I realized something recently—I haven’t spoken to many people face-to-face in quite a while. Most days I’m walking through the woods or along the lake with...
Supervisor Richard Jamieson is correct that Virginia’s current congressional map scores well on certain proportionality measures, but proportionality alone is not the only way to evaluate...
Key Takeaways Virginia’s current congressional map is the most proportionally accurate in the nation — a gap of just 0.6 percentage points between Republican vote share...
The Front Royal Planning Commission recommended approval of an ordinance to allow a second house, aka accessory dwelling unit (ADU), to be built by-right in back...
As someone whose Quaker roots run many centuries deep in this part of Virginia, I have long been mindful of the denomination’s prohibition on the swearing...
Democracies don’t usually collapse in a single dramatic moment. They erode when powerful people normalize the idea that elections are illegitimate unless they win—and when federal...
Wednesday marked crossover at the General Assembly, the day on which bills that have passed the House matriculate to the Senate, and vice versa. Any legislation...
At a recent meeting, the Winchester Planning Commission voted to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from its agenda. One member said they were glad the board...
The vote by the Warren County Board of Supervisors Tuesday night to resume funding our library was the first step to restoring the 50-year-old Samuels Library...
At last night’s Board of Supervisors meeting, we learned that a developer is proposing a data center for a large tract of land it purchased in...
A recent letter to the Royal Examiner attempted to frame Congressional redistricting as a power grab by Democrats instead of explaining that the choice lies in...
I am writing to bring attention to a matter that I believe will have a significant impact on the Town of Front Royal as a whole....
We, the People of this remarkable Commonwealth, find ourselves challenged and disregarded by our own elected officials. We are asked to ratify by our vote on...
Two recent Royal Examiner pieces, “Democrats Redistricting Initiative a Blatant Power Grab” (Jan. 22, 2026) and “Commentary: Redistricting, Ideology, and the Risk of One-Party Rule in...
Virginia Code § 15.2-2511 states, “Localities shall have all their accounts and records, including all accounts and records of their constitutional officers, audited annually as of...
Delegates Wiley and Oates have delivered another performance of Republican grievance theater, complete with lobster metaphors and apocalyptic warnings. But as someone represented by Delegate Oates,...
Good Governance is characterized by transparency, accountability, fairness, inclusiveness, and adherence to the rule of law. You need all 5 elements. Perfect transparency and accountability are not...
No political party gets everything right. History has proven that repeatedly. Healthy government depends on competition, debate, and accountability, values that begin to erode when power...
Should the town be responsible for clearing our fire hydrants? Sidewalks are owned by the town and are in the town right-of-way, so expecting residents to...
Last week, we saw a review of the Trump administration published in these pages. Here is a different viewpoint. A list of 365 ‘wins’ is presented...
I’ve carried a gun in combat. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan, shoulder to shoulder with Marines and Army soldiers, confronting the enemy while working to...
Democrats handed to Republicans a virtual curb stomping this past November. However in typical Democrat fashion, they are misreading the results in a way which will...
Tony Carter screwed up. Period. No excuses. No redemption tour. No “this isn’t who I am” press release written by a consultant at midnight. He made...
Each school day started the same. We stood up at our desks and faced the corner of the room, put our right hand over our hearts,...
The recently elected officials of the Warren County Board of Supervisors whose campaign focused on supporting Samuel’s Public Library, are now positioned to address previous concerns...
The opinion piece authored by Mr. McCool couldn’t have come at a better time. Transparency in Warren County government has been slipping for years, and once...
And like all good stories passed down through generations, this one has been stretched, remixed, rebranded, and slapped with a bow. And this, too, shall pass....
’Tis the season again — no, not for Christmas, but for agonizing over New Year’s resolutions. And if you’ve got a health-related one, you can bet...
The Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors in Warren County dedicate a significant portion of their meetings to reviewing applications and hearing public comments on the...
If you sell poinsettias, Christmas is a joyous and busy time. My father sold poinsettias, and then he didn’t. When I was a young boy, he...