Opinion

A Cherokee Indian trail passed near the old McClung home place on Atoah.

Childhood path was historical trail

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

While growing up on Atoah, I spent a lot of time playing with neighborhood children – whites and Cherokees, as both were our neighbors. One such family was the Bridges, who lived across a ridge from us near I.U. Gap.

Lessons about moral growth

Scott Kamps

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

A worldview divide in our nation is growing every year, day by day. It isn’t just a matter of diverse opinions, but a difference of understanding our world – as different as light from darkness, good from evil and right from wrong.

Catholic Charities USA

Eric Reece

Thursday, June 1, 2023

From time to time, we send out invitations on one of our churches email lists for volunteers – when we need help with mission projects. One day, I received an email from a lady in Ireland.

Implications of the Durham Report

Scott Kamps

Thursday, May 25, 2023

The Durham Report – which finally dropped on May 15 – truly is devastating for the FBI. It’s as damning for the legacy media that pushed the unsubstantiated collusion hoax and the politicians that knowingly promoted the false narrative.

Whether you know it as Stratton Bald or Bob Bald, the mountain was named for Robert “Bob” Stratton – an early pioneer who settled in that area.

Mountain areas named for pioneers

Marshall McClung

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Our mountains have names that date back to pioneer times. Some are listed by one name on maps and known by locals as another name. Stratton Meadows – elevation 4,920 – is called John Meadows by locals. The area is named for John Stratton who settled there in the 1830s.

Discernment

Eric Reece

Thursday, May 18, 2023

My friend Michael called one afternoon and I could hear the anguish in his voice. He asked if I could come over right away. I stopped what I was doing and headed over. He was suffering and wanted to talk about discernment. He was struggling with some decisions in his life.

Crisp served county, country well

Marshall McClung

Monday, May 15, 2023

Sometimes those – whose actions are beneficial to the most people – often go under-appreciated or forgotten as time passes. Vicki Teem and Shirley Crisp – who provided much information for this article – were recently discussing the current reconstruction of the Sweetwater Road section of N.C. 143.

The Robbinsville Presbyterian church and school – shown here in 1902 – sat where the Masonic Lodge now sits.

Presbyterian Church steeped in town

Eric Reece

Thursday, May 4, 2023

In April 1897, two ladies from Robbinsville – Mrs. M.C. Foute and Mrs. Martha Barker – traveled to Waynesville to attend the meeting of the Asheville Presbytery. They petitioned the group for a Presbyterian Church to be started in Robbinsville. The Rev.

Joanna Bald is called “Teyahalee” by the Cherokees, which means “Lizard” or “Lizard Place.”

Cherokees named much of county

Marshall McClung

Monday, May 1, 2023

Although Graham County was named for William Alexander Graham – who was a member of the North Carolina General Assembly – it was the Cherokees who named many sections of this area, long before white settlers arrived here.

Slick Willie, the Calvinist

Scott Kamps

Monday, May 1, 2023

Nancy Pelosi infamously said of the 2,000-plus page healthcare bill that became Obamacare, “But we have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it...” Reagan famously said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” George H.W. Bush notoriously said, “Read my lips: no new taxes.