Spring has arrived

Goldilocks may have said it best. “Not too hot, not too cold, but just right,” the blonde female from “The Three Bears” fame spoke. Now Goldilocks was referencing bowls of porridge, but as for us in Georgia’s northeastern mountains the “just right” is about the emergence of Spring.

Neighbor’s ‘gifts’ bring new barnyard adventure

Ninety-nine percent of the time, our grandchildren know what to expect from me. It’s the other 1 percent that keeps them guessing. And that’s when the unexpected leads to adventure. Here’s the latest surprise. William, 16, and Fenn, 14, had no idea what was in the Styrofoam cooler.

Georgia’s Promise Scholarship faces plenty of headwinds

New beginnings are exciting. They can also be tough, which is why new initiatives don’t need any extra obstacles placed in their path. The pattern for new school choice programs around the country has been to ramp up slowly at first. Families may not know about them.

Hatchett: Week Nine under the Gold Dome

We’re in the final stretch of the 2025 Legislative Session, and things are getting down to the wire. Last Thursday was Crossover Day, the last chance for bills to clear their first major hurdle.

Please stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day

Don’t find yourself in a pinch, wear green this St. Patrick’s Day. It is coming up next week on March 17. The day is typically celebrated involving public parades and festivals, Irish traditional music sessions and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks.

Watching the pendulum swing along the political spectrum

Like the late baseball great Billy Martin used to say in the beer commercials, I feel strongly both ways. For me, it’s not about the beer. It is about one-issue, my-way-or-the-highway groups on both ends of the political spectrum.

Red Tape Rollback Act passes along party line, reflects DOGE efforts

Another troubled suburban shopping mall is in the news. Town Center at Cobb, which sits at the split of I-575 from I-75 near Kennesaw, failed to pay its 2024 property-tax bill of more than $1 million. This comes after the mall recently was shuttered due to “highly delinquent” power bills.

Hatchett: Week Eight under the Gold Dome

We’ve officially reached one of the biggest milestones of the legislative session — Crossover Day. This marks the final opportunity for bills to pass out of their original chamber and remain eligible to become law before the session ends.

Spring forward Sunday for Daylight Saving Time

Spring is fast approaching and it’s the time of year most people look forward to-springing forward with Daylight Saving Time. Spring officially begins on March 20 but this coming Sunday, March 9, be sure to turn your clocks an hour forward.

Legislators propose bills to address Okefenokee mining controversy

Don’t get your hopes up, but a couple of bills have surfaced in the Legislature addressing the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (insert oxymoron here) giving approval for Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals to mine a 584-acre tract of Trail Ridge on the eastern flank of our Okefenokee...