Originally published Nov. 26, 2012.

She may not be Mary Poppins, but she is on her way.

Madison Wright, a Huntington native, has just finished her first stint abroad working as an au pair in Madrid, Spain.

Au pair, a French term, means "on a par" or "equal to" and is used throughout European countries to describe a domestic assistant from a foreign country.

The concept originated after World War II and has been offering young American women the opportunity to live overseas for more than 70 years.

Originally published Nov. 22, 2012.

Rev. Sebastian Twinomugabi has been the associate pastor at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, in Huntington, only since October.

But for the Uganda native, plenty of differences between his work back home and his work here in Huntington have already begun to emerge.

And that's a positive thing.

Originally published Nov. 19, 2012.

Capt. Barbara McCauley comes to Huntington with a fresh set of eyes.

As a pastor with The Salvation Army - a church that places a major emphasis on serving its community - McCauley's previous service has been mainly in inner city settings of large cities.

"So coming to Huntington was kind of a shock," says McCauley, who assumed her role here in July. "But human need is the same. People want to be loved. They want to be wanted. They want to be accepted."

Originally published Nov. 15, 2012

Christmas trees are one of the staples of the holiday season, and in Huntington, the same could be said for the Huntington Lions Club's annual Christmas tree sale.

The sale, entering its 40th year, was started by Huntington Lions Club members Marland Sell and Gene Hartle.
"Well, (the Lions Club) used to sell Christmas trees a long time ago and then they quit," says Sell. "And then in '72, Gene Hartle and I started it back up."

Originally published Oct. 18, 2012.

Ask Shannon Mills how he arrived at working at the Mecca of the movie sound industry and he will tell you simply, "hard work."

The Huntington native has a list of Hollywood blockbusters on his resume that reads like the nominee list for Oscar night.

"I was always interested in music and played in the band when I was in high school," states Mills. "I was attracted to sound in the movies."

As the Huntington North High School Varsity Singers gear up for their annual Pomp & Plenty performance, senior dance captains Zach Allen and Ana Wenning say the show will appeal to all ages.

Performances are on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 17 and 18, at Huntington North.

"This year's theme is ‘A Blast from the Past,'" Wenning says. "It will include a medley of songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s."

She adds that the group has chosen popular hit songs from each decade that will be familiar to almost every audience member.

Originally published Nov. 5, 2012.

Many state wildlife agencies consider barn owls to be an endangered species.

Julie Purdy, a teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, is setting out to improve conditions in Huntington for these nocturnal creatures.

Being a part of the voting process and the ability to exercise their right to vote is the common bond among Eleanor Smith, Margaret Schnepp and Carmen Oswalt.

The three women have been volunteering at the polls on Election Day for quite a while and, for each, it's a special event.

Oswalt says she was bit by the election bug a long time ago.

"I was approached by a friend who worked on an election board and that's how I got started," she says. "I've been volunteering since 1971."

Oswalt adds that being a part of the process is why she keep coming back.

Originally published Nov. 1, 2012.

Even with the "glitches," Huntington North High School social studies teacher Lynn Brown says using the iPads in school makes things "infinitely better than it was without them."

Brown piloted an iPad during the 2011-12 school year and says she has been on a four-year journey to implement a one-to-one learning environment using computers in the classroom.

She teaches Viking New Tech students and advanced placement U.S. history students in a traditional classroom setting.