Author: Ms. R.

Clyde Sorenson had a hunch. Archival data from the North Carolina Entomological Museum’s collection had led him to suspect that some of the fireflies atop Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina might be more than the average lightning bug. An entomologist at North Carolina State University, Sorenson is the sort of college professor who challenges his students to write a Shakespearean sonnet praising their favorite insect. He headed up to the mountains in the summer of 2019, and while……

Read More

Situated beside Newmains roundabout resides a fitting tribute to James “Jim” Murray, a local boxer who lost his life following a brain injury while competing in a boxing match. Born in a small village in Lanarkshire, Murray gained a reputation for his formidable punches and relentless spirit in the ring as he made a name for himself in the Scottish boxing world before turning professional in March 1993. It was on the evening of October 13, 1995, when this……

Read More

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral is the spiritual center of Tarpon Spring’s Greek community and the annual epiphany celebration, which is said to be the largest such event in the western hemisphere. Its Byzantine/Gothic Revival architectural style and domed main building are based on the Hagia Sophia. It also happens to be the home of a painting that allegedly sheds tears for no logical reason. It was a cleaning woman who first noticed droplets of moisture around the eyes……

Read More

Today in Italy, the scenic Serchio River winds its way for nearly 80 miles through lush Tuscan countryside. Stretches of the river are popular for whitewater rafting, but the modern Serchio is not a particularly dangerous or destructive river. Long ago, however, it raged. During the sixth century, the river frequently flooded the town of Lucca, which sits on a floodplain in its path. According to a local legend that persists today, Lucca was saved by St. Fridianus, an……

Read More

The Cittadella is a large fort in the city of Alessandria in Piedmont, Northern Italy. Currently, it stands as one of the best-preserved fortresses designed in the modern era. The construction of the star fort of Alessandria began in the early 18th-century, when, after the War of the Spanish Succession, the House of Savoy took control of the city. The fort, part of a larger defense system all around the domains of the Savoy family, was built starting in……

Read More

Although he has no connection with the city, Edward, The Black Prince sits in the city center of Leeds. A large bronze statue captures the war hero and eldest son of Edward III. Sculpted by artist Thomas Brook, Edward of Woodstock was named the Black Prince after his death, due to the color of much of his armor. The statue took seven years to complete and was forged in Belgium as there was no forge in Britain large enough……

Read More

For visitors riding along HWY 111 West about four miles outside of downtown Palm Springs, they may notice a rock feature that appears out of place. Shiprock gained its name from its uncanny resemblance to a Spanish galleon. Shiprock formed at the bottom of a prehistoric tropical sea over 250 million years ago. Layers of silt and decaying sea organisms were compressed, heated, and slowly moved northward for thousands of miles along the west side of the San Andreas……

Read More