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Today's Opinions

  • Firefighters help each other when needed

    One group of volunteers always ready to help each other are firefighters.
    Since many of our fire departments are located in rural communities they often call for mutual aid from departments near their area.
    Unfortunately this wasn’t the case in DeKalb County, Ga., when a house recently caught fire.

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  • Love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation

    Gov. Bob McDonnell  marked the start of National Tourism Week by touting the $19 billion economic impact of Virginia’s tourism industry and encouraging Virginians to visit www.Virginia.org to start planning a Virginia vacation for their family this summer.

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  • Reader says sodium fluoride is a ‘poison’

    Before contaminating the Independence public water supply with sodium fluoride, please, dear public, investigate the precautions and dangers associated with this very questionable substance.
    A bit of research will reveal that sodium fluoride, a by-product of the munitions industry after WW II, is a known toxin to humans.
    Its use in the public water supply has actually been linked to an increase in hip fractures and osteoporosis, cancers, and genetic damage. Sodium fluoride inhibits the enzyme systems in the body and damages the immune system.

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  • Get Congress out of the post office

    Lawmakers seem to specialize in providing short-term fixes to long-term problems. So it’s no surprise that members of the U.S. Senate would approve a plan, as they did last week, to put off painful choices and keep the U.S. Postal Service afloat for a few more years.
    The proposal heads to the House of Representatives, where certain members have made clear they have no intention of lending their support. That’s unfortunate, though not surprising given that Congress itself is largely to blame for the current mess.

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  • No Distractions

    Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America’s roadways. In 2010 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
    Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:
    • Texting
    • Using a cell phone or smartphone
    • Eating and drinking
    • Talking to passengers

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  • It’s our job to print the news

    Sometimes people complain about stories that appear in The Declaration.
    I would like nothing better than to publish just the good news but unfortunately, it’s our job to print all the news.
    I certainly don’t enjoy going to a bad accident where someone is seriously injured or killed or to watch someone’s home burn to the ground.
    We also print indictments returned by a grand jury. We don’t say the person is guilty, only that they were indicted.

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  • Mother requests prayer

    I want to thank every person who has read my letters about my son, Tim Shatley’s murder and said a prayer for me and my family.
    I am quitting my search for answers at the direction of God. No, he didn’t speak to me in an audible voice but in my heart through a message at church that God gave my pastor to deliver.
    It was about the walls of Jericho and how they came tumbling down after God led Joshua and the men to march seven times around.

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  • Stewardship participants, supporters thanked

    I am delighted to announce that we have 22 projects (and 48 students) for our upcoming Land Stewardship Competition sponsored by Grayson LandCare. The competition, now in its 5th year, will be held at the 1908 Courthouse on Saturday April 14. The public is invited to come view the projects from 11:45-12:30 and then attend the awards ceremony in the auditorium at 12:30.

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