I may have mentioned the ACT previously in one of my columns on college applications, but with our school’s ACT around the corner, I thought now would be a good time to revisit the ACT and its …

Needlework in the Morning will meet Friday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. at the Valdese Public Library. For more information, call Danielle at 828-764-9269 or email danielle.townsend@burkenc.org . All programs …

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers certainly nailed it when they penned the lyrics to the tune “The Waiting is the Hardest Part.” If you think about it, we spend a big part of each day waiting. We …

In the cold darkness of an early January morning, the bright flashing red lights and partially operational heating system welcome the sleepy teenagers aboard the great yellow flagship.  Hopped …

AP classes have long been the way ambitious students challenge themselves. The AP program started in the 1950s out of fear that American students were falling behind Soviet students. AP classes …

Kennedy Owens is a senior at Freedom High School. She is the daughter of Brandon Owens, who is a funeral director at Sossomon’s Funeral Home and plays lead guitar in the Gospel group, …

This week’s column is part two of my recommendations for fun winter weekend trips to places within a couple of hours of Morganton. I highlighted Abingdon, VA, (north) and Spartanburg, SC, (south) …

When I was about 5 — sometime in the early 1970s — a tall, hair-covered, bipedal, ape-man walked across the TV screen and into my imagination.  He’s lived there, rent-free, ever since. …

A couple of months ago the staff at The Paper wrote an article about the proposed return of passenger rail service to Burke County and the enthusiastic support it has received from Burke residents. A …

The Valdese Plot Hounds Book Discussion Group will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 a.m. at the Valdese Public Library. The book to be discussed is “The Paris Library” by Janet Skeslien Charles. …

I recently returned from Guatemala where I spent close to a month with my family and friends. NCSSM offers about a month-long Winter Break for students to relax and take time away from school to …

The bleak winter months of January and February can be dreary and boring, especially just after the frivolity and bustle of the holiday season. Why not choose a winter weekend and take a two- or …

Susan Hadden has been music director with First Baptist Church of Morganton since the late summer of 2022. She is married to Tommy, who works as a Family Nurse Practitioner with a focus on Functional …

Social media is a hot topic. The past decade and a half has seen the rapid rise of social media’s influence and harmful side effects. Study after study has shown that social media can and often is …

To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die… A time to weep and a time to laugh … Ecclesiastes 3: 1a, 4a In my experience, …

My family didn’t exactly have what Burl Ives would describe as a “Holly Jolly Christmas,” but the blessings were abundant, nonetheless. It all started first thing on Thanksgiving Day. My mom …

I have already written about my English class and my great teacher, Mr. Fossett, but as our new semester is set to begin, I should review some of my favorite works we have read so far. Required …

At a wedding recently, my husband and I reconnected with some old friends. When I say old, I mean from years ago, high school friends. We are not “old.” We are now middle-aged, late 50s and early …

What makes veterans different? Why do they remember their service days, years, decades, and life times later? Why do you meet a retired person in their 70’s who has held a job ...

On Thanksgiving, I wrote a column of gratitude for various parts of our school system, and now in the spirit of the holiday, I will write a wish list for New Year’s.  Textbooks are a staple of …

The week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve is for many a time of reflection and anticipation. Over the years, my reflections have included trivial nontraditional secular events which …

Robert Treat Paine was a Founding Father known for having a complex personality who earned the nickname “The Objection Maker.”   Born in Boston in 1731, Robert was known as “Bob” and was destined to become a servant-leader.  

Dr. Sue Makin has been a resident of Burke County for about two years. Her parents were a Presbyterian minister and a registered nurse. She grew up in Florida. Sue felt a call to be a missionary …

It was December 1978 and disco was all the rage. Fashion-conscious young people dressed in corduroy overalls, velour jogging suits and painters pants. Levis were the jeans of choice and Adidas tennis …

A rite of passage in the Wilson household growing up was participation in the Glen Alpine United Methodist Church Christmas play. For most of us, that meant wearing a choir robe, holding a real …