IMAGINE LIFE is a car, and our goal is to make it from one side of the country to the other. The only way to do that is by having a full tank of gas. What is the gas in our lives, as humans, that...
From the heart
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Good News Fayetteville
Latest Good News
A special treat for someone sweet!
ROSES ARE red, violets are blue, treat your loved one to a treat that is made by you! Whether you’re celebrating the beginnings of a new relationship, or spending the day with your longtime...
Local jeweler creates treasures for more than 40 years
WHILE HIS jeweler grandfather took care of his customers in his store in Iran, a young David Sabghi looked over his shoulder and was soon captivated by what he learned. Sabghi’s interest in...
Leave them better than you found them.
I DON’T KNOW a stranger. Call it a hazard of my job as a writer, but I genuinely enjoy meeting people, and it is even better if I can turn them into friends. There’s a great quote by Maya Angelou...
Petersburg Community Library moves to a new location.
THE PETERSBURG Community Library was tucked away in the back corner of a treasure shop, Junk and Stuff, on the south side of Petersburg’s square. The small library with a big heart recently got a...
Don Thomas inducted into the Hall of Fame Waltz.
GILES COUNTY High School Principal Don Thomas was projected to be a second or third-round draft pick for the Atlanta Falcons until a back injury in college changed the direction of his career....
You never know where an ad might lead you.
IN 2011, an overgrown hillside on the family farm needed attention, and David Robinson of Robinson Environmental Land Clearing got a call from an ad in the Farmers Exchange. Gina McGee’s brother...
Reflections of a Life Well Lived
IT WAS a perfect autumn day—blue skies, golden leaves, and cottony clouds. Just off the square at the intersection of Elk and Washington Streets stands the 1800s steamboat gothic home of Don Wyatt....
We Just Help Each Other.
CHARLES AND Linda McGee have learned a few things in their 60 years of marriage, and you can count on one thing: they learned them together. Because they lived in the same community, the couple knew...
Together
WHEN I first saw her, something told me, ‘I’m going to marry that girl someday,’” Donny Ogle said, the love in his voice strong 55 years later. “And she couldn’t stand me. I guess I was a little...
With Heart and Humor
MARTHA CRAIG and Charlene Richardson share a bond that’s grown stronger over time. What started with Craig cleaning for Richardson in her home blossomed into an endearing friendship as the two spent...
Lincoln County Toy Drive
WITH A new year comes new and greater opportunities. Now, more than ever, the community can gather to support underserved families to help them get ahead in 2023. The Lincoln County Toy Drive serves...
History over and over again
I AM IN the middle of my third decade of life, and within the last two years, I’ve discovered something I always ignored: music from the midcentury. Life does not seem to be slowing down. Our...
If I Can Dream
OUR COMMUNITY has a rich history. Businesses, people, and locations have created the foundation of who we are today. Each decade is a building block to our identity, creating a beautiful masterpiece...
‘Just as you are’
FOR OVER 30 years, children’s television host Mister Rogers came into the homes of millions via our television sets and told each of us one of the most important things a person could say to us. “I...
Dance yourself into the new year
MANY HAVE heard the popular adage, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” But it’s possible that many of you read that and immediately shrugged and thought, “But...
Robinson Environment Land Clearing Adds Value to Lincoln County with eco-friendly methods.
IMAGINE PURCHASING a tract of land overgrown with years of neglect. Cedar trees, privet bushes, and brush overgrow acres of rolling hills, potential pasture, and backyard. If not for the clutter,...
K-9 partners serve the public and each other.
KNOWING THAT your partner has your back is a matter of life or death. With two legs or four, the bond is one of trust and faith. Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) K-9 Officer Andy Rodriguez and...
Here now
DREAMS CAN be hard things to follow. As you chase them, having a friend alongside you strengthens you for the journey. A group of like-minded friends becomes a brotherhood of believers, and the...
The Gift of Remembrance
THREE BROKEN mother-hearts form a circle of love and friendship, giving space for healing, remembering, and offering hope to each other and the world around them. “It’s not a club you want to join,”...
The Lincoln Theatre Through the Decades
THE ILLUMINATED art deco invitation has stood on the square for over seven decades. Endless generations of families in Lincoln County have walked under the same lights; the lights have been featured...
Racing for Relationships
THE NATIONAL anthem is finished. Spectators return their caps to their heads and settle into their seats—some on the outside ring, some in box seats, and others in the stands. The red, white, and...
Urban or Suburban… always wear a Serbin
IT WAS June Cleaver’s iconic wardrobe–what she wore while making breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She wore it when making up Beaver and Wally’s beds and vacuuming the floors. She wore it while talking...
Jacked Up Runners
KICK OFF the new year with a new hobby and built-in accountability—the type of accountability that might just turn the hobby into a new healthy habit! Jacked Up Runners is a laid-back running club...
Tis the season
ALL I want for Christmas iiiiiiis…yoooooOOooooOOoouuuUUUuuu.” Can you hear it already? It’s that time of year once again. A time of year when a heated blanket feels like a hug. Every inch of the...
More than toys, school supplies, and hygiene products
As you put on your next new pair of shoes, hold that empty box a few minutes longer. Look inside at what it holds. What do you see? Packing paper? Cardboard? Look again. That empty box has the...
Local cheerleader represented in Pearl Harbor Parade in Hawaii
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, December 7, 1941 — no matter your age, the day World War II crossed our borders is more than a date on our calendars; it’s a somber memorial to the 2,335 lives sacrificed to...
Local physical therapist assistant goes the extra mile as a Stephen Minister
OFTEN, WHEN we think about helping someone in need, our minds immediately begin brainstorming what to do. Typical thoughts that come to mind are: "Let's pay the electric bill. Who can build a ramp...
Leave it Powerless
HOW CAN a word trigger so many emotional responses, and why is it fair that it does? While we could erase the word from the dictionary, doing so would do nothing to erase it from our lives. However,...
Nothing to fear
A CHILD STARES at the blank page. She can’t remember the teacher’s instructions and believes she can’t draw. Only artists can do that. And she’s not alone. From childhood to adulthood, it’s a...
Family, Friends, Freedom, and Fabric
THEY SERVED our country and protected our freedom. They sacrificed their time and put their lives on the line while we carried on dayto- day life, safely and comfortably. Today, many of them are...
Loving on Lincoln County
LOOK AROUND the grocery store today andsee bewildered faces in every aisle. Buggies once packed to the brim are now carefully curated from half-empty shelves. Coupons and calculators are in hand....
Hometown Hangout
DO YOURSELF a favor and stop by Ken’s Fast Foods. You’ll be impressed by this small local restaurant with big flavors, quality service, and a budget-friendly menu. Be sure to get in early to beat...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
BEFORE THE leaves in the trees begin turning shades of red, brown, yellow, and orange, the Host of Christmas Past Oversight Committee has long been at work preparing for the special event that falls...
Meet me at the fair
EATING FUNNEL cakes, enjoying carnival rides, spending time with family and friends: The Lincoln County Fair, Inc. aims to make a difference in people’s lives. This fall, the organization celebrated...
Go straight to the best
TAKE A deep breath and smell the aroma of lunch cooking in the kitchen. It was a very important meal. Jesus and the 12 stopped in to visit the home of Martha and Mary, in Bethany. Through the...
Life’s short; eat dessert
WE DUST off the artificial pumpkin decorations and pull orange and purple wreaths from storage. We pull out rakes and sweaters as the weather drops like the leaves do. The weather feels therapeutic...
Home, Heart, and Hospitality
HOME, HEART, Hospitality — Doug and Heather Clausen, owners of the new Fayetteville Liquidation Center (FLC), believe they’ve found all three here among the meandering hills of Lincoln County. The...
At a crossroads?
HELPING PREGNANT women has been woven into the fabric of Amanda Curtis’s life. During the 1980s, both her mother and her aunt served as pregnancy help counselors, and in the early 2000s her father...
Life + Jennie Schutte – Patrick= Education
SPEND 90 seconds with Jennie Schutte-Patrick, and you’ll know you’re about to get an education infused with passion and humor. It’s everywhere she is, and you’ll find this wife, mom, and chief of...
The Dream Teacher, Leader, and Father
WHEN HE retired at the age of 64, James D. Wheeler felt that he had missed out on something in life. Wheeler, 86, was raised on a farm in Lincoln County cultivating cotton, watermelons, and other...
Disfruta de la Dulce Vida (enjoy the sweet life)
THE LATE Colin Powell once stated that achieving one’s dream wasn’t for the weary. “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. Owning a taco stand...
Chicken Wings & other things
WHEN ENTERING a particular local restaurant located at 2715 Huntsville Highway Suite C in Fayetteville, the first thing you will notice is the friendly servers taking your order, happy that you are...
From a mobile truck to Brick & Mortar
204 COLLEGE Street East, in Fayetteville, is a place where a special woman can make your favorite espresso drink any way you like it. Her name is Sheila Archer, and she can produce drinks fast. Java...
Caffeinated Craving for Apple Pie
YOU’RE NOT supposed to have dessert for breakfast. Well, at least that’s what my parents always told me when I was little. Now that I am an adult that makes my own decisions, I decide what I want...
Host of Christmas Past Cemetery Stroll
THE GHOST of Christmas Past from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” whisked Ebenezer Scrooge back through the ages of time where together they viewed reminders of his greatest triumphs and his...
An ocean of possibilities
IF AT first you don't succeed, try, and try again. And tried, and tried again is what Fayetteville-Lincoln County Public Library’s (FLCPL) staff did with the library’s summer reading program after...
Someone Has Your Back
WHEN THE SMELL of warm caramel coffee lingers in the air of your vehicle on the way to work, you don’t have to think about watching your back. While not every driver on the road is aware of their...
Meeting students’ nutritional needs and reaching new heights
FAYETTEVILLE CITY Schools (FCS) is now participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, supplying breakfast and lunch meals to all students at no cost to families. The district...
Meet one of the youngest branch managers in the nation
ASHLYN KENDALL Poole’s age has been her greatest challenge. Hometown Lenders, Inc. opened up a new branch in Fayetteville earlier this year under Poole’s management, making her one of the youngest...
Welcome coach B.J.
FAYETTEVILLE HIGH School (FHS) hired Fayetteville native Billy Jack Netherland as the new head coach of the Tigers baseball team, toward the beginning of the school year. Known as Coach B.J. on the...
The Warrior’s Exhibit
ON MAIN Avenue North, in downtown Fayetteville, a particular building sticks out. It is hard to miss with its red, white, and blue colors bursting with patriotic pride. On the exterior of the...
One Table, Five Quiltmakers, countless connections
IT COULD have been a quilt they were gathered around. Beneath could have been small children playing and watching as needles passed through the layers of calico fabric. With snacks nearby and warm...
Precious Lives Called Him Back to Lincoln County
IN A SMALL rural community, where the pace of life is undoubtedly slower, one would think that a first responder’s job would be fairly cushy. Images like firefighters tucked in bed at the fire...
A Firefighter’s Many Calls
MOST EVERYONE takes comfort in knowing that when they need help, someone is there to answer the call. But who is that someone? In Fayetteville, it’s quite possible that the person answering your...
Expect the Unexpected
MOST OF the population begins each work day with a basic understanding of the tasks that lie ahead of them. Expectations are clear, and circumstances are generally unchanging. For some, that may...
Beano’s Southern comfort food
I OFTEN FIND myself going to the same places for lunch on days when I feel strained from work. I visit fast food joints, not for the taste and quality, but just to get lunch “over with.” It...
Bringing Rome, Home
THERE THEY were, a young couple in love, walking hand in hand down cobblestone streets in Rome. The two were giddy, swooning equally over one another and the romantic allure of the ancient city...
Sowing Seeds of Inspiration Through Art
THE FAYETTEVILLE-LINCOLN County Arts Center hosted multiple summer art enrichment camps this year, peaking with a mixed medium art camp July 11-15 for children ages 6 to 13, with arts instructor...
Young educators aiming to make a difference
FITZGERALD HOPKINS desired to take Fayetteville City Schools’ (FCS) basketball to the next level. So he asked FCS director, Bill Hopkins, — no relation — to create a new position. In July, FCS named...
New manufacturing company coming to Fayetteville
TENNESSEE GOV. Bill Lee and the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), Bob Rolfe, announced earlier this year that Ariens Company (AriensCo) will...
Work hard, cheer hard
THE LINCOLN County High School (LCHS) cheerleaders attended the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) camp in Cookeville, Tennessee, June 21-24, bringing home three major awards. UCA — an...
The rhythm of determination
INSIDE THE pages of her favorite books, Sierra Arguello found a place of belonging but still longed for something that she couldn’t quite identify. In the early days of fifth grade, Arguello’s...
More Than Pop Poms and Pyramids
AS THE sun slips behind the grandstands, the drum corp marches the band toward the Lincoln County High School (LCHS) field. Students and spectators follow on their heels, many carrying their...
It’s Good to be Back
It’s finally here! Although the outside temperature argues for summer, your school spirit knows it’s fall. Tonight you’ve chosen shorts and flip-flops, but soon it will be flannel shirts, pants, and...
A Fourth Quarter Fan
FORGET YOUR most potent, most aromatic memories of high school locker rooms. Lincoln County High School’s football locker room is saturated with the winning spirit of three state championship...
An Auburn Dream Come True
ACHIEVING ANY goal takes determination, self-discipline, and a certain level of grit. Short-term goals require a high level of mental acuity. Long-term goals require much more than a centered and...
An Undefeated Tiger Season
IT WAS the beginning of school football season, and the boys of fall were anxious to rough the field between the two goal posts. New faces filled the coaching staff of Fayetteville High School’s...
Let’s Taco-Bout-It
“TACO TUESDAY” is a pretty well known term. In fact, many people use that term to plan meals for the week. It’s so ingrained in my brain that I find myself craving tacos most Tuesdays. This...
Gospel music sounds best in a natural valley amphitheater
JUST THREE miles North of Fayetteville, right off of U.S. 231, lies a family farm referred to as Shadow Valley. The picturesque farmland was purchased in 1993 by Carlton Brady. His vision was to...
Classrooms made of steel
THE CLASSROOM is like railroad tracks. Hard workers spent years, decades—centuries even—laying the groundwork for the trains to run smoothly from coast to coast. They’re strong. And they last for...
So much more than teaching
DEFINING THE meaning of teacher requires more than Merriam-Webster; it takes a deeper look and a second glance. More than a job with a summer-long vacation, teachers are motivated by their love for...
Prepping for Back to School
IT MIGHT be one of the most exciting yet stressful times of the year, rivaling that of Christmas. It requires preparation, planning, logistics, time, and money. I’m almost sure there are military...
Like a rock tossed into the water
SURROUNDED BY a sea of classmates, a student filled with potential may feel invisible or wish he could disappear. Another student’s highest aim might be to coast through school until graduation. One...
But, God
WITH THE first cup of steaming coffee in my hand and the stiffness still in my joints, I gently ease into my spot on the couch. A fresh, new day offers a blank page, although the to-do list in my...
The Mustering Site of America’s “First Volunteers”
IT ALL began with the murder of about 250 men, women, and children. Their deaths at Fort Mims in Alabama, came at the hands of Creek Indians who had acquired weapons from Great Britain during the...
Making Strides in Education
THE CARE for students in special education should always be a priority for the education system, but this care may be more important now, than ever before, with the current shortages of teachers....
Powering homes and businesses through solar energy
NEXTERA ENERGY Resources, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Meta announced in May the commissioning of the Elora Solar Energy Center: Tennessee’s newest large-scale solar energy project. Based...
A season like never before
THE LINCOLN County Lady Falcons softball team experienced some injuries during the season, but it ended with a feat never accomplished in school history: qualifying for the state tournament. “When...
More choices for Fayetteville’s youth
MENTION YOUTH sports and organized athletic teams naturally come to mind – football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer – well, you see the common thread, don’t you? It’s a ball, but there are...
Called to Help
AS CHARLOTTE HOOPER attended regular services at The Father’s Refuge Church, she saw more than hymnals and church bulletins; she saw children and families in need. Wanting to help, she and her...
At home with a growth and development
WHEN EDIE MARTIN graduated in 1999, she was deeply saddened. A Falcon at heart, she left Lincoln County High School only long enough to obtain her teaching degree. “It hurt me not to be there and be...
The ongoing fulfillment of the American dream.
“They want a better life. They want a better life and more opportunities for their children. The majority of the immigrants that come to America, that’s what they’re looking for,” she said. It’s the...
The story continues
RALPH ASKINS School has been Karrie Pittenger’s second home for most of her life. A safe, inviting environment is the heart of any home. It’s the same atmosphere Pittenger wanted for students and...
Classroom Approved
THE WORDS “back to school” can stir up many different emotions. Some young parents hear “school” and are instantly filled with dread and anxiety. Leaving their wide eyed babes for the first time can...
3 meals. 1 burger
Have you ever felt so hungry you could eat a horse? The growling and gurgling of your stomach begs you to fill it with something substantial. You’re angry and irritable because you know a mere...
Boom! Bang! Race!
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO! The buzzer sounded and runners of all ages took off. Feet hit the blacktop in repetition as they spent the next 3.1 or 10.2 miles running in the muggy, summer-morning heat...
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All proceeds from photos go to local nonprofits.