by Amanda E. West | Jan 8, 2026 | Stories
NO MATTER where you live in Bedford County, mention the name Virginia Freeman and faces light up. “The mold was thrown away after God made her,” and “God has blessed her, and everyone who knew her was blessed,” are two of the many phrases that follow her name — along...
by Amanda E. West | Jan 8, 2026 | Cover
ACROSS THE aisle of the grocery store, 8-year-old Catherine Smith watched as a white-haired lady stretched her trembling hand toward a package of toilet paper before several rolls tumbled from the shelf and bounced silently to the floor. Desperation filled the older...
by Amanda E. West | Jan 8, 2026 | Feature
OVER THE past 10 years, Amanda Lankford’s career in home health has evolved from scheduling appointments at the front desk to working in human resources and managing the weekly payroll. Her dedication to the clients of Arosa Care, the nation’s largest provider of home...
by Amanda E. West | Jan 8, 2026 | Feature
BETH MEERDINK tenderly cradled her treasured copy of “The Lady With the Lamp: The story of Florence Nightingale” and audibly repeated Nightingale’s call to action: “I will change all this, if it takes me a lifetime.” Each word echoed deeply within Meerdink’s heart....
by Amanda E. West | Dec 11, 2025 | Stories
GROWING UP, most of us played outside long after the streetlights in our neighborhood buzzed to life high above our bicycles. Electricity has hummed through our lives like a silent servant — so constant, we forget it’s even there until our lights flicker during a...
