by Amanda West | Apr 17, 2025 | Cover
POLLY WOODARD drank in the scent of sliced oranges. She scooped them into her gloved hand and filled the row of lunch trays. She smiled in quiet anticipation. Soon, the first group of hungry students would begin lining up, and the opportunity for her to be a bright...
by Amanda West | Apr 17, 2025 | Stories
NINETY-YEAR-OLD MARY Sadler’s eyes twinkle as she studies the eager faces around the kindergarten classroom at Cascade Elementary School. Every morning, she lovingly delivers the bags of hot breakfast items to the students, and it’s the highlight of her day. With each...
by Amanda West | Apr 17, 2025 | Stories
DURING HIS formative years in Maryland, Kasey Kesselring’s mother and three siblings gathered around the dinner table each evening, taking turns reading from the devotional “Our Daily Bread.” Despite being a promising athlete who did well in public school,...
by Amanda West | Apr 17, 2025 | Feature
AS A single parent raising three boys on her own, Cam Farrell’s mother had no choice but to work long hours. Farrell and his brothers often lacked supervision, but sometimes, it takes a village to raise a child, and in Farrells case, his “village” included local law...
by Amanda West | Apr 17, 2025 | Feature
COMMUNITIES ACROSS the nation are grappling with a severe shortage of school bus drivers — a crisis that has deepened in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Tennessee, the situation is no different, and Gov. Bill Lee and state officials are working to find...
