Local government meetings can get pretty dull when the one issue you really care about isn’t on the agenda. The only people who show up to every meeting are the council members, the government staff and the reporters. And people like Billy Barfield. more

The latest Global Competitiveness Report offered another clear sign of the United States’ roaring economy as the U.S. regained the top spot as the world’s most competitive country for the first … more

This season’s flu is expected to be less severe than the previous one, but that’s not saying much. Nationwide, there were more than 80,000 flu-related deaths during the 2017-18 flu season, the … more

We are encouraging prayer to whatever higher power one might call on — prayer for the family and friends of a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper shot and killed last week while conducting a traffic stop … more

Andrew Craig Brunson, an evangelical Christian pastor from Black Mountain who had been jailed in Turkey, came home over the weekend. Following pressure from the U.S. government, including … more

A distracted motorist is a dangerous motorist, and in today’s busy, high-tech world there are dozens of ways those behind the wheel of a vehicle can have their attention steered away from the road. … more

The people, not the politicians, are the intended governors. The people govern by electing representatives to manage our civic affairs. When the people do not vote or when the impact of voting is … more

Dunn suffered a loss with the death Saturday of Billy Barfield. Mr. Barfield was 79, but you couldn’t tell it with the amount of service he performed, service he performed for others. First and … more

It’s sorely tempting to criticize Harnett Central High School Principal Cindy Gordon after she reportedly kicked a student out of a football game for wearing a Donald Trump shirt. But examining … more