Origins of county’s Lewellyn Cove

During my career with the U.S. Forest Service, I was on the Lewellyn Cove Nature Trail – just outside of Fontana Dam, on N.C. 28 – many times.  I often wondered about the unusual name, but no one seemed to know.

What is ‘6-7?’

Dictionary.com crowned their 2025 word of the year: the word “6-7.” That’s six-seven, not sixty-seven.  I try to keep up with the latest trends and happenings. I understand if you ask a youngster how they are doing, they may respond, “6-7.

Long-term effects of data centers

How much have you thought about Artificial Intelligence when you do a ChatGPT search?  AI is with us for the long haul. The next time you do your ChatGPT search, know that it costs roughly 10 times more dollars to produce your results than Google pays for your Google search.  Why?

Cost of living in Graham County

An anonymous old fable – referred to as “Cows Don’t Give Milk” – endeavors to provide the secret to life in a parabolic way.  In it, the father says, “Listen, son: The cow does not give milk, you have to milk it.

Funding cuts affecting local healthcare

We are fortunate in Robbinsville to have Appalachian Mountain Health right in town. Towns of our size often don’t have comprehensive healthcare open to all on a sliding-fee scale and accepting Medicaid.

‘We know the woods have eyes’

The Smokies are ancient, full of mystery and suspense.  Graham County itself is uniquely ambiguous. Rugged and remote, its boundaries lie within the realms of both the Great Smoky Mountains and the Nantahala National Forest.  It’s virtually a forest within a forest. The lands are primal and dark.

A look back at All Saints Day

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.”  “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” (Revelation 14:13). Early in my ministry, I was invited to speak at a number of Decoration Sundays.

Scarecrows once guarded crops

Most scarecrows today are used in fall and Halloween decorations. Photo by Marshall McClung/The Graham Star The history of scarecrows dates back as far as 3,000 years to the ancient Egyptians, who used scarecrows made from reeds to scare off flocks of birds – such as quail – from the grain fields.

Forgiveness and justice: Part 2

Tension between forgiveness and justice was displayed at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.  The dichotomy between Erika Kirk’s powerful “love your enemies” speech with Stephen Miller’s “destroy our enemies” speech led many to say Christians must decide between one or the other.

Early families chose backwoods

Early families that came to present-day Graham County seemed to prefer the deep woods; the farther back, the better it seemed to suit them.  Kurt Orr, told me of one family that lived miles back in the woods on Deep Creek, in the northern part of Graham County. Elsbury Carringer, (Sept.