The Chatham News + Record

Earlier this month, Adrienne Westenfeld wrote a piece in Esquire magazine about the recent rise in the number of banned books. According to the American Library Association, the number in the United … more

BY ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN, Columnist | 5/18/22

Telehealth genie has escaped its bottle

Before the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, patients who preferred to obtain medical services through video chats or phone calls were unlikely to be reimbursed for those expenses. Medicare, for … more

BY JOHN HOOD, Columnist | 5/18/22

Please come back, Saturday morning

Throughout my lifetime, I’ve been exposed to much in the way of cartoons and their characters. Some of that was by choice; some was by circumstance. In thinking about all that, though, I’ve … more

BY BOB WACHS, Columnist | 5/18/22

How did Trump’s endorsements do in North Carolina?

How are we going to use the results of the May 17 primary to measure Donald Trump’s influence over the North Carolina Republican Party? The outcomes of three primary races give us a good chance … more

BY D.G. MARTIN, Columnist | 5/18/22

Do we live in the most uncertain of times?

I was born in 1951, so my seven decades of life now make me a senior citizen. As I think back, our country has been through many crises in those 71 years. In 1951, we faced the uncertainty of a war … more

BY MIKE WALDEN, Columnist | 5/18/22

REVIEW: ‘Rook Makes a Move’

What do you do when your best laid plans go awry? What about when tragedy strikes? And what does God have to do with it? These are the weighty questions author Cynthia Hilliard shoulders in her … more

BY ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN, Columnist | 5/12/22

We can acknowledge the truth of the past without embarrassment or guilt

Remembrance recalls moments to be inspired, to learn a lesson, or to move on from a regret that cannot be undone. Five unremembered Black citizens, lynched in Chatham County by white vigilante … more

BY BOB PEARSON, Guest Colunnist | 5/11/22

The 'Unity 2022' candidates seeking office in Siler City include, from left, Nick Gallardo, Dean Picot II (sitting), Jared Picot and Samuel Williams.

We’re sounding an alarm about Siler City’s municipal election

Elections may feel like a popularity contest, but ultimately, for sincere and statesman-like candidates, they’re an appeal. Those seeking office state their cases, make their pleas about what … more

5/11/22 | 1 comment

UNC project needs realistic goals

About a million North Carolinians have spent some time in college but left without obtaining a degree. Policymakers at the University of North Carolina system and the General Assembly see these … more

BY JOHN HOOD, Columnist | 5/11/22

A walk with abortion

I wanted to think about abortion, so I went for a walk in the woods with my dog. It had rained the previous night. Everything was damp and dark and redolent. The dog kept her nose to the ground … more

BY ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN, Columnist | 5/11/22

Trouble at our universities

Is the University of North Carolina in trouble? “Yes. It always is.” That answer is accurate and not necessarily a bad one, because universities should raise, discuss, and feature ideas — … more

BY D.G. MARTIN, Columnist | 5/4/22

What mean these things we people do?

Were there such a thing as living multiple lifetimes on this side of the Great Divide, I’d devote one of mine to a lengthy study of human nature. Not really sure what could be done with the … more

BY BOB WACHS, Columnist | 5/4/22

Some missing workers are really lost

North Carolina’s labor markets are healing — slowly. As of March, our state’s headline unemployment rate was 3.5%, comparable to where it was before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early … more

BY JOHN HOOD, Columnist | 5/4/22

Kimberly Hernandez is Chatham Literacy's bilingual receptionist assistant.

‘This chair can either be your wings, or it can be your anchor; you decide’

My name is Kimberly Hernandez, and I am 29 years old. I currently live in Siler City. My family is originally from Guatemala and includes four brothers and two sisters. Two of my brothers live in … more

BY KIMBERLY HERNANDEZ, Guest Columnist | 5/4/22

A mother’s hands

Our three kids are all right-handed. None of them are lefties like their mother. This is surprising to me because they take after her in so many other ways: her sense of adventure, her outgoing … more

BY ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN, Columnist | 5/4/22

How well has North Carolina dealt with COVID-19?

Even though COVID-19 continues with its variants, medical experts are hopeful the virus is becoming less deadly and disrupting. In other words, we are learning to live with it. As a result, it … more

4/27/22

Getting politicians to listen to us

Sure as Christmas falls on December 25th you can count on a legion of political candidates taking to the airwaves declaring they feel compelled to serve the public, pledging to listen to and follow … more

BY TOM CAMPBELL, Columnist | 4/27/22

Freedom is a tool for progress

I’m a conservative without a conversion story. Plenty of others have such a tale — they read a certain book, had a certain teacher, or somehow became disenchanted with their previous, … more

BY JOHN HOOD, Columnist | 4/27/22

Books that Bookwatch might have featured

What books are you featuring on PBS-NC’s North Carolina Bookwatch this season? When I get this question from fans of that television program, I have to explain that the program was recently … more

BY D.G. MARTIN, Columnist | 4/27/22

The spirit of Earth Day

Last Friday, my 4-year-old daughter came home from preschool proudly showing off a tiny model Earth made out of green and blue clay that hung from a piece of yarn around her neck. I’m proud of her … more

BY ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN, Columnist | 4/27/22