Opinion

With our own city council vote taking place and the Atlanta mayoral race just up the interstate, many Lamar County residents were not paying attention to the heated gubernatorial races across the country. To recap, there were some heavy hitting elections at hand.

Republican Chris Christie beat incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey while Republican Bob McDonnell trounced Democrat Creigh Deeds in Virginia. Democrats also prevented a shut-out by winning an upstate New York congressional seat. [Full Story »] 

By State Senator Ronnie Chance

Georgia is open for business and will remain that way as long as we don’t raise taxes. During times of economic downturns and declining revenues, you will hear a variety of suggestions on how to turn around the economy. These suggestions can be as reasonable as tax incentives for job growth or as outlandish as raising taxes on struggling businesses and families. Raising taxes in Georgia is not an option. Georgia is poised for an economic turn-around utilizing free-market principles.

Companies want to locate where taxes are low. Georgia has one of the lowest corporate income tax rates, ranking 42nd in the nation according to Georgia State University’s Fiscal Research Center. Georgia also ranks 35th in the nation on total per person tax burden, making jobs more attractive. By maintaining these low taxes, Georgia is attracting companies, growing jobs and turning around our economy. Over the next five years, our state should see growth of more than 22,000 jobs and investments over $560 million from companies relocating to Georgia. For example, NCR Corporation announced earlier this summer that is has selected Duluth, GA for its worldwide headquarters campus and Columbus, GA for a new North American manufacturing plant, bringing 2,000 additional jobs. Last year, NCR expanded services in Peachtree City investing over $15 million and creating 560 new jobs. Others companies locating in Georgia include: [Full Story »] 

The following letter read on Glenn Beck's show, is rapidly circulating around the country via Internet and email. Americans everywhere are identifying with this 53-year-old woman and finding a personal voice in her words. (letter after the jump) [Full Story »] 

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is expected to unveil a house bill this morning that will require nearly all Americans sign up by 2013 for health insurance through their employer, a government program or a new kind of purchasing pool called an exchange.

Pelosi, D-Calif., wants to have the legislation on the floor next week, with a final vote before Veterans Day, Nov. 11, that would give President Obama a bill to sign by year's end. [Full Story »] 

The Northwest Pilots who overshot a Minnesota runway by 150 miles last week told investigators they were using their personal laptops in the cockpit, a violation of company policy, according to a National Transportation Safety Board advisory.

For clarification, let's restate that. The Northwest Pilots who OVERSHOT a Minnesota runway by 150 MILES last week told investigators they were using their personal laptops in the cockpit, a VIOLATION OF COMPANY POLICY, according to a National Transportation Safety Board advisory. [Full Story »] 

As Democrats defend President Obama's decision to take his time and carefully consider conflicting strategy proposals from top advisers, Republican senators say the clock is ticking -- with allied forces continuing to suffer casualties in part because they lack reinforcements.

Republicans who want to support President Obama's war strategy in Afghanistan expressed concern Sunday that the president could miss a key opportunity to gain the upper hand on the growing insurgency by waiting too long to grant a request for thousands for more U.S. troops. [Full Story »] 

Purchased by Gideon Barnes in 1826, the city of Barnesville has a rich legacy of agriculture, industry and quality of life.

It has been the home of numerous factories and businesses as well as the stomping grounds for some of the Southeast's most successful people. [Full Story »] 

I boarded the train as I did everyday. 7:30 a.m. Northbound on the J from Gates Avenue to Canal Street. The train limped along its tracks ultimately stopping short of the Manhattan Bridge.

The voice came over the loudspeaker warning us that do to some "unidentified activity" we were going to have to stop until the line was cleared.

We all sat there nervously flicking through our dailies, playing Solitaire on our phones and using feigned conversation to mask our nervousness.

I thought back to 9/11 when the trains stopped moving and we were held across the water suspended on the elevated tracks just in time to see our city being burned down building by building.

And at that moment I realized that even in places of relative peace, we live in a time of war. [Full Story »] 

School lunches need more fruits, veggies and whole grains and a limit on calories, says a report urging an update conducted by The Institute of Medicine (part of the National Academies) of the nation's 14-year-old standards for cafeteria fare.

But the changes won't come cheaply.

Schools can't put just anything on a kid's lunch tray. They must follow federal standards, because the government's school lunch program subsidizes lunch and breakfast for needy kids in nearly every public school and many private ones. [Full Story »] 

This weekend "Where the Wild Things Are" proved a bigger hit with adult audiences than family crowds as the adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book debuted at No. 1 with $32.5 million.

Perhaps it was because the movie-going adults fondly remember '...Wild Things...' from their childhood as it was originally published in 1963 making the primary (and rather nostalgic) audience to be roughly 40 - 45 years old. [Full Story »] 

No one was exempt from the story that seemed to captivate America between 2 p.m. EST and 5 p.m. concerning one little boy and a homemade "balloon," of sorts.

Falcon Heene, a 6-year-old Colorado boy, was thought to have floated off in a homemade balloon - an episode that has now raised question as to whether it might have been an elaborate attention-getting family stunt. [Full Story »] 

The Social Security Administration makes it official today: There will be no cost of living increase for Social Security recipients next year, the first year without one since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.

The announcement comes as President Obama and key members of Congress call for a second round of $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors, veterans, retired railroad workers and people with disabilities. [Full Story »]