Forest City---After teaching martial arts in Rutherford County for 50 years, Ray Rice has closed his karate school.

Rice, who has trained in tae-kwon-do, kenpo, ju-jitsu, and akido, holds the rank of 8th Degree Black Belt. He has trained thousands of Rutherford County students since he began in the early 1970s. He has fought professionally across the United States and internationally, and became something of a local legend in the world of combat sports.

Spring is here and Guernsey Girl Creamery near Polkville is moo-ving swiftly into another season of offering superior dairy and other homemade food products to its customers.

Twelve juniors and seniors from Rutherford County Schools recently participated in The Leadership Lab in Raleigh taking their voices beyond the classroom and into the heart of leadership in Raleigh, said Meredith Street, R-S District K-12 AIG Specialist and planner/coordinator for the two-day trip. Other staff attending were Allison Tate and Gail Wilkins, AIG Specialists for the East District and CHASE district respectively; Ritchie Garland coordinator for the department and Superintendent Dr. David Sutton.

Boxing, one of the world's oldest sports, has been around for thousands of years. Boxing, as well as other "combat" sports appear to be growing in popularity throughout the United States. Luis Hernandez is doing his part to encourage the growth of boxing, right here in Rutherford County.