Theater is definitely in Edyth Potter's blood.  The Old Colony Players (OCP) general manager could barely contain her excitement. Just two days after the Valdese theater troupe had their final …

Cloudy gray skies and an occasional sprinkle of rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the large crowd that showed up for the debut of Morganton’s 2024 TGIF Concert Series on Friday, May 3. Sponsored …

Spring is in full bloom and “Nature’s Playground” is open for business.  Now that the weather is warming up, outdoor enthusiasts will find no shortage of activities in our beautiful area. …

If you use your imagination, you can feel the tropical breeze, smell the sunscreen in the air and hear the chatter of “all of those tourists, covered with oil.”  If you’re a fan of the …

Late April. It’s the time of year when experienced gardeners decide whether to bet on when the last hard frost will occur. Novice planters or recent transplants are sometimes fooled by warmer days …

Galleries I and II at the Rock School Arts Foundation are changing out this week to make room for the works of three artists. Stacey Heffner Abboud, Melissa Smith, and Maria Velez Campagna will be …

I was inspired to visit the furniture design and casegoods construction class at Western Piedmont Community College after a conversation with Deborah Jones, executive director of the Burke Arts Council. BAC is hosting its annual Woodworkers Exhibition…

Andrea Kirk grew up a good Baptist girl who celebrated Easter Sundays with egg hunts, new church dresses, and a nice ham for family lunch.  Then she married David Kirk, and they raised their …

Look up the word "nerd" in the dictionary and you'll probably find a photograph of me, circa 1970. Acne. Horn-rimmed glasses. Bad hair. I loved sports but I was too awkward and physically inept to be …

Webster’s dictionary defines “mischief” as “playful misbehavior or troublemaking.”  But Sarah and Craig Merrill’s East Union candy store, Merrill Mischief, is anything but trouble. …

The North Carolina coastline at Kill Devil Hills is the spot where Orville and Wilbur Wright took the first controlled, powered airplane flights in 1903. But you don’t need to travel 400 miles east …

The day before “Swan Lake” danced across the stage, the CoMMA Performing Arts Center crew and contract labor began preparing the auditorium, control booth, and backstage for the big day. By 7:30 …

This article discusses the Old Colony Players' production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" in Valdese, highlighting the historical significance of the Waldensians and the play's relevance in today's society marked by a surge in antisemitic incidents.

Ashley Dula sits in what she calls her office. Unlike many home offices stacked with papers, pens, and writing pads, Dula’s office is filled with thread, notions, and sewing needles – all the …

Within minutes, the basketball court inside the R.O. Huffman Recreation Center was transformed into three pickleball courts. Players quickly trickled in and before long the thwack-thwack sound of …

A few minutes after 5 p.m., the parking lot at the Burke Arts Council was full and the surrounding street parking spots were taken. The reception for artists Lance Turner and Mark Poteat had just …

Johnny Cash - The Official Concert Experience is bringing songs and stories from the “Man in Black” to CoMMA Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m. in a way that audiences …

The first six weeks of his Introduction to Pottery class at Western Piedmont Community College frustrated Glenn Tanzer.  “Centering the clay on the wheel is tough, but I was intrigued enough …

The work of Tonja Smith will be featured through Feb. 26 at New Window Gallery in Valdese. The exhibit space is a clever  idea that provides the front display windows of Play It Again Records, …

Danny Bernard is a tree whisperer – or maybe a more appropriate way to describe the Morganton man is “stump whisperer.”  Where others see a useless eyesore, Bernard studies a stump and …

When Gayle and Ralph Driggers saw the sweet face of golden retriever Maggie on Facebook, they knew they wanted to bring her home. The social media posting told the story of the dog and how her owner …

Garland Roberts isn’t too worried about the future of movie theaters. The general manager of Marquee Cinemas Mimosa 7 in Morganton said the end of cinema has been predicted ever since talkies …

Sawdust filled the air like a smoke cloud as Chris Markey used a small chainsaw to cut into a pine log he balanced on a stump. The January air was cool, but he wasn’t cutting wood to throw onto a …

Is the shine on streaming services beginning to dull?  According to reports in The Wall Street Journal and Daily Mail, streaming service cancellations reached 6.3% in November 2023, up from 5.1% …

Luminous and inviting. Dramatic and seductive. Sultry and subtle. Sociable and spirited.  You might think these are attributes found in personality profiles like the Enneagram or Myers-Briggs ... Nope. These descriptors are for hues named Color of the Year over the last decade by Pantone ...