Tag Archives: public

National Newspaper Week

Posted on October 7, 2019 by vsimmons54

This is National Newspaper Week, which we certainly celebrate at the office. This year’s theme is know your first five freedoms. Of course the first is freedom of the press which means I can express my opinion here without fear … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged career, community, complete, free press, government, importance, informed transparency, meetings, mistakes, newspaper, public, social media, staff | Leave a comment

Mother’s Day reflections

Posted on May 10, 2019 by vsimmons54

Blessed beyond measure is how I feel every Mother’s Day because I not only have my birth mother, but also my step-mother who has been in my life for about a quarter of a century. My heart goes out to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged babies, blessings, break, child, children, daughter, difficult, forgive, God, grownups, Heart, lives, love, makeup, motherhood, mothers, neighborhood, personalities, public, sad, son, unconditionally | Leave a comment

Transparency essential

Posted on March 13, 2019 by vsimmons54

We’ve had a lot of rain this year and it has been raining as I’m writing. This week, however, in the newspaper world, is about sunshine. It’s Sunshine Week in Georgia which is about transparency in government and open records. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged background, bodies, committee, entities, executive, government, grants, information, judge, money, open records, public, questions, taxpayer, timely, transparency, vote | Leave a comment

Lumped all into one

Posted on July 13, 2018 by vsimmons54

Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse or crazier, they somehow seem to do just that, especially with our politicians and elected officials. With the shooting at the Capital Gazette in Maryland where five journalists were killed, many … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bashing, community, dessert, election, fourth estate Trump, hate, Heart, job, journalist, meida, professor, public, responder, social media, society, support, taxes, threats, venom, wildfire | Leave a comment

You have a right to know

Posted on March 15, 2017 by vsimmons54

Sunshine week creeped up on me this year. I was thinking I had another week but received a notice on Friday about it starting March 12th. As you know it is a subject near and dear to my heart. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged community, decisions. sunshine, documents, forthcoming, information, issues, journalists, mistake, officials, open records, people, public, rumor, tax monies, transparency, trust | Leave a comment

More teeth needed

Posted on January 13, 2017 by vsimmons54

My propensity for political nonsense has become almost non-existent this past year. After 40 years in this business, 35 of those years covering government meetings, I am tired of beating my head against the wall. I expect, and citizens should … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged belittle, bleeding, citizens, complaints, council, fourth estate, incentives, mat, open records, progress, public, questions, respect, results, teeth, territory | Leave a comment

Celebrating the Constitution

Posted on September 21, 2016 by vsimmons54

This week is Constitution Week and perhaps this year it’s more important than ever, that we celebrate it, reflect upon what it means and even take time to read parts of it. It’s being trampled, probably even as you are … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Assembly, Constitution, criminal, eneies, government, laws, mediawisdom, opinion, passions, public, seizure, trial, warrant, worship | Leave a comment