Displaced by Katrina, family will soon have permanent home in High Point
HIGH POINT – Four years after Hurricane Katrina chased them from their native New Orleans, Lionel and Wanda James finally have a new place to call home. It’s here in High Point, and they couldn’t be happier about it.

Cindy Johnson hopes blood drive continues son's legacy
WALLBURG – If anyone understands the importance of blood donation, it’s Cindy Johnson. The 52-year-old Wallburg woman well remembers how much blood her late son, Andy, required during his life.

Architects of the sea
Nodipecten magnificus

Local hip-hop group seeks national recognition
These hip-hoppers have high hopes. The 336 Boyz, a High Point hip-hop group that formed four summers ago, will be featured Thursday evening on BET’s “Wild-Out Wednesday All-Star Summer Series,” competing for a $5,000 prize and, more importantly, national exposure.

Barbie's all dolled up for her 50th birthday
HIGH POINT – Even at 50, Barbie still knows how to attract attention to herself. The iconic doll, founded in 1959, is the focus of a big celebration at the Doll & Miniature Museum of High Point, where the “Barbie: 50 and Fabulous” exhibit will continue through Jan. 15, 2010.

High Point teen discovers musical way to teach English in Rwanda
Joseph Terrell left for college this weekend, just another eager, slightly apprehensive freshman who’s not yet sure what he wants to do with his life. But for two months this summer, the 19-year-old Terrell knew exactly what he wanted to do – and he had a blast doing it – earning himself the unofficial designation as Rwanda’s coolest English teacher.

Kernersville barber still trimming after all these years
KERNERSVILLE – When your barber has cut hair for four generations of your family – as Roy Marine has done for the family of High Point’s Larry Stafford – you know he’s been in the business awhile. In Marine’s case, the 81-year-old Kernersville barber has been cutting hair for more than half a century – 55 years, to be exact – and he doesn’t plan to hang up his scissors “till my toes turn up.”

Architects of the sea
“It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire.” – Robert Louis Stevenson, Lay Morale

World War II plane available for rides and viewing
WINSTON-SALEM – This may be as close as you’ll ever come to time travel. The Liberty Belle, a restored World War II B-17 bomber, will be in Winston-Salem this weekend as part of its 50-city “Salute To Veterans Tour.” And not only can visitors climb aboard the vintage plane to look around, they can actually take a 30-minute flight.

City turns out Tuesday to chow down for Hospice
HIGH POINT – There’s little mystery about what goes on at the annual Hospice Taste of the Town fundraiser. “You just taste and taste and taste till you can’t eat anymore,” explains Kimberly Hines, marketing associate for Hospice of the Piedmont, which benefits from Taste of the Town.

Walking small: AJ Steindel goes extra miles to help others
One-hundred and fifty-five laps, each lap about a third of a mile. That’s what it would take for 12-year-old AJ Steindel to reach his goal of walking 50 miles – no small feat for someone with, well, such small feet.

Amy Hubbard works to send care packages to soldiers, sailors
HIGH POINT – What began as exercise for her body led Amy Hubbard of Archdale also to exercise her social consciousness. The result, an event Saturday to fill and send care packages to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, will be held at Gym’s Main Street Health and Fitness.

Architects of the sea
“Ever since God created the world His power and deity, however invisible, have been there for the mind to see in the things He has made.” – Romans 1:21 (JB).

Owners say tanning salons safe, but medical experts believe they're deadly
If you thought last month’s report equating tanning beds to arsenic and mustard gas would cast a dark shadow over the tanning industry, you greatly underestimated the powerful allure of a suntan. Two weeks after the study results were published, local tanning salon operators say their business is still doing just fine, thank you.

Christian mission: Two High Point teachers to work in Honduras at Children's Palace Bilingual School
Harrison Johnson and Amy Lombardo didn’t just “think outside the box” when it came to finding teaching jobs after graduation.

Line up early: Salvation Army fundraising sale set for Saturday
HIGH POINT – Not only will shoppers line up early for the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary’s annual fundraising sale, they’ll line up several hours early.

Hospice of Davidson to host gala
LEXINGTON – Hospice of Davidson County will hold a “Friends of Hospice” Gala on Aug. 29, at 7 p.m.

Internship in El Salvador prepares HPU student for career
While most of her fellow students went home and found summer jobs, Samantha Stevenson went to El Salvador and found a higher calling. The 20-year-old High Point University student, a rising junior from Yorktown, Va., spent six weeks in San Salvador – the capital of El Salvador – interning with a Christian organization called Orphan Helpers.

High Point native completes marathon on Great Wall of China
Ashley Stevens never considered herself someone who could run a marathon, much less an extreme marathon – a redundancy if ever there was one. But not quite three months ago, the 46-year-old High Point native conquered a marathon that can only be described as extreme – China’s daunting Great Wall Marathon.

Visiting Zambia, High Point teen decides to help
HIGH POINT – A High Point youth’s summer vacation last year will pay dividends for a school in Zambia. Austin Finch, a 16-year-old Boy Scout working to earn his Eagle Scout award, has planned a yard sale Saturday to benefit the Simonga Basic School in Livingstone, Zambia, which Austin visited during his family’s 2008 summer vacation.