The cold weather has left many of us stuck inside and maybe given us a chance to catch up on movies or relax by the fire.

The 156th Georgia General Assembly convened under the Gold Dome Monday, Jan. 10, with 40 legislative days to accomplish the people’s business.

Dear Editor: All of us at one time or another has wished that we could just stop the world and take a few minutes to relax and enjoy life.

I literally had to step over bodies to get home when Georgia last played Alabama in the national championship.

Dear Editor: This is a response to Zach Mitcham's editorial in the last issue of The Madison County Journal. He's a good writer, but like all of us, he's not perfect. His editorial made some good, logical and rational points, and I give him credit for that. However, his editorial was very ha…

Dear Editor: Regarding the article on the Eggs and Issues breakfast at the Ila Restaurant (Dec. 9, 2021), I realize our legislators are playing to their voters, but it sounds like these three guys are pro-business and want to attract business to Madison County in order to collect more taxes …

“If you see an adjective in your news story, shoot it.”

Dear Editor: My neighbor's mobile home burned down tonight. I knew something was wrong after the second fire truck went by.

Dear Editor: It’s been three weeks since Thanksgiving. Christmas, I’m sure you’re ready, is only a week away. I hope every one of you were able to spend Thanksgiving with family and loved ones and I hope that Christmas will bring you all together again. The joy, goodwill and love these two h…

Dear Editor: We tear down statues of our national leaders (good and bad) from the past. We build statues and memorials to fallen felons and herald them to be heroes. Our leaders declare that rioting and destruction of the property of hard-working, taxpaying people is justified and punish any…

While the poinsettia remains the most popular holiday plant, a healthy Christmas cactus in full bloom makes a great gift or decoration. Christmas cactus is easy to care for and can be grown indoors throughout the year. The flowers range in color from yellow, salmon, pink, fuchsia, and white …

Dear Editor: Until a few years ago, I never realized how easily led people were by what they see and hear through the media.

The calendar flipped to meteorological winter last week but it sure didn't feel like it. Three of the first four days hit 70 degrees or above, peaking at 78 balmy degrees on Dec. 3.

It’s fun to take pictures with a wide-angle lens, because the perspective feels different. I also try to think very broadly about life and time — and about this county, too.

Dear Editor: As our political divisions have become more entrenched, gerrymandering has grown to threaten America's democracy. It is unacceptable for one party to be able to draw the boundaries of legislative districts, thereby ensuring that party's continued power even when it receives less…

Dear Editor: I listened to our president’s speech Sept. 21 to the United Nations (UN). It was filled with the USA’s promises to fix all the world’s “global issues.”

Time can feel like a really annoying person in my life, always tapping me on the shoulder, saying, “Hey, don’t forget about me.” Now, every holiday arrives with an “it’s already here?” It seems the calendar is on a downslope, with days rolling fast. And here’s another Thanksgiving speeding b…

Most of us know that the modern day of Thanksgiving was declared by President Abraham Lincoln. But what we don't know as much about is the story behind the story, the dynamics that led to Lincoln's proclamation.

My daughter has encouraged me more than once to write the story of my life.

While it's nothing compared to what our neighbors up north experience, Madison County does get cold weather and even freezes in some areas. Proper planning and care can make the difference between the life and death of landscape plants. Different plants freeze and die at different temperatur…

I give a raised eyebrow, bad-smell crinkled nose and a thumbs down to Facebook creating a parent company called “Meta.” Seems like a branding move in the middle of bad press about the company, a way to change the conversation.

Dear Editor: I would would like to congratulate Mr. Frank May in his new role as Madison County District 3 Commissioner. I hope that he keeps his promises to enhance our district. I also want to thank all of my supporters that have the best interest of District 3 in Madison County.

As I am writing this article, our pleasantly mild weather of October is a memory. It's currently in the 40s with a wind chill of 35. Brrrr. As we wrote last month, we have similar years (2008, 2017) to this one that had a rather sudden and dramatic shift to winter in the late fall.

I didn’t know where to park on my first day at MainStreet Newspapers in Jefferson on Halloween of 1996, 25 years ago this week. So I parked at the next-door gas station and walked through the front door, where the Cowardly Lion was on the phone. I soon met Dorothy the reporter and the Wicked…

Every aspiring gardener wants to grow the most successful and beautiful plants possible. Homeowners want their lawn to be green and weed free. Forage and crop producers want the most yield from their fields. But to do all of that, one must have the correct soil pH.

I attended the BOC/IDBA meeting held on Oct. 21 at the public library. I expected to hear about progress on where Madison County was going.

Dear Editor: The proposed tax districts for county maintenance of private driveways could be a solution, but private property is private property. Why make taxpayers, even only those with the driveways, pay to fuss with what is the property owner’s responsibility. I'm all for personal respon…

About 20 years ago, county commissioners essentially surrendered all control of local infrastructure to the industrial authority. They punted on a truly big issue.

Jekyll Island has always been a favorite place for my husband and I to visit over our 40-plus years of married life. We have been there with friends and with our children and their friends many times and made many memories.

Dear Editor: I feel privileged to have a local newspaper that publishes its readers' letters. Writers should not abuse that privilege by misleading through exaggeration.

Dear Editor: The Georgia Water Coalition (GWC), an alliance of over 280 organizations around the state, announced the recipients of their 2021“Clean 13 Award” Oct. 19.

Dear Editor: Regarding your opinions section, “The important work of the nurse,” by Zach Mitcham, Oct. 14.

Dear Editor: On Tuesday, Nov. 2, the polls will be open for Madison County voters. On the ballots will be a selection of local candidates, and for the T-SPLOST referendum.

The list of cryptocurrencies sounds like a bunch of bands I’d never want to see. There’s PancakeSwap, Flow, Axie Infinity, Chiliz, Reef, Moonriver, Ocean Protocol and many more.

Dear Editor: I have enjoyed living in Madison County for the last five years and am seeing it grow faster than I had ever imagined. When I chose to purchase a home in Madison County, I was told that this was a rural, peaceful area with affordable housing for people living in all socio-econom…

Harvesting fresh fruit from your home orchard can be a delicious way to add beauty, taste, and variety to your landscape and diet. The best time to plant fruit trees in Georgia is in the fall. “Growing fresh fruit can be rewarding and fun but can also provide its share of frustration,” said …

Dear Editor: How likely is it that a disease like Covid-19 that is reported to have resulted in the deaths of greater than 4,800,000 people globally and more than 500,000 reported deaths in the USA to-date is not known by the one true God?

I remember a man who had suffered a traumatic injury telling me that shortly after his accident he believed he was trapped in the back of a Family Dollar unable to leave. But he wasn’t at a chain store. No, he was in the ICU in deep pain and confused about where he was.

Dear Editor: On Wednesday, Oct. 6, the Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance to force businesses to demand proof from every customer that they have received a COVID-19 vaccination before they are allowed to enter the business. If this law goes into effect, any person who cannot or w…

Dear Editor: In response to Zach Mitcham’s opinion in the Madison County Journal Oct. 7 (“No more arson at election time.”) Where has he been the past 10 months? Biden is being led by the Democratic left. He is not President. Inflation is on the rise, the southern border is wide open, FBI is…

When we talk about maintaining democracy, perhaps that sounds pretty vague. But I think about it simply: can we decide on power peacefully?

So you have a great idea for a product — something that’s bound to capture the hearts and minds (and wallets) of consumers everywhere. Or perhaps you've stumbled on a service that isn’t being offered by anyone else — one that's desperately needed. This is your opportunity! Don’t hesitate ...…

Fire ants are the most common insect pest of home lawns. Fire ant control is a never-ending battle in the South, but there are steps you can take to keep your lawn and landscape relatively free of these troublesome pests.

Dear Editor: First of all, I want to thank Zach Mitcham, editor, and The Madison County Journal for attending and reporting on the industrial authority meeting held Sept. 22. Most citizens are not able to attend the IDA meetings, which are held on the fourth Wednesday of the month starting a…

When George W. Bush stood on the rubble of the World Trade Center with a bullhorn declaring that we would get whoever attacked us, emotion ruled. And how could it not? It was a time of intense shock, sorrow and anger.

Dear Editor: Lately, it has become apparent that some people in our county believe that success for Madison County will come in the form of more industry and the tax revenues those industries would generate.

Today is the first day of Fall (Sept. 22). I really enjoy this time of year. We are over half way through the first nine weeks of school (day 33)! Yes, we have had some challenges; tornadoes, power outages and COVID. Our community and the Madison County Charter School System have been resili…

I read the news from a lot of sources most every day, hard as that is. The more I read about covid vaccine refusals, even from those in health care, the more flummoxed I am about the ignorant stubbornness of so many people, much of it along political lines.

Strange question: If every sporting event could promise flawless officiating by robots, would you be OK with that?

Dear Editor: Access this YouTube link — https://youtube.com/shorts/XlbcgSdCVD8?feature=share — and listen to what we heard from Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 1:15 a.m. until dawn.

Since they were first discovered in 2013, East Asian Joro spiders — which are native to China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan — have shown up in force in Northeast Georgia. In the eight years since that first siting, Joro spiders have been found in 23 Georgia counties and South Carolina. Named afte…

I’m excruciatingly tired of two things right now: covid and our political divide.

The third wave of COVID came and went in early 2021. With the advent of highly effective vaccines, we all hoped COVID would be contained for good. Everyone wanted life to go back to normal. Much of Georgia’s populace attempted to do so, but enough people have not yet gotten a vaccine that we…

For the second time in 2021 Madison County was hit by a tornado last month. As the remnants of tropical storm Fred moved north along the border of Alabama and Georgia from the panhandle of Florida, this put our area in the "right-front quadrant," which is normally the most active part of a t…