BY ERIC TODD SCOTT SR. The “book-banning mommas” in our community and elsewhere are consciously ignorant in their thinking. They say they are Christians, but remind me of Hitler’s Nazi

Editor’s Note: This viewpoint was presented during a recent Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education meeting. BY ARYA MEHTA I want all of you, real quick, to think of yourself when

To the Editor: I’m writing this in the hope that many will read it and respond appropriately. The N.C. General Assembly is still working on the State Budget that was

BY CHARLES ASHE The Full Bloom Film Festival is unique. We pour our hearts and souls into this event each year. A special thank you to Downtown Statesville for embracing

To the Editor: On Tuesday, September 12, at 6 p.m. a pseudo town hall meeting is planned at Statesville City Hall. This meeting was requested by community members in Ward

BY MIKE FUHRMAN If Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education Vice Chairman Mike Kubiniec has any ideas for improving educational outcomes for students, he’s yet to share them with his fellow

BY AMANDA CALDWELL The 2023 Full Bloom Film Festival is close at hand, and the tireless efforts of each of the FBFF committees will culminate in a stellar event for

BY SALLY NIX It is increasingly common to see ribbons and wristbands of every color symbolizing various health initiatives. September serves as the cancer awareness month for childhood cancer, ovarian

To the Editor: I am a super senior a the CCTL early college in Statesville. For my graduation project, I decided to place two hand-built dog treat boxes at Stumpy

BY BRUCE A. JOHNSON Nearly three years ago, I was sworn in as a member of the Board of Commissioners for the Statesville Housing Authority (SHA) and the Iredell Statesville

BY MIKE FUHRMAN Less than a year after being elected to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education, Mike Kubiniec has certainly distinguished himself. In my opinion — and I’ve only

BY DALE GOWING After decades in the newspaper business, I’m seeing the English language through a refocused lens. Call it journalism vs. survival English. The former is that process I

To the Editor: Thank you for publishing the beautiful piece Ms. Gatton wrote about her foster dog Khal. (Viewpoint: There’s nothing special about this absolutely amazing pup.) It’s folks like

BY JAIME GATTON He’s a mutt. There’s nothing special about him. But just hours before being scheduled for euthanasia because of sudden overcrowding at a South Carolina shelter, Khal lucked

BY JESSICA SMITH Five years ago, we began to see dramatic increases in the presentation of serious mental health issues in our students. The Iredell-Statesville Schools Student Services Department staff

To all taxpayers and state and federal government elected officials: I am writing this letter in response to the recent news that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

BY HANNAH BRAWLEY All too often, all we talk about in regards to the public school system are negative things. While there are a plethora of things that need to

Editor’s Note: Statesville High School students wrote the following letters to Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education members in response to an Iredell Free News investigation detailing the board’s secret meetings

To the Editor: If Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education member Anita Kurn thinks that adding fight classes at Statesville High School will solve the discipline problems there, we should all

To the Editor: “Oh, bless your heart.” That is the response I often get when I tell people where I work. While I am thankful for the sentiment, I would

BY BETH KENDALL There was an accident, so traffic was at a standstill. The gravitational pull of the moon causes the tides of the ocean. I stuck to a training

To the Editor: After reading the text messages exchanged between members of the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education, I would like to say that I am highly disappointed in the

“Suggesting that student violence be encouraged and used for profit is not funny. It is a ‘joke’ of the worst kind — one that devalues human life and reveals your

BY BECKY WAGNER What profession provides world-class care and is considered the most honest and ethical profession? Individuals working in this career field can walk an average of 4 to

BY SHELLIE TAYLOR The study at the Green Street Cemetery in Statesville has been one of the most important and rewarding projects I have ever been involved with. Last year,

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