By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent Christine Hayes waves as others throw candy from the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church wagon float during the Lattimore 4th of July parade OPINION – Lattimore is the small-town place to be. It really is. The 4th of July in Lattimore felt like one of those movie towns. It almost didn’t seem real – but it was, it is. Having just been less than two weeks out since I had a heart attack, I wanted to go to the parade but knew I had to take it easy

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent Opinion – Wow! it's been quite a year! The plan was to look back at the most memorable news stories from the past year, but a little thing called a heart attack prevented me from completing that special news story this past week. Maybe it’s best. Maybe I’ll get to it later this month. We’ll see... To say The Shelby Independent almost didn’t make it to its first anniversary is putting it lightly. However, today isn’t about what almost hap

By Ron Humphries | Special Guest Op-Ed Columnist for The Shelby Independent OPINION — Every morning, a familiar political ritual plays out. Lawmakers propose sweeping bans on classroom screens, restrictions on Artificial Intelligence, and demand a retreat to the "three R’s." This crusade frames digital technology as an unprecedented monster devouring young minds. Yet, declaring that technology has ruined education is merely the latest repetition of a script society has recite

By Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION – Feelings over facts seems to be the preferred way of doing things in media nowadays, but that's not journalism, although, that is what you see and read in the mainstream media every day and that is called 'propaganda' and 'activism' disguised as journalism, as many of you have learned over the years. Some seem to think journalism should be regulated based on what people do and do not like, because it actually does happen ever

The birth of Jesus

Where’s the lie? In the wake of the political assassination (words / phrases used by the governor of Utah and federal authorities) of...

While I was in South Dakota, I learned a lot I didn’t know about the eagle. Mostly what it represented to the Lakota people, one steeped in history, bravery and wisdom.

There’s no place quite like North Carolina.

It’s unfortunate that public employees and elected officials ignore a reporter’s calls and emails.

Here goes everything.... Right now you're reading this because you want to know what The Shelby Independent is about - and that is a...

There’s a generation of young adults that have been brainwashed into thinking ‘local news’ means gossip and hearsay from people on social media that have self-appointed themselves as “journalists” without the proper background of experience through training, education and legal practice.