Category: Perspectives

BY REP. TODD CARVER One of the committees I am most excited to serve on in the N.C. House is the Regulatory Reform Committee. This group is tasked with reviewing

BY JEFF CORBETT A friend of mine in nursing school shared details of a most unique pop quiz given by her instructor. Among the many questions there was one –

BY REP. TODD CARVER Most people may not be aware North Carolina set a goal in 2019 to have 2 million people with a post-secondary degree or high-quality credential. This

BY SALLY NIX For too long, health insurance companies have dictated patient care instead of doctors. The bureaucratic nightmare of prior authorization, which requires doctors to obtain insurer approval before treating their

BY SHELLIE TAYLOR For over 40 years, some people in Statesville believed that an abandoned African American church cemetery had been destroyed by the organization known as the Statesville Redevelopment

BY MICHAEL KUBINIEC In February of 2025, certain Iredell-Statesville Schools administrators were given an opportunity to rate the Board of Education members in a survey. Results were released and published

BY REP. TODD CARVER The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an idea which should not invoke a partisan divide the way it has. We can argue about the implementation

BY JEFF CORBETT The famous Austrian surgeon Dr.Theodor Billroth used to tell his students that a doctor needed two abilities: freedom from nausea, and the power of observation. Then he’d

BY JAMES PRESSLY As a concerned city taxpayer, fourth-generation Statesville resident, and local business owner, I want to express my growing frustration with the wasteful and misguided policies of the

BY REP. TODD CARVER One of my goals upon being elected to the N.C. House of Representatives was to let people know what was taking place in Raleigh and the

To the Editor: I have a question for the Town of Troutman residents: Given the massive tax increase bestowed upon us by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, coupled with

BY JEFF CORBETT Centuries ago, a group of Peruvian Indians were looking out from their ocean shores. Something appeared far away that they didn’t recognize. Seeing the sails of Spanish

To the Editor: We are planning a peaceful gathering from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 7, in Downtown Statesville to show support for Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine. Many

BY FRANNY HANRAHAN I recently read the article about the “circus atmosphere” of some Troutman Town Council meetings and take issue with some of the statements made by the town

BY JEFF CORBETT In his book “The Paradigm Pioneers,” futurist Joel Barker posed this question: During America’s westward expansion in the 1800s, what was the difference between pioneers and settlers?

BY JEFF CORBETT In “The Story File,” Steve May shares a story about three ministers from different churches in the same town who decided to go fishing. As they fished,

BY JAY SHERRILL After two decades of dedicated service, Mayor Costi Kutteh has announced that he will not run for re-election in 2025. As Statesville’s longest-serving mayor, he has led

BY JEFF CORBETT Some years ago, psychologist William Marston asked 3,000 people this question: “What are you living for?” Some 94 percent of the respondents gave roughly the same answer

BY GOV. JOSH STEIN  Every year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day gives us the chance to honor the life and legacy of a remarkable leader. Dr. King was a visionary

BY JEFF CORBETT Are you the best you’ve ever been? You say, “What?” Let me rephrase that. Looking back over your life, are you a better person today than ever

To the Editor: Now that elections are over, how about some state legislation that will help the citizens of Iredell County? We need to end the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJs)

BY JEFF CORBETT Steve Goodier, in “Do Something Great,” tells the story of how President Abraham Lincoln would often leave the White House to attend Wednesday evening services at New

BY REV. ROBERT W. LEE IV As a pastor, it is an incredibly humbling honor to preach to anyone who will listen. When that audience includes the man who served

To the Editor: I thought I would share what I stumbled upon a few days ago while I was leaving the Big Lots store in Statesville. An elderly lady’s car

BY COSTI KUTTEH 2024 has been another great year in the City of Statesville. Local government is a team sport and many folks – past and present – have contributed

To the Editor: On December 2, Troutman Town Manager Ronald Wyatt attended the Mooresville Town Board of Commissioners meeting and proceeded to make a public statement in defense of Mooresville

BY JEFF CORBETT While visiting a remote mountain town, a tourist walking down Main Street was approached by a scruffy hillbilly fresh out of the woods. Carrying a shotgun and

BY JEFF CORBETT At a hotel the night before I was to give a speech, I hung my shirt in the bathroom and turned the shower as hot as it

BY NANCY BEARD It is the time of year when we reflect on the reasons why we are thankful. We think about our family, friends, faith, career, community and so

BY JEFF CORBETT There was a busy candy store, and one clerk always had customers in her line, even when the other clerks had no one. The store owner asked

BY JEFF CORBETT Are you afraid of failing? According to Dr. Gary Winch in “Psychology Today,” “everyone hates to fail, but for some people, failing presents such a significant psychological

BY JEFF CORBETT An old dog was stretched out on the porch of a country general store, moaning and growling while lying half-asleep in the sun. “Why is your dog

To the Editor: We read the article in the Iredell Free News about the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education member proposing to require all district schools to display a poster with

BY REV. H. STEPHEN SHOEMAKER The National Institute of Mental Health defines psychosis as “a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact