The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

When it rains, it pours. And when it doesn't, there is a drought.

For the past several weeks, I have been experiencing a "drought" in the news department. Normally, it is just the opposite. I usually have so much to cover than I don't know where to start.

While I am certain that this lull is only temporary, it does make me a little nervous to be staring at a nearly blank front page on Friday afternoon. I at least like to know what is going to be on the front page by that time, even if I don't have the articles ready yet.

I suppose it is like a preacher who still does not know what his Sunday morning sermon is going to be about on Saturday night. Fortunately, a preacher can rely upon divine inspiration at the last moment to provide what is needed. I, on the other hand, am not always assured of supernatural intervention, just subscriber expectations.

Ah, the life of a newspaper editor - feast or famine.

Having made those remarks, I am sure that someone will now see fit to send me some "suggestions" for news stories, anonymously of course. But that's okay. I have gotten quite a few tips that way, and many have turned into good news articles.

Just about anything looks good when you're in the middle of a famine.

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Happy birthday this week to: Scottie Larisey, Don Perkins, Margaret Clifton, Kathy Weathersby, Glen Bassett Sr., Jennifer Fleming, Alexandria Lane, Nan Bowers and Thurmon Kent.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries this week are: Mr. and Mrs. Harry Dwelle, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Small and Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Edenfield.

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Military Active Duty List: Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; SPC Grade E4 Arthur Lamont Milton Jr., HHC 1-36 Infantry Support, Friedberg, Germany; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Ft. Stewart; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Maryland; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; LCPL Dwain "Cade" Lee, 1st Marine Division Combat Service Support Group II Security Element, ArRamadi, Iraq; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, 2nd Marine Division, F.A.S.T. Company, Yorktown, VA; Sgt. 1st Class Steven Yager, 362nd Sig. Company, Korea; MM3 Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; SFC Ronnie Perryman, E-7, Georgia Army National Guard, Battery A, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, 48th Brigade Combat Team; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.