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LIVING IN NORTH CAROLINA

Pottery bowl and vases
Spring Cleaning

Waiting in the Rafters

Our State’s managing editor and her husband discover an attic room filled with pottery, hidden treasures that had been waiting overhead for decades.

by Katie Schanze
San Damino Chapel and exterior at St. Francis Springs
Spring Cleaning

Breathing Room in Stoneville

At a Rockingham County retreat center, stillness opens the door for clarity and renewal.

by Kathy Norcross Watts
Buxton Woods
Spring Cleaning

Tending the Quiet Corners of the Coast

In hidden cemeteries from Buxton to Avon, Dawn Taylor cleans and restores weathered gravestones, ensuring that the lives they mark are not lost to the wind or the water.

by Debbie Moose
Volunteers build filters of oyster shells for the New River
Spring Cleaning

A River Made New

After decades of pollution brought an Onslow County waterway to the brink, citizens, scientists, and Jacksonville city leaders worked together to restore their river.

by Rebecca Woltz
Charlie's Soap Laundry liquid
Spring Cleaning

Charlie’s Soaps: A Laundry Legend

What began as a fix for gummed-up textile machines has grown into a family-run company with a devoted following, still made in the same quiet corner of Rockingham County.

by Robert Lopez
Flowers bloom along a highway in North Carolina.
Spring Cleaning

Signs of Care

The names on Adopt-A-Highway placards belong to neighbors who show up, suit up, and help keep North Carolina beautiful.

by Jen Tota McGivney
At Home Here

Where Her Work Still Speaks

From a reclaimed community center to a long-forgotten cemetery, the Cumberland County land Ammie Jenkins tended keeps telling her story.

by Jeri Rowe
Market at the Fremont Daffodil Festival
Living in North Carolina

Community Blooms in Fremont

In this Wayne County town, residents don yellow and green to celebrate the flower that put them on the map.

by Megan Dohm
Willow Hill Soap Co. products and storefront interior
Spring Cleaning

6 Small-Batch Soapmakers

From Canton to the Outer Banks, these artisans use local ingredients — from Ocracoke figs to Foothills moonshine — and foolproof family recipes to make every scrub, soak, and lather feel like home.

by Alyssa Smith
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