Tis the season to get scared. Halloween is a time we get weird and spooky. Some folks are not into the scary stuff. No ghosts. No zombies. No vampires. No werewolves.

Sitting in a Tribal Council discussion over changes in educational funding policy got me thinking.

I live in Murphy and am an avid mountain biker.

Comet Financial Intelligence’s website (www.cometfi.com) has a ticker that updates every few seconds showing the total student loan debt for Americans.  As of the publishing of this commentary, it is $1,434,353,722,910…it’s probably thousands or millions of dollars more by the time you’re reading this.  The website reports that the average student loan debt in America is $37,172 with an average $393 monthly payment. 

As a newspaper editor, I (along with the editorial board) concern myself with balancing the need, the right, of our people to express themselves through their opinions and comments to the news of the day and protecting the public from inappropriate expressions of hate.

For many years among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, being gay, lesbian or transgender was something that was either hidden or something that wasn’t discussed. There was a stigma attached to it, and many just don’t want to discuss it. One organization on the Boundary hopes to change that.

While covering the Junior Miss Cherokee pageant during the 106th Cherokee Indian Fair, I witnessed a young lady display exemplary bravery and conquer a fear millions like her, including myself, have – public speaking due to stuttering.

There’s an amendment on your ballot (North Carolina state election) that would require everyone to have a photo ID in order to vote.  Sound like a good idea?  It’s not.  If you vote for this, you’re buying “a pig in a poke.”