Moved by reports of a malnourished child collapsing on stage at a local elementary school, Barry Yelton and a group of concerned residents founded Basics Food Pantry in Cliffside in 2015 to address an unknown crisis that was coming to light. After a couple of years in Cliffside, the food pantry finally found its current home in neighboring Henrietta. Once operations were established at the new location, it became apparent that Henrietta has one of the largest concentrations of economically disadvantaged people in Rutherford County, and the food pantry would fill a dire need. Being in the right place at the right time often seems to be a miracle.

The cashier at Chase Corner Ministries was busy ringing up a customer's purchase recently as others shopped in the thrift store located off Chase High Road, Forest City. As Laura Johnson worked the cash register, other staff and volunteers were helping customers find their bargains throughout the store.

Near the end of August, several weeks into the new school year, Rutherford County Schools (RCS) had 6,763 enrolled students. This is approximately 2.1% lower than the school system's official Allotted Average Daily Membership (ADM).

Jonathan Milkovich, an Army veteran who lives with his wife Sabrina Shoaff in the mountains of western North Carolina is about to embark on an incredible journey stretching from one end of North Carolina to the other.