like they were back to normal. We opened up bars, restaurants, and other dearly missed establishments. We opened up beaches and allowed thousands to visit.
WASHINGTON — If hard cases make bad law, a corollary may be that bad presidents risk making bad law. A president who ignores settled norms and makes maximalist legal arguments in defending his conduct may provoke courts to overreact — solving the problem at hand but setting bad precedents th…
Americans want to know how do we compare the risks of this new coronavirus to the risks of the normal annual flu. How likely we are to get the new virus? If we get the virus, how likely are we to die?
We’re getting a lot of advice these days. Some of the tips for the pandemic are good, such as wearing masks. Some of it – like injecting bleach – is actually dangerous. As a behavioral scientist, I know that the advice I’m about to give you is backed up by years of research, but as a semi-fu…
Don and I are quite different when it comes to theme parks like Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
I’m getting a whole-house attic fan installed this week – just like the one my father had installed in my childhood home – and I cannot wait to cool my house using his old-time methods.
A few years ago a there was a book written called “Everything You Ever Need to Know About Life You Learned in Kindergarten” … i.e. “you make a mess, you clean it up … you throw a toy at your fellow classmate, you say you are sorry … etc., etc.” You get the picture. But I contend that everyth…
The next two times Highlands County goes to vote, they will definitely bring a lot of change to the county. This upcoming election cycle will see four of the five seats on the Board of County Commission up for grabs. Districts 1, 2, and 3 will see no incumbent running for re-election as they…
Governor DeSantis just signed into law SB 712 – the self-proclaimed “Clean Waterways Act” – an ambitious misnomer for a bill that claims to be the solution to our mounting water quality issues, but falls far short of that mark.
WASHINGTON — The French revolutionaries’ instrument for administering the 1793-1794 Reign of Terror was the Committee of Public Safety. Today, China’s totalitarians, displaying either ignorance of this unsavory history, or arrogance in flaunting their emulation of it, call their new instrume…
Whenever our great country seems in a moment of crisis, I like to reread a short speech by Abraham Lincoln. Each crisis feels like our country is struggling once again with equality, or worried about our freedom, or fretting about our nation’s economic future, or all three put together.
Editor’s note: This is the second of two parts.
Let me start off the column by saying that in this time of a pandemic, when I leave the house, I usually wear a mask.
A few weeks ago a friend told me of a refreshing scene at the Little Italy restaurant in Avon Park. As he sat eating his lunch, several police officers, including school resource officers, came into the establishment.
The Fourth of July has always held a special place in my heart, not just because it’s the celebration day of a resolution separating this great nation from Great Britain, but because it also marks the birthdays of two men who were a big part of my life.
I had five uncles who served in and survived World War II. One survived the Bataan Death March. One came home with a bad case of malaria, which he got while fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. One was a belly gunner in a bomber and was shot down somewhere in the Pacific theater of war. One…
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part column. The second part will appear on a future date.
I recently testified before the House Select Coronavirus Subcommittee on the meltdown in nursing homes, which excluding New York (which deliberately underreports) now account for over 55% of deaths with COVID. The House Democrats’ goal was to blame these high death rates on President Trump —…
We are living in a time in America like never before when adults are telling children that you can change your gender. Some young people are being given hormones to block their God-given gender. Some are having radical surgery to remove perfectly healthy sexual organs. Some adults want to pr…
In the midst of one of history’s craziest time periods, this column kept slipping my mind and I honestly have felt guilt for not getting to it. Regardless of when I got to write this column, it does not take anything away from the amazing work that the Highlands County Sheriff’s Department h…
“I just read your article on Gov. DeSantis and can’t help but question your judgment. The state prevented the public from knowing the accurate number of Corona virus deaths. This, in and of itself, should make him ineligible for holding office.” LS
On Thursday, June 11th, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Florida Department of Education Reopening Florida’s Schools plan. This plan presents a step-by-step approach to creating safe spaces for teaching and learning as schools across the state work to close achievement gaps created by the…
