Opinion Archive

It’s almost impossible to understand it if you weren’t here then. One April morning in 2010 the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil roared up out of an undersea volcano and smeared across 70,000 miles of ocean. Destruction swept closer and closer to the world’s most beautiful and fragile beaches. The economy buckled. Governments panicked. For 80 days it got wider and worse. Then it stopped, sort of.

Some numbers jump off the pages of sports screaming for attention.

It has been 81 summers since Major League Baseball witnessed Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak and Ted Williams batting .406.

Following the 2020 Census, Florida could have secured:

• Extra yearly federal funding;
•  An additional congressional seat; and
•  Reliable data to guide statewide business and economic development, workforce infrastructure, social services, and decision-making for the years to come.

I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited about the start of a new school year and the return of fall sports.

It has been way too long since I was on a high school football sideline for games that matter. I can say the same thing about high school volleyball.

In the coming weeks there will be a lot going on as fall sports arrive full blast.

This is the time of year I most need help from local coaches. Preparing for the start of the school year and all that goes with it means getting everyone’s information updated, with schedules for your teams and a team photo. And I’m not just talking about football.

We get why protectors of trans rights are digging in their heels over gender identity and participation in school sports – we really do. In many ways, we even sympathize with their cause.

That sympathy, however, is tempered by the reality that biological males who compete as females in scholastic sports represent the exact opposite of “fairness” and “equity.”

Ever work with someone who won’t – who can’t – make a decision? Or maybe you’ve been there yourself, staring down lists of details til your eyes blur over, recalculating your options, hoping – no, praying – that the right answer simply presents itself?

You know the math. Most of the money spent in Crestview stays in Crestview. It really is that simple.

When you shop locally, you’re really getting cash back in the form of lower taxes.

It seems as if the so-called Power Five conferences of college sports are quickly becoming the Power Two or perhaps the Power Three.

It was recently announced that the University of Southern California and its Los Angeles neighbor, UCLA, will be moving to the Big 10 Conference in time for the 2024 football season.

I would like to express my appreciation to North Okaloosa Medical Center.

I have never experienced better and more professional care than I received in my recent six-day visit. To all staff, especially Alice and the food staff, and Dr. Shalit, thank you.