Give the Rockingham County commissioners some credit. They listened to their constituents. And, in doing so, they made the right choice for Rockingham County.

A plan to transform the 110-year-old Washington Mills building in Mayodan into a professional retreat with an emphasis on promoting the natural environment is a great idea.

Home and property owners in Rockingham County have taken issue with the recent revaluation, which increased the assessed value for many tracts and homes

Nick Adkins’ death is heartbreaking on many levels, the most poignant being the loss of a young life with so much left to share.

Barack Obama’s presidency could not have come at a better time for this country. Whether real or imagined – albeit an imagination wrapped in hope and promise – Obama offers a reason to look forward, as opposed to lamenting our troubles.

Though we probably won’t ever know all of the reasons behind the dismissal of Caroline Sanders as director of the Rockingham County “animal shelter” – and we use that term loosely – we do know she will be difficult to replace.

Times are indeed tough, especially in regard to raising private donations. On the flipside, governments are strapped and struggle to find money to provide basic services, which makes the Shearers’ pledge that much more meaningful.

Jimmy Teague’s resignation Monday was surely met with sadness by many throughout Reidsville and Rockingham County.
But probably not for the reasons one might think.
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We all have much on our minds these days, but, as we’ve said before, how we treat our animals says much about us.

Investing in our libraries and consolidating the western branches in Madison and Mayodan should continue to be a priority, even during a recession—most especially during a recession.

In terms of economic development, prisons aren’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing, they certainly aren’t glamorous and they attract few tourists.
But they are necessary, unfortunately, and they do bring jobs—and with those jobs a positive economic impact to surrounding towns and communities. Prisons rarely go out of business and, especially during these troubled economic times, are essentially recession-proof.

More troubling than news of layoffs and economic collapse are thoughts of follow-up stories next year and beyond, as media report on displaced families and broken lives.

New Vision Fellowship has had quite the odyssey over the past several years, changing locations as church officials anxiously awaited the go-ahead from state officials to build off N.C. 311 in Madison.

America will be better with Obama as president, though the challenges he will face are immense, not the least of which is a Congress controlled by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, who, at the minimum, have been ineffective lawmakers and will probably continue to be with or without George W. Bush.

Registered voters in 34 states cast ballots early for candidates running in Tuesday’s general election – Oregon residents vote by mail. Voters are fortunate that North Carolina is one of those states, allowing people to avoid long lines and to make their choices on their own schedules.

John McCain has every reason to quit. Giving up would simply remove him from an impossible situation where he has no hope of winning. Quitting isn’t a personal failure, just recognition of the proverbial facts on the ground.

Early voting is going well in Rockingham County – where thousands have already cast ballots – and in North Carolina and across America.
That’s the good news, but here’s the bad.
Some voters in America don’t have a clue.

The people of Rockingham County pull together in an extraordinary way when someone needs help.
In this case it’s the Dunlap family.

Rockingham County is working with Waste Management Inc. to implement a pilot recycling program in the Bethany area. The program begins in November.
We’ll say this: It’s about time.

The town of Stoneville is in the final stages of deciding whether to continue its contract to buy water from Mayodan or to contract with another provider, such as Dan River Water Inc.

Talk of becoming more energy efficient has dominated the 2008 election campaigns and has been a prominent topic in the presidential and vice-presidential debates, so credit Rockingham County with having the foresight to identify a potential resource at the landfill and with setting a plan in motion.

The economic impact of Saturday’s 3rd Annual Madison Heritage Festival won’t be clear until merchants tally their monthly totals and people previously unfamiliar with the western Rockingham town return after a favorable first impression.
Nevertheless, the event, helped by a gorgeous fall day, was phenomenally successful. By 11 a.m., Murphy Street was lined with vendors as people visited their booths, stopped into stores and generally soaked in the small-town festival atmosphere. And the crowds continued to fill the streets until well after dark.

We’ve often been critical of the inability—mostly for lack of trying—of Rockingham County’s towns to better work together toward developing a more comprehensive strategy to promote the county’s attributes.

We need to work together to move forward in promoting our county and working in the best interests of all residents. We must face the economic realities together. After all, it’s impossible to compete in a global economy when people can’t see beyond the separate borders of Reidsville, Eden, Madison or Mayodan.

The city of Eden does not allow alcoholic beverages on city property, and that’s understandable. But exceptions must be made to the rule, and Riverfest would have provided the premium opportunity for such an exception.

Hurricane Ike not only unleashed its mite on the Texas coastline and its inland refineries, but the monstrous storm also sent drivers from Oregon to the Carolinas scrambling for gas. Fuel prices on Friday had jumped significantly over the previous evening, and those wanting to fill up their cars – high prices or not – were often limited to merchant-imposed rations, usually about 10 gallons.

The Rockingham County school board appears to have made a good choice in Nicole Crews Penn to replace Dr. Jim Austin, who died this spring. The commissioners will probably approve its choice—the lone pick to come from a number of seemingly qualified candidates.

One thing’s for sure about John McCain’s choice of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice-presidential running mate: It will shake things up, at least for a while. The real test of its wisdom will come after the surprise and excitement have worn off and voters have time to think about the implications.

It’s never too late. The rains that drenched Rockingham County, eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia this week, though belated, were welcome, despite the inconvenience caused by some flash flooding.

In a matter of a couple of weeks, four disparate entities managed to obtain $6,000 to fund a feasibility study for a museum in the old Rockingham County courthouse in Wentworth.