RALEIGH — I’m an early riser. I have been since early adulthood — long, long before any hungry children, or a certain German Shepherd, came along to command my early-morning attention.
All in Columns
Mike Parker: First African American published poet bore name of slave ship
Phillis Wheatley’s name is probably better known by many high school students today than it was during my generation. Frankly, I never heard of Phillis Wheatley when I was cracking the books in my American literature class in 1967. I became familiar with a few of her poems as I constructed my syllabus for Major American Writers at East Carolina – at least two decades ago.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Tis the Season for the Daikon Radish
The Daikon radish is a winter vegetable usually sown in mid to late summer and harvested in the cooler months. The Daikon radish can be found in a variety of shapes and colors and boasts a characteristic crispness and snap when served or eaten raw, but totally changes to something more like a potato when cooked. It is said that the Daikon is much milder and less peppery than the familiar red radish.
Kristy Kelly: Good Morning, Kristy. Here’s How to Fix Yourself
I’ve become obsessed with watching yoga videos. Not because I can do them, but because I haven’t been able to bend that way since I was a toddler. The yogis are on a journey toward enlightenment, and I’m clearly on a vastly different journey of stiff joints and bad decisions.
G.I. Joe’s Military Living History Museum
G.I. Joe’s is a local museum of military pictures and related items. From day one we thought of it as a bridge. We want it to be a connecting bridge between Lenoir County veterans and their local community. A place where space was offered for recognition and reflection and camaraderie.
Mike Parker: Place names reflect Kinston’s history
Most citizens who drive through this city have little awareness that the street names preserve and reflect the city's history prior to the American Revolution. In December of 1762, the General Assembly passed an act to establish the town of Kingston on land belonging to William Herritage at Atkins Bank. Herritage, for whom Herritage Street is named, donated the first 100 acres of what became “Kingston” and later “Kinston.”
Hickory Grove Church (6)
The exact year that Hickory Grove Church was established remains uncertain. Nonetheless, historical records available online, not readily accessible until recently, confirm that it was organized as a congregation about two decades before the construction of its building in 1860. The definitive evidence, buried deep in various church conference meeting minutes, indisputably indicates Hickory Grove had formed as a church assembly by 1841.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: The Very Versatile Cauliflower!
Cauliflower is known as the culinary chameleon, making its way into your menu as cauliflower rice, cauliflower mashed potatoes, and even pizza crust. Cauliflower picks ups flavors from savory to sweet, and is super versatile for main dish, side or dessert. Here are some basic ways to use cauliflower in your recipes. You can vary any of these recipes in several ways.
Lenoir County Council on Aging (LCCOA) Visits
The LCCOA Senior Center was excited and eager as their bus pulled into the parking lot the G. I. Joe’s Military Living History Museum in Kinston. For many of the seniors, this wasn't just a field trip; it was a journey through time.
Jason McKnight: How to Navigate Miscommunication
I love what I do for a living. Pastoring a local church is a whole lot of fun. But, as everyone who is part of a local church (or part of any lodge, supper club, travel team), the more time you spend with people, the more opportunity there is for miscommunication.
Veteran Column: G.I. Joe's Celebrating MLK Day
The morning air was cold, but the G.I. Joe’s Veteran’s Museum was warm, filled with murmur of stories shared. The museum was usually loud in the mornings due to veterans sharing stories and jokes, but on Monday morning, it got very quiet.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: A Kale You Will Love
If you are a little leery of eating kale, thanks to one of our local farmers, I have found your answer to adding Kale to your diet. It’s Lacinato or Dinosaur kale is a dark green leafy vegetable. Dino kale has an earthy, nutty flavor. It doesn't have the same strong bitterness as other varieties of kale, though it is still there. The sweetness helps offset that and makes it more approachable.
Hickory Grove Church (5)
A church is formed, established, and founded when a group of people organize for the purpose of meeting together for worship. Although a permanent place to assemble is a goal for most fledgling churches, a building is not required for people to worship. Further, the year a church erects a building does not necessarily align with the year it is organized.
Kristy Kelly: The Monster Bike Saga Continues
After a decade in call centers, nothing makes me turn into the stereotypical entitled, middle-aged, woman quite like a bad customer service experience. Last month, my youngest son was involved in an accident while riding the monster bike. Apparently, a red pickup truck side swiped him, sending him and the bike over a curb. He’s fine, the bike is banged up, but fine, so he goes home.
Mike Parker: Dr. King: Student before Legend
Every school child knows – or should know – about Dr. Martin Luther King’s importance to the Civil Rights Movement. We have all heard stories about his fight for equality. We know he died on April 4, 1968, struck down by an assassin’s bullet as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Winter Dinners that are Fast, Easy and Healthy
Since darkness still lingers when you return from work and begin to prepare your family dinner, you want to cook something that is fast, easy and still super healthy! Meanwhile, celebrate that we get an additional 38 minutes at the end of the day during the month of January!!
Jason McKnight: Lessons from Pain
This week, I’ve been flat on my back. Six days ago, I torqued the wrong way moving a pile of books. That was on top of an earlier morning tweak while exercising. Which resulted from a bad night of sleep for some unknown reason. That book torque was the kill-switch: “This guy’s going down.”
Mike Parker: The common sense of ‘Common Sense’
As we contemplate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we cannot overlook one of the most significant works written not only to support the push for independence, but a work that also plainly argued that anything less than independence from Great Britain placed the colonies as second class citizens as long as that bond existed.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Flavors of the Year for 2026; Dark Sweet Cherry and Black Currant
Food trendsetters seem to agree that the flavor of the year as we move into 2026 are the dark sweet cherry and the black currant. These dark red berries are sweet but also tangy. They can be used in sweet and savory recipes, providing a hint of acidity.
Mike Parker: The joy of spending time with family
As 2025 ended and 2026 was being born, I had the opportunity to spend a week with my children and grandchildren at North Myrtle Beach, SC. Each year, we try to travel somewhere together to put aside our jobs and daily demands and focus on family. This year, all my children and all but one of my grandchildren made the trip.