This coming week, Wednesday, August 21, 2019, to be exact, our little family will celebrate a milestone when Connor Dash O’Neil crosses the threshold into kindergarten.

As we prepare for the October edition of Let the Stories Be Told, I, too, am scrolling through my family’s tales looking for a few to share. Many of them involve the episodes of Robert and Zollie Sisk and their seven children.

Hurricane Connor, aka Connor Dash O’Neil, our grandson, and his mom recently spent a few days in East Tennessee.

This past Friday, July 5, members of the Costner clan found themselves front and center at the popular Celebrating Cosby: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow events at the Cosby Campground Amphitheatre in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

It’s the first of July, the time of year when plans start falling into place for the Newport Plain Talk’s annual special edition Smoky Mountain Homeplace.

The other day the conversation turned to summer camps, and boy, did that bring back a flood of memories.

I love holidays and especially the pomp and pageantry that come with them.

It’s that time of year again when the Cosby Junior Beta Club members hit the road for their annual trip.

Warmer weather brings all sorts of get-togethers, what with church homecomings, class reunions, and club picnics.

Cocke County lost a priceless bit of history recently when a tree fell over near the golf course.

Members of the William Cocke Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution honored 14 students from fourteen Cocke and Jefferson County elementary schools recently for their qualities of good citizenship. They are as follows:

It’s a year of celebration for the East Tennessee Baptist Association.

To me, one of the greatest pleasures in researching my family tree is finding a personal story about a particular ancestor.

I’ve never met a century-old newspaper I didn’t like.

It’s official.

Last Sunday, like millions of others, I remained glued to my television and watched with joy as Tiger Woods claimed his fifth Masters title in Augusta.

The past year has brought significant milestones to Rev. James Suggs, pastor of Cave Hill Baptist Church.

It’s been over 50 years since the publication of the blockbuster novel Christy by Catherine Marshall.

The visit of an American President, Vice-President, First Lady, and/or other dignitary today calls for hours of strategic planning, security clearances, and down-to-the-minute itineraries, complete with Secret Service details, sharpshooters, and press.

The name “Leonard” appears many times in the two hundred-plus years the Huff family has lived in what would become Cocke County, Tennessee. Three Huff brothers, John, Peter, and Joseph, settled in the Del Rio, Bybee, and Cosby communities respectively. Each branch of the family tells the sto…

Today’s column is one of several articles that had to be omitted from Let the Stories Be Told: Part III, because of space restrictions.

Judy McGaha’s dreams of saving Laurel Springs Primitive Baptist Church from the ravages of time took a giant step forward this week when Lindsay Crockett, East Tennessee Development District’s Historic Preservation/Housing Planner, pronounced, “The odds are pretty good.”

One’s family history is composed of countless stories.

Have you ever played a game in which you’re asked, “If you could have a conversation with any deceased person, who would it be and why?

Did you enjoy Let The Stories Be Told – Part II?

Most readers know about the Swaggerty Fort, one of Cocke County’s most historic structures. It stands alongside the old Hwy. 321 between Parrottsville and Greeneville. A state historical marker identifies it in the following way:

The tragic fire this past Wednesday that destroyed Beechwood Hall, one of Cocke County’s oldest dwellings, left a void in our local history.

It won’t be long before the Newport Plain Talk publishes Let the Stories Be Told – Part II. The special collection of tales handed down from generation to generation by local families will appear at the end of January and promises to be filled with more fascinating stories, some dating back …

I’ve been working on my family’s history for over half a century now and I’m still learning.

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions.

More bits of Cocke County history are finding their way to the film genre, thanks to Dr. Marc McClure and his students from Walters State Community College.

It hurts me to think of all the history that has been tossed on Cocke County’s scrapheaps over the years.

There’s been a rebirth in the Old 15th district of Cocke County.

There’s been a rebirth in the Old 15th.

Much has been written and discussed about Newport Utilities’ current project to replace the water and sewer lines in downtown Newport. There have been a few strong words uttered, too, as drivers found themselves caught in traffic and truck drivers ignored clearly worded directions regarding …

On Saturday, November 3, the Newport Theatre Guild will present The Secret Garden, a musical based on a novel of the same name, penned by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Have you ever seen an old photo and wished you had been present when it was taken?

One of the stories I grew up hearing concerned my dad’s “Aunt Harriet” and her one leg.

What can I say?

It’s party time at McCowan Creek.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve reflected quite a bit about the wonderful storytellers in my past, plus some of those still around today.

I’ve often said I would never have set foot on the Mayflower.

For several weeks now, I’ve been working on our annual special edition.

I can now say I have attended a movie premier.