Dipping into the what-on-earth-were-they-thinking file, drawn from some recent stories that made headlines in North Carolina and elsewhere: - Grades for money. Goldsboro Middle School didn't have much luck with last year's chocolate fundraiser, so th ...Read More

Data supports use of mammograms I am a radiologist in Salisbury and see directly the benefits of regular mammography as recommended by the American Cancer Society and American College of Radiology based on extensive data accumulated over many years. ...Read More

By David Setzer For the Salisbury Post The celebration Tuesday evening of the Salisbury Community Foundation's 65 years of "Inspiring Philanthropy" was indeed inspiring and a remarkable exposition of the spirit of giving and love of community that ma ...Read More

Oh, dear. Do we have a county commissioner who's "going rogue" and not following the niceties of protocol, a la former VP candidate Sarah Palin and her outspoken refusal to kowtow to the chain of command during the presidential race? Apparently so — ...Read More

Fort Hood and the dangers of political correctness The Fort Hood massacre was long in coming. In fact, Americans should not be surprised at the chain of events that offered a jihadist the opportunity to murder so many soldiers. This is not the first ...Read More

The nearly simultaneous resignation of the area's top two law enforcers this week will give the public an opportunity soon to realize how differently North Carolinians choose sheriffs and police chiefs — one by election and the other by selection. B ...Read More

Proud to support North Rowan High We have been associated with the North Rowan schools for 11 years. I have yet to witness a fight or disruption in any event. The kids are in competition among themselves to do their best or better than their classmat ...Read More

Growling stomachs The U.S. Department of Agriculture has coined a phrase for a condition more and more families are encountering: "food insecurity." That's what they call it when you don't have enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle. The portio ...Read More

By Doyle McManus Los Angeles Times Barack Obama is in danger of giving deliberation a bad name. The decision about whether to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan was never going to be easy, but events — and a collision of egos in Kabul — have c ...Read More

Jobs are nation's greatest need What is going on in our country?! Mr. President, we need jobs, not government-run health care! Our company is struggling and has permanently laid off about 40 percent of our colleagues and friends. The rest of us are w ...Read More

By Matthew Leatherman For the Salisbury Post Any coach will tell you that losses provide better teaching moments than wins — and that, despite this fact, they always prefer winning over losing. Nidal Hasan's terrorist attack at Fort Hood amounts to a ...Read More

Parents debating changes in Rowan-Salisbury high schools’ district lines often cite disparities in Advanced Placement course offerings as a sign of unfairness. Just how great are those disparities, if there are any, and is enrollment the only cause? ...Read More

Through the magic of hard work and generosity, the Creasey family of Lexington is about to get a new home. And a TV show is making it happen. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is entering its seventh season of presenting the opposite of what most rea ...Read More

A way to stay Foreclosure can apply to any kind of property, but most people associate the term with the loss of a home. Fannie Mae has come up with a way foreclosed homeowners can stay in their houses — if they're willing to lease. Fannie Mae's D ...Read More

Fit to be tied at Chapel HillBenn Wineka, a senior at the University of North Carolina, has started a Coach Roy Williams Tie Tracker as part of a basketball blog for Tar Heel fans. Wineka and his brother, Sam, and their friend Matt Clements, star ...Read More

The recent cricket escapade at North Rowan High School got me to wondering: What are some other some other senior pranks that have made headlines in recent years? No surprise that a quick search via the Internet turned up reams of student shenanigan ...Read More

Several factors raise deer risks Regarding the Nov. 9 story headlined "Hazards on hoof: It's season for deer collisions": This story implied, whether deliberately or by accident, that deer hunting was a primary cause of collisions between motorist an ...Read More

One of the goals for the Rowan-Salisbury School System is to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment for our students. In today's world, safety has become a challenge to everyone. "Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching ...Read More

RALEIGH — It never ceases to amaze me how some politicians do math. Given North Carolina's recent budget woes and massive federal budget deficits as far as the eye can see, it should be obvious that many lawmakers never learned how to subtract. They ...Read More

A sampling from the Web: "Why are these Muslim invaders allowed to carry on freely in this country ... protected by outreach, Obama, and PC mental illness?" "Simply put, most Muslims in non-Islamic countries have an evil axe to grind and a scurrilous ...Read More

Government and military officials have issued statements since last week's shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas that have nothing to do with the reality of what occurred, what is occurring and what our enemies would still like to have occur all over ...Read More

RALEIGH — It comes as no surprise to most people familiar with state government that appointees to important policy-making boards and commissions often are heavy-hitting political contributors. For decades, the state Board of Transportation has been ...Read More

Dart to rude awakenings. For all its service to the community over the past century, W.A. Brown Co. seemed like a stranger last week when it suddenly locked its doors. Most employees of the refrigeration company received letters Monday telling them B ...Read More

Stanbacks' support enhances parkway I would like to thank Fred and Alice Stanback and Bill and Nancy Stanback for the part they played in protecting the spectacular 1,488-acre property that runs between Mileposts 325 and 329.5 in the Spruce Pine-Alta ...Read More