Local Voices

Being a lifelong music fan and an occasional radio host, I’ve often baffl ed my family with my song selections. I believe that the driver of the vehicle controls the music. I’m the one who has to stay alert, right? So my lucky passengers have long been treated to my music choices. At first, it was a mix tape, aptly named. Later, I began “burning” random songs to compact discs. Now I create my own playlists, and play them directly from my phone into the car speakers.

Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” Isaiah 43:26. I ask you to think about a courtroom today – who and what do you see when you look around? Frist and foremost, you see a judge, jury, the defense attorney, the prosecutor, witnesses and of course the accused. There have been times in my life, and I am sure yours, that settling a dispute in the carnal courtroom seemed like an easier route. In this season of trials God began to whisper to me to “take it to His court”- the accusations, the lies of the enemy, the battles and struggles. It has taken me years to truly understand what it means to remain still and plead my case to the ultimate Judge.

As a believer in Christ, I must admit that reading and studying the book of Revelation has always been the most daunting and challenging responsibility.

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.