If you turn on your television set for any length of time lately, you have no doubt seen numerous political advertisements for the various candidates seeking the seat of President of the United States, not to mention all the coverage by the national news media.

I know that electing a president of our nation is one of the most important tasks we, as citizens of this great country, have the privilege of doing. But, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine the “fact” from “fiction” in all the information with which we are being bombarded. From the candidates to the news media, the information thrown at us seems to change daily.

I don’t care about all the name-calling and finger-pointing. What I really want to know is where the candidates stand on the issues confronting our nation, as well as evidence of their moral character. Give me that information, and, then, I can make an informed decision as to how to cast my vote!

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Happy birthday this week to: Dallas Washburn, Daniel Rhodes, Mike Reeves, Sarah Moncrief, Dale Wiggins, Jodi Thomas, Nathan Johnson, Edgar Miller, Stanley Thompson, Nicole Crews, Edwin Taylor, Louise Felburg, Gladys Parrish, Mary Burke, Kneisha Newton, Lee Fulcher, Hester Oglesby, Scottie Larisey, Gail Lewis and Don Perkins.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries are: Mr. and Mrs. Jody Bowers.

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Military Active Duty List: SSGT Jeremy Chestnut, U.S. Air Force, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, MS; E-5 SSgt Roy T. Davis Jr., U.S. Air Force, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom; Spc. Jeremy Allen Johnson, U.S. Army, 59th Quartermaster, Afghanistan; Spc. Joe Boone, U.S. Army, 877th Engineers, Afghanistan; Akeam Williams Sr., U.S. Army, Afghanistan; 1LT Justin Grey McBride, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; Lt. Col. James E. Davis, U.S. Air Force, Department Of Defense Inspector General’s Office, Pentagon; Sgt. Darcelyn M. Kimbro, U.S. Army, Fort Gordon, Augusta, ; Specialist Jeremy Johnson, U.S. Army, 59th Quartermaster Company, Ft. Carson, Colorado; Cpl. Adam T. Lanier, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Bt. 6th Marine Regiment, Weapons Co., Scout Sniper Platoon, Afghanistan; Cpl. Patrick Barnette, U.S. Marines, 29 Palms, California; Sgt. Adam Demshar, 44th Signal Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq; Cpl. Lee Ogden, U.S. Marines, Camp Pendleton, CA; E5 Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric B. Kelsey, U.S. Navy, NSA Naples, Italy; Senior Airman Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Shaw AFB, Sumter, S.C.; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, T. Hood, Texas; Major D. Slade Burke, U.S. Air Force, 733d Air Mobility Squadron, Kadena AB, Okinawa Japan; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Chief Petty Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 25th Infantry Division, Schafield Barracks, Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; 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. Baghdad, 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; 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; and Staff Sgt. Charles “C.J.” Amerson, U.S. Army, Afghanistan.