Rozella Hardin

Barbara Simerly, who died June 8 at the age of 85, spent most of the past six years at Ivy Hall Nursing Home. During that time, she provided the staff with plenty of smiles and love.

Have you ever heard about the Strawberry Moon? A few days ago, one of our longtime STAR subscribers and a friend called and said, “Do you know we have a Strawberry Moon this month?” When I asked what a Strawberry Moon was, I was told that it is the first full moon of summer, which this year will be visible on June 29. My friend, who calls me occasionally with some fun facts, shared that the June full moon will be the second-smallest full moon of the year and will be visible nationwide.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Elizabethton First Baptist Church for Loretta F. Bowers, 69, who died Sunday, June 28, after a brief illness. Burial will follow at Bowers Cemetery on Church Street.

Jeff Sharpe was well-known in the Carter County community not only for his cooking at Shirley's Restaurant in Butler, but for his music, friendships, and his helping hand from time to time.

The early voting period for the August 6 Tennessee State Primary and County General Elections is now underway.

Tipton-Ashe Sculpture Garden invites the community to experience “Appalachia Imaginations,” featuring the Watauga Valley Art League, running Aug. 5-28.

Vocally, Ruth White never made a lot of noise in life, but her actions spoke louder than words. She was a quiet person, but a busy person, whose actions spoke louder than words.

Wednesday morning, two Milligan University cyclists were killed and several other student cyclists injured when they were struck by an automobile while riding on Highway 19E near Simerly Creek. It left not only students on the Milligan campus stunned, but entire communities.

September, the ninth month of our modern Gregorian calendar, is a month of transition, marking the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Someone has described it as the “middle child” of the calendar. Not the loud sibling like July with its fireworks, nor December, which clamors for the whole family's attention with Santa Claus and colorful lights. No, September quietly tiptoes in, hoping someone will notice it.

A Carter County man, Jeffrey Campbell, linked up with fellow Northeast Tennessean Mark Ingram to take part in the Military Vehicle Preservation Association's “History in Motion” convoy retracing the Lewis and Clark expedition earlier this summer.