We are pleased to present the July/August edition of Franklin Living, released this week.

Continuing to expand on the new features we unveiled in our September/October issue, we introduce an additional new columnist to join Sam Warf, Trae Durden and Sherry Jolley in the excellent information they share in Franklin Living. Emily Mays joins our contributors to bring great financial advice to our readers.

This being the Fourth of July, we’re pleased to present another story of a Franklin County veteran. Phil Campbell’s James Sparks shares his experience serving as a submarine technician in the U.S. Navy, and you’ll love getting all the details of the years he spent in Guam.

Franklin County’s newest spot to grab a cuppa and a bite to eat is The Grind on Highway 43 in Russellville. A lot of you have already visited The Grind, and like owner Byron Cheek, we’ve been seeing a lot of positive feedback about this restaurant and hangout spot. In Franklin Living, Cheek shares why he wanted to open The Grind, what he personally loves about coffee and what he hopes to offer our community.

The Franklin County Watermelon Festival will be here before we know it, but you don’t have to wait until August to feast your eyes on some watermelon wonder. Photographer Chris Webb’s creativity turns the humble melon into a fantastic work of art, and we’ve got the scoop on his fancy fruit creations.

Life in the great outdoors might not be any better than at Roger and Maudie Bedford’s, where domesticated ducks, wild deer and turkeys and the family Labradors are just some of God’s creatures that find a place to call home. The Bedfords were gracious enough to share their Franklin County paradise with us and our readers – we know you’re going to want to see this the beautiful pictures of this relaxing spot.

In Why I Love Franklin County, we share the thoughts of a local person and his or her take on everything that is wonderful about this county. In this issue we feature the delightful Katernia Cole-Coffey, Franklin County Extension director.

Don’t forget to check out What’s Happening for a rundown of the biggest events on the Horizon in Franklin County and be sure to thumb through the pages of Faces of Franklin County – where you just might see someone you know.

We are honored to share the stories of so many great folks with our readers. We hope you’ll take the time to flip through Franklin Living and enjoy learning more about your Franklin friends and neighbors.