Last Friday, my mom celebrated her 50th birthday. Let me tell you something about my mom –– she is not the kind of person you can fool easily. She loves figuring out planned surprises before they happen. One year, she figured out that the Christmas presents were being kept in the trunk of her family’s car. So of course she waited until her parents were asleep, popped open the trunk, opened all her gifts, rewrapped them and snuck back into the house...

A recent visitor to my office wanted to talk about the drug problem in Carroll County and how it impacts almost every facet of life here. I knew that drugs are an issue here. Sadly, it seems they are an issue almost everywhere these days — even in a beautiful county like ours where things seem quiet and peaceful most of the time. Still, I had never really thought about all the ways that drug abuse affects all of us, every day...

Regular readers of this column know I am a Survivor super fan. Yes, that show is still on. And this Wednesday marks a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans –– it is the premiere of Season 40: Winners at War. For the first and probably last time, 20 winners will compete for a record $2 million. ...

On Feb. 11, the Eureka Springs Planning Commission approved plans for a Sonic at the corner of 62 & 23 South. This was done without the required legal advertising and posting on the property. This was also done without the Commission considering all...