Sometime, at least once, during this three-day weekend, stop a moment and give thanks. 

Voltaire, the 18^th century French writer-philosopher, preferred an enlightened aristocracy to democracy yet he eloquently embraced one of the latter’s most sacred tenets, the right to free speech.

Throughout the pandemic, we have heard from family members of nursing home residents who were upset that they were not able to get in to see their loved ones.

On Monday, the U.S. Census Bureau delivered the United States population numbers for reapportionment and, to Alabama’s collective relief, Alabama did not lose one of its seven seats in the United States House of Representatives. 

On Tuesday, it will have been 10 years since an outbreak of tornadoes hit Cullman County and other areas of Alabama. The scars - evident in still-vacant lots where buildings and homes once stood - are still with us. But it was also a day of miracles, hope and rebirth.

The verdict is in.

A bill that would have lifted the decades-old ban on teaching yoga in Alabama’s k-12 schools stalled in committee this week. Despite the documented benefits of yoga, and overwhelming passage by the House, the bill stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

It’s been a year since we last published our Profile section, in which we look back at the progress being made in our community and the heroes who touch the lives of the people who live here. And what a year it’s been.

“Every citizen has a right to inspect and take a copy of any public writing of this state, except as otherwise expressly provided by statute.” Alabama public records law.

I have to admit: When I saw the news that Major Biden, the three-year-old German shepherd the President and Dr. Biden rescued, had a “biting incident” and was sent back to Delaware with their other shepherd, Champ, I was, well, a bit relieved.

Colony residents are right to expect better of their elected officials. The discord among the council is not moving the town forward on solving problems, nor is it showing the community in its best light.

Last week, the Alabama Senate passed a bill legalizing limited medical use of marijuana.

The last 12 months have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience created by a worldwide pandemic. Our students and teachers have been at the forefront of the impact created by COVID-19. 

Service. Flexibility. Teamwork. Leadership. Love.

Cullman residents are well-aware of the danger of spring storms, from tornadoes to flooding. 

A bill before the Alabama legislature proposes creating a website where the voters lists for each county can reside, taking that information out of the state’s community newspapers and putting it online.

“Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'

Recently several news outlets, including Alabama Political Reporter and Seth Abramson, have reported that Alabama’s freshman Senator Tommy Tuberville met with President Trump’s family, administration officials, campaign advisers and others on the eve of the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Can someone get some paper and a pen or pencil and start taking some notes? We need a checklist of what to do when rolling out a new vaccine to an entire country.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, designed to raise awareness of the fastest growing criminal industry in our nation.

We agree with Gov. Kay Ivey when she suggested Rep. Mo Brooks should be held accountable.

What we saw at the United States Capitol on Wednesday - a mob ransacking the seat of American democracy - was shameful. It was seditious. It was anti-American in every way possible.

President Trump is his own woeful enemy.

If you’re a last-minute gift giver or unsure of what to give to that hard-to-buy-for person, we’ve got some suggestions for you that will help you and your community.

The rollout of the coronavirus vaccine has begun and while this is great news, we still have to maintain our vigilance against this virus by following healthcare guidelines to control the spread of the disease.

We live in a very generous community. Today is recognized across the nation as Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is recognized as the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is showcased at #GivingTuesday.

This year has turned out be unlike any others in our lifetimes. 

This week we received good news on the quest to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

Alabama finds itself in a situation: The state has about six weeks left to use approximately $400 million or send the money back to the U.S. government. 

Tuesday’s election did not bring the decisive victory either party would have liked, as a large swath of voters turned out to cast their votes or mailed in ballots this year to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. 

Included in this weekend’s The Cullman Times is our inaugural Salute to Industry magazine.

If you plan on having your voice heard in the upcoming election and have not yet registered to vote, Monday is your last chance to register for the Nov. 3 election.

Watch tonight’s debate.

Last week was National Small Business Week, and we want to recognize the achievements of small businesses.

The Cullman County Library launched its “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” reading program last week, and it’s a program every parent of a pre-k should be participating in.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and now, more than ever, we need to be mindful of our own mental health and that of our loved ones. 

2020 has been a tough year for everyone.

If there is any question about the effectiveness of masks in combating the coronavirus, the decline in positivity rate since Alabama masked up should put that question to rest.

Alabama State Parks have long served as Alabama’s backyard.

Municipal elections will be taking place on Tuesday and we encourage all eligible voters to take the time to make their choices known. Too many people focus only on the high profile elections, but it is at the local level that government has the most impact on our day to day lives.

Growing up in my family, voting in elections was just something you were expected to do.

In this age of extreme partisanship and political divides, it was refreshing to see candidates for the Baileyton Town Council taking the high road in their comments Monday night. 

The Department of Justice’s latest report on its investigation into Alabama’s prisons is yet another scathing indictment of the state of Alabama prisons. It’s past time for Alabama leaders to begin making changes to a system and culture that brutalizes and murders inmates, has little account…