Category: Perspectives

BY JOHN GREEN It seems like just a few days ago I wrote an editorial regarding National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week. Obviously, time flies, as it has been

BY JAMES B. MALLORY III Iredell County Manager Beth Mull is putting the finishing touches on her budget message and recommendations to the Iredell County Board of Commissioners for the

BY GLENN KURFEES The City of Statesville Fire Department would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Statesville Community for all the prayers, words of encouragement, and food during

BY MIKE FUHRMAN There’s something absolutely magical about the Special Olympics. In an era where reports of mass shootings, civil unrest and political rancor dominate nearly every news cycle, there

BY COOPER HALL Uniting a high school is hard work, but I watched it happen at South Iredell High on April 5 as students participated in the national walkout to

BY REV. H. STEPHEN SHOEMAKER Today is the day we call Good Friday, and on this day we gathered by the old tree standing outside the Old Jail in Statesville.

BY JANE HINSON April 3-9, 2023, is National Public Health Week. The last three years have been difficult ones for our public health team at the Iredell County Health Department.

BY SARAH KIRKMAN March is Women’s History Month, and I almost let it get by me without recognizing it. The observance of Women’s History Month began in California in 1978

To the Editor: An impact fee is typically a one-time payment imposed by a local government on a property developer. The fee is meant to offset the financial impact a

BY MIKE FUHRMAN There were a couple of very telling moments at Monday’s Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education meeting, including one in which a board member claimed he could run Statesville

Editor’s Note: This column is adapted from a presentation to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education on February 13. BY TERRI MASIELLO For 26-plus years, I have been working to

To the Editor: When discussing the town’s property tax rate, Troutman Councilman Paul Henkel recently said, “The town does not collect money for the fun of it.” I disagree! This

BY SHELLIE TAYLOR Every February, the Iredell County Public Library staff joins the African-American community in celebrating the achievements of Black men and women in our county and promoting their

BY GOV. ROY COOPER RALEIGH — North Carolinians deserve reliable, sustainable electricity at a reasonable cost because of increasingly severe weather and aging fossil fuel plants that result could be

BY SHELLIE TAYLOR I don’t know about you, but I love a good mystery. While researching something completely unrelated, I came across a newspaper article that grabbed my attention and

BY REV. H. STEPHEN SHOEMAKER My worst course in college was German. Thank God I needed only four semesters to graduate. From my studies and experience, I am too well

BY MIKE FUHRMAN During the two years leading up to the 2022 elections, there was a carefully orchestrated effort to undermine the public’s confidence in Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education

BY AMY FUHRMAN In December, my thoughts turn to death. I know that sounds morbid — and it is — but it’s impossible for me not to think about as

BY MIKE SMITH ProPublica and The New Yorker recently published an article entitled “How Hospice Became a For-Profit Hustle,” outlining multiple instances of fraud and malfeasance targeting the Medicare hospice

To the Editor: Thanks to everyone who supported me in the campaign through their efforts and their votes. I gave it my all, but the partisan headwinds were just too

BY MIKE FUHRMAN A Statesville man who calls himself the “Puppet Master” is dangerously close to achieving his goal of taking control of the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education. Iredell

BY SUSAN TOLLE It all started five years ago. 2018 brought us our first Central Piedmont Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention right here in Iredell County. Our

To the Editor: Four years ago I had the pleasure of running as an unaffiliated candidate for the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education in District 7. I strongly believe that

BY WENDY GORDON PAKE Halloween at the Pake house – with a child with food allergies – always went the same: My husband and I would spill out our son’s

To the Editor: An elected official’s role, whether it be on the school board, in the state senate, or in any other public office, is to serve its community as

To the Editor: I am writing to urge the citizens of District 3 to vote for Sarah Parker Pittman for the open seat on the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education.

To the Editor: Iredell County native and lifelong resident Abby Trent is the Republican nominee on the November 8 ballot for the Iredell-Statesville Schools’ Board District 3 seat. Abby won

BY TODD CARVER I write this fully anticipating my political suicide. In today’s political climate, there can be no greater sin than speaking out against a fellow member of one’s

BY SEN. VICKIE SAWYER I too get stuck in traffic, shake my head in disgust as I see another rezoning for apartment buildings and worry about where the money will

To the Editor: It seems like the Town of Troutman is always on the defensive because town officials may not like the simple fact the citizens want this out-of-control development

BY RON SMITH In 2019 city staff began receiving numerous calls about potential development opportunities. We received so many, in fact, that we began tracking all new development inquiries. These

BY BLAKE PALMER Iredell County experienced explosive growth between 2010 and 2020, gaining over 27,000 residents. This trend is projected to accelerate over the next few decades with Iredell County

BY DAN GITRO This week first responders all over Iredell County prepared for the remnants of Hurricane Ian to hit Iredell County. The forecast from local meteorologists and the National

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Statesville City Council will consider a proposal ton Monday to name the new fire station in honor of William T. “Woody” Woodard. By President Eric Todd Scott