Stillness

Until last year, I spent most of my life reacting instead of responding. I think back on those times and nothing good ever came from being impulsive. It’s natural to go on the defensive when someone says something negative to you or is rude. Human interaction isn’t a simple a math equation where a negative... Read More

Work-In-Progress

May 18, 2023

My Ultimate Goal is to Inspire Millions of People All Over the World

The following is an excerpt from Rockingham Magazine. Jenna Rice was born in Maine and raised in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “Basically, I’m from New England,” she said. Now, Rice calls Greensboro, North Carolina home. She is a full-time street artist and spray-paint muralist. “You can find my work all over North Carolina and in... Read More

Arts + Music, Local

May 12, 2023

All Our Rowdy Friends

The Stallions Band, including lead singer and guitarist Butch James, singer and guitarist Daryl Wright, drummer Jackie Robertson, bassist Tony Thomas, and singer Terri Clay, have been performing music for the better part of the last fifty years. They have been a local staple for the country music crowd for a long time. In a... Read More

Local Notes

May 5, 2023

The Boys (and Girls) of Summer

“You got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat And a brand-new pair of shoes You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride Just to hit the ball an’ touch ’em all a moment in the sun It’s-a gone, and you can tell that one goodbye” I was a little younger than... Read More

Confessions of a 30 Something

May 2, 2023

My Passion, Your Forever Memories

Laura Chaleby isn’t a native southerner. She grew up in Michigan where, she said, the Great Lakes help to offset the cold. She got a taste of the south seven years ago after her husband’s career as a chemical engineer brought them, and their daughter, to Danville. Speaking about her husband, Chaleby said, “What they... Read More

Arts + Music, Cover Feature

April 28, 2023

Music is Medicine: How Music Moves Us

A relatively new act, MaMa BriBri and The Stranger are excited to showcase their music and connect with their growing audience. A mother of three and musician, Briana, or MaMa BriBri, spends her days in the Halifax area; Jeremy Strange (The Stranger), guitarist, moved around from Colorado, North Carolina, and Nashville, before settling back in... Read More

Local Notes

April 21, 2023

Under Control

I unintentionally started a feud about six months ago. I stopped by a local restaurant after the gym to pick up dinner. One employee was having a bad night, or so I thought. I’ve since learned that this employee seems to have a terrible night every time I’m in the restaurant. It is that, or... Read More

Work-In-Progress

April 19, 2023

Absolutely Unforgettable!

My cousin Andy Koplen invited three of us to join him on his parent’s fishing boat at Smith Mountain Lake. That Lake had been manmade, part of a hydro-electric project not far from Roanoke, VA. Much like our other fishing expeditions, we drove to the house that belonged to Andy’s folks. Their boat was tied... Read More

Essays

April 13, 2023

Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” – Vincent Van Gogh Spring is here and with it comes a time for renewal. For me, a big part of renewal is trying new things. Those who follow this column know I’ve been on a health journey for the last year or... Read More

Confessions of a 30 Something

April 6, 2023

One Patient at a Time

New CEO of SOVAH Health, Steve Heatherly wants to see the hospital make a difference in individual lives and the community. He began a career in health care over 25 years ago after obtaining an undergraduate degree in financial management from UNC-Asheville. Heatherly then earned a master’s degree in business administration from Western Carolina University... Read More

Cover Feature