Rutherford County has produced its share of stars. From Smoky Burgess to Tonya Philbeck Hobbs, these parts have studded the skies.

After a career spanning more than four decades at the helm of town, county and city government, John Condrey is retiring on June 30.

It was sports talk big time.

The Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame revealed five new names on June 12 that tell remarkable stories.

Carolyn Dewberry Bratton, Venson Hamilton, Tommy Hicks, Tonya Philbeck Hobbs, and Randy Ingle will be celebrated at a dinner on September 26 at The Foundation.

Forest City is fixing to rock.

Over the next two weeks, the town is sponsoring the Cherry Bounce festival and Alive After Five featuring music, food, and splash pads in the new POPS just off Main Street downtown.

It was a hard rain.

Rutherford County has known its share of hard rains, but few can compare to May 31, 1979.

The future is in their hands.

And they are learning some pretty dramatic facts about environmental damage from longtime science teacher, Karl Bradley, at RS Central.

Maybe they will lead us to a cleaner, healthier future.

Bradley calls them, "among the most courteous, hard working groups of students I have ever worked with."

Blue Ridge Hope is here to help.

The Rev. Travis Smith, who holds a masters degree in pastoral counseling will not only be there for survivors of recent family deaths, those going through other individual or family crisis, but his services are often available for free.

It's pretty simple. The government doesn't do it all. Food Stamps (now known as SNAP) don't pay for everything.

Soap, toilet paper, and toothpaste are not paid for by the government, and the SNAP program has been reduced in recent years. Those who qualify are at lower and lower levels of income.

While High School Baseball and Softball playoffs begin next week, unfortunately, this will be my last column for the Rutherford Weekly.

So...things happen.

A retired teacher and poet practices old traditions making soap, maintaining family.

Teresa Price grew up in urban sprawling California, but spent her summers in Shingle Hollow, the mountain community near Lake Lure. The contrast could not have been more radical.

High School Baseball Update

R-S Central (16-5, 9-4) won an Easter Baseball Tourney in Burke County last week with three consecutive wins. They beat Bandys in the finals. East Rutherford and Central play each other twice this week.

At 90 years old Mattie Lackey has no plans to quit.

For 45 years, she and a team of dedicated van drivers, volunteer and staff teachers and workers have served the mentally and physically handicapped through The Church of the Exceptional in Henriett

Baseball

Last week, it looked like t

It has been the calling card of soup kitchens and homeless shelters from Kalamazoo to Timbuktu. It is the faith of many Christians who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, make peace, and visit the sick and imprisoned. No matter how gut shot, blind or crazy, to serve another human being is to serve that Jesus they find in the Bible.

Many preachers tell the same story. You can't outrun the call to preach.

Renee Kimbrough is in the fourth year of a preaching ministry that she ran from for decades.

High School Baseball

East Rutherford (14-2, 9-2) now has the Southwestern 2A lead over Chase (12-3, 8-3) with R-S Central (11-5, 7-4) and South Point (7-8, 6-6) trailing them both.

Only four Conference games remain with R-S Central playing twice this week and then East Rutherford on 4/30 and 5/3. While all four will have to come to play every night, I have a feeling that all four are going to cause a problem when the playoffs begin, should South Point make it.

The key to winning? A positive mental attitude and balance.

Those are only six of the words of wisdom from Coach Tami Matheny who will be at Next Door Books on Thomas Street, Forest City, April 13. Her talk, reading, book signing gets underway at 11:30, but it will be standing room only so get there early.

When Sam Rayburn was Speaker Of The House, he was famous for saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

High School Baseball

Chase, East Rutherford and R-S Central are all within a game of each other. Chase holds the lead in the conference race as they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Baseball

Chase (7-1, 4-1) has scored at least nine runs in every game so far this season except at R-S, which they lost. They host East Gaston (3/29) and visit East Rutherford (4/2).

East Rutherford (7-1, 4-1) has won four in a row which includes a victory over rival R-S Central. They have South Point (3/29) and Chase on (4/2) at home.

R-S Central (7-3, 3-2) has won five of their last six including a big win over Chase. They play Shelby at home on Friday (3/29).

If you question whether Katelyn Pressley is going to Georgetown University next summer, just notice the light in her eyes. Or is it fire?

I hate to do so, but next week I will fill you in on our local sports. This week it's about the NCAA Tourney and Martinsville.

If you passed Zach Lewis in the grocery store, you wouldn't peg him for a state wrestling champ.

"Until he took his shirt off," Rich Cox, Lewis's coach said of the R.S. Central sophomore who recently brought home top honors in his 113-pound weight class.