Viewpoints from 2013 - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Viewpoints from 2013

Here are WALB's Editorials for the year 2013

  • Viewpoints from 2013

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 10:30 AM EDT2013-05-23 14:30:45 GMT
    The unofficial start of summer is almost here. That means the boating season's about to start. It's time to change up the battery, pump up the tires on the trailer, and make sure the motor starts. It's
    The unofficial start of summer is almost here. That means the boating season's about to start. It's time to change up the battery, pump up the tires on the trailer, and make sure the motor starts.

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 3:26 PM EDT2013-05-21 19:26:05 GMT
    Last November, The Albany City Commission gave the Riverquarium $150K, to remain open and look for other funding sources. There was much community discussion about this, and many who said give them nothing,
    Last November, The Albany City Commission gave the Riverquarium $150K, to remain open and look for other funding sources. Many said give them nothing, and just let this beautiful and unique tourist attraction close. Have those critics forgotten about the million dollar checks given to the Albany Civic Center or The Parks at Chehaw?

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 12:16 PM EDT2013-05-16 16:16:28 GMT
    As we get older, many of us find ourselves needing to take a daily dose of a prescription medicine to keep our bodies working efficiently. Public health researchers at Brown University found in a study
    While a local pharmacist says half of the drugs on the list from the Brown study are no longer on the market, the research should serve as a reminder to all of us. To make sure we know what the medicine we take does to our bodies and the potential harm it could do.

  • Tuesday, May 14 2013 1:09 PM EDT2013-05-14 17:09:50 GMT
    Georgia's criminal justice reform commission may go down as one of Governor Nathan Deal's greatest accomplishments. Earlier this month, the Governor signed a juvenile justice reform bill into law that
    Earlier this month, the Governor signed a juvenile justice reform bill into law that was based on recommendations from the commission. The law will steer more non-violent youth offenders into community-based programs rather than incarceration.

  • Thursday, May 9 2013 4:24 PM EDT2013-05-09 20:24:50 GMT
    Our national leaders have long been accused of living differently than they make us live. They have their own retirement system, one that's not dependent on Social Security, and pays a lot better, to
    Our national leaders have their own healthcare system, that you have been paying for, going back generations. Why shouldn't they get MediCare, or ObamaCare?

  • Wednesday, May 8 2013 10:29 AM EDT2013-05-08 14:29:48 GMT
    It was recently announced that the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs will be implementing an initiative to expedite benefit compensations claims decisions for veterans who have waited one year or longer
    It's shameful that over one-half of veterans awaiting claims have waited four months or more for their earned benefits.  We hope the VA can turn the situation around and eliminate the backlogged claims.

  • Thursday, May 2 2013 1:44 PM EDT2013-05-02 17:44:02 GMT
    Since the Dougherty County School Board voted to close two schools and repurpose another, the system has done an excellent job keeping students and parents informed. They're holding meetings at nine
    Since the Dougherty County School Board voted to close two schools and repurpose another, the system has done an excellent job keeping students and parents informed. They're holding meetings at nine schools to answer questions and show students, who will be forced to transfer, TO their new schools.

  • Wednesday, May 1 2013 2:57 PM EDT2013-05-01 18:57:24 GMT
    Albany Tech student Aamir Greene will be the state spokesman for technical education after winning the prestigious GOAL award. What a great choice! Greene's road to Albany Tech included two tours in
    Albany Tech student Aamir Greene will be the state spokesman for technical education after winning the prestigious GOAL award. What a great choice! Greene's road to Albany Tech included two tours in Iraq with the United States Marines.

  • Thursday, April 25 2013 4:11 PM EDT2013-04-25 20:11:48 GMT
    Prom season is here, a time of excitement for teens and young adults, and often a time of worry for parents. Rarely does a prom season go by that we don't deliver the traffic news of a young life cut
    Let's all look out for our kids and made sure prom season 2013 marks the passing of another school year and not the passing of another life.

  • Tuesday, April 23 2013 2:53 PM EDT2013-04-23 18:53:50 GMT
    In the aftermath of 9/11, we hoped and prayed Americans would never have to endure another terrorist attack on our soil. Tragically, it happened again last week in Boston. Americans reeled from the sight
    In the aftermath of 9/11, we hoped and prayed Americans would never have to endure another terrorist attack on our soil. Tragically, it happened again last week in Boston.

  • Thursday, April 18 2013 2:42 PM EDT2013-04-18 18:42:59 GMT
    Our national debt has nearly tripled in the last four years. That means that every man, woman, and child in the country owes more than fifty thousand dollars in debt. Now is the time to get this debt
    Now is the time to get this debt under control and we think a proposal from Eight District Congressman Austin Scott could help achieve that.

  • Tuesday, April 16 2013 12:39 PM EDT2013-04-16 16:39:20 GMT
    Our law enforcement officers work hard to keep dangerous drugs off our streets and they are succeeding with roadblocks that pool the resources of area police and sheriff's office. The rolling roadblocks
    Our law enforcement officers work hard to keep dangerous drugs off our streets and they are succeeding with roadblocks that pool the resources of area police and sheriff's office.

  • Thursday, April 11 2013 12:09 PM EDT2013-04-11 16:09:55 GMT
    An exciting event is planned for Friday night in Albany that will help make a life-changing difference for a girl. Girls, Inc. will host Wine Market. Albany's premier wine tasting event, and it's a chance
    An exciting event is planned for Friday night in Albany that will help make a life-changing difference for a girl. Girls, Inc. will host Wine Market. Albany's premier wine tasting event, and it's a chance for all of us to support an organization that's doing great work.

  • Tuesday, April 9 2013 3:58 PM EDT2013-04-09 19:58:45 GMT
    South Georgia enjoyed another proud moment Sunday night when Leesburg's Luke Bryan was named Entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music. The 36-year-old musician also co-hosted the star-studded
    South Georgia enjoyed another proud moment Sunday night when Leesburg's Luke Bryan was named Entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music.

  • Tuesday, April 2 2013 5:44 PM EDT2013-04-02 21:44:02 GMT
    Six police officers and two teens were involved in an undercover sting operation, March 8th, to see if stores in Dougherty County would sell alcohol to under aged buyers. The numbers are startling. 11
    Six police officers and two teens were involved in an undercover sting operation, March 8th, to see if stores in Dougherty County would sell alcohol to under aged buyers. The numbers are startling. 11 out of 18 stores in Dougherty County sold beer to a 17 or 18 year-old. That's 61 percent- a number officials say is just too high.

  • Thursday, March 28 2013 6:12 PM EDT2013-03-28 22:12:51 GMT
    We have not only heard that taxpayers are upset much more like outraged, that the Cutliff Grove Family Resource Center wants the Albany City Commission to restructure the center's debt, on a low-income
    Cutliff Grove Family Resource Center wants the Albany City Commission to restructure the center's debt, on a low-income housing project it took over from the city in 2008.

  • Tuesday, March 26 2013 12:25 PM EDT2013-03-26 16:25:36 GMT
    A struggle is going on between Albany State and the Dougherty County School system over the use of an ASU building for the Early College Program. The Dougherty County School System spent almost half a
    DCSS spent almost half a million dollars to help renovate Andrews Hall on the ASU campus, and has an agreement to use it for at least three more years for the Early College Program. But now ASU wants to alter the deal.

  • Friday, March 22 2013 3:36 PM EDT2013-03-22 19:36:09 GMT
    As good as many south Georgia police investigators are, they simply can't solve many crimes without help from people like you. Just this week, two men were gunned down in a drive- by shooting in Albany,
    As good as many south Georgia police investigators are, they simply can't solve many crimes without help from people like you. Just this week, two men were gunned down in a drive- by shooting in Albany, and few people are talking.

  • Tuesday, March 19 2013 5:35 PM EDT2013-03-19 21:35:58 GMT
    The Deerfield-Windsor Board of Trustees is faced with one of the biggest decisions in school history: Whether to leave the Georgia Independent School Association and join the Georgia High School Association. Deerfield's

    The Deerfield-Windsor Board of Trustees is faced with one of the biggest decisions in school history: Whether to leave the Georgia Independent School Association and join the Georgia High School Association.

  • Thursday, March 14 2013 4:52 PM EDT2013-03-14 20:52:45 GMT
    As you know, automatic cuts in the federal budget- known as sequestration- went into effect last week. The latest poll showed most Americans, 46 percent, said they believe the cuts are bad for the country.
    If you are hurt by a 2% cut in expenses, you have a really poorly run business.

  • Tuesday, March 12 2013 11:45 AM EDT2013-03-12 15:45:27 GMT
    A lot of people in Valdosta are rightfully upset over an ecological disaster that created a smelly mess. The city's only waste water treatment plant is in a flood zone. Raw sewage ended up in people's
    A lot of people in Valdosta are rightfully upset over an ecological disaster that created a smelly mess. The city's only waste water treatment plant is in a flood zone.

  • Thursday, March 7 2013 1:40 PM EST2013-03-07 18:40:16 GMT
    Nothing has fueled the push for new gun laws more that the deaths of the children in Sandy Hook, Connecticut in December. So now the push comes for more laws and a ban on some guns. What we haven't
    Banning guns isn't the solution, but responsible checks into potential gun owners will go a long way toward preventing tragedies like Sandy Hook.

  • Tuesday, March 5 2013 3:23 PM EST2013-03-05 20:23:15 GMT
    Another Albany Marathon and Mardis Gras Street Festival has come and gone and again. Community members made us proud by volunteering countless hours. Unfortunately, the weather drove attendance for the
    Congrats to all the organizers on their efforts! We hope that future years will bring peak participation once again!

  • Thursday, February 28 2013 4:19 PM EST2013-02-28 21:19:10 GMT
    We were reminded recently of a costly missed opportunity for Albany State University and our community when the Ray Charles Foundation made a $3 million donation to Morehouse College to help build a Fine
    We were reminded recently of a costly missed opportunity for Albany State University and our community when the Ray Charles Foundation made a $3 million donation to Morehouse College to help build a Fine Arts Center in honor of the music legend.

  • Tuesday, February 26 2013 3:37 PM EST2013-02-26 20:37:37 GMT
    We are asking, again this year, why doesn't Georgia raise the high school drop -out age, from 16 to 17 or 18??? The facts about our current dropouts are very clear. They earn far less money, are more
    We are asking, again this year, why doesn't Georgia raise the high school drop-out age, from 16 to 17 or 18???

  • Thursday, February 21 2013 12:33 PM EST2013-02-21 17:33:04 GMT
    Moody Air Force base para-rescue jumpers are being featured on a National Geographic show called "Inside Combat Rescue." These airmen jump out of airplanes and helicopters to help rescue Americans from
    Moody Air Force base para-rescue jumpers are being featured on a National Geographic show called "Inside Combat Rescue."

  • Tuesday, February 19 2013 12:26 PM EST2013-02-19 17:26:35 GMT
    We enjoyed a proud moment here in South Georgia when our own Pamela Green-Jackson received a Citizens Medal from President Obama. Ms. Green-Jackson, who works at MCLB Albany, was honored for her Youth
    Pamela Green-Jackson and LaKisha Bryant were both in the nation's capital recently.

  • Thursday, February 14 2013 11:20 AM EST2013-02-14 16:20:32 GMT
    The proposed plan to close three Dougherty County Schools naturally is very shocking. Especially to those who have children who attend the schools being recommended for closure or modification. It has
    The proposed plan to close three Dougherty County Schools naturally is very shocking. With a decision of this magnitude, it is important for school board members to take their time and consider every aspect of this issue before casting their vote.

  • Tuesday, February 12 2013 5:10 PM EST2013-02-12 22:10:13 GMT
    The December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut brought renewed attention to school security. While no security plan can guarantee absolute protection at all times, we have confidence
    While no security plan can guarantee absolute protection at all times, we have confidence in the safety of Dougherty County Schools. The system is the only one in our area with its own police force of 24 officers.

  • Thursday, February 7 2013 4:43 PM EST2013-02-07 21:43:11 GMT
    It is heartwrenching to watch a lifetime of memories slip away from Alzheimer's patients. It's often said that the disease is much harder on the caregivers than on the patients, and thousands of you,
    It's often said that the disease is much harder on the caregivers than on the patients, and thousands of you, right here in South Georgia, are dealing with the challenges of caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's.

  • Tuesday, February 5 2013 5:59 PM EST2013-02-05 22:59:10 GMT
    February kicks off Black History Month, when we remember the civil rights movement, and the changes our nation has seen. This month and throughout the year, we celebrate all the notable Americans who
    February kicks off Black History Month, when we remember the civil rights movement, and the changes our nation has seen.

  • Thursday, January 31 2013 4:33 PM EST2013-01-31 21:33:22 GMT
    You have probably heard the old joke: Do you know how to make Congress work? Easy---- put them on commission. Well we may have a similar law soon. Congressman Jack Kingston (GA-1) joined a bipartisan
    Congressman Jack Kingston (GA-1) joined a bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, voting for legislation that would withhold the pay of Members of Congress if they fail to pass a budget.

  • Tuesday, January 29 2013 11:46 AM EST2013-01-29 16:46:42 GMT
    South Georgia is losing an important voice in Washington. Senator Saxby Chambliss announced last week he would not run for re-election. The Moultrie Republican spent eight years in the U.S. House of
    South Georgia is losing an important voice in Washington. Senator Saxby Chambliss announced last week he would not run for re-election.

  • Thursday, January 24 2013 5:00 PM EST2013-01-24 22:00:27 GMT
    We as citizens want to do everything we can to protect our law enforcement officers. However, a move by the Albany Police Department to scramble their radio traffic from the public is not a move we believe
    A move by the Albany Police Department to scramble their radio traffic from the public is not a move we believe that will significantly increase the safety of officers.

  • Thursday, January 17 2013 3:00 PM EST2013-01-17 20:00:09 GMT
    Local communities, states, and the nation are preparing to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend, as well as on Monday, the national holiday. Our nation has been observing the
    Local communities, states, and the nation are preparing to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend, as well as on Monday, the national holiday. 

  • Thursday, January 17 2013 2:41 PM EST2013-01-17 19:41:21 GMT
    After the Colorado theater shooting, and shifting into high gear after Newtown, liberal politicians have pontificating over the Second Amendment, and the role of guns in society. We have heard a lot
    We have heard a lot of talk about why people needed to be able to hunt with more than one bullet at a time, and silly notions like "the deer isn't shooting back." That sort of talk misses the point entirely.

  • Tuesday, January 15 2013 10:21 AM EST2013-01-15 15:21:20 GMT
    After a rough couple of years for a deeply divided Dougherty County School Board, 2013 seems to be off to a better start. Board members chose three solid finalists for the job of interim superintendent.
     After a rough couple of years for a deeply divided Dougherty County School Board, 2013 seems to be off to a better start. Board members chose three solid finalists for the job of interim superintendent.

  • Thursday, January 10 2013 5:14 PM EST2013-01-10 22:14:04 GMT
    We always knew that people in the Albany Metro area were good and generous people. What we didn't realize is just how generous and giving you really are. People in the Albany metro area give more of
    We always knew that people in the Albany Metro area were good and generous people. What we didn't realize is just how generous and giving you really are.

  • Tuesday, January 8 2013 1:29 PM EST2013-01-08 18:29:32 GMT
    Most people we have heard from are completely disgusted about the recent Congressional mess over the fiscal cliff issues. There is a pathetic lack of cooperation and any desire to negotiate with the
    Most people we have heard from are completely disgusted about the recent Congressional mess over the fiscal cliff issues. There is a pathetic lack of cooperation and any desire to negotiate with the other party.

  • Thursday, January 3 2013 4:00 PM EST2013-01-03 21:00:12 GMT
    We always knew that people in the Albany Metro area were good and generous people. What we didn't realize is just how generous and giving you really are. People in the Albany metro area give more of
    We always knew that people in the Albany Metro area were good and generous people. What we didn't realize is just how generous and giving you really are.

  • Thursday, January 3 2013 1:33 PM EST2013-01-03 18:33:50 GMT
    As we enter each New Year, we set a number of goals, declaring that we are going to do 'this' or 'that,' ending up with something that reads a lot like a grocery list of things we want to accomplish. For
    As we enter each New Year, we set a number of goals, declaring that we are going to do 'this' or 'that,' ending up with something that reads a lot like a grocery list of things we want to accomplish.