By Mark Rutledge | The majestic peaks, deep valleys, and peaceful blue haze of Western North Carolina are home to a network of faith-based mountain retreats and conference centers established during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Most of the complexes experienced damage to their historic facilities when Hurricane Helene dumped record-breaking and catastrophic amounts of rain on the region on Sept. 27, 2024 ...

By Ted Olson  | In the aftermath of the September 2024 flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, one thing was clear: Ashevillians, whether natives, longtime residents, or recent arrivals, collectively praised their city’s stunning mountain landscape and rich cultural legacy, including a distinctive music heritage. A year after Helene, officials representing the City of Asheville alongside a small team of music scholars and promoters collaborated on telling a story heretofore unto

By Lacy Snapp | Every October, poets from around the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee gather on one of the first cool nights of fall to celebrate community, creativity, and craft beer. For the past five years, Atlantic Ale House, a tap room in downtown Johnson City with mostly outdoor-patio seating, has hosted the opening-ceremony toast of the Johnson City Poets Collective’s annual Poetry Contest and Pub Crawl ...

By Savannah Bennett | When I was growing up, road trips were riddled with talismans and traditions. Lengthy excursions were marked by unique houses, roadside attractions, and stories my family repeated from memory. These geographic markers turned monotonous car rides into scavenger hunts. My sister and I would compete to see who noticed things the fastest, or who could tell the old stories the best. Many of the roadside messages associated with these memories were scattered a