Correction: An earlier version of this column incorrectly reported that Councilman Frederick Foster represents Ward 4. He represents Ward 6. BY MIKE FUHRMAN If you were expecting – or hoping

BY AMY FREEZE Fifth Street Ministries saw growing needs, change and so much community support in 2021! In 2021, Fifth Street’s emergency shelter provided 8417 nights for 131 men, women

BY MIKE FUHRMAN As we mark our sixth anniversary today, I want to take the opportunity to thank our readers and advertising partners for your continuing support of Iredell Free

BY BLAKE PALMER A conservative governing philosophy encompasses fiscal discipline. Such self-restraint has eluded our Board of Commissioners, which has engaged in reckless spending that has led to a ballooning

BY MIKE FUHRMAN Too many Iredell County residents continue to be admitted to the hospital — and far too many are dying — after testing positive for COVID-19. During the

BY JEFF JAMES Like many of you, I hoped that 2022 would see an end COVID-19, and all of its variants would be subsiding. That has not happened, and just

BY JOSEPH GLASGOW The Statesville City Council should create an Office of Public Integrity to ensure that city officials act in the public’s interest. It is quite evident that ethics

If you woke up in Iredell County today, Merry Christmas! We are all fortunate to live in such a caring and giving community. Here’s a list of Christmas blessings: We

BY NELSON GRANADE As we enter the Christmas season, you can just feel the excitement in the air. Children smile a bit wider. Holiday lights take over the dark winter

  BY MIKE FUHRMAN Years from now, when the history of the COVID-19 pandemic is written, the scientists who developed the vaccines and the frontline healthcare workers who risked their

BY JOHN A. FRALEY Throughout my career in the private sector as well as during my service as a member of the N.C. House of Representatives, I have witnessed firsthand

  BY KEN ROBERTSON JR. There are moments in our lives when we see or hear something that has a profound impact on how we think, and more importantly, how

TO THE EDITOR: Our city hall has conceived a 2045 Land Development Plan which will direct growth in our town for the next two decades. The new plan, created behind

BY JOSEPH GLASGOW Homelessness and hunger are colossal problems in America. No one should have to worry about whether they will have food on their plate or a roof over

BY DAVID L. PRESSLY JR. In the fall of 2019, the City of Statesville Planning Department requested proposals from qualified planning firms to update the city’s land development plan. City

BY AMY FREEZE Saturday, November 13, marked the beginning of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. In the United States, 44 million people are at risk of suffering from hunger while

BY NELSON GRANADE We all have heard the following quote from Mr. Rogers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would

BY KEN ROBERTSON  I am old enough to remember Ronald Regan’s presidency. I recall being surprised the media presented the news as if Reagan personally set the price of gasoline.

BY BLAKE PALMER The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education is currently engaged in a redistricting effort with the goal of passing a new district map by November 1. The Board

BY DARREN CAMPBELL Vince Lombardi once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we

Dear Elected Officials: I am a retired Army LTC with 22 years of service. I speak from experience. During my entire career, I was held accountable for every penny’s worth

BY KRISTIE DARLING If you’re ready to laugh your butt off (and who isn’t these days), run — do not walk — to get your tickets for the Sharpe House

BY STEPHEN MAUNEY Recently, the Moorsville Graded School District sent out surveys to our students that created a fair amount of chatter on social media. As the superintendent of schools,

An understanding of gentrification and its impact on communities should guide local policies and decisions BY JOSEPH GLASGOW The term “gentrification” was coined in the 1960s by sociologist Ruth Glass,

Dear Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education: Thank you for the job you do for our local school system and our students. Thank you for prioritizing in-person education over the past

BY DARREN CAMPBELL Psychologist Abraham Maslow described a hierarchy of needs common to all human beings. This hierarchy demonstrates that some basic needs must be met before children can focus

 BY MIKE FUHRMAN The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education is running out of time. The new school year starts on Monday for most I-SS schools — the district’s early college

To the Editor: We Need Your Help! Aftershock Youth Empowerment is a bullying prevention and intervention services nonprofit organization located in Harmony. Our mission is to create and maintain stress-free

BY JANE HINSON I know that there is not a person reading this viewpoint that isn’t sick and tired of hearing about COVID-19. I get it. We all feel that

BY JENNY MEDLEN School districts should require masks indoors for all students and staff in elementary and middle schools. Sure, these words are from the N.C. Department of Health and

BY KARISSA MILLER I recently disconnected from daily life and lived on the Idaho Main Salmon River for six days. My husband and I, along with 22 other people, ditched

BY DARREN CAMPBELL One of my primary directives to the deputies, detention officers, and staff members of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office is to be citizen-focused and responsive to all

BY KRISTIE DARLING Theatre in the manner of Shakespeare in the Park has always been a favorite of mine, and over the years I’ve had the pleasure to see many

BY JOSEPH GLASGOW The recent drive-by shooting of 8-year-old Ah’Miyahh Howell highlights need for fresh approach to improve opportunities in Statesville’s Southside community. The Southside community is known by many

BY JEFF JAMES Summer reading camps have been around for many years. Typically, Iredell-Statesville Schools works within our district and also with agencies across the county to provide reading opportunities

BY GOV. ROY COOPER Hugging our friends. Cheering on our local sports team in person. Eating indoors at our favorite restaurant after months of take-out. We’re now able to do