Opinion & Editorial

Ronda Rich

Ronda Rich

The dinner table

News Staff
Thursday, October 2, 2025
By Ronda Rich   It’s just a memory now. And, perhaps I won’t recall it precisely because of the decades that have passed but I will tell it as best I can. I was what people used to call a “late in life child” so my siblings were much older.

Our View: Building back trust

News Staff
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Truett McConnell University, an institution and leading employer here in White County since 1946, is striving to move forward after sexual abuse and coverup allegations first surfaced publicly in June. The scandal has shaken a university ranked as the No.

Our View: You do have a voice

News Staff
Thursday, September 25, 2025
There’s been a lot of talk lately, on the street, online and in our Letters to the Editor about exercising our rights, particularly Freedom of Speech. Some folks have expressed a reluctance to speak up for their convictions or beliefs.

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Perception shapes reality

News Staff
Thursday, September 25, 2025
By Kristi Casey My friend Claudia is fond of saying, “Perception is reality.” But according to new MIT research, it might be more accurate to say, “Perception shapes how you experience reality.

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The people who built a brand

News Staff
Thursday, September 25, 2025
By Erin Etris A familiar portrait hangs in Cracker Barrels (CB) across America. An older gentleman sits in his neat button-up and overalls, smiling as he overlooks the bustling kitchen. He is Herschel McCartney or “Uncle Herschel” to CB insiders.

The South’s American Queen

News Staff
Thursday, September 18, 2025
By Ronda Rich A reader from Minnesota recently wrote and in her email, she mentioned that she lives near where the Mississippi River begins. There is no greater, more besotted fan of the Mississippi than I. Of course, I had questions. Where does it start? How deep and wide is it?

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Standing at a crossroad

News Staff
Thursday, September 18, 2025
By Paul Kimbell Violence has no place in politics.” That is a quote I heard recently from one of our elected talking heads. “Really,” I said to myself, “well that’s certainly reassuring.

Our View: Thumbs up, thumbs down

News Staff
Thursday, September 18, 2025
This week, the White County News editorial board decided to give a thumbs up ̶ also known as a high five, atta-boy or a pat-on-the-back ̶ to the following individuals and organizations.

Don’t tip over, manage that overwhelm

News Staff
Thursday, September 11, 2025
By Kristi Casey   One of my favorite bosses was obsessed with team dynamics. Of primary concern was keeping people from ‘tipping over’ under the burden of too much work. Overload shouldn’t be your default. It was a novel concept to me—that there might be too much for any one person to do.

Blue-ribbon service brings customers back

News Staff
Thursday, September 11, 2025
By Dink NeSmith As the old saying goes, “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” But I think that’s what happened when I stepped out of my muddy truck. And my farmhand attire matched the dented 2004 GMC Sierra. Those two things might have sent a signal.