On Independence Day, July 4, let us not forget to think about the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and the prices many paid for their respective commitments to forming a new nation.

Since at least March 2013, Hillsboro city officials have been made aware that the city's lodging (motel) tax was improperly levied. Since 2013, Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins has told anyone who would listen that this tax should not have been levied.  So has The Highland County Press.

This past week’s mail brought a couple of interesting items. First off, while I was anticipating the arrival of a new gas cap for my wife’s Jeep Compass to correct an emissions issue, the package that arrived felt more like a hardcover book than a Jeep gas cap. Much to my surprise, I received a copy of Dr. Robert T. Sharp’s new book, “The Bull in the Darkness and the One-Eyed Dog,” a followup to his well-received classic, “No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian.”

If any of us needed to hear that word more than the others, it was me. There is parental value in saying "no" to some of the whims of your children. They will thank you for it later in life. Happy Mother's Day to all good mothers everywhere.

A 4-year-old girl is being punished – both financially and inherently – for the sole reason that she had the audacity to be conceived out of wedlock in a brief relationship that proved compromising for the first family. For that, her existence does not register with the Bidens. 

Recent public meetings have had ample debate regarding the disbursement of what are taxpayers' dollars. That is not necessarily a bad thing.

When Americans work, our economy is strong. Our communities prosper and the programs that rely on strong employment like Medicare and Social Security are strong. Not to mention, the quality of life for those who get jobs improves for the long term.

Special thanks is extended to two area residents – Bob Hodson and Jim Lukens – for recently sharing a bit of local history with The Highland County Press.