by Amanda E. West | Jul 10, 2025 | Feature
“Cooking With a Veteran” began with hunger — an ache that Dave Rogers knew too well. Before he enlisted in the U.S. Army and for a short time after his honorable discharge, Rogers faced homelessness. This permanent mark, left by Rogers’ temporary situation, stirred...
by Amanda E. West | Jul 10, 2025 | Feature
“Mrs. Heather, please don’t cry Because toys you didn’t have to buy Sometimes the shelves get kind of bare But because of love for Mandy and children, people did share Stuffed animals, blankets, cars, and Play-Doh With such good choices, children’s eyes will surely...
by Amanda E. West | Jun 12, 2025 | Stories
THE RHYTHMIC clatter of pins and the squeak of shoes echoes across the wooden floors of the Shelbyville Bowling Alley. The buzz of conversation — and sometimes lively songs coupled with overly dramatic dancing — coming from the five McKamey siblings at Lane 15 is...
by Amanda E. West | Jun 12, 2025 | Cover
THE SPLASHING of the waterfall is a welcoming melody to Dorris Turrentine as she savors the sweet, earthy perfume of iris blooms carried by the evening breeze. Tricolored orange, white, and black goldfish circle the edges of the pond. Their graceful acrobatics turn...
by Amanda E. West | Jun 12, 2025 | Feature
THE SUN dips behind the Shelbyville Recreation Center, casting shadows across the baseball field, dotted with soccer players at H.V. Griffin Park. Marc Betzelberger leans forward, elbows on his knees, as his youngest son, Jonathan, kicks the ball with relentless...
