Page 14 - Laurel Fork News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

EDITOR’S NOTE: This feature appeared in the March 10, 2021 Wilkes Journal-Patriot as part of its series of articles on the trails of northwestern North Carolina. North Carolina’s 1,120-mile-long Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) corridor stretches from the top of 6,643-foot Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Jockey’s Ridge on the coast. About 700 miles of the trail are complete, including a 44-mile section from the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway and U.S. 421 at Deep Gap in Watauga County to the Parkway’s Devil’s Garden Overlook on th...

Morgan Griffith: Strides in closing the digital divide Published Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, 12:04 am Join AFP's 100,000+ followers on Facebook Purchase a subscription to AFP | Subscribe to AFP podcasts on iTunes News, press releases, letters to the editor: augustafreepress2@gmail.com Morgan Griffith Closing the digital divide is a challenge for American society in the 21st century that must be met. Internet connectivity brings with it economic growth, educational opportunities, individual quality of life, and many other assets, but rural areas lag behind urban ones in access to reliable interne...

Growing up on a small farm in Southwest Virginia gave me an appreciation for nature. I stayed outside a lot, exploring the forests and the higher regions of our property on Cleveland Mountain. Even as a young child, I can remember the feelings of peace and fascination being in the woods provided for me. So it’s probably no surprise that protecting the environment and our public spaces has become important to me as an adult. It’s one reason I write these articles. It’s also a reason I’ve been blogging on our local hiking trails for almost 15 years, while taking and sharing ...

Growing up on a small farm in Southwest Virginia gave me an appreciation for nature. I stayed outside a lot, exploring the forests and the higher regions of our property on Cleveland Mountain. Even as a young child, I can remember the feelings of peace and fascination being in the woods provided for me. So it’s probably no surprise that protecting the environment and our public spaces has become important to me as an adult. It’s one reason I write these articles. It’s also a reason I’ve been blogging on our local hiking trails for almost 15 years, while taking and sharing ...