It’s been a year since statues of Confederates Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson stood in Charlottesville’s downtown parks, but the controversy over the removal and the statues’ fates have yet to be resolved. The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center was ownership of the Lee statue by the city in December, but the … Read more
Bartenders pour beer for thirsty runners following a race at the New Helvetia Brewing Co. in Sacramento in 2014. Randall Benton Sacramento Bee file A new California law starting in July will require bartenders and their managers to pay for training to help reduce drunk driving and other alcohol-related risks. Many businesses and some communities … Read more
Three people spoke about the 24 book challenges facing Catawba County Schools during a school board meeting on Monday. The review of the books will not be completed until the new school year, after the summer break. The books were challenged in March. The policy says the school system has 15 school days to review … Read more
Mary Canrobert Avast ye! I’m going to talk about a pirate. I’ve never written about one before. The subject hasn’t been one that charmed me … until now. My disinterest with those daring rogues of the sea has changed thanks to two Lincolnton authors, Ashley Oliphant and her mother Beth Yarbrough, who wrote “Jean Laffite … Read more
Gage Miskimen, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids The Vinton Public Library has lost two directors in two years as city residents have complained about the library’s display of LGBTQ books and books about President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Most recently departing the library was Renee Greenlee, its director for six months. Her experience … Read more
The Roanoke County School Board is set to vote on an updated media policy Thursday which would make it harder for librarians to add books to school collections, while also expanding the power of parents to potentially remove them. The matter comes after a book, “When Aidan Became a Brother,” was removed from Herman L. … Read more
Gage Miskimen, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids The Vinton Public Library has lost two directors in two years as city residents have complained about the library’s display of LGBTQ books and books about President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Most recently departing the library was Renee Greenlee, its director for six months. Her experience … Read more
The gigantic steel sculpture of an Afro hair pick that appeared on St. Charles Avenue in the CBD last weekend is everything a public artwork ought to be. At 28 feet tall, the sculpture — decorated with a peace sign and topped by a clenched Black Power fist — demands attention and makes a clear … Read more