by Jeriah Brumfield | Apr 1, 2025 | Stories
SLOW-COOKED BARBECUE fused with the cozy scent of wood smoke as Bob Reynolds leaned out of the Squidbilly Vittles BBQ food truck window, greeting the growing line of customers with a smile. Behind him, tongs clattered and sizzling meat hissed, audible even through the...
by Jeriah Brumfield | Apr 1, 2025 | Stories
LAURA LOWNDES sat quietly beside her father in the car. It was her favorite time of day when the world slowed down, and she could simply be with her dad. Maybe it was the engine’s steady rumble, the brakes’ soft creak, or the way the tires kicked up dust...
by Jeriah Brumfield | Apr 1, 2025 | Stories
SCENTS OF coffee and fresh-baked biscuits collide with the crisp bite of winter air as the doors of First United Methodist Church at Winchester creak open at dawn. Inside, warm air welcomes guests, but it’s the conversations, the clatter of plates, and the...
by Wesley Bryant | Apr 1, 2025 | Stories
THE SOUNDS of the self-checkout registers beep through the entire store. The short lines of people with baskets and carts move across the reflective tile like a conveyor belt and out the door. Uh, oh. A man at the checkout stood frozen. The total amount due on the...
by Wesley Bryant | Mar 3, 2025 | Stories
You know that first breath of spring? The way the warmer air gives you goosebumps — the air is soft, full of promise, carrying hints of something new. After months of cold, we step outside, and for the first time, the sun lingers a little longer, warming our hands,...
by Jeriah Brumfield | Feb 24, 2025 | Stories
“North Carolina needs us,” Megan Moorehead thought to herself. The moment her phone rang, Moorehead knew something was wrong. It had been days since she’d heard from her friend in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene tore through the region, leaving destruction...
