Tag: tennessee
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Powdered Wigs and Coonskin Caps
I found myself thinking about the inaugural nonstop flight from TRI Airport to Washington Dulles in Northern Virginia—and about my daughter-in-law being on that very first plane, returning home with photos of our nation’s capital glowing in Christmas lights. The Capitol dome was illuminated, and monuments stood lit against the winter sky. It was a…
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Church Circle: Kingsport’s Town Square
There’s just something about town squares. They are the settings of Hallmark movies and Christmas cards—the places where parades pass, lights are lit, and communities recognize themselves. They evoke warm memories of home, family, faith, and belonging. A true town square is not just a location; it is an emotional center, a shared reference point…
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1948: Appeal to the Great Spirit
Do you ever see a photograph that triggers a memory? Recently, I discovered that Ancestry.com has digitized many of our nation’s yearbooks. In the process, I stumbled on the 1948 Maroon & Grey—my mother’s final yearbook at Dobyns-Bennett. It offers a remarkable window into student life in that era. Twenty school years later, in 1967–68,…
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Holding Steady in a Changing Market
Move To Kingsport Monthly Report – October 2025 Kingsport’s draw remains both steady and far-reaching. In October 2025, the city welcomed 41 new families from 17 states, averaging 1.95 families per workday—virtually identical to the same month last year. That consistency is impressive at a time when national relocation trends have cooled significantly. What’s changed…
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Fairacres: The Lasting Value of a Well-Planned Neighborhood
Recently, my ‘cousin-in-law’, Lucy Fleming (of Fun Fest fame), shared that her native neighborhood, Sequoyah Hills in Knoxville, was recently named one of the “170 Most Envied Places to Live in America” by RE/MAX (August 2025). She recalled fond memories of growing up there — and noted how her longtime Kingsport neighborhood, Fairacres, reminds her…
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Kingsport: Steady in a Shifting Market
Every month, new housing reports arrive with a blizzard of numbers—sales up here, prices down there, percentages that can make your head spin. But when you sift through the data, one story consistently stands out: Kingsport remains the region’s steady hand. According to the latest September 2025 report from the Northeast Tennessee Association of Realtors…
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Kingsport Checks So Many Boxes
One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “Why Kingsport?” Many newcomers are drawn to the mountain vistas of Northeast Tennessee. Most are “escaping” a place that, for one reason or another, no longer feels like home. Yesterday, I met a couple from Colorado Springs—a city I’ve always considered idyllic. The grass is always…
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Kingsport: The Family-Friendly City Hiding in Plain Sight
Every year, national magazines unveil another list of “The Best Cities for Young Families.” The latest lineup from House Beautiful features Queen Creek, Arizona; Bozeman, Montana; Littleton, New Hampshire; Plano, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama; Carmel, Indiana; Greenville, South Carolina; and Cary, North Carolina. They’re all described as affordable, family-friendly communities with good schools, growing economies, and…
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Kingsport Is Older—But Its Newcomers Are Changing That
Kingsport has long been considered one of Tennessee’s older cities, and the top-line numbers still say so. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 population estimates, the city’s median age sits in the mid-40s—several years higher than the statewide median age of about 39 and well above many of Tennessee’s faster-growing suburban markets. Yet if…
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Think You Know Burlington? Think Again
BURLINGTON OPENS AT KINGSPORT PAVILION ON OCTOBER 10 Burlington has been part of Kingsport for 36 years, but the new store at Kingsport Pavilion (2626 East Stone Drive) isn’t “more of the same.” The retailer has rebuilt its playbook and is expanding nationwide while many chains are shrinking. At a time when others lean harder…
Kingsport Spirit 