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The perspective of getting older
BY KYLE LOVERN As we get older it seems like we look at things a bit differently. My dad was older when he and my mother brought me into this world. I remember him telling me when I was a young teenager that if he had one wish it would be for good health. Of…
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Appalachian linguistics and terms some may not understand
BY KYLE LOVERN In Appalachia we have a certain language – or linguistics and a way we say certain words that those city slickers may not completely understand. It’s a long tradition passed down through the years. I’m afraid we’re starting to lose these quaint terms or phrases with our younger generation. But we need…
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Country boy taking internet by storm with new song
BY KYLE LOVERN You have likely never heard of him until a few days ago. Most none of us had. But Oliver Anthony, a singer-songwriter from rural Farmville, Virginia, has taken the internet and online music venues by storm. He has gone “viral,” as they say, with thousands of views. A self-proclaimed farm boy has…
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No loyalty these days on where kids attend school
BY KYLE LOVERN Consolidation has gobbled up all the smaller and close-knit high schools we had in past years. That said, it seems there is no loyalty on where kids attend school these days. Much of this concerns sports and kids wanting to play for a different program. Teenagers these days will even go to…
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UFO hearing by Congress was historical
BY KYLE LOVERN Whether you are a skeptic or believer, this past Wednesday morning (July 28) was a historical time for the United States. For those of us who believe there is something to all of the UFO (unidentified flying objects) sightings and stories over the last 75 years, it was an important and powerful…
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Do deaths come in threes? Appalachian superstitions and omens
BY KYLE LOVERN Many of you have probably heard about certain superstitions in our region. I’ve always found these interesting and at times, believable. The superstition of deaths coming in threes is often traced from the Appalachian region of the United States to the beliefs of Scots-Irish ancestors in Europe. My wife and I have…
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Where’s the beef? Some want to do away with red meat
Fake meat is not for me BY KYLE LOVERN The political discussion around meat consumption has become increasingly divided in recent years. I just don’t think our government officials should debate our food. I believe they have more pertinent issues they should be worried about. But it is a debate that seems to divide the…
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Eating healthy costs more than junk food
BY KYLE LOVERN There was a hit novelty song in the 1970s titled “Junk Food Junkie,” written by Larry Groce, who resides in Charleston. “And I pull out some Fritos corn chips, Dr Pepper and an Ole Moon Pie, Then I sit back in glorious expectation Of a genuine junk food high.” That is just…
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Summers and Fourth of July of youth
BY KYLE LOVERN The Fourth of July holiday was always a fun time when I was growing up. My sister Karen and I were recently reminiscing about those lazy (and recently hazy) hot days of summer. School had been out for over a month, which was a great thing as far as I was concerned.…