Medicaid expansion – an investment worth making
Mississippi is, for a number of reasons, the unhealthiest state in the union. And with that condition, there’s poverty and the effect it has on paying for health care. News Editor Jonathan Scott looks into one option – expanding Medicaid – that seems to be a no-brainer when it comes to helping the needy in the state. (May 9, 2013, Page 4A)
Sequestration – finding some middle ground
Webster’s definition of sequestration seems a bit different than what’s being talked about these days. Editor Don Whitten takes a look at a “political economy” definition and the wide range – depending on who you believe – of possible effects of sequestration. (February 27, 2013, Page 4)
Empty mailbox on Saturday – what will we do?
Barring a possible backlash from Congress, it appears Saturday home delivery of mail will end this summer. Editor Don Whitten looks at the joys of Saturday trips to the mail box and wonders if we can come up with a way to keep it going. (February 8, 2013, Page 4A)
Stupidity
Local columnist Jimmy Reed recalls the story of Atlas and Hercules and of Ayn Rand’s book, “Atlas Shrugged,” and relates them to economic stability – or unstability – in today’s world. (August 28, 2012, Page 4)
Gasoline prices confusing to newcomer
A newcomer to our community didn’t understand the big difference in local gas prices and those in nearby towns, so he called Editor Don Whitten for some information. The answer, Whitten told him, is not a simple one – if there is one at all. (June 11, 2012, Page 4)
Put the breaks on paid parking
EAGLE News Editor Jonathan Scott takes a closer look at the possibility of paid parking on the Oxford Square, and encourages city leaders to consider the town’s beauty and the economic impact parking meters and paid parking will have on the community. (June 4, 2012, Page 4)
More signs economy rebounding
Two recent reports offer the latest evidence that Mississippi’s economy is rebounding from the Great Recession. One report notes that Lafayette County’s jobless rate continues to fall. Local unemployment dropped from 7.6 percent in February to 6.9 percent in March. The state and local economies are expected to continue to gradually improve for the next three years before peaking in 2016, according to another report. (April 30, 2012, Page 5)
Car-buying will be different – sometime
With gasoline prices holding pretty steady in the low-$3 a gallon range, it appears more and more of us will have to start reconsidering our approach to buying automobiles in the future. Editor Don Whitten takes a look at some of the options, including hybrids and all-electric cars, and wonders when changes will really start to take place. (November 14, 2011, Page 4A)
‘Just the facts’ doesn’t paint a pretty picture
You may not agree with Half in Ten’s ideas about how to cut the country’s poverty rate in half in the next 10 years but, as Editor Don Whitten points out, it’s all but impossible to argue with the numbers they present. (October 31, 2011, Page 4A)
New plant expands quickly
Winchester Ammunition has wasted no time in expanding its operations in Oxford with the new Centerfire plant. Gov. Haley Barbour will be in town Wednesday for a private ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new facility. It’s been less than a year since the company announced its plans to make a $100 milion investment in Oxford and create some 1,000 new jobs. (October 10, 2011, Page 1A)
