On Wednesday night at the Lenoir County Fair, four very lucky folks were judging the Casserole Cook-Off. These super foodies made it easy for you by choosing the winning recipes which I am sharing below. Hope you will enjoy!
All in Columns
Bucklesberry, Back in the Day: Hickory Grove Church (23)
Hickory Grove was established by 1841 as a Free Will Baptist (F.W.B.) church. By 1872, it was a Baptist work aligned with the Union Baptist Association (U.B.A.). A church vote in October 1884 resulted in separation from the U.B.A. Seven months later, the congregation voted to affiliate with the Methodist Protestant Church (M.P.C.) Conference.
Kristy Kelly: Posh Poverty
Last night, everyone and everything got on my last nerve. Even Loki, whose sole purpose is to be loved, managed to annoy me while attempting to slather my face with his wet affection.
Mike Parker: Benedict Arnold: Trusted officer turned traitor
On October 7, my mom will celebrate her 98th birthday. The world today is much different than when she was born in 1928 – a decade or so after World War I and a year and a change before the Great Depression.
Evelyn Dove Coleman: Dementia: Mind On A Mission
Rarely have I ever met someone with my same name. Evelyn is rare. And I have never ever met someone with my same birthday. Until one Saturday I was blessed to meet Dr. Evelyn Smith, born January 4th. I liked her instantly, and the more we talked, the more I wished she could be my neighbor.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Overcome October Overwhelm
Is it just me or does it feel like time seems to fly into October? As the season changes and schedules get tight and all of sudden, we are counting the days until Thanksgiving and Christmas, it all makes my heart race, lol. Don’t let your family meals suffer, just work on making your family meals quicker and easier. Here are some ideas for your busy school night dilemmas!
Mike Parker: The world a century ago
On October 7, my mom will celebrate her 98th birthday. The world today is much different than when she was born in 1928 – a decade or so after World War I and a year and a change before the Great Depression.
Evelyn Dove Coleman: Blessed Beyond Measure
Years ago when I retired on disability, Ann Reed signed my Inactive Status Certificate. Her mother Helen Reed was one of my teachers at North Lenoir High School. It felt full circle.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Fascinating facts about NC apples
According to the North Carolina Apple Growers Association, there are over 200 commercial operations of 9,000 bearing acres of apple orchards producing yearly 4 million bushels, ranking our state regularly in the top 10 producers of apples in the United States, currently ranking seventh.
Bucklesberry, Back in the Day: Hickory Grove Church (22)
The first year of Hickory Grove's transition to a new denominational home in 1885 was not without interruption. Fewer than thirty days after the Church voted to align with the Methodist Protestant Church (M.P.C.) Conference, former Baptist pastor Rev. Bushrod Washington (B. W.) Nash, no doubt unhappy, was reportedly back in the pulpit by the end of April 1885. Whether he was invited to preach or requested the meeting is unknown:
Mike Parker: Kicking off the school year right
If you have read my columns through the years, you know I am a retired high school English teacher. I spent 37 ½ years in the classroom at the secondary level and another 30 years part-time at the collegiate level. I consider myself somewhat of an authority on what parents need to do to help their children succeed in school.
Evelyn Dove Coleman: Seems Like A Strategy
As I watched the NFL opener one chilly night, I bundled up and grabbed my remote to turn on the Patriots and Seahawks game. During the first three quarters, the Patriots led, so I observed my bedtime and turned off the tv.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Fall for Butternut Squash
Everything about butternut squash says fall, the color orange, the creamy coziness of its texture in recipes, and the ability to be used in savory and sweet dishes. Butternut squash is in season in the fall and winter months.
BJ Murphy: The AI-conomy disruption you're not ready for
Artificial intelligence is not coming. It is here, and most of us are still thinking too small about what that means or are so afraid of its potentially negative consequences that we fail to move at all.
Mike Parker: ‘Bee’ smart as the new school year begins
As the new school year opens, I have already heard some accounts of disrespectful and even violent behavior toward teachers and staff in some schools. For the life of me, I cannot understand why students are allowed to spit on staff or curse staff with little to no consequences. That schools and parents tolerate such behavior does not reflect well on student conduct in our schools.
Evelyn Dove Coleman: Let's Prevent Prostate Cancer
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Because my father didn't show any symptoms of being sick before his PSA blood test returned results too high to not address, I encourage men to ask their physicians to do their screenings.
Bucklesberry, Back in the Day: Hickory Grove Church (21)
A significant turning point in the life of Hickory Grove Church was the December 1884 pastoral call to Rev. William Ellis Swain of the Methodist Protestant Church (M.P.C.) Conference. In his 1929 book that traced the history of the M.P.C. Conference, Dr. Olin B. Michael, Th.D. affirmed, "The Hickory Grove people had come to us [the M.P.C. Conference], under W. E. Swain's pastorate."
Mike Parker: DAR Sponsors History Essay Contest
Although students increasingly rely on AI for schoolwork, an old-fashioned American History Essay Contest encourages young people to think creatively about our nation’s history and see it in a new light.
Evelyn Dove Coleman: Toastmasters To Celebrate
The Kinston Toastmasters Club will celebrate its 75th Anniversary on September 19, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. in the Kinston-Lenoir County Library.
Kristy Kelly: The children of 9/11 grew up in its shadow
Twenty-five years ago, adults watched the world change on live television. Our children watched us watching it.