Only about 6 percent of the $800 billion stimulus package has been spent so far and that's probably a good thing. Yet, the Obama Administration is already starting to claim victory for an economy they say is turning around. To get an idea of how this will play out one needs only look at the tobacco settlement money. ... more

As much as the thought pains me, it seems only right to advocate something that's come to an end on the Marshall County Courthouse grounds, encircled by Lewisburg's public square. Courtney, the courthouse cat, has been neutered. Tribune readers may remember that several of the ladies who work at the Courthouse noticed that a black and white cat had been roaming the grounds during the dead of winter. ... more

Some of the most famous news photos include raising the flag at Iwo Jima, the sailor kissing the nurse when the war ended, and the man examining a ballot in Florida, looking closely at the now infamous hanging chad. The photo on the subject of voting doesn't have the excitement of victory in war, but it's part of our American way of life and it's frequently identified as one of the freedoms we have because our military service men and women are willing to sacrifice for it... more

Practically everybody likes to gripe about government and here in Lewisburg there's a city election on Tuesday. Early voting ended yesterday. Your Constitutionally guaranteed right to do something about your gripe comes again on Tuesday. 
According to a cursory examination of early voter turnout and a comparison to similar turnout four years ago, it's entirely possible that there will be fewer people voting in this city election compared to the number who voted in the similar race four years ago.
So, as the saying goes, if you don't vote, you really don't have any standing to gripe about City Hall.
Our recommendation is that city residents go to the polls Tuesday and exercise their right to vote. ... more

In a speech last week, Vice President Joe Biden said, "If you add the actual price of oil, it's probably $10 more a barrel just by the military we have to provide to be able to ensure those oil lanes stay open." Biden was talking about the Middle East and he argued we wouldn't have nearly the troops stationed over there were it not for oil. ... more

For decades, the common wisdom has been that's it good to own a home. Tax laws have been structured to encourage home buying. (Owners get tax deductions on their mortgage interest.) The net result was that by 2004 about 70 percent of Americans owned their own homes. But, there is such a thing as turning virtue into vice... more

The Tax Day Tea Parties have come and gone. What were they really about, again? A so-called "collaborative, grassroots effort," the tax-day parties were designed to give Americans a chance to voice displeasure with the stimulus bill, the budget and general unhappiness with the state of affairs in Washington... more

Have you heard your child or child's teacher talk about Tennessee Standards of Learning? Did you wonder what all the fuss was about? Why does your child learn certain things in each grade? Last month in The Chalkboard we outlined the mission of Marshall County School District. Today, we will focus on the standards movement in public education... more

A chain of events last month in Lewisburg might appear to justify the city's purchase of stun guns for the Police Department. This is no more than an observation because the police chief has a valid reason to hesitate before requesting Tasers, the brand-name stun guns that Chapel Hill recently purchased... more

Petersburg has had more than its fair share of controversy lately, but amid the hue and cry of last week's Town Board meeting there was a story of compassion and how the former mayor took care of his town. It became a topic of public discussion because of a $300 invoice from one of the town's contractors. It's not been paid yet because the town's consulting engineer offered to speak with the contractor who submitted the bill... more

Given the condition of the economy and hearing on TV newscasts about newspapers closing, it's not surprising that people ask about the stability of the Marshall County Tribune, your hometown newspaper delivering news, advertisements and general information twice a week... more

In what could be a pivotal year for the Tennessee Walking Horse industry, optimism could turn to pessimism. The United States Department of Agriculture has implemented changes in the way the Horse Protection Act will be enforced for the 2009 season. Several meetings have been held since the first of the year to explain the changes... more

Marshall County, like many other small communities in the United States, is facing many changes in our public schools over the next few years. We want the best for our children. Marshall County needs to attract new businesses to replace lost jobs, and nothing is more enticing than a great school system. ... more

The pending sale of Marshall County's old Connely School building reminds me of how other communities have turned what could arguably be called a white elephant into a cash cow with varying degrees of success. By now Marshal County residents have probably realized that what had been a high school and then a junior high on 5th Avenue in Lewisburg is going to be sold at auction to the highest bidder two weeks from today... more

A Petersburg man took a strong stand last week on government-funded insulation of houses available for rent here and elsewhere by making the following qualified statements. If the landlord has got the money to insulate the house, why are we spending federal money to help "deadbeat" landlords? We all know the efficiency of the federal government... more

Federal union bill would hurt Tennessee's small businesses By JIM BROWN Unions haven't been an issue in Tennessee, but that would change overnight if Congress passes a bill making it easier for unions to organize. It wouldn't matter that we're a right-to-work state with one of the lowest union membership rates in the country--5.5 percent, according to the latest federal figures... more

When there's a difference of opinion about who should run this country and what they should be doing, I wonder about world affairs and ask myself, "What I would have done about the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001?" Then a re-write of the Beach Boys' song "Barbara Ann" invades my mind. John McCain even used the phrases during his campaign for the White House: "Bomb, bomb, bomb... Bomb, bomb Iran." The senator indicated it might be in defense of Israel... more

Everyone knows that recycling is a great thing, right? The municipalities, who jumped on recycling when the prices for plastic, cardboard, etc. were high, are now wondering what to do with the stuff that their citizens are so conscientiously collecting and putting out for curbside pickup... more

Imagine our surprise when Chapel Hill Mayor Carl Cooper told the assembled crowd in his town's meeting room that anything he might read in the daily newspaper from Nashville could be obtained for free on TV. In context, and to be fair to journalists in "a municipality north of here," Mayor Cooper was talking about recycling and how to reduce solid waste. We were at a public hearing to help develop a plan on what to do when Cedar Ridge Landfill closes... more

In the final few days of 2008, our state made history. And it wasn't good history. A massive coal sludge spill dumped more than a billion gallons of waste into an east Tennessee development and damaged several homes about a half-hour drive west of Knoxville... more