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?
Category: Perspectives
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
BY SHELLIE TAYLOR A while back, I had the pleasure of working on a research project with an archeological field director for a surveying company based in Asheville. His company
BY JEFF CORBETT Some years ago, my pastor preached a sermon entitled “Pushing on Doors Marked Pull.” While I’ve long forgotten the details, the title never escaped me. Obviously, the
Dear Citizens of Statesville: The overwhelming outpouring of support from our community for the victims of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the
Editor’s Note: Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Jeff James sent the following letter to district parents and staff on September 19. BY JEFF JAMES Over the last week, our school and district
BY JEFF CORBETT A 10-year-old boy was captivated by a sign in his neighborhood advertising “Puppies for sale.” He went up to the house and rang the doorbell, and when
BY SHELLIE TAYLOR I recently came across a 122-year-old newspaper article that sent me down a rabbit hole. On December 19, 1902, the Landmark printed a brief story from the
BY JEFF CORBETT A friend of mine, an amateur photographer, was at a dinner party, and took along some prized photos to show the hostess. “These are wonderful!” the hostess
Editor’s Note: Ken Robertson delivered the following remarks during the Iredell County Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, August 20. BY KEN ROBERTSON H.L. Mencken said “for every complex problem,
BY JEFF CORBETT Taking oneself too seriously can derail any relationship. Queen Victoria of England learned this lesson very quickly in her marriage to Prince Albert. It was an extremely
BY JEFF CORBETT There used to be four stages of life, but New York Times columnist David Brooks writes the progression of life now has six stages. The four stages
Editor’s Note: This is part II of a two-part series. The first column is available HERE . BY SHELLIE TAYLOR I had a huge response to the first article in this
BY DAVID PRESSLY The Statesville City Council tells us its policy priorities through its annual budget-making process. This year, the City Council proposes to create a “revenue-generating Building Standards Department.”
BY WEST CAUDLE On May 15, N.C. State Senate Republicans took 46 minutes to advance a repeal legislation protecting the physical health and safety of their fellow North Carolinians and
BY MIKE FUHRMAN For the second time in less than six months, the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education is expected to consider a motion to censure one of its members
BY JOHN GREEN This week, May 12-18, is National Hospital Week, which gives me an opportunity to talk about hospitals, healthcare, and my teammates — three topics that are near
Editor’s Note: May is Cemetery Appreciation Month. This is part I of a two-part series. BY SHELLIE TAYLOR I have had several people in the last few months reach out to me