Opinion & Editorial

Population data trends by county show that Hart and Franklin counties have seen a steady rise in population since 2010, with larger increases happening since 2020.

Population data trends by county show that Hart and Franklin counties have seen a steady rise in population since 2010, with larger increases happening since 2020.

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Where are all the people coming from?

News Staff
Thursday, March 19, 2026
By Brandon Johnson, Mayor of Hartwell The pictures above tell an important story. To some it will be surprising but to those in the know it confirms reality. 1. The City of Hartwell’s population has remained flat for the better part of 70 years. The highest recorded population was in 1970.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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Helpers

News Staff
Thursday, March 19, 2026
By Lorin Sinn-Clark Local columnist “My hands are small, I know, but they’re not yours, they are my own and I am never broken. In the end, only kindness matters…We are God’s eyes, God’s hands, God’s heart and we are never broken.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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Magic is ever evolving

News Staff
Thursday, March 5, 2026
By Lorin Sinn-Clark- Local columnist “Children see magic because they look for it.” – Christopher Moore   I’m a big believer in magic, always have been – isn’t everything more fun when there’s magic in the air?
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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Anonymity is not productive

News Staff
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Some of the questions plaguing your local newspaper editors/publishers are: Why are people not writing letters to the editor anymore? What will make them begin again?
While I admittedly neglected my "garden" more than I should have last year, my knockout roses showed out throughout the season. Come mid-April, I'm hoping they'll look just like this again. Photo by Rose Scoggins.

While I admittedly neglected my "garden" more than I should have last year, my knockout roses showed out throughout the season. Come mid-April, I'm hoping they'll look just like this again. Photo by Rose Scoggins.

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Itching to get my hands dirty

Rose Scoggins - Editor and Publisher
Thursday, March 5, 2026
There they were. Stacked high on wooden pallets, wrapped in white plastic and taking up the majority of the store parking lot. I could smell them through my car window.  Bags upon bags upon bags of fresh wooden mulch.
Emily was born in 1976, between her brothers, Alan and Eric. They loved teasing her and pulling her pigtails. Photo submitted by Dink NeSmith.

Emily was born in 1976, between her brothers, Alan and Eric. They loved teasing her and pulling her pigtails. Photo submitted by Dink NeSmith.

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Happy 50th Birthday, Emily

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, March 5, 2026
“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe   March 2, 2026 Dear Emily: Yesterday, you were in pigtails. Today, you are 50 years old.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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2026 Legislative Newsletter – Week 7

News Staff
Thursday, February 26, 2026
By Alan Powell- State Rep. This week we passed HB 1063 to ensure families and small business rate payers are not left paying for the construction and operation costs of large data centers as these facilities expand throughout our state.
The Hartwell Sun

The Hartwell Sun

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A vow is a promise

News Staff
Thursday, February 26, 2026
By Dan Moorhead- Local columnist When I think of the things that have contributed to the longevity of many marriages and have lead most of those same long married couples to an enviable point in time, words fail. It’s hard to find the proper perspective.  Many things come to mind, though.