Good news in the midst of turmoil

Bad news is everywhere these days. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. It just seems to have all come at once this year.

Locally, there was the shooting spree in Kinston, Samson and Geneva that left 11 people dead. Then there was the flooding that took out a number of houses and businesses throughout Houston and Geneva counties, especially.

Shooting sprees haven’t been limited to the Wiregrass. People have gone on murderous rampages across our nation. From Pittsburgh to the state of Washington and several places in-between, people have been killed. The victims have ranged from infants to the elderly.

The brave men and women in the U.S. armed forces are still dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thankfully there are fewer deaths, but it’s still tragic when even one dies.

The economy has dominated the headlines this year. We are seeing the worst economic times since the Great Depression.

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs and their homes. Companies have gone out of business. Those of us fortunate enough to still be employed have gone through drastic expense cuts such as furloughs and pay raise freezes. We have seen colleagues laid off.
Here at the Eagle it’s been a tough couple of weeks with some of our colleagues suffering through the death of loved ones, and the Eagle going through the pain of the death of a good man, who also happened to be an excellent district manager in our circulation department.

Yes, it’s been a tough year, and those are just a handful of examples of the bad news that has dominated the headlines in 2009.

However, there is some good news out there. Experts say the economy may be leveling off, so maybe things will turn around sooner than expected. There’s an end in sight for the war in Iraq. And, locally, Dothan continues to grow. Albeit slower than the past 10 years, but there is still growth.

And, tens of thousands of Christians locally and millions around the world will celebrate good news this weekend. Easter couldn’t have come at a better time. With all of the news about death and destruction, it’s good to hear about life. I’m looking forward to the Easter service at the Dothan Civic Center this Sunday when my wife and I will celebrate the good news that the angel of the Lord reported more than 2,000 years ago:  “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.“ (Matthew 28:6). Jesus, who was crucified, is no longer in the grave.

A message about life is indeed good news in the midst of turmoil.

Ken Tuck is the managing editor of the Dothan Eagle and regional editor of the Media General Alabama Group. He can be reached at or 334-712-7960.