Skip to main contentSkip to main content
Independent Tribune
71°
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • user icon Guest
  • Logout
Read Today's E-edition
  • News
    • Local
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Nation & World
    • Politics
    • State & Regional
    • Education
    • Markets & Stocks
    • News Tip
    • Cabarrus County Local News
  • Obituaries
    • Share a story
    • Recent Obituaries
    • Find an Obituary
  • Opinion
    • Submit a letter
    • Letters
    • Editorials
    • Columnists
    • Cartoons
  • Sports
    • High School
    • College
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Professional
  • Lifestyles
    • Arts & Theatre
    • Movies & TV
    • Music
    • Calendar
    • Puzzmo
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Comics
    • Contests
    • Play
    • Food & Cooking
    • Home & Garden
    • Health
    • Parenting
    • Fashion
    • People
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Faith
  • Sponsored Content
  • Join the community
    • News tip
    • Send a story
    • Share a photo
  • Brand Ave. Studios
  • Comics
  • Print Edition
    • E-edition
    • Today's Ads
    • Special Sections
    • Independent Tribune Archives
  • Buy & Sell
    • Place an Ad
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Marketplace
    • Public Notices
    • Shop Local
    • Today's Deal
  • Shopping
  • Customer Service
    • Manage Subscription
    • Activate Digital Subscription
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
  • Gift Subscriptions
  • Mobile Apps
  • Weather: Live radar
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
© 2026 Lee Enterprises
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
Independent Tribune
News+
Where your story lives
Subscribe
Read Today's E-edition
Independent Tribune
News+
Where your story lives
Subscribe
  • Log In
  • user icon
    Welcome, Guest
    • My Subscription
      Help Center
    • My Account
    • Dashboard
    • Profile
    • Saved items
    • Logout
  • E-edition
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Puzzmo
  • Puzzles
  • Lifestyles
  • Public Notices
  • Jobs
  • 71° Partly Cloudy
  • Local
  • Crime
  • State
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Education
  • Nation & World

Column

Mike Ruffin: A good name is priceless

Mike Ruffin: A good name is priceless

  • The Rev. Mike Ruffin

The Rev. Mike Ruffin tells about a lesson his son learned.

Larry Cothren:  ‘White privilege’ is a fallacy in rural America

Larry Cothren: ‘White privilege’ is a fallacy in rural America

  • Larry Cothren

Larry Cothren relays the conversations of folks in the country and what they think about issues.

Friday Five: Are you ready for some football? I am

Friday Five: Are you ready for some football? I am

  • Mark Plemmons

Mark Plemmons' Friday Five includes: A visit to Cabarrus County by Gov. Josh Stein; a hot early start to football season; the Autobell scholarship; and CPR at the Salvation Army Auxiliary.

Tom Campbell: North Carolina’s biggest threat is not what you think

Tom Campbell: North Carolina’s biggest threat is not what you think

  • Tom Campbell

Tom Campbell outlines why cyberattacks might be our biggest threat.

Making disciples letter: If I knew death would come tonight

Making disciples letter: If I knew death would come tonight

  • By Al Stanford

Al Stanford considers how he would spend his last day if he knew he would die tonight and discusses the thief on the cross.

Steve Davis:  Where does the name Cabarrus come from?

Steve Davis: Where does the name Cabarrus come from?

  • The Rev. Steve Davis

Ever wondered why Cabarrus County is named "Cabarrus"? The Rev. Stephen Davis tells us why.

Mike Ruffin: There are always consequences for our choices

Mike Ruffin: There are always consequences for our choices

  • The Rev. Mike Ruffin

The Rev. Mike Ruffin discusses five things God doesn't promise.

Robyn Benjamin: I believed in QB Sam Darnold

Robyn Benjamin: I believed in QB Sam Darnold

    Robyn Benjamin met Sam Darnold in 2022 and has been in awe of his football abilities ever since, all the way to a Super Bowl title.

    Friday Five: Ride, run, rant and eat some of my favorite things

    Friday Five: Ride, run, rant and eat some of my favorite things

      Mark Plemmons' Friday Five includes: the 14th Annual Tour de Saints benefit ride; the second half of the Run Kannapolis series begins; Concord Parks & Rec's Couch to 5K and Need for Speed classes start soon; trees and bushes are obscuring stop signs and motorists' line of sight; and two new businesses are in the former Young Cleaners building.

      Tom Campbell: Has courage skipped this generation?

      Tom Campbell: Has courage skipped this generation?

        Tom Campbell questions why many people aren't standing up to those who would take away our freedom.

        Making disciples letter: Do we really believe Jesus' words to Nicodemus?

        Making disciples letter: Do we really believe Jesus' words to Nicodemus?

          Al Stanford says Jesus is coming back. Are you ready?

          Steve Davis: Don't just go to church — belong

          Steve Davis: Don't just go to church — belong

            The Rev. Steve Davis says being a Christian means more than attending worship services.

            Mike Ruffin: Did you hear what I heard?

            Mike Ruffin: Did you hear what I heard?

              The Rev. Mike Ruffin discusses John the Baptist.

              Robyn Benjamin: Be happy with those there, don't worry about others

              Robyn Benjamin: Be happy with those there, don't worry about others

                Robyn Benjamin learned to care who is there and not to worry about the no shows.

                Larry Cothren:  7 socialist proposals and what they mean

                Larry Cothren: 7 socialist proposals and what they mean

                Larry Cothren outlines seven socialist proposals that are being pushed to get elected. Here is what he says they mean.

                Friday Five: Fun, shopping, food and adventures in rental cars

                Friday Five: Fun, shopping, food and adventures in rental cars

                Mark Plemmons' Friday Five includes: National Night Out; South Union Shopping Center sold; a new vendor for CK Rider; Bae's Burgers opens; and rental car horrors.

                Tom Campbell: Are we watching a Field of Dreams replay?

                Tom Campbell: Are we watching a Field of Dreams replay?

                Tom Campbell asks whether a Democrat can be elected in North Carolina, following Congressman Chuck Edwards' decision to drop out of the race after ethics complaints against him.

                Action, adventure, and work: A Williams family affair

                Action, adventure, and work: A Williams family affair

                Curtis Williams has a tendency to arrive early and stay late if needed as he serves in the capacity of warehouse manager at Rowan Vocational Opportunities Inc. in Salisbury.

                Making disciples letter: Are you ready to meet Jesus in the air?

                Making disciples letter: Are you ready to meet Jesus in the air?

                Al Stanford questions why some churches don't have urgent messages about salvation.

                Steve Davis: How to pray when death draws near

                Steve Davis: How to pray when death draws near

                The Rev. Steve Davis discusses prayer when death may be near. 

                Mike Ruffin: The final commandment is an important one

                Mike Ruffin: The final commandment is an important one

                The Rev. Mike Ruffin discusses the 10 Commandments.

                Friday Five: New restaurants, National Night Out and bestseller coming

                Friday Five: New restaurants, National Night Out and bestseller coming

                Mark Plemmons' Friday Five includes: 7 Brew Drive-Thru and The Cheesecake Factory are coming to Concord; the Farmington Famous Toastery is nearing completion; National Night Out is Tuesday; and a New York Times best-selling author is coming to Mount Pleasant.

                Recommended For You

                More changes for Harris Teeter after canceled Concord project? Parent outsourcing work to India

                More changes for Harris Teeter after canceled Concord project? Parent outsourcing work to India

                Cabarrus County neighbors: Obituaries for August 25

                Cabarrus County neighbors: Obituaries for August 25

                Flock cameras in the Charlotte area; Cabarrus has contract too

                Flock cameras in the Charlotte area; Cabarrus has contract too

                Community News

                Provided
                Wise Street closed to through traffic for waterline work
                Provided

                Wise Street closed to through traffic for waterline work

                • Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce
                • 0

                Wise Street is closed to through traffic between Caldwell and Meeting streets through Aug. 27, 2026, for waterline tie-ins. Drivers should use alternate routes.

                Provided
                High Point draws 2-2 with East Carolina on the road
                Provided

                High Point draws 2-2 with East Carolina on the road

                • High Point
                • 0

                High Point women's soccer took a 2-0 first-half lead but settled for a 2-2 draw at East Carolina, highlighted by Morgan Wilcox and Chloe Edwards goals.

                Provided
                Statesville fall trash bash and drought update
                Provided

                Statesville fall trash bash and drought update

                • Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau
                • 0

                Statesville promotes its Sept. 26, 2026 Fall Trash Bash volunteer cleanup, notes an end to voluntary drought conservation, and confirms this is a BLUE recycling week.

                Provided
                Meet the Moore family rooted in a shared sense of family
                Provided

                Meet the Moore family rooted in a shared sense of family

                • Catawba Valley Health
                • 0

                The Moore family shares how Catawba Valley Health System became a multigenerational workplace rooted in compassion, teamwork, and a strong sense of family.

                Shopping

                Your utility bill is telling you something: what rising costs reveal about your HVAC system

                Your utility bill is telling you something: what rising costs reveal about your HVAC system

                Affiliate content. Learn what to do about rising energy costs from your HVAC system. 

                What Your Home's Age Reveals About the HVAC Problems Coming Your Way

                What Your Home's Age Reveals About the HVAC Problems Coming Your Way

                Affiliate content. Learn the most common HVAC problems based on the age of your home.

                Altcoins to Buy: How to Find and Buy Altcoins for the Next Bull Run

                Altcoins to Buy: How to Find and Buy Altcoins for the Next Bull Run

                Affiliate. 

                Upcoming Crypto Presales: How to Find and Buy Top Crypto Presales

                Upcoming Crypto Presales: How to Find and Buy Top Crypto Presales

                Affiliate. Learn how to find and buy top crypto presales and what to look for when researching. 

                Tom Campbell: Reading is a pleasure; more people should try it

                Tom Campbell: Reading is a pleasure; more people should try it

                Americans are reading less, and Tom Campbell hopes that will change. Reading is important.

                Making disciples letter: The story of the great Nicodemus

                Making disciples letter: The story of the great Nicodemus

                Nicodemus, you must be born again

                Steve Davis: Finding peace in the waiting

                Steve Davis: Finding peace in the waiting

                The Rev. Steve Davis suggests we remember and feel God's presence while we are waiting.

                Mike Ruffin: What was Paul’s 'thorn in the flesh'?

                Mike Ruffin: What was Paul’s 'thorn in the flesh'?

                 The Rev. Mike Ruffin looks at Paul and the things that hindered him.

                Robyn Benjamin:  Paying it forward on a hot July day

                Robyn Benjamin: Paying it forward on a hot July day

                Robyn Benjamin has been the recepient of a kind stranger and decided to "pay it forward."

                Friday Five: Walmart in the sky comes to Concord Commons

                Friday Five: Walmart in the sky comes to Concord Commons

                Mark Plemmons' Friday Five includes: Walmart's new drone service coming to Concord; Parks & Rec Month is celebrated at Frank Liske; nonprofits offices; new McDonald's specials; Carolina Mall back-to-school program.

                Tom Campbell: We should worry about GOP election changes

                Tom Campbell: We should worry about GOP election changes

                Don’t you find it laughable that the ones screaming the loudest about election integrity are the ones seemingly doing their best to interfere with it, asks Tom Campbell. 

                Making disciples letter: Dying woman asks husband to pray for salvation

                Making disciples letter: Dying woman asks husband to pray for salvation

                Al Stanford uses a fictional story to illustrate praying for salvation.

                More Column
                Independent Tribune
                • Facebook
                • Twitter
                • LinkedIn
                • Instagram
                Prefer us on Google

                Sites & Partners

                • Place an Ad
                • Event Calendar
                • Join our Team
                • Newsletter Sign-up

                Services

                • Manage Subscription
                • Contact Us
                • Advertise
                • Licensing
                • Shopping
                • Dealer Returns

                © Copyright 2026 Independent Tribune, PO Box 968 Hickory, NC 28603

                A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

                Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Advertising Terms of Use | Do Not Sell My Info | Cookie Preferences

                Powered by BLOX Content Management System from bloxdigital.com.

                • Notifications
                • Settings
                You don't have any notifications.

                Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

                Topics

                Breaking News

                News Alerts