Opinion

Let Us Have Peace. Welcome to Clayton County is a limited weekly column exploring the life of General Powell Clayton, the original namesake of our county, our early history, and why we are not called Clayton County today.

As summer draws to a close and Arkansas students prepare to return to school, there is a strong sense of unease among parents, educators, and concerned citizens alike. The source of this anxiety is largely the LEARNS Act. This massive legislative overhaul, mainly aimed at reshaping our educational system, poses significant risks to the quality and accessibility of education in our state.

LITTLE ROCK – As the 2024-2025 school year begins, the state Education Department is making grants available to Arkansas school districts to help implement cell phone restrictions in the classroom. Prohibiting or restricting cell phone use by students is complex, because they can be necessary for learning and doing research.

Every day during the school year, more than 350,000 Arkansas children depend on school buses to transport them safely to and from school. These buses make multiple stops in every community.

Applying for a job can be simultaneously nerve-racking and exciting. If you’re lucky enough to be called in for an interview, you want to put your best foot forward. You want to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise concerning the position to the best of your ability. Your resume should detail your accomplishments. Charm is a good instrument to have in your toolbelt of skills to open the door, but after 10-15 minutes you better know a little something about the position and be able to express your abilities. You have to be able to answer hard hitting questions asked during an interview. And while you don’t have to possess 100% of the job’s requirements in order to apply, you should have 75% at the very minimum, especially if the job you’re applying for is President of the United States.

For your reading enjoyment, we continue to publish Rambling Vines by the late Marylea Vines as she recalls events and names of Corning folks from many years ago. We are currently in the year 1990 It’s been a long time… in fact, too long, since I have been around little ones who snatch and grab everything from everywhere and put everywhere with sticky fingers.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again…An extremist plan has been released and it is catching a lot of attention: Project 2025. Rural Arkansans’ rights are certainly on the chopping block with Project 2025.

LITTLE ROCK – The state Department of Finance and Administration has published new income tax withholding tables. That’s good news for 1.1 million Arkansas taxpayers, because it means they will take home more money on their next paycheck.

Early childhood education lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Improving access to high-quality childcare programs helps to provide structured environments where children can explore, play, and interact, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and cooperation.

For your reading enjoyment, we continue to publish Rambling Vines by the late Marylea Vines as she recalls events and names of Corning folks from many years ago. We are currently in the year 1990 Good Ole’ Summertime… Some of the things I best remember about the hot Summer as a youngster include: Having to sit for hours at a time with a bleeding foot sunk into a wash pan holding coal oil.