by Tina Neeley | Aug 14, 2024 | Feature
“SMALL TOWN, big dreams” – four little words and a familiar cliche but one carrying a lot on its wings. For some, it represents a hope to see, learn, or experience more, not to escape something small and mundane. The idea of “more” varies for each person, but the...
by Tina Neeley | Aug 14, 2024 | Feature
THE UPROAR surrounding the field becomes a distant murmur as Mia Brown digs her cleats into the pitcher’s plate. The mound is her sanctuary, a judgment-free zone where she can simply be herself. Her laser focus narrows to the catcher’s signals, the familiar routine...
by Tina Neeley | Aug 14, 2024 | Cover
AS THE late summer sun pressed down on the field, the clunk of helmets and the shrill blows from the coach’s whistle pushed against the hovering humidity. Tackle dummies fell back under the weight of grunting young athletes eager to test their abilities in the coming...
by Tina Neeley | Aug 14, 2024 | Stories
THE SHADOWS of the late afternoon sun drape the asphalt courts as the Lincoln County High School (LCHS) tennis team battles its district rival. The rhythmic thwacks of fuzzy yellow balls drilling back and forth punctuate the players’ grunts as they lean into...
by Tina Neeley | Aug 14, 2024 | Stories
AS THE curtain fell on the Dec. 8, 2017, performance of The Broadway Show Stoppers in Chicago, the young performers buzzed with the excitement of their debut professional performance outside their theatre group. Meeting Music Director Christie Chilies Twillies and...
