Opinion

One of my favorite events each year is the annual Arkansas Press Association convention. It’s a chance to see old friends, learn more about our industry and enjoy some good-natured competition for awards.

If the debt-ridden federal government were to pay $55 million a year less for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Arkansas, could the surplus-running state government make up the difference? And would it?

The number of Arkansas families applying for LEARNS Act state funding for private or homeschooling expenses has more than tripled — so far.

I’m grateful every day for two groups of people — our veterans and active military personnel and our law enforcement officers.

Social Security has been called the “third rail” of American politics in reference to the electrified rail in a subway system: Touch it, and you die. In a recent interview with Talk Business & Politics, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., at least talked about touching it.

I’ve lived in Carroll County for about 11 years now (I started work at the newspaper on June 23, 2014), and I’m still amazed at the way our community supports one another — and at the number of worthwhile events that happen here.

Editor’s Note: This column was originally published in 2020. I share it this week since Father’s Day is Sunday, June 15, and I remain immensely proud of my sons and my grandsons. I’ve updated things just a bit over the past couple of years.

There’s a well-known Jerry Seinfeld bit where the comedian says it’s hard to justify loyalty to a particular sports team because players constantly change. In a monologue included in his television show, he said, “You’re actually rooting for the clothes. … You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city.”