Prayers for peace in Ukraine

Last week, I saw a photograph of a cemetery in Ukraine. There were rows of freshly-dug graves of the innocent who had perished. One grave had a wooden Orthodox cross marking the grave. The Orthodox Cross is distinct in that it has three cross beams as opposed to one traditional cross beam.

Town of Robbinsville: the early years

* Part 6 in a series On Dec. 7, 1872, the Graham County commissioners met to select a site for the county seat. Three sites were considered: Rhea Hill, Fort Hill and the land of C.A. Colvard. Rhea Hill was chosen.

Easter teaches us about justice

It’s troubling to see how polarized our nation has become and the division needlessly accentuated by both the Left and Right.

Relationships in tough times

The events of the past weekend caused me to think about the importance of human interaction. Beth and I attended a reunion of my University of Florida AEPi fraternity. Having graduated in 1969 and not returning to campus in nearly 50 years, who knew what to expect.

Holy Week begins Sunday

Palm/Passion Sunday is April 10. The “Palm” reminds us of the day the Christian faith celebrates Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. The crowd placed palm branches on the road as they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

One word of truth outweighs the world

The Ketanji Brown Jackson Senate confirmation hearings have been interesting. I’d like to hone in on one of the snippets that went viral. Asked by Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., to define a woman, Judge Jackson responded, “I can’t.

More settlers arrive; county is founded

* Part 5 in a series From 1848-62 – while Colonel William H. Thomas represented Macon County in the state legislature – many old roads in western North Carolina were improved and new roads built. In this period of time and shortly thereafter, quite a few settlers entered what is now Graham County.

My time with Madeleine Albright

Last week, the heavens lost a bright star: Madeleine Korbel Albright passed away at age 84. She was the 64th Secretary of State and the first woman to hold the position.

Jewish holiday might be overlooked

Last week, we were celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, but there was another important holiday. People sang, “When the month of Adar begins, joy increases!” Have you ever heard of the Jewish holiday of Purim? It is the 16th and 17th of March. The tradition comes from the Book of Esther in the Bible.

Pitch and yawn on Daylight Savings

There is a popular myth that Daylight Savings Time (DST) was pushed by farmers to have more daylight to work their crops during the growing season. Not true. The legislation was approved in 1918 as part of the World War I effort to conserve energy.