WinCity Voices | Connection. Conversation. Community.

The world is loud, but we don’t have to be

There’s a par­tic­u­lar kind of noise that doesn’t come from sound. It comes from the con­stant pull to pay atten­tion, from head­lines that nev­er stop break­ing, from the pres­sure to stay plugged in so we don’t miss some­thing impor­tant. Lately, it feels like the whole world is talk­ing at once. But step­ping out­side at dusk, into that soft Appalachian quiet,... 
serene Appalachian dusk

The tangled life of Ann Sphar

Ann Smith—better known in offi­cial records as Ann Sphar—was a famil­iar fig­ure in ear­ly Winchester. A tav­ern keep­er, landown­er, and moth­er of chil­dren by two men, she nav­i­gat­ed a com­pli­cat­ed per­son­al his­to­ry shaped by fron­tier vio­lence, shift­ing iden­ti­ties, and com­mu­ni­ty rumor. After her hus­band Theodorous Sphar returned to Virginia, Ann remained in Clark County, where she used both the Sphar... 
The corner of E. Broadway and N. Highland stree

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Features

  • Ham radio is alive and well in Clark County

    Ham radio is alive and well in Clark County

    Imagine this: A major storm has hit Clark County. Thousands of homes are with­out elec­tric­i­ty. Several cell tow­ers have been knocked out. Landlines are down. Internet con­nec­tiv­i­ty is spot­ty. Even the local radio sta­tions are strug­gling to stay on the air. With no out­side com­mu­ni­ca­tion, where do you turn for news and offi­cial announce­ments? Besides first respon­ders and emer­gency man­age­ment personnel—who have their hands full deal­ing with the disaster—who can communicate… 

    Read more: Ham radio is alive and well in Clark County
  • The work you don’t see in our schools

    The work you don’t see in our schools

    Family Resource and Youth Service Centers are the qui­et back­bone of our schools, meet­ing needs most peo­ple nev­er see. From food and cloth­ing to cri­sis sup­port and sta­bil­i­ty at home, coör­di­na­tors step in wher­ev­er a bar­ri­er threat­ens a child’s abil­i­ty to learn. Yet this work is fund­ed not by school dis­tricts, but by lim­it­ed state dol­lars tied to free and reduced lunch forms — fund­ing that has steadi­ly declined. Despite this,… 

    Read more: The work you don’t see in our schools
  • Clark County earns recovery-ready certification

    Clark County earns recovery-ready certification

    Clark County has offi­cial­ly been des­ig­nat­ed a Recovery Ready Community, a statewide cer­ti­fi­ca­tion rec­og­niz­ing coun­ties that demon­strate strong, coör­di­nat­ed efforts to pre­vent sub­stance mis­use, expand treat­ment access, and sup­port long‑term recov­ery. The des­ig­na­tion reflects years of col­lab­o­ra­tion among the Agency for Substance Abuse Policy, the Healing Community Study team, local gov­ern­ment, schools, law enforce­ment, treat­ment providers, and the faith com­mu­ni­ty. Reviewers high­light­ed Clark County’s strong pre­ven­tion pro­grams, expand­ed treat­ment options, and… 

    Read more: Clark County earns recov­ery-ready certification
  • Winchester natives who made their mark

    Winchester natives who made their mark

    Drawing from ear­ly 19th‑century records, this piece high­lights three Winchester res­i­dents who went on to shape com­mu­ni­ties far beyond Clark County. Silas W. Robbins became a respect­ed attor­ney and judge who crossed paths with Abraham Lincoln. James Dunnica helped build the ear­ly infra­struc­ture of Missouri’s cap­i­tal city, includ­ing the State House and pen­i­ten­tiary. William Vaughn rose from tai­lor to one of Kentucky’s most cel­e­brat­ed Baptist min­is­ters. Together, their sto­ries reveal how… 

    Read more: Winchester natives who made their mark

Podcasts

The Voices of Winchester Podcast is our audio pod­cast fea­tur­ing our voic­es, your voic­es, and all the voic­es of Winchester and Clark County. Check out some of our recent episodes!

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