Jim Longworth

If you drive the get-away car for a bank robber, you are considered to be an accomplice because you aided and abetted the robber. That means you face the same

No one knows who first opined about second chances, but African author Lailah Gifty Akita said it best when she wrote, “We all make mistakes, everybody should be given a second chance.” It’s hard to argue with that sentiment, at least in theory. For example, if someone who is struggling to support his family robs a bank and gets caught, then he deserves a second chance when it comes time for parole. But if that same man kills the bank clerk during the commission of his crime, then he deserves to serve his full sentence, whatever that might be. The difference between the two scenarios seems obvious, except for North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper who has been rather lenient with his commutations over the years.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let’s not forget that there are people beyond our immediate circle of family and friends who are suffering, and could benefit from our love

2024 will most be remembered for the political comeback of Donald Trump, facilitated by the votes of 77 million Americans who forgot that his insurrection killed several police officers and injured hundreds more. They also forgot about his 32 felony convictions. In short, 2024 was all about how we as a society forgive and forget criminal behavior in general, as was evidenced by the success of two dog murderers: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem who Trump has picked to lead Homeland Security; and former NFL star and FOX Sports personality Michael Vick who was just hired to lead Norfolk State’s football program. The sad part is that instead of being rewarded with important new jobs, Vick should just now be getting

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for interstate commerce, but for the life of me I can’t understand why, when it comes to trade between North Carolina and Virginia, it

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for interstate commerce, but for the life of me I can't understand why, when it comes to trade between North Carolina and Virginia, it always has to be a one-way highway. During Prohibition, for example, North Carolinians had to drive across the state line to buy liquor. Later in the century, we had to drive up to the Old Dominion to buy lottery tickets, cheaper gas, and wager on horse races. In recent times we also had to travel into Virginia to buy marijuana. And over the past year and a half, those of us in the Piedmont have gotten into our cars and driven to Danville to play blackjack, poker, craps, and slots, first in a temporary casino, and now in a permanent facility which opened on Dec. 17.

As sometimes happens, two seemingly unrelated news stories get reported on the same day, yet when taken together they are revealed to have a lot in common. That’s what happened

When Attorney David Daggett commits to something he goes all in, whether it’s a commitment to family, clients, or athletics. His exploits as an Iron Man competitor are legendary, and

After a long career in law enforcement, including time spent as a police officer in Winston-Salem, and as a special agent for the D.E.A., Bobby Kimbrough could have retired and turned his back on public service. But Bobby isn’t one to rest on his laurels or to sit idly by when presented with a challenge. In 2018, he was persuaded to run for office against a long-time, popular incumbent, and, against all odds, he unseated Bill Schatzman to become the first African American sheriff in the history of Forsyth County. And while most political newcomers are afforded a honeymoon period, Bobby had to confront two pandemics head-on after barely a year on the job. One pandemic was COVID, and the other was racism.

I’ve been involved in promoting and reporting on state and local referenda for a good many years, and anytime those bills involved asking residents to pay higher taxes in order