Opinion & Editorial

The Hartwell Sun

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She loved

Rose Scoggins - Editor and Publisher
Thursday, July 2, 2026
I'll never forget the words my Daddy told me after his grandfather, my great-grandfather, died. I was a sophomore in high school, and it was the first "real" loss of a loved one I'd experienced.
The Hartwell Sun

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Happy 250th birthday, America!

News Staff
Thursday, July 2, 2026
By Dink NeSmith, CNI   Sometimes we remember.Other times, we need to be reminded.That’s why a rusted MI917 Brodie helmet is perched on the top of the piano by our back door. You can’t come in or out without seeing George Washington Shirah Jr.’s World War I helmet.
The Hartwell Sun

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I miss my dad

News Staff
Thursday, June 25, 2026
By Lorin Sinn-Clark, local columnist “That’s my daughter in the water, everything she knows I taught her – everything she knows.”  – Loudon Wainright III My Dad has been gone for 10 years, and I still miss him so much. When something goes right, I want to share it with him.
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Photo triggers link to old stories

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, June 25, 2026
How do you step back 40 years in time?For me, it was “stumbling.”I stumbled across an old black-and-white photograph—circa 1986—that led to an old poster. And that time-yellowed poster is tied to another story that goes back another 30 years.First story first.
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Larry proved giants don’t have to be 10 feet tall

News Staff
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Dink NeSmith- CNI Writer's note: The following is an excerpt from Larry Walker’s eulogy, given June 14 at the Perry Methodist Church. “Friends are the siblings that God never gave us.”–Mencius, Chinese philosopher God didn’t give me a brother, but for Lawrence Cohen Walker Jr.
The Hartwell Sun

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Going on vacation?

News Staff
Thursday, June 18, 2026
By Sierra Burke- Local columnistSummer is a popular time for family vacations, weekend getaways  and visits with friends and relatives. While most people spend time preparing their homes for an extended absence, it is easy to overlook the needs of lawns, gardens and landscape plants.
On June 7, I had the chance to chat with my friend Rick Bragg, backstage of the Wadsworth Auditorium in Newnan. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist was the keynote speaker of the annual Southern LitFest. I had the honor of introducing him. Photo by Jackie Kennedy.

On June 7, I had the chance to chat with my friend Rick Bragg, backstage of the Wadsworth Auditorium in Newnan. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist was the keynote speaker of the annual Southern LitFest. I had the honor of introducing him. Photo by Jackie Kennedy.

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Here’s a guarantee for Rick Bragg’s next book

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, June 11, 2026
 Words.Some folks are good saying them. Others are good when writing them.My friend Rick Bragg is not just good in both categories. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist is spectacular.