by design | Jul 6, 2026 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly In another long-ago lifetime, I was a daily blogger for the local newspaper, along with writing a weekly column much like this one. The task was to write commentaries each week on various happenings in the daily world of sports I thought might be of...
by design | Jul 5, 2026 | Columnist, Hunley, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Steve Hunley “Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms...
by design | Jul 5, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Joseph Irwin France was not at all a conventional politician, especially for his time. Depending upon one’s point of view, France could be seen as either a visionary or an eccentric. Senator France was adamantly against ratifying the Treaty of Versailles,...
by design | Jun 29, 2026 | Columnist, Pratt
By Justin Pratt, Clear Springs Baptist Church Senior Pastor As America approaches the 250th anniversary of its independence, we stand at a remarkable moment in history. No nation has experienced the blessings, opportunities, freedoms and influence that the...
by design | Jun 29, 2026 | Columnist, Nagi
By Mark Nagi So, here’s the thing about sports… there are many reasons not to like them. Tickets are too expensive. Traffic is too bothersome. Fans are drunkards. But every now and then, something comes around that makes us realize why sports are incredible...
by design | Jun 29, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector Last Friday, I finally attended my first Smokies ballgame at the new complex. To say the experience was a good one is to understate the case. I was amazed at the new facility, its spaciousness, cleanliness, friendly employees, and food and drink...
