Opinion

Berryville boys basketball coach Brent Compton wants his team’s full focus on its next opponent, whoever that might be. That’s not a cliche. It’s a fact of life for any successful coach. Overlooking an opponent can get you beat. As an interested observer, however, I can look ahead a little bit. And when I look ahead, I see this Berryville team making a big postseason push...

Over the past two weeks, I’ve written about my recent encounter with the COVID-19 pandemic, being identified as a close contact and having to quarantine for most of a week. At first, I was more than a little concerned — even though I’m vaccinated — but as the days wore on and I had no symptoms, the worry faded to the background. It was still there, but I was pretty well convinced that I didn’t catch the dreaded virus...

I’m grateful for everyone who reads this column each week, but over the years one reader has been a special one. Of course, Mary Ann Bell was more than just a reader. When I came to Berryville in 2014, Mary Ann’s husband, David, was one of the first people to go out of his way to make me feel welcome...

It’s kind of amazing how perspective changes everything.  Three years ago, the prospect of not leaving the house for an entire week — even if I had to work — would have been met with cheers and exultations.  This year, a week at home, while still somewhat enjoyable, has seemed endless...

A s I write this column, on Thursday, Dec. 30, it’s a bittersweet day for me professionally and personally. Earlier today, Samantha Jones left our office in Berryville for the final time. Sam is leaving for an exciting opportunity, and I’m happy for her, but I feel a little lost already...

I had occasion to travel south over the long holiday weekend. As it turned out, maybe I should’ve stayed home My trip carried me diagonally across the state, down U.S. 65 to Conway, then on through Little Rock. When I left Berryville, it was a bright, sunny day. By the time I got a few counties south, I could barely see the road. A thick fog covered everything, limiting visibility to only a few feet past my windshield...

As 2021’s final days wind down, it’s a good time to reflect on what’s happened over the past year and to look forward to 2022. It’s no secret that 2021 has been a difficult year in many respects. The specter of COVID-19 that arrived in early 2020 is still around, as are the same tired political arguments over the virus and how best to fight it. ...

Seven years ago, I wrote my first column for Carroll County News. It was the first of many, and I rarely skipped a week. According to very rudimentary math, I’ve written more than 250 columns since that first one in 2014. And today, I write my last...

I turned 50 last week. That’s a milestone. Heck, that’s half a century. Thing is, I don’t feel 50. My knees might disagree, but my brain still thinks I’m in my 20s and my sense of humor — well, let’s just say my jokes would go over quite well in a middle school classroom...