Opinion & Editorial

The connection with the families of Griffin Phelps, left, and Andy Peel, right, runs five generations deep with the NeSmiths. The UGA freshmen visited our Smithonia farm on Aug. 25.

The connection with the families of Griffin Phelps, left, and Andy Peel, right, runs five generations deep with the NeSmiths. The UGA freshmen visited our Smithonia farm on Aug. 25.

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UGA students help keep us hometown-connected

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, September 5, 2024
The decision wasn’t easy. Our family sat around an oval oak table in the kitchen for months, pondering and praying. Our family’s hearts and our souls were woven into the fabric of my hometown. Ripping us out would be as painful as snatching a 3-foot Band-Aid off sensitive skin.
Hart County Chamber of Commerce

Hart County Chamber of Commerce

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A plea to local government

News Staff
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Over the last two weeks, The Hartwell Sun has penned two articles regarding staff shake-ups at the Hart County Chamber of Commerce.
Hart County Chamber of Commerce

Hart County Chamber of Commerce

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A lesson in crisis management

Patrick Fargason - Editor and Publisher
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
As a columnist, I’ve been taught to write what I know. I’m a former agency spokesman in Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration, and I consider myself a master at crisis communication. Originally, I had three paragraphs listing my credentials.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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A plea for transparency

News Staff
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
You may or may not know me. My name is Kristina Hodge, and I own Red Barn Canvas, LLC. You may know us as Hartwell Printing Company, or perhaps you don’t know us at all, and that is fine too. We are not important, but my community is very important to me.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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Confessions of a nostalgic packrat

Dink NeSmith
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Why did the equivalent of a semi-tractor trailer back up to one of our barns last week? Good question. There are short and long answers. Country artist George Jones sang about “living and dying with choices” that he’d made.” My quick response is that I chose to be a nostalgic packrat.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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The Hurtful Aging Process

News Staff
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
As the title implies, there are many ways that I receive age related pains and injuries. Some are not my fault; however, some are. I wrote a piece similar to this several years ago, noting the ways that I, as a youngster, saw fit to do some really stupid things that ended in pain.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters

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Letters to the Editor: A primer

News Staff
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
The Hartwell Sun has received multiple complaints about our Letters to the Editor section–especially as the presidential election draws near and many letters focus on politics. This is exacerbated by additional complaints that we should only publish letters written by Hart County residents.
Senior cornerback Andre Austin (9) intercepts the pass in the 17-7 win over Elbert County on Aug. 16. Photo by Mark Wells/The Elberton Star

Senior cornerback Andre Austin (9) intercepts the pass in the 17-7 win over Elbert County on Aug. 16. Photo by Mark Wells/The Elberton Star

What happened to the passion? The response

Benjamin London - Sports Editor and Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Well, I will officially admit, I’ve been proven wrong. But there’s still a challenge that remains. I have tried to lay low after putting my column out called, “What happened to the passion? My challenge for Hart County.” But everywhere I turned, someone had something to say about it.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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It’ll never start, it’ll never start

News Staff
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
When Robert Fulton unveiled his new invention, the steamboat, a host of naysayers gathered on the riverbank yelling, “it’ll never start, it’ll never start.” Fulton quieted the crowd when, after a lot of clunking and groaning, the boat began moving down the river.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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Happy air conditioning appreciation month

News Staff
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Okay, it’s not an actual holiday, but should it be? Yes. I mean, this heat, man. How have you guys been putting up with it all these years? Yes, it did get to the upper 80s in Colorado, and that was intense—super-duper hot.