By TOM WALTERS     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

I read Gail Jarvis' column with sadness as she complained that there is not "...a single economic indicator that hasn't worsened during Obama's presidency." She laments the uninformed citizen, yet offers little to alleviate the condition. The present ...

By WILL TINNEY     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

The CNN Wire Staff reported this past Thursday that 10 states have been given waivers by the Obama administration from having to meet the No Child Left Behind goals of 2014. Even though NCLB is not a perfect law by any measure, the goals (as well as ...

By KATHLEEN PARKER     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

Mitt Romney's recent losses to Rick Santorum in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota revealed a truism that Romney might want to study - but not too much. Parting with one's dreams isn't only sweet sorrow, it also can be liberating. Beneath the sorrow ...

By THE AIKEN STANDARD     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

The role of the nuclear industry in the nation's race for energy security had a win and what could be a setback in Washington, D.C., this week. Even as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the construction of a new nuclear plant, a bill under c ...

By ANDY WINDHAM     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

While the American people were enjoying the New Year Eve, our rogue president signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012. This mountainous act consist of more than 1,000 pages. Within the act was a little know Section 1021, granti ...

By THE AIKEN STANDARD     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

To the new Family Y - The new Family Y on Trolley Line Road celebrated its official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday. The beautiful facility includes a wellness center with cardiovascular machines, weight machines and free weight equipment, a full-c ...

By CINDI ROSS SCOPPE The State     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

I was surprised by my email from Amazon saying I owed S.C. use taxes for $340 worth of purchases I made last year from the online behemoth. Not surprised to receive the email: I knew that a new state law required the company to send out the notices ...

By LOUISE PLODINEC     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

After many comments in Talkback about littering as well as an article about the effects of litter on local wildlife, I would like to point out a few things. 1. Personal responsibility: Why do so many refuse to show responsibility by littering? If ...

By TOM AND LOUISE LATSKO     2/13/2012 10:52 AM   

As a note of thanks and recommendation, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen exceeded our expectations in our master bath remodeling. From the planning process to implementation, J.D. Norris and his crew are very professional, conscientious and detail-orien ...

By K. MICHAEL CUMMINGS, PhD, MPH MATT CARPENTER, PhD     2/12/2012 12:31 AM   

The American Lung Association's 2012 report ranking states on tobacco control efforts brought a bad report card for South Carolina. In nearly every category, we earned failing marks. But this isn't the whole picture. South Carolina has made notable p ...

By CATHERINE VANDEGRIFT     2/10/2012 10:45 AM   

At the end of November 2011, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo went to the polls, hoping to make their voices heard. However, according to observers from the Carter Center, the European Union and the Congolese Catholic Bishops, the e ...

By CAL THOMAS     2/10/2012 10:45 AM   

For 60 years the National Prayer Breakfast has been a nonpolitical event where speakers put aside their earthly biases and focus on a higher authority. Last Thursday, President Obama departed from that tradition to claim the endorsement of Jesus for ...

By TERESA HARPER     2/10/2012 10:45 AM   

Apparently Gov. Nikki Haley has decided the best marketing strategy to create jobs in South Carolina is to denigrate union members. And the Republican majority of the state Legislature is enthusiastically helping her push the anti-worker agenda. ...

By THE AIKEN STANDARD     2/10/2012 10:44 AM   

In the United States the government's business is the people's business, and for most matters we have the right to see what the government is doing. If you want to know who the mayor is calling on his city cell phone, you can get that information. ...

By ROBERT SNELL     2/10/2012 10:44 AM   

Aiken County Public Schools are under "corrective action" per the No Child Left Behind Act. What does this mean? How did we get there? What leaders are responsible for this decline? Test scores have dropped, discipline is nonexistent and communicatio ...

By THE AIKEN STANDARD     2/8/2012 5:19 PM   

The last time the Aiken County Council publicly courted a mystery company with enticements of reduced property taxes, we ended up with Bridgestone's $1.2 billion investment. This week the Council approved incentives for another mystery company, thi ...

By JACK DEVINE     2/8/2012 5:19 PM   

Political labels get more attention than they deserve. Liberals once liked being called "liberal" - but that label is a bit frayed, so they now prefer to be called "progressive." That's fine, although I don't think either term accurately characterize ...

By ROBERT B. DANDRIDGE     2/8/2012 5:19 PM   

Once again, I was saddened to read of the death of a local bicyclist. We must wait for the completion of the investigation to determine fault. However, this brings to mind several issues I have had on my mind concerning the bicycle vs. motor vehicles ...

By TIMOTHY MONROE BLEDSOE     2/8/2012 5:19 PM   

First, a big thank-you for reading about the schools in Aiken County that are substandard and are not being put on a fast track to be repaired and/or expanded. Second, the list of very needed improvements to these schools was put together by the Bo ...

By MOST REVEREND ROBERT E. GUGLIELMONE BISHOP OF CHARLESTON     2/8/2012 5:19 PM   

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last month that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees' health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs and contracep ...