News

* Historic Black Wall Street *

By
●
News
●
February 5, 2026

Greetings and blessings: Today, we dive into Negro History Month 2026 to share just a portion of forgotten, and to some, unknown thriving history. Let’s begin with Black Wall Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Greenwood’s rise as a center of black economic power. Perhaps this column will urge or make you curious enough that you want to know more. And you can by researching further for more details at your convenience. However, this town was a vibrant community established by black African Americans after the Civil War. By the early 20th Century, it had become one of the wealthiest Black communities in the United States, often referred to as “Black Wall Street.” Yes, it was one of the most remarkable examples of African American prosperity of that time, more than 100 Black business; beauty salons, banks, theaters, grocery stores, etc. It actually represented the power of vision, resilience, and community in overcoming systemic racism and segregation.

Latest in News
DID YOU KNOW …? Is one of the most famous paintings of the Founding Fathers incorrect?
By
●
News
●
February 5, 2026

If you will indulge me, I want to use this week’s column introduction to wish my little brother a very happy 66th birthday. The day the column appears in its home newspapers is my brother Mark’s birthday, so I want to wish many happy returns of the day to my childhood tormentor, protector, and friend. Mark and I are as opposite as peas and avocados.  He’s an outdoorsy type, who enjoys hunting and fishing … I am a bookworm, happiest indoors and not a big fan of the elements. I never learned to hunt and haven’t fished in more years than I care to think. We both retired as teachers, working for many years in the same system - but often, we had to show papers to prove we were related. We’re that different. Happy 66th, Mark.  Have 66 more! Now, on to what you came here for … the trivia.  Enjoy!

Andy’s Astronomy: Did Earth Once Have a Second Moon?
By
●
News
●
February 5, 2026

On Feb. 9, 1913, a very large meteor shower, not typical of regular meteor showers, gave rise to the idea that Earth might have had a second and small moon. Beginning about 9 pm, the meteor shower was viewed by people in the northeastern US, Canada, Bermuda, and by crew members on ships off the American east coast and as far south as Brazil. The shower could have been watched by many more people except there was cloud cover over much of the northeast US. It was an unusual meteor shower in a number of respects. While typical meteor showers grow in intensity, this one did not. Instead there were an estimated 40 to 60 meteors that just suddenly appeared. During typical meteor showers the meteors travel in a variety of different directions. This meteor shower did not, instead all of the meteors traveled an almost identical path from horizon to horizon. Meteors usually flash across the sky, but these did not. Some were watched for five minutes and some of the fireballs for 30 to 40 seconds. Amazement continued because after the meteor shower, some observers reported seeing what looked like a large star that passed overhead with no tail or sparks normally associated with a meteor. The unusual meteor shower produced a sound described as “thundering”.

Harris County High Baseball Coach Dies in ATV Accident
By
●
News
●
February 5, 2026

A January 24 ATV accident in Hamilton has claimed the life of the Harris County High School baseball coach. According to Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley, Tony Dimitri, 47, head baseball coach at the high school, died Saturday evening after being involved in a side-by-side ATV accident on private property. Harris County Coroner Joe Weldon said Dimitri was riding as a passenger in the side-by-side when the crash took place between 6 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, in Hamilton, on private property off Mulberry Creek Road.

Political Will? More Like Political Won’t
By
●
Local
●
February 5, 2026

Before you ask, no - I am not abandoning my firm position of not talking about politics, regardless of what the title of this column says. Two things I never discuss are religion and politics, and for primarily the same reason - I have friends on both sides of the issues, and I don’t want to lose any of them. This column isn’t about politics per se, though. You’ll catch on as we go along. At the time of this column appearing, we are only a few days away from the scheduled launch of Artemis 2, the first manned mission in the Artemis space flight program. Artemis 2 is the mission that will finally take astronauts back to the Moon - and that’s what I want to talk about.   Why did it take so long to go back to the Moon?

What Life is Like in the South With the Cold
By
●
News
●
February 5, 2026

It is easy to tell that winter has finally come to Georgia. Not our normal January weather at all. Normally, in this part of the world our average January temperatures are mild by comparison. The normal temperature is about 55 degrees on the high side and around 33 degrees on the low side. Recently, we have seen temperatures on the low side and only around 40 degrees on the high side. It’s been so cold that my shadow was seeking a cave to hibernate in. Luckily, we dodged the expected ice storm and we should be thankful for that because southerners don’t know how to handle that crap.

Former State Rep. Phillips Dead at 85
By
●
Local
●
January 29, 2026

Former State Representative Watson Randolph Phillips, commonly known as Randy Phillips, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 17 at his residence. Phillips was born on Mar. 29, 1940 in Shiloh, the son of Thomas Watson Phillips and Ruth Chapman Phillips. He was a lifelong resident of Shiloh and a member of Old Shiloh Baptist Church. He graduated from Harris County High School in 1959 and earned a degree from West Georgia College. Phillips served as a state representative in the Georgia State Legislature from 1968 until 1988. Phillips was known in the area for his hard work and always fighting for what was in the best interest of the people who elected him.

DID YOU KNOW …? Can being a hoarder be fatal?
By
●
News
●
January 29, 2026

And as soon as it started, January is over. Well, almost, anyway. Now that we have moved a little deeper into the new year 2026, let me ask you: How is it going? I hope it’s going as well as it possibly can for you. Want to share your story?  E-mail me at didyouknowcolumn@gmail.com and I’ll answer as quickly as I can. Meanwhile, let’s move along to the trivia you came here for.  Thanks so much for reading and enjoying the silliness that follows!

Health is Not Funny … Is It?
By
●
News
●
January 29, 2026

As you might expect, health is an obsession of mine lately - ever since last August, when I first spent some time hospitalized with heart issues. Health, specifically my health, is a major issue at the forefront of my mind, but hey - it can’t be 100% serious all the time, can it? Of course not. I really can’t explain my current obsession with health.  Maybe it’s the beard I grew in the hospital messing with my mind, I don’t know. But since it can’t be serious all the time, let’s see if we can find ways in which it is amusing. I scoured the Internet to find these nuggets of amusing wisdom …

Never Be Afraid to Speak Up or Speak Out
By
●
News
●
January 29, 2026

I read with interest a story written by James Lynch for National Review last week and the story did bring some thoughts to mind. After reading the story I decided to do some research of my own and found out that Students for Life of America released a poll in early January indicating that some people may be afraid to speak out about controversial issues. According to the poll, done by the pro-life activist group, found that 92% of voters ages 15 to 45 are afraid to speak out on certain issues. I’m guessing that the death of Charlie Kirk played a key role in many people being afraid to speak up on certain issues. Tyler Robinson, who shot and killed Kirk, reportedly did so because he disagreed with Kirk’s “anti-trans rhetoric.”