BY JEFF CORBETT The other day, I stopped for gas at a local convenience store, and since the pay-at-the-pump option was broken, I went inside to pay. At the register,…
Category: Perspectives
BY REP. TODD CARVER One of the most common things I heard from voters on the campaign trail during the recent primary election was over the increase in property taxes. I…
BY JEFF CORBETT Long-time Food Editor Irene Sax wrote the following story for Newsday: Back in 1961, Jean Nidetch, a 214-pound homemaker desperate to lose weight, went to the New…
BY JASON GARDNER As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week this week, I am honored to recognize the extraordinary educators of the Mooresville Graded School District and the impact that they…
BY JEFF CORBETT President Ronald Reagan loved to tell the story of the newspaper photographer who was summoned to his editor’s office. “There’s a huge fire on the outskirts of…
BY REP. TODD CARVER I haven’t been writing my weekly articles lately because the N.C. House of Representatives has been on break from its normal duties. I will be providing…
BY LORENA PHILLIPS The smell of syrup and the sound of laughter will soon fill the air. Pancake Day — one of Iredell County’s most beloved traditions — will return…
BY JEFF CORBETT Most of us think of our lives as a straight line, running from birth to death. May I offer you a different, broader perspective? Your life is…
BY JEFF CORBETT Over its lifetime, a lobster experiences periodic and traumatic transitions. Having no other choice, it cracks its entire hard shell and wriggles free and then develops a…
BY DEREK DEVOS By now, most people have had the experience. You notice someone isn’t quite themselves. You try to check in. The conversation doesn’t go how you expected. It’s…
BY JOE HUDSON I was on the front porch when you drove by and I waved, having earlier been almost naked on a table while my dermatologist Kristine examined me…
BY JEFF CORBETT Thomas Hobson lived in Cambridge, England, from 1544-1631, and owned a livery stable, renting horses to the public. He began to notice that his best horses were…
BY DEREK DEVOS Most of us have had this moment. You notice someone you care about isn’t quite themselves. Not dramatically different, just off. Quieter than usual. Leaving a little…
BY JASON GARDNER As superintendent of the Mooresville Graded School District, I am often asked what drives our decision-making and shapes our vision for the future. While our goals focus…
To the Editor: On November 26, 2025, the IFN printed a story indicating that the Town of Troutman elected officials decided to sever their contractual relationship with then-Town Manager Ron…
BY JEFF CORBETT Two friends—a scientist and a city-dweller—were walking down a crowded Manhattan sidewalk at lunchtime. Taxis blared. Vendors shouted. A construction crew jackhammered somewhere nearby. The whole street…
BY MIKE KUBINIEC In the last election cycle, our district did not get the voice it deserved. When the previous representative stepped aside late in the filing period, the race…
BY DEREK DEVOS Most people believe they would recognize PTSD if they saw it. They picture flashbacks, panic, or someone unable to function day to day. But, in real life,…
BY REP. TODD CARVER I would like to take a moment to talk about the importance of voting in this primary season. Early voting runs through Saturday, February 28. During…
BY MIKE FUHRMAN The Iredell County Republican Party’s Executive Committee has some important work to do on Monday evening. At the risk of sounding over-dramatic, nothing less than the future…
BY JEFF CORBETT An old married couple had four boys. The older three had red hair and light skin, the youngest had black hair and dark eyes. On his deathbed,…
BY ERNESTO ESTRADA Speak to the elders and ghosts of generations past and they will reminisce on their earliest memories: there existed an America where children could walk to school or…
BY JEFF CORBETT At the end of the Christmas holidays, while up in the attic putting away decorations for another year, I stumbled upon an old taped-up box hidden away…
BY SALLY NIX When Congressman Greg Murphy confronted insurance executives during the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on January 22, he did not merely ask tough questions. He pulled…
BY DARREN CAMPBELL It is no secret that I regard the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office as the best law enforcement agency in the state. Within the walls of our office…
BY JOE HUDSON I was on the front porch when you drove by and I waved, having earlier poured some coffee an inch to the right of my cup, which…
BY JEFF CORBETT In his book “Words for All Occasions,” Glenn van Eckeren shares this story: Old Bill was dying. With time running out, he wanted to make things right…
BY JEFF CORBETT In his autobiography, Walmart legend Sam Walton recalled his time as a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia and his plan to run for president…
BY GOV. JOSH STEIN Raleigh — Every December, my family lights and places our menorah in a window. Hanukkah – the miracle of lights – tells the story of a group…
BY JOE HUDSON I was on the front porch when you drove by and I waved, thinking I love Christmas but the season is a trial for us Christians who…
BY JEFF CORBETT For my Christmas column this year, I’m doing something different. I subscribe to a weekly email from minister and author Steve May, who provides sermon illustrations and…
BY REP. TODD CARVER Since October 1 I have received numerous emails about the Medicaid situation in the state and the impact it was having on families. Therefore, a brief…
BY JEFF CORBETT A friend of mine was driving in morning traffic in downtown Charlotte. As she approached a fast-changing stoplight, she screeched to a halt just as it turned…
BY DEREK DEVOS Most people have heard of PTSD. Fewer people know the term moral injury; yet it is one of the most common and least discussed wounds carried by…
BY JASON GARDNER As the Superintendent, I want to take a moment to reaffirm the core value that anchors all the work of the Mooresville Graded School District: Authentic Relationships….
BY GOV. JOSH STEIN Thanksgiving gives us time to hit pause and to reflect on all our blessings. I’ve had the privilege of serving as governor of North Carolina for…