THE SHELBY INDEPENDENT

By Rod Powell | Guest Opinion OPINION — A young couple trying to buy their first home in Cleveland County already has plenty working against them. Home prices are high. Interest rates are high. Insurance isn't cheap, and saving enough for a down payment can take years. Then they finally find a modest house they can afford and discover they're competing against a large investment company with cash ready to go. That's happening in North Carolina. Around Charlotte, corporate inv

By Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION — A few days ago, someone sent me a meme or poster / drawing – whatever you want to call it, and it was a complete fabrication that “newspaper” stood for some crap like “north, east, west, south past and present event report” and it doesn’t. That’s completely false, fake, made up and spread around the internet and we wonder why with all this information at our fingertips that people are somehow less informed than ever… it’s becaus

By Ron Humphries | Contributing Columnist for The Sunday Column OPINION — Growing up in an era defined by black-and-white TV news broadcasts, I vividly recall the authoritative voice of Walter Cronkite, whose signature sign-off, "And that's the way it is," epitomized his commitment to pure journalism. The role of the Press was pivotal in shaping democracy, and the Founding Fathers understood this, viewing a free press as essential for an informed citizenry and a healthy gover

By Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION — No, it’s probably not what you think, sorry; its much worse. If you like apples, then just stop reading this right now… this is your warning… because if you read the whole thing then you’ll never look at apples the same way again. And don’t comment about how you’re offended, or upset about this, because I warned you – this is your last chance. Anything you read past this is your own choice… Apple picking season in North Carolina

By Aaron Bridges | Guest writer for The Sunday Column OPINION – When you're a child, you often wish your life away. You can't wait to grow up because you want to do adult things and be able to make your own decisions without someone constantly telling you what to do. Then graduation arrives. You make it to 12th grade after traveling the long road from kindergarten through high school, and now you're preparing to graduate. When I think about graduation, I see it as the moment

By Gideon Simmons | Special to The Shelby Independent A bear is seen crossing Westlee Street in Lattimore on May 8, 2026. | Courtesy photo still frame from video. Town of Lattimore Facebook page. Photo credit: Rachael Metcalf. Lattimore — Who would have ever thought that the most viewed post on the Town of Lattimore’s Facebook page would have been about a bear wandering through the Town? Over a week ago, the mayor was sent a picture and a video by two residents that showed a

By Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION — Happy Typhoid Fever Day! You can thank Typhoid Fever for Mother’s Day. As grim as that sounds, it’s true; to an extent. The holiday, where we honor mothers and grandmothers across the United States, we can trace the origins of the holiday back to a typhoid outbreak during The American Civil War. Ann Jarvis, the mother of Anna Jarvis, who would later be given credit for creating what we know as Mother’s Day, organized Mother's Da

By Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION – With the war in Ukraine and the War in Iran, we are just one step away from World War 12. At least according to one U.S. House of Representative Member from Minnesota. Most others have laughed in astonishment and joked, "Where's World War 3-11, I never learned about those?" And history scholars might say "4-11" but that's because they know that World War II (that's a two, not an eleven) was mislabeled and technically the 3rd wor

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

Commentary | The Shelby Independent OPINION — It’s March 3, the day most candidates have been waiting for (those that have a primary) and it couldn’t be sweeter or finer than to be in Carolina during this election of attrition, as many candidates have continued to nuke each other into oblivion right up to today. In the local races, Tim Moore is facing off across the wolf in sheep’s clothing: Kate Barr, pretending to be a Republican. This race has only been vicious from her si

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Grigg. Calm seas only last but so long in the dramatic ocean of politics. In the ongoing soap opera of the Cleveland County Board of Education, a new plot twist reared its head Friday, the day after the calm and professional school board candidate forum debate – call it a smear campaign, hit piece, attack, or just the truth – the focus was recently shifted onto current school board member, and candidate for the CCS Board of Education

Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION / HUMOR – First, you have to understand that while you’re reading this on Sunday (or later) during Icemegeddon, I am writing this on Friday night, eating all my winter storm snacks and typing away, having no clue more than the weatherman on what would actually happen by Sunday. As a friend mentioned to me today, "Being a weatherman is the only job where you can be wrong most of the time and not get fired." By the time you read this.

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent, Special Saturday News & Weather Column Cleveland County Government has declared a state of Emergency, along with The City of Shelby and the State of North Carolina. SATURDAY, Jan. 24, 2026 — Icemegeddom looms on the horizon. Good morning, it's 5:30 a.m., as of publishing time. Today is the day the winter storm rolls in. Don't eat all your storm snacks before it's over. Today's local high will be in the mid 30's. Cloudy, goes without

Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION / HUMOR – The names of restaurant chains have always annoyed me. I don’t know why, that’s just how I’m wired. It doesn’t mean they’re bad names… it’s just some are so obvious I can’t see why they couldn’t be more creative. Others don’t explain what they do at all, but they seem to work. People keep going back. Some have been extremely successful with such basic, obvious, names (like Red Lobster) while others that have no indication

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent The Sunday Column OPINION / HUMOR – Ultimately, self-serve gas and check-outs, buffet restaurants and do-it-yourself-assembled furniture cost more in the long term after adding mental anguish and then the cost of therapy. Whether it’s emotional therapy, or marriage counseling, there’s nothing cheap about self-service. One day I was at a gas station standing in line and I looked out the front windows to see a car drive away with the g

Why does the oven light never burn out?

By Jimmy Boheler | guest opinion Recently, while filming in my hometown of Kings Mountain, I was told it was not a good idea for me to fly my drone in a certain area. As a licensed and responsible drone operator who follows FAA safety guidelines, I could not help but wonder why. The area was safe, open, and completely legal to fly in as long as I was not flying directly over people. That moment made me stop and think about something bigger than just a flight. Why are some of

Romance will never be the same

There’s no place quite like North Carolina.

Mondays remind me of The Gremlins