Fall is my favorite season of the year. I eagerly welcome the cooler crisp days as opposed to the summer's humidity. And the spectacular display of color that autumn brings to our trees in western …

“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to a party; for this is the end of all and the living will keep that in mind. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance …

Family health care is a field of medicine which focuses on health promotion, disease prevention and treatment of diseases for all ages and genders. The underlying concept involves a holistic approach …

In about nine months, I will be applying for college. This column will not be another rant about the mass inequality in colleges. It will be a guide on how to build up to the application process so …

My culture has always been an important part of my identity. Coming from a Guatemalan household, my native language and culture have been stressed upon me greatly. My first language was not English …

The N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Morganton hosts students from all across the state from the shining sea on the east of our great state to the mountains that reign to the west of our …

Ironically, a great American patriot was born in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, on July 6, 1747, and educated at the Kirkbean Parish School. John Paul would explore all parts of the ships at the local Port of Carsethorn

T he Rev. Dr. Lance Perry is interim pastor at Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese. He is married to the Rev. Kathy Beach, who serves as Pastor of Rumple Memorial Presbyterian church in Blowing …

The Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, or Fulbright TEA, is a program started by the U.S. State Department 75 years ago. The program sends teachers across the globe to gain …

Maintaining quality K-12 public schools is one of the most important responsibilities a state holds. Unfortunately, North Carolina does not fund its public schools very well. The Education Law Center …

Waking up with the worst sore throat of my life last Saturday was not the way that I wanted to start my weekend.  And of course, nowadays we automatically think of COVID whenever we have any …

Start a blog. Another retirement activity suggestion from a 30-something expert. The author of this particular tip suggests that selecting a topic is simple. “What do you most often post about on …

“From ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties And things that go bump in the night Good Lord, deliver us!”   - Old Scottish Prayer I must confess, dear reader, to scaring generations …

As I have undoubtedly mentioned, coming to NCSSM has long been a dream of mine and being here is one of the biggest blessings of my life.  With this, however, comes a large amount of work. I am …

Kelly McGarr, David Smith, and I leaned heavily against one of the rock barriers that keep visitors to the overlook at Wiseman’s View from tumbling to their deaths in the Linville Gorge far below. …

When my sister, brother, and I got home from school, Mom had a handwritten list of chores we were to complete by the time she and Dad returned from their day at work. Typical stuff. Laundry. …

I heard Linda’s chirpy voice on the phone in 1993. She was promoting something. Linda had a history of promoting things. After teaching high school English she and European colleagues began their …

On May 1 of this year, I was honored to be selected as one of the 29 individuals to sit on the Imagine Morganton 2040 advisory committee. IMAGINE Morganton 2040 was created with the tagline of …

Young people today think you’re crazy whenever you tell them that their school years are some of the best of their lives. Honestly though, all a 17-year-old is thinking about is getting out of …

Dr. Jay Robison has been pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church since the summer of 2019. In addition to serving at Cornerstone, he is also an adjunct professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University. He is …

Dear Diary,  It’s been a while since we last spoke. 48 years to be exact. Much has transpired during that time. Entering my own personal Age of Aquarius, I am cleaning out boxes and dresser …

There are a multitude of reasons to love autumn: bright, colored leaves, crisp mornings and cool evenings, and brilliant blue sky days, when it’s hard to stay parked at my desk.  Autumn …

Last week I wrote about four-day school weeks vs. five-day school weeks. This week, we’ll look at the year-round school schedule vs. the more traditional, summer break schedule. With nearly 3 …

Camping in the great outdoors is not my idea of fun. Communing with mosquitoes and creepy crawlies is certainly not on my bucket list, plus restaurant fare is much preferred to beanie-weenies warmed …

In the autumn of 1972, my sister Cindy was a senior at Glen Alpine High School, and I was a young whippersnapper of 9. I was under the impression she was in the running for a prestigious Betty …