La Finka Mexican Grill: ‘If guac is wrong, I don’t wanna be right!
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 La Finka Mexican Grill. LA FINKA Mexican Grill in...
Blain Maxwell: Everyday heroism
WHEN WE are young, we often imagine heroes as those who wear capes and leap from one daring feat to another. Childhood stories teach us to expect heroism in the spectacular. Yet, as we grow older,...
Steve Macon: Fifty years of faithful service
EVERY COMMUNITY is strengthened by individuals who serve without seeking recognition, those who act from a place of humility and a sincere desire to do good. Their dedication leaves an enduring...
Ethan Hall: Serving with integrity
SGT. ETHAN Hall has built his career on trust earned through consistency and sound judgment. From his beginnings as a 911 dispatcher to his current role within the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office,...
Boo Bash: Halloween joy meets community spirit
EACH OCTOBER, the city of Winchester hosts Boo Bash, an annual event that brings families together for an evening of Halloween-themed activities. This year’s celebration, held in front of the Red...
Letter From the Editor
THE CALL comes in, and the world doesn’t slow down. The clock feels like it ticks faster, but our heroes stay strong. The firefighter is halfway through dinner. The nurse just pulled into the...
Gigi Gaskins: A hatmaking journey
GIGI GASKINS never set out to become a hatmaker. The idea came to her in the most unexpected way as she was sitting in a movie theater watching the opening scenes of “Coco Before Chanel.” On the...
Samantha Steele: Twenty-eight years on the line as a 911 dispatcher
FOR 28 years, Samantha Steele has been a central figure in her county’s emergency communications system. As the assistant 911 director, 911 dispatcher, and terminal agency coordinator, she has...
Montana Coffee offers the perfect family Christmas gifts
The living room looked like a blizzard of crushed crimson and emerald paper. Six members of the Miller family sat amidst the wreckage of Christmas morning, holding six identical plastic rectangles:...
Letter From the Editor
IN MARCH of last year, my cousin’s work schedule became incompatible with raising his first pet, a brown and white Bernedoodle puppy. I took her in, not knowing just how much she would change, well,...
Isla Medina: Rise and shine
THE SUN sets over Isla Medina’s cattle farm, where she is still outside feeding the cows and finishing up her evening work. She’s been awake since the early morning hours, cleaning stalls, feeding...
Skip & Helga Nielsen: An unexpected journey
Content courtesy of Emily Holland, executive director of Animal Harbor IT WASN’T until later in life that Skip Nielsen and his wife, Helga, felt the rescue bug bite hard. In 2021, they made a simple...
Annual Christmas Candlelight Service: An evening to remember
THE HOLIDAYS are one of the most difficult seasons for families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The traditions shared and the memories held dear surrounding Christmastime are a source...
Paleteria y Fruteria Moctezuma: Crispy flautas, cool Mangonadas, and churro splits
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 Paleteria y Fruteria. RIGHT IN the middle of downtown...
Emma Smith: Born in the saddle
EMMA SMITH thought it was just another day of horseback riding as her parents drove the familiar roads toward the training barn. They were hauling a trailer and going to visit Dropback, the horse...
Peaches the dog: Positive lab results
THE WAITING room at Winchester Primary Care is packed with patients preparing for a visit with Dr. Kou-Wei Chiu. Patients fidget in their chairs as the nurses call them back as quickly as they can,...
Samantha Szelich: A diamond in the R.U.F.F.
THE EARLY morning hours engulf Estill Springs in a dark silence, but at Lakeside Veterinary Clinic, Samantha Szelich is awake and focused, preparing for a 2 a.m. transport. Forty rescued dogs, alert...
Fall Heritage Festival: Celebrating Appalachian traditions
THE ANNUAL Fall Heritage Festival brings together communities from across the region for a weekend celebration in downtown Cowan. Held on Tennessee Avenue and Front Street on either side of the...
Montana Coffee Company to give away a riverfront cabin retreat
The scent of pine and river mist was the first thing they noticed. The old log cabin, tucked beside a rushing river, felt like a secret their little clan had finally discovered. For two days, their...
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....
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