Kes: Leon Invented Carpe Diem
April 21, 2026
We grew up playing basketball, football, and baseball. We’d never heard of soccer or synchronized swimming. And golf was too expensive.
Opinion
244 articles
Kes: Leon Invented Carpe Diem
April 21, 2026
We grew up playing basketball, football, and baseball. We’d never heard of soccer or synchronized swimming. And golf was too expensive.
Wit And Wisdom: She Was a Long Shot
April 21, 2026
It’s an amazing and mysterious process that brings us into contact with people who influence and affect our lives.
Letter: A Response to a Kes Story
April 14, 2026
I am submitting this response regarding an article written by Kes - “Be Careful Whose Snake You Are Picking Up” in a recent submission in The McKenzie Banner under his column “Hunker Down With Kes” in the February 24, 2026 issue.
Wit and Wisdom: Prejudiced But Didn’t Know It; Part III
April 14, 2026
When Coach whistled us off the court, Eugene and I sat together on the bleachers – two outsiders having found common ground, sitting together as new-found friends.
Kes: Talk About Heaven On Earth
April 14, 2026
I think it was the green grass. And maybe the maple trees putting on their leaves in the front yard. The soft breezes were refreshing. And the longer days were fraught with possibilities. You could feel it in the crispy morning air. It was actually fun to wake up and meet this kind of day.
Kes: Making Silk Purses Out Of Sows’ Ears
April 7, 2026
I go downtown at 8 a.m. to get Irene to cut my hair, and I can’t find a place to park.
Letter: Many Thanks...
April 7, 2026
Many thanks to everyone who helped to make the March 28th #NoKings rally in downtown McKenzie a success:
Wit and Wisdom: Prejudiced But Didn’t Know It; Part II
April 7, 2026
Nodding, I held up my small bag containing tennis shoes, shorts and t-shirt.
Wit and Wisdom: Prejudiced But Didn’t Know It
March 31, 2026
It’s easy to be deluded into thinking that you know yourself, especially at the age of fifteen.
Kes: Not Exactly Hallmark Moments
March 31, 2026
Daddy was working on our washing machine. I crawled down under there to get a better look.
Reader’s Letter on Recent Advertising on the Back Page
March 31, 2026
Christy Walton (born 1949) is a billionaire Walmart heiress and is known for her high-profile political activism.
Wit and Wisdom: Losers Need Not Apply
March 24, 2026
Memphis, Tennessee. 1989.
Kes: Fading Symbol Of A Bygone Time
March 24, 2026
I stared at the empty lot with abject disbelief. Confusion reigned. I had stopped the car in the middle of Stonewall Street and stumbled out to get a better look. I must be at the wrong place! I hadn’t been back in years. And things change.
Wit and Wisdom: The Cost of a New Life
March 17, 2026
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to change? Strangely enough, even positive change is hard!
Kes: The Art Of Hunkering Down
March 17, 2026
A lot of folks “Hunker Down with Kes” every week and don’t completely understand what is going on.
Burke Receives Purple Heart
March 17, 2026
REPRINTED FROM MARCH 14, 2006 McKENZIE (March 13) — Larry Dean Burke received his Purple Heart today for wounds he sustained in Vietnam on January 21, 1969.
Kes: Influences Can Come in Small Packages
March 10, 2026
I don’t know for sure if Lou Owens wrote for the McKenzie Banner or the Carroll County Democrat.
Editorial: My Plea for a Nation Under Duress
March 10, 2026
HAVANA — For those of us who have borne witness to the slow, steady decline of Cuba, the current reality is a profound, heart-wrenching tragedy.
Letter: EV Trucks Not The Answer For McKenzie
March 10, 2026
On February 24th, 2026, The Banner published an article on page 2 titled “McKenzie to Purchase EV Dump Trucks, Chargers.” In that article, Mayor Ryan Griffin announced at a city council meeting that the city had received a $543,255 grant to purchase electric vehicles (EVs), but the city would need to fund an additional $181,000.
