Tucker County Connection

As I sit here reading the inevitable plethora of headlines dotting news networks across the country once again talking about removing Christ from Christmas I can't help but be thankful to live in small town U.S.A. In a town where Christmas is still called Christmas, council meetings still open with a prayer, and neighbors still help neighbors because they want to and not because public sentiment dictates they must. We live in a town where everyone knows everyone and if you're without someone will make due with less to ensure you're fed, clothed, or otherwise comfortable, most likely a member of one of the many churches that dot the landscape of our town. Christmas is a celebration of giving onto others a little bit of joy and a feeling of family that they may have been missing, it's making even strangers feel welcome at the table, and providing room for forgiveness and charity in your heart. In our small community around Christmas time you may notice an increa...

Hi I'm Dave, I started the Tucker County Connection Facebook page a while back with the intent of keeping residents up to date on local news, events, and anything related to Tucker County, a while after the launch of that page I purchased our website to share news, history, and what I like about the area, and now I've launched the Tucker County Connection Blog to write reviews, articles, and information about local businesses, events, and allow me to openly share my opinions about the area. This blog launched with it's first article dated November 30th and has been to my delight warmly received by the community already garnering hundreds of social media shares and thousands of views. Now it's even easier to find the main blog by going to our new web address TuckerCounty.net. I'll do my best to keep the posts entertaining, informative, and free from too many grammatical errors. I'll be doing articles on current events, local business reviews, local guid...

While out walking on the bike trail from Hendricks to Parsons this past summer I came across several pieces of graffiti one of which is pictured to the left. I just wanted to take a minute to speak directly to those responsible for this and the many other acts of vandalism in our community. At one time I was you I spent most of my teen years rebelling by committing acts of vandalism, smoking, and drinking and I just wanted to give you a bit of a heads up on your future. I know oh too well from my own experience as a teen the mentality that rules are made to be broken, but I also know from adulthood that eventually they do catch up to you. You may have written "I am free" but the act of vandalism never is. When you get older and become a contributing member of society you'll be the one who pays the taxes that pay for the cleanup of the next generation of vandalizing teens that replace you. While you may not get caught and you may look cool to your friends, age ...

Are you dreading that out of town shopping trip to find those last minute gifts for the friends and family on your Christmas list this year? Why not simply forgo the hassle of leaving home and support a local business instead. Parsons has many local shops that sell items to stuff those stockings or pile beneath the tree this holiday season. If homemade, country, or rustic is what you're looking for head on over to Gifts To Go located in the old bank building at the red light in downtown Parsons. Gifts to Go sports a very nice selection of country décor, rustic items, homemade jams/jellies, and more and is sure to meet the needs of most shoppers looking to pick up that unique gift this Christmas. If primitives are your thing then Hattie Jane's located across the street from Dollar General is another must stop local business for rustic, country, and primitive décor. When it comes to those unique gifts they've got you covered. Liven up the house this Christmas with...

Growing up I heard elders repeating the same worn out saying over and over "Don't rush. Growing up isn't all it's cracked up to be.", but like any advice told to a youth it was advice that had fallen on def ears. I'm writing this article today because I found myself recently giving that same advice to a young adult. I raced through my childhood looking forward to such trivial things as being of age while sometimes taking for granted the small things I assumed would always be a part of it. As an adult when you reach the stage where age begins to become just another ever increasing number that seems to climb faster and faster you start to remember the times you've lost along the way. Growing up with dad working at Kingsford to keep food on the table in a loving home with the stereotypical outhouse perched at the edge of the property, carrying water from the water hole along 72 to heat on the wood stove for my evening bath, and spending weekends hik...

If you've had the opportunity to grab a seat at the Iron Bridge Bistro in Parsons WV you've no doubt been impressed with the many flavorful menu options made possible by the superb culinary skills of chef Todd Zais. I'm proud to say I've had the chance to enjoy his cuisine on multiple occasions and discovered that somehow he manages to make even dishes I normally find unappealing more than palatable, in fact I've yet to have a dish come out of his kitchen I didn't enjoy. The Iron Bridge Bistro's menu reads like a short story enticing your taste buds and daring them to try something fresh, new, and exciting. With fan favorites like the deep fried philly cheese steak, jalapeno popper dip, crab dip, crab cakes, and more you're sure to find something everyone will enjoy. You may want to spend some time talking to the friendly wait staff and getting to know them as I have no doubt you'll be back time and time again to work your way through the e...

I can remember hearing locals as far back as my grade school days referring to Parsons as a "dying town" or "retirement community". With this post I wanted to take a look at this and see just where Parsons currently stands. If you would have asked me a decade ago I would have agreed that the outlook for our small little town was bleak given the dwindling population, lack of new business, and general lack of interest in any sort of local development or project. Fast forward to 2017 and this is what I've seen thanks to organizations like On Trac , work being done by The City of Parsons, and locals who've taken it upon themselves to refinish and repurpose crumbling buildings in our once pre-85 flood thriving town. Parsons is once again growing with investments like the new Shop N Save underway (pictured above), new businesses being launched at an increasing rate, and most of the town being either renovated already or being eyeballed for renovation at a ...