… Salisbury City Council approves new development on East Innes Street

Downtown Salisbury is a very affordable place to live. Rent for these new apartments will be slightly above the average for other Salisbury apartments, but nowhere near the cost for similar apartments in nearby larger cities. These will likely attract tenants who work elsewhere and choose to live in our wonderful downtown.

This is part of the beauty of Salisbury — in the middle of everything, but far enough removed to maintain our own historic identity and lower cost of living. I definitely agree we need a mix of apartment types within our downtown and we’re actively working toward that.

— Pete Bogle

… City Council to consider downtown revitalization project

That’s a lot of taxpayer money for a private project. You want to “revitalize” downtown? You have to make the city safe. Then, and only then, will Salisbury prosper.

— James Bostwick

… Letter: Don’t support this president in any way

It’s kind of hard to have a rational discussion with people screaming “traitor” and “treason,” especially when they have been screaming “traitor” and “treason” for the last 18 months and we’ve seen no traitoring or treasoning. But the facts don’t deter them. …

Trump’s actions are indisputably exponentially harsher on Russia than anything Obama did, but citing that evidence and those facts is now itself evidence of collusion. You people have lost your minds.

— Wes Rhinier

… Cal Thomas: Questioning intelligence, and I don’t mean Trump’s

Yes, because you get warrants for raids, indictments against 32 individuals and three businesses, five guilty pleas, prison sentence, and upcoming trials when your intelligence is “a fiasco” and “illegitimate.”

— Chris Coleman

… Letter: Our inarticulate leader

I just love when Democrats cry. Keep crying, Mr. Stark. The more you hate the more we love. Trump 2020.

— Grant Eagle

Best jobs president in 50 years and my portfolio continues to grow. Peace on the Korean Peninsula and our military stronger than ever. MAGA!

— Bill Sorenson

You lost; get over it.

— Larry Cole

Ten years ago, perhaps more, there was an ongoing nationwide discussion on the dumbing down of America — which, through the blare of warning sounds, the country steadfastly ignored.

We are seeing the results now, in the lack of intelligent civil discourse, in the denial of science (even as possibility), in the paucity of language (four-letter words and compounds of same having taken not just center stage, but full stage), the absurdity of tweeting as replacement for discourse, the elevation (perhaps the exalting) of ignorance as something of value.

And we see it in the results of our last election. Please note that I did not single out the president. I did not because that would be to deny our own culpability.

— Whitney Peckman

… Board of Elections sets early voting plans for general election

Thanks to the board for agreeing on hours. If a person is truly interested in voting, there are plenty of opportunities to do so.

— Gene Krueger

Thank you to all residents who attended the meeting and advocated for an additional Saturday. Also, thank you to members from Women for Community Justice who were able to attend. It’s imperative we continue to be present at meetings such as this. Voter suppression is alive and well in N.C. How do we defeat it? By voting like our life depends on it, because it does.

— Regina Dancy

Luckily, we have people showing up to these Board of Elections meetings to advocate for the community. The same spirit of voter suppression in Raleigh is here in Rowan County. 

Those that fight against early voting and weekend voting know that people of color show up in numbers during those times. Read in this article who is against early and weekend voting.

Pay attention.

— Anthony Smith

Voting is a right of all citizens. Allowing the opportunity for people to vote is helping guarantee that right. The GOP has strongly tried to restrict voting sites, hours and even those who vote. It is important that a check on this attack on democracy is made by electing Democrats to seats in Raleigh.

— George W. Benson

… A man and his flying machine: 94-year-old Chuck Campbell builds an airplane

Great story! It’s nice to see a man pursuing his dreams and not giving up until it’s complete. I hope to read more stories like this. It was heartwarming and encouraging. I look forward to seeing it in the sky in the near future.

— Brian Morrow

… Editorial: GOP convention should go west

Sure, there will be unrest; protesters will be shipped in by the bus loads, regardless of the venue. If we don’t do something based on fear of riots, then we are no longer a republic but rather an ochlocracy (mob rule).

We were once made of sterner stuff.

— Bruce LaRue

The GOP has every right to hold its convention in Charlotte, as the DNC did in 2012.

If emotionally unhinged, violent liberals can’t stand that, let them remain at home and stay out of the street.

If they can’t manage that and insist on being disruptive, violent, and systemically abusive, then let the police arrest them by the thousands and remove them from the area.

Leftist intimidation is not to be feared, but resisted.

— J.R. Neumiller

… Vandals hit Salvation Army headquarters

Someone has to be pretty lowlife to do this. Don’t they know or care that this is the only way some children and their parents have food, clothing, etc.?

Praying that they are caught soon.

— Margaret Keys

… Salisbury Police Department reports increase in crime

It’s a shame. Salisbury is such a nice little town.

— Carol Kelly

… Letter: Look at capitalism from both sides

Our economic and political system is now a vulture capitalistic oligarchy. Too many Americans are dying from inadequate access to medical care, mostly due to the exorbitant prices charged by a for-profit health care system that tends to impoverish citizens.

There are detention centers profiting from governmental agencies to the tune of millions of dollars to hold Central American refugees. There are for-profit prisons run by outfits that warehouse humans under subhuman conditions. Too many inmates are charged with petty crimes and misdemeanors who cannot pay for their freedom. There is a privatized loan industry that profits from the indebtedness of college students and graduates.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must not be privatized. Universal health care should be a part of life. Equal justice under the law should be a part of liberty. Earning a debt- free education should be a part of pursuing happiness.

— Reginald Brown

My original point is that pure socialism is what led to the ruined economies of Central and South America in the first place and is the underlying reason why we have so many illegal immigrants in the U.S. Too much socialism will bankrupt a nation’s economy. Money for those loved programs must come from somewhere. And it usually comes from taxes.

Taxing/regulating citizenry discourages people from working. Human nature gets frustrated when over 50 percent of what is earned is given to the state, often to be wasted or squandered. In Central/South America, ordinarily honest people turned to the black market, so their income became unreported. …

California is an experiment in socialism that has an extremely high cost of living, the largest homeless population in the U.S. and a vanishing middle class, as people are relocating to friendlier places. And its government has a strangle-hold on homeowners and small businesses, the lifeblood of the country. The grass is not greener on the other side.

— Kelly Stuard-Will

Well said, Ms. Bullard. As you said, we are the only modern industrial country that does not provide universal health care for its citizens. Quality health care should be the right of all Americans.

— Karen Bowyer

… Next steps for approval
of the renewal school system framework

It is sad when a school system fails so bad that is sells the schools off to the highest bidder at children’s expense. This is one of the reasons that over the past few years homeschooling has tripled in Rowan County.

— Kathy Cohen Smith

This isn’t selling our schools. RSS is still in charge of the schools and funding, just changing the way that money is used.

It’s a lot of change and there will be challenges, but the schools themselves aren’t getting “sold off to the highest bidder.” We hope that more parents and students are excited to choose to come back to RSS from home-schooling.

— Neil Pifer

When I read previously that Dr. Moody had said that the restart model would allow teachers the opportunity to return to tried and true teaching methods that the state had abandoned, I was very surprised. The state has never mandated teaching methods or strategies.

— Jatana Jernigan

… Armed robber takes hostages at Harris Teeter, is shot by police

Thank God that everyone is safe, and a thank you to all the law enforcement for doing a great job.

— J.R. Trooper

… Concord man killed in three-vehicle collision at Irish Potato, Salisbury-Concord roads

That was my little brother (Brian Manring) that was killed there. He was only 18 and didn’t deserve that. A traffic light needs to be installed there. There is no reason why we can’t do that. An innocent life was taken and I’m not going to let him die in vain. Something has to be done.

I’m campaigning for my little brother, trying to get donations to help the family in this time of need because it was so unexpected. I will provide the link below. And if anyone can share his story and help it would be appreciated.

I hope this will prompt the counties in doing something to make it safer so no other family will have to lose their loved ones. https://www.gofundme.com/in-memory-of-brian-manring?rcid

— Kirsten Taylor

… Congressmen respond to Trump’s news conference with Putin

So the meddling by the United States in the elections of Israel, Great Britain, etc., by the previous administration meets with crickets in the news but the current president gets roasted? Makes so much sense — not!

— Lynn Kesler

… Novant Health Rowan donor appreciation dinner remembers special friends

No one deserves this award any more than Harold Earnhardt, one of the finest men that I have ever known. So loved and so missed in many ways. Congratulations to Mark, Christy and Leslie for this awesome recognition of their father.

— Marsha W. Beaver