Opinion Archive

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Although it’s gone a bit under the radar as far as major labor strikes go, the Communication Workers of America remain on strike against AT&T.

In 1981 Daniel L. Schutte wrote a hymn that now graces many hymnals and songbooks in churches. It is entitled “I, The Lord of Sea and Sky.”

Congratulations to Sherri Cox, who was elected to the District 3 seat on the Okaloosa County Commission following a re-count.

This will be the first year where Florida residents are legally – and I stress legally (meaning not using offshore sports books) – allowed to bet on the entire college football and NFL seasons.

If you drop by my place on Saturday, you will see me watching a little college football, and then some.


I don’t know why the first full day of college football season isn’t a national holiday. For guys like me, it’s like a second Thanksgiving.

As we write this editorial, we had no idea who was elected in the Aug. 20 elections in Okaloosa County. Seriously, we don’t. Our press deadline meant this newspaper had to go to the printer before election results were in on Tuesday (though we hope you check our website for ongoing election coverage.)

I’ve worked in three different states during my journalism career, covering education in all of them.

My wife and I had houseguests not long ago, decades-old friends from southeast Florida that we had not seen in years. Our friends had never been to this part of Florida, so a significant part of our “catching up” conversation was dedicated to describing what life is like here on the Florida panhandle.

I have noticed a recent trend – well, a trend I call recent because I just noticed it – people thanking the universe. I first heard it a few years ago from the lips of an acquaintance, who had just come through a very dark period of depression. He emerged thanking the universe for his recovery. My initial, unspoken reaction was, “I wonder where he got that notion?” Since then, I have noticed an uptick in the number of people, celebrity and average Joe alike, thanking the universe.

We spent Monday morning at various schools around Santa Rosa County, taking in the sights and sounds as students walked into classrooms for the first day of the 2024-2025 school year.