Local Voices

Dolly Parton has been in the news a lot lately, and she appears to have overcome some health concerns. 2026 is a milestone year for Dolly, marking her 80th birthday, the 60th anniversary of her marriage to the late Carl Dean, the 40th anniversary of Dollywood, and the 30th anniversary of her Imagination Library. There is no better time to send a love letter to “our Dolly.”

As a TV news anchor, I try to avoid clichés, because they turn up on the news (local and national) a lot. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard, “The investigation is continuing,” I’d have some serious cash. I mean, that should be obvious. We all know that cops aren’t going to leave the scene and say, “You know what? I’m stumped. Let’s just go to Wendy’s and hope the whole thing blows over.”

Vintage View appears weekly. With pictures we will focus on the rich heritage of Moore County. The News, Lynchburg Funeral Home, and The Moore County Historical Society are working together to bring these historical significant stories to you. Mike Northcutt (931) 434-5797 or email mbncutt@yahoo.com.

It is Springtime which brings about all the fun of softball season for our household – nights spent under the lights, dinners on the go, lawn chairs and concession stand snacks.

Let’s explore the origin of some common sayings. After writing several columns about sayings like, “Not my cup of tea” and “The straw that broke the camel’s back,” many of you suggested a few others. How many times have you threatened to read someone “The Riot Act?” What is that act, and why is there a riot involved? I’m pretty sure I “read the riot act” to my sons when they were teenagers, and I’m equally certain they rolled their eyes when I did.

What a glorious day each Easter Sunday brings as we reflect on the stone that was rolled away to reveal Jesus was in fact alive!

I was a morning radio host before I got into TV news. In that role, I was encouraged to inject a little humor into the lives of listeners battling rush-hour traf- c. During that era, we had a Democratic president, followed by a Republican president. Our area governors, senators and representatives came from both major parties. I was an equal opportunity jokester. Thankfully, my listeners had a good sense of humor, advertisers never complained, and neither my bosses nor the politicians ever tried to censor me. It was, as we hear so often, a different era.

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Table Talk

If you have been reading this column for a while, you will know that I draw many moments of inspiration from time spent digging in the dirt. Over the weekend we were tilling up the gardens to prepare for sowing seeds in just a few short months. Luckily, we live in a world where tractors do most of the heavy lifting, yet still, there is much action on our part that must be executed. The tilling process is important for loosing up the hard soil and rock, it disrupts grass and weeds that can smother the plants, makes soil available for added nutrients and allows for a more effective drainage system needed for plants to thrive. What kind of inspiration could possibly flow from running a tractor through the dirt? It reminded me of a verse, “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12.