Opinion

It’s been a busy past week in the Loftis household and things aren’t likely to settle down much over the next few weeks. But I’m not complaining. Those of you who read the most recent ramblings in this space know that I planned to marry my sweetheart, Lisa, sometime last week. ...

Every two weeks, usually on Thursday, Gideon and I venture to Bentonville for date night. Date night on a Thursday, you ask? I’ll explain. We kick things off on the drive itself, listening to my “Likes” playlist on Youtube Music. Every week when writing stories, I listen to Youtube Music’s “Discovery Mix” to hear new tunes — new to me, that is. The songs range in genre and release date...

I moved into a new home a little more than a year ago, thinking at the time that it was much more space than I really needed. I had planned on buying a smaller house, but I fell in love with this one the first time I saw it and a low interest rate made it affordable...

This Thanksgiving, we have a special feature in Carroll County News. I spent much of last week calling local nonprofit leaders asking what they are most thankful for this year, and the responses reminded me why I’m so thankful to live and work in our wonderful community...

W hen you move into a new home, you’re preoccupied with a bunch of general stressors: moving the boxes, unpacking the boxes and finding someone to take all the broken-down boxes that now reside on your back deck. It mostly has to do with boxes. At least, that’s what I thought the first few months after moving in...

A s the dreary economic news continues, the needs in our communities become ever more obvious. Friends and neighbors struggle to make ends meet. Local businesses face tough financial decisions. Our charitable organizations scramble to serve more people on fewer dollars. ...

Veterans Day always leaves me in a contemplative mood. Growing up in a house with my grandfather, a World War II veteran and longtime member of the VFW, I don’t remember a time when I haven’t attended a Veterans Day ceremony somewhere. Most follow the same format, featuring some sort of parade, a few speakers, a rifle salute and scores of people all ages, gathered to pay tribute to those who served — and still serve — our great nation...

The debate rages on day after day, week after week, year after year. Gideon and I watched a variation of it on an early episode of How I Met Your Mother last night. Ted calls his girlfriend Victoria and asks if she likes cats. She says she does. Ted loses his mind — this must mean she hates dogs, right? What kind of person hates dogs? Can a dog person even exist in the same vicinity as a cat person? Wouldn’t they implode within five feet of each other?...

I’ve never lived very far from the water. I grew up in the Missouri Delta, where the mighty Mississippi takes a slightly more docile turn, spreading out a bit and taking things a bit slower than it does farther north. As a child, I swam in its water, caught fish from its depths and watched as tugboats pushed long strings of barges up and down the silver road that stretched off into imagination...

Have you ever had a day where everything lines up just right? The kind of day where the weather is perfect and you don’t have to wait in line for anything? If you ask me, not waiting in line is the recipe for a perfect day. When you throw in a few other ingredients — like good friends and a steal of a deal at Goodwill — that’s the cherry on top...

Trick-or-treat is basically a pint-sized protection racket. When organized crime does it, it’s illegal. When kids do it, it’s holiday fun.

In some ways, I’m still a relative newcomer to Berryville and Carroll County. Although I’ve been here seven years now, the new hasn’t really worn off. Having lived in some not-so-prosperous and not-so-beautiful parts of Arkansas, I still appreciate the opportunity to live and work in such a beautiful place that has a real spirit of community...

Samantha Jones' weekly column gets hijacked by her cat, Ghoulie.

Dear Editor, As someone who moved to Berryville as a child in the late ’60s, I consider myself practically a native of Berryville. The library was a cool place to hang out with my friend Judith Byler. Since her family owned Huer’s shoe store on the square, the library was just a couple doors down and we would hang out and get lost in the shelves of children’s books. ...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so it’s fitting that it marks a major milestone for me. In October 2013 — eight years and a lifetime ago — I broke free from an abusive relationship. We were together nearly four years. The abuse started from the beginning, but I couldn’t see it until we mutually ended things...

A couple years ago, I had a difficult assignment. On the surface, it wasn’t that much different than most. A local group was having a gathering, presenting some awards and doing various other things that usually get some space in the newspaper. I knew what to expect. Or, at least, I thought I did...

Dear Editor, Keeping with the theme for this year’s National Friends of the Library Week, I would like to extend a heartfelt greeting to the entire Berryville community by saying, “Welcome To Your Library.” This greeting carries even more weight given the recent issues we have all faced on a national scale. In a time when one could inadvertently get lost in the noise, it’s good to have a semblance of home. That is what the Berryville Public Library is to our community, past, present and future...

It’s that time of the year again, when ghosts and ghouls adorn front porches and Sam’s Club sells pumpkins the size of Kim K.’s backside. October means celebrating all things spooky, whether you’re into telling ghost stories around the campfire or streaming a classic horror film like Halloween or Friday the 13th...

I bought a hairbrush last week. For most who know me — or anyone who’s seen my picture — that makes about as much sense as buying a toothbrush for a chicken, but I had good reason. Let me explain … but first, a little background. For the past several years, I’ve been a member of Heroes for Kids, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that uses cosplay and pop culture as a means to raise money for various organizations such as children’s hospitals and veterans organizations, while also working to introduce children to those the group considers to be real heroes — first responders, law enforcement and military service members.. ...

Another year, another birthday. Except this year, it’s a milestone birthday. I’ll celebrate 30 years of living on Friday, Oct. 8. Gideon and I have plans — some of which he won’t reveal — but right now, my biggest plan is to reflect on the past 30 years and everything I’ve learned about myself, other people and how to navigate this chaotic world around us...

O ver the course of 32 years in the newspaper business, I’ve worked with and for a lot of people. I’ve had great bosses and I’ve had horrible bosses. I’ve never had a better boss than Bob Moore. That’s why it’s going to be a bittersweet week around here as Bob counts down the last few days until his retirement at the end of the day Friday...

Everybody at Carroll County News has their Bob story. After all, Bob Moore is so much more than our boss. He’s an avid hiker, proud husband, loving father and grandfather, quick-witted storyteller and a big fan of all things martial arts. I can’t count how many times we’ve been talking and I forgot I was talking to my boss...

Over the past few years, I’ve become notorious for my early bedtime. I tend to head toward my bedroom around 7 p.m., if not earlier, with two or three bottles of water in hand and a couple of fairly large dogs in tow. Now, that doesn’t mean I go to sleep at 7 p.m. ...

Two years ago, I was happy. I was living in Missouri, my home state, in a town that was finally starting to feel like home. No one had told me, “Go back where you came from” for two years. The fact that I was born less an hour away made that funnier to me than hurtful...

Two weeks ago, my best friend Stephanie asked if I could take some photos for her. I’m always up for practicing photography, so I would have said yes no matter the assignment. But this particular photoshoot was special. Life changing. A day I’ll remember until my last day...

Mondays are busy days in the Carroll County Newspapers newsroom, and today is no exception. A lot goes into producing a newspaper on deadline, especially one with a full-time staff of three people. But in between writing stories and toning photos and proofreading pages today, I’m also trying to take a little time to enjoy my birthday and count my blessings...

Regular readers of this column know I’m obsessed with horror movies. These days, I have a companion for most every movie I want to see. Gideon is truly the best. It’s nice to have him there, but sometimes I miss going to the movie theater alone. For most of high school and college, I was a solo moviegoer. ...