T.C. Simmons Insurance: Protecting local homes
For many residents in Franklin County, a home represents the most significant investment of their lifetime. T.C. Simmons Insurance provides homeowners' insurance designed to protect these assets...
Letter From the Editor
A STUDENT IN our community today will walk the halls of Congress with a pinned American flag on their chest. A student in our community today will pray their knees still hold when their nerves get...
Wendy Wells: Where learning meets becoming
NEARLY 30 years into her career, Wendy Wells continues to approach the classroom with the same purpose that first drew her to education. At the heart of her work is connection, guiding students to...
David K. Patton: A legacy continues
AS THE 2026 season approaches, Bluegill Grill at Holiday Landing Marina & Resort enters a meaningful new chapter — one that honors a lasting legacy while looking ahead with renewed purpose. For...
Southern Sugar Saloon: Saddle up for Winchester’s sweetest adventure
GOOD NEWS IS COMING TO DINNER! We will feature a local food critic’s thoughts as they dine in Franklin County. This month, Shannon Beebe visited Southern Sugar Saloon. JUST OFF the historic square...
Sherry Sells: You belong
FOR SHERRY Sells, a successful school day at North Lake Elementary begins long before the first lesson is taught. It starts with belonging. From the moment students walk through the doors, she...
Cynthia Young: Guided by faith, leading with purpose
FOR OVER three decades, Cynthia Young has dedicated her life to education at Cowan Elementary School, a place she describes as her second home. While teaching was not her original career plan,...
Michele Boswell: Shaping young minds
FEW EXPERIENCES in life are as formative as a child’s first few years of school. It’s the moment when young learners begin to see themselves not just as children, but as thinkers, explorers, and...
Brandi Danley: Building critical thinkers through STEM education
IN CLASSROOMS across Tennessee, Brandi Danley has built a career defined by innovation, difference-making, and an undeniable belief in the potential of her students. More than an educator, she is a...
Winchester Monument Company: Where memories become art
The staff at Winchester Monument Company often shares that their primary mission is to get what is in your head on paper and then into a design. This collaborative process is intentionally designed...
Viva Senior Living at Franklin Manor: Personalized care close to home
Located near the heart of Winchester, Viva Senior Living at Franklin Manor serves the community by providing a deeply personalized approach to assisted living. Recognizing that no two residents...
Thomas Simmons: Local, independent protection
In the world of insurance, one size rarely fits all. T.C. Simmons Insurance leverages its status as an independent agency to provide a meaningful advantage to the residents of Winchester and the...
Letter From the Editor
WHEN WE think about the basic requirements of a thriving community, our minds naturally go to the grocery stores that feed us, the banks that hold our futures, and the schools that educate our...
Trinity Episcopal Church: Collaborative community care
LAURA LOWNDES, director of Trinity Episcopal Church’s food pantry, did not expect Franklin County to be her forever home when she moved to Winchester in 1960. Still, after 65 years, she’s done it...
Kiwanis Club: Lending a local hand
FRANKLIN COUNTY'S chapter of the Kiwanis Club, an international organization rooted in community service, was established in 1999 when a couple relocated here for work. The husband, according to...
Hensley’s Sports Loft: Wings, music, and a whole lot of hometown spirit
GOOD NEWS IS COMING TO DINNER! We will feature a local food critic’s thoughts as they dine in Franklin County. This month, Shannon Beebe visited Hensley’s Sports Loft. SATURDAY NIGHTS are made for...
Eric Bronkala: Faith beyond church walls
THE QUESTION that has shaped the Rev. Eric Bronkala’s ministry is quite simple: What responsibility does the church bear toward the community it inhabits? It is a question that emerged not from...
MaryClaire Sims: Where childlike faith meets faithful service
KINDNESS IS a powerful and often overlooked force. When extended with sincerity and consistency, it leaves a lasting impression on those who encounter it. Such kindness is both rare and...
Avery Kelleher: We Live For Riv
THOSE WHO knew Rivers often describe her as impossible to overlook. Her presence filled a room, not because she demanded attention, but because her joy, confidence, and compassion were instantly...
Good Shepherd Mardi Gras Fundraiser: Let the good times roll!
PURPLE, GREEN, and gold beads cascade over tables and hang from lights. Masquerade masks shimmer with sequins and feathers. A wrought-iron streetlight decoration declares that guests are at the...
Winchester Monument Company: Experts in cemetery regulations
Navigating cemetery rules and regulations can be an overwhelming task for grieving families, but Winchester Monument Company serves as an expert guide through the red tape. Based in Winchester,...
Michael and Amber Clark: A ministry forged by grace
MICHAEL AND Amber Clark have spent years shaping their family and their ministry alongside the people of Winchester Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Their story unfolds not in dramatic revelation,...
James Cantrell: A new tradition lights up Tims Ford State Park
ON TWO crisp December nights, headlights glowed softer, and the air smelled faintly of pine as something new twinkled to life at Tims Ford State Park. Where summer campers usually gather beneath the...
Letter From the Editor
LOVE IS one of those things we recognize instantly, even when we struggle to explain it. We feel it before we understand it. We see it in the quiet moments that never make headlines, and in our...
Roy “Junior” Smith Jr.: A pillar of faith and family
“I HAVE GROWN up and lived in the best of times, and I am very thankful that Jesus has given me such a beautiful life.” — Roy Smith Jr. For more than nine decades, Roy “Junior” Smith Jr. has lived...
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