Letter From the Editor
THE CREAK of an old wooden floor, the worn edges of a brick building, the way a nameplate on a storefront shines a little softer with age. These are not just small details from the past. They are...
Jerry Limbaugh: The 1862 Franklin County Courthouse Invasion
IT WAS 1862 when the typically quiet town of Winchester faced an unwelcome disruption. Embroiled in the Civil War, Union soldiers came to occupy the town, and though they would not take innocent...
Sister Hannah: Sustainable living through faith and flora
SUNLIGHT TOUCHES the valley as far as the eye can see from atop the Cumberland Plateau. Sister (Sr.) Hannah, Community of St. Mary, takes breakfast with her Sisters at the Community of St. Mary...
Shenanigans: Step into history, stay for the fries
GOOD NEWS IS COMING TO DINNER! We will feature a local food critic’s thoughts as they dine in Manchester. This month, Shannon Beebe visited Shenanigans. DID YOU know that Shenanigans is the oldest...
Jim Cortner: The Estill Homes Heritage
THE MOORE-CORTNER Funeral Home, adorned with Greek Revival columns and antique brick walls, has been in Jim Cortner’s family for nearly six decades. Jim and his father, Bob Cortner, currently own...
Marvin Bishop: Built to last
MARVIN BISHOP was hired at the Winchester Utility System 50 years ago, and at the time, it was a radically different job. The crew did not have trench boxes, automated meters, or GPS systems....
Jessica Neese and Wendy Moore: Daughters of the American Revolution
WITH A passion for service and a love for community, the Franklin County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) serves as a meaningful reminder to the enduring power of heritage,...
Vietnam War Traveling Memorial: A journey to remember
THE SMOOTH, black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., stand as a permanent monument to fallen heroes. While five million people visit annually, not everyone is able...
Letter From the Editor
“FRANKENSTEIN,” PUBLISHED in 1818, is considered the first science fiction novel. The Gothic story cracked open an entire genre of literature that has endless new entries today. It inspired...
Dean and Peggy Hanger: Fifty years, countless floors, and a legacy that lasts
DEAN AND Peggy Hanger never imagined they’d build a legacy that would stretch across counties, generations, and decades, but to no surprise, hard work, humility, and a deep love for people paved a...
REMINDER from Elk River Public Utility District
PLANTING A summer vegetable garden, installing a fence to keep your animals safe, replacing a mailbox post, or simply digging a hole for a single shrub may seem harmless. But according to the Elk...
Jeff Smith: The twist of fate that rides stronger today
BROTHERS AND co-owners of Pioneer Equipment Co. Inc., Parker and Morgan Smith, cruised past the north end of the Winchester square. Their coupe dipped below the Boulevard bridge, and as they whirled...
Russell Barnett: Community first
RUSSELL BARNETT built his automotive business the same way he raised his family: with integrity, faith, and an unfailing commitment to putting people first. When his father, Albert Barnett, started...
Skip’s Grill: A local classic that never misses
GOOD NEWS IS COMING TO DINNER! We will feature a local food critic’s thoughts as they dine in Manchester. This month, Shannon Beebe visited Skip’s Grill. TONIGHT, I stopped at Skip’s Grill, just a...
Tristan Eicher: Honoring the foundation while shaping the future
FOR THE last 17 years, Tristan Eicher has looked up to his dad, Norman, who owns Mountain View on David Crockett Highway in Belvidere. Though the business has expanded to seven locations in...
Dwight Duckworth: As good as your word
WALTON “BUD” Duckworth and Jesse Leon Williams were riding down the road, going raccoon hunting, a pastime they enjoyed together regularly. But this particular hunting expedition in 1967 would...
The Hatchett family: Three generations, one mission
IN 1954, just 6 miles from Winchester in the small town of Cowan, Tennessee, a husband-and-wife team took a giant leap of faith, one they could never have imagined would make a lasting impact over...
Letter From the Editor
THE SCENT of warm butter-covered popcorn and the huge roar of the crowd… does anything bring you back faster than a Friday night under the stadium lights? For me, it’s a flood of memories: the...
The Tennessee Stealers and Dinos: Proving basketball is for all ages
“AGE IS just a number,” the old saying goes — and the ladies of the Tennessee Stealers and Tennessee Dinos prove it weekly at basketball practice and annually in Senior Olympics competitions across...
Recovering well with Highpoint Health
IT WAS another Friday night under the bright stadium lights for Franklin County High School varsity football player Dawson Sowers, who was in his senior year. The tension on the field was palpable,...
M. Sweets Bakery and Cafe: Where the cupcakes surprise and the sandwiches satisfy
GOOD NEWS IS COMING TO DINNER! We will feature a local food critic’s thoughts as they dine in Manchester. This month, Shannon Beebe visited M. Sweets Bakery and Cafe. JUST OVER the train tracks in...
Garrett Patterson: Finding your love
ROLLING GREEN fields, beautiful skies, rustling trees, and the crack of club on ball are the staples of the golf course. For Franklin County High School senior Garrett Patterson, those are sights...
Dawson Sowers: Tackling for the team
DAWSON SOWERS knew something was wrong when he heard the “pop.” The 6-foot-tall teen had his opponent within sight, running toward him to make a tackle. Unfortunately, he tore his shoulder in the...
Ashtyn Danley: Mettle on the mound
ORANGE DUST scatters as the opposing softball player slides toward home base, a moment too late. Florida State University (FSU) pitcher Ashtyn Danley has already fired the ball into the catcher’s...
Letter From the Editor
IF YOU’VE ever seen a fighter jet cut across the sky, you know what powerful looks like. You know what freedom sounds like. That roar overhead reminds us that we live in a country where people put...
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