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jeezusthecreator · 7 years

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THe PROCESS: "The Kids" was shot on May, 26th 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wilshire & Bamboo at an abandoned building that some say was a past 'Boys and Girls Club', by photographer Tyler Thomas. This was a day for me that I will honestly never forget. I had planned this photo shoot out to the T and made sure everything happened the way it was supposed to happen that day. I had studied Instagram feeds for photographers, searched for the perfect stylist, planned out looks in my head. All in my head this was...NOW I HAD TO MAKE IT REALITY. Started with me getting my hair done last minute the night before. I had knew what I wanted my hair to be like and the stylist that was supposed to do it for me had flaked so I called on my long time friend JaDorah we stayed up laughed, talked, and just created a new masterpiece. The morning of I had to go to the barbershop to secure my look. It worked out perfect, but the barber personally I will never go to again because (you can't see it but) I had cuts from his clippers. I take my appearance seriously. That wasn't cool. Other than that it was time to rock n' roll. After I got my eyebrows done I met up with the one and only Columbus Hinson who is also a long time friend of mine. We were super excited for this moment. He sat for a while as I prepared myself in the bathroom; singing my tunes, rubbing Shea Butter all over my body, etc. what a great friend. We had talked about the vision multiple times and we had only so much time to prepare. During prep time, my mother walks in with her good friend, Miss Karina. Their faces were priceless. They were so amazed at how great we looked and how originality was right before their very eyes. They took behind the scenes photos. We needed as many as possible. Once it was all said and done we head to Wilshire. We pull up and it all hits me. I remember picking out this location but I never took the time to actually go evaluate it. All I could do was hope for the best. When me and Columbus approached we looked at each other and we knew this was it...the perfect location! I was over whelmed. It was so much more than I could have ever expected. We both got even more excited. Tyler Thomas arrived shortly after us and we discussed the vision. He made it come to life. This was more than a "photo shoot" to me. It's a story. I'm just a boy from Buffalo, NY. Inspired by the likes of Pharrell, Rihanna, Kanye West, Alessandro Michele, Jeremy Scott, & Will Smith to make a few. This is all my DREAM. And it will come true. I know you're not used to seeing my face on my Tumblr, but get used to it. I appreciate you if you actually read up to this part. Thank you for watching my journey. Much more to come. "The Kids" Models: Josché Lamont & Columbus Hinson Photographer: Tyler Thomas Stylist: GG Hair: JaDorah Lewis THe BACKSTORY: "The Kids" grew up differently than everyone else. They were born destined. Already knowing one self at such a early stage in life. A "stage" where there should be no worry and there should be no pain. The Kids were FORCED to believe in society's ways. Having to find ways to escape when not around the rest of the world, whether cutting stars out of magazines, or losing themselves in their "imagination" this was their chance to be THEMSELVES, when alone. Not any longer. They turn heads when out in public. They have undeniable energy. People say the Kids are quiet, but their outfits are really "loud". We say that's because our wardrobe is like an expression and it shows that I'm proud. The Kids don't fight, The Kids don't fuss. While most children of today will use fighting or drama as an outlet. We as "The Kids" say "you may can beat me, but you CAN'T beat my outfit."

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auburnfamilynews · 4 years

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Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Take a look at my preseason thoughts on the league and how Auburn’s SEC schedule looks for the upcoming season.

Happy GAMEDAY everyone! Now that we’ve gone through the rosters, the non-conference schedule and other basketball nuggets, it’s time to look at the SEC Schedule and offer some predictions for this year. I can’t wait to look back on these predictions in March and see how wrong I was about this season. I went game by game picking all the games and this is how I “think” it will turn out this season. I’ve listed everyone’s KenPom rankings as well and Auburn will begin at #22 in the KenPom rankings.

Florida 15-3

Kentucky 15-3

LSU 13-5

Auburn 12-6

Tennessee 10-8

Mississippi State 10-8

Alabama 9-9

Missouri 9-9

Arkansas 8-10

Ole Miss 8-10

Georgia 7-11

Texas A&M 4-14

South Carolina 3-15

Vanderbilt 3-15

Saturday January 4th

3:30PM, SEC Network

at Mississippi State Bulldogs

Last Year’s Record: 23-11 (10-8)

KenPom Ranking: 53

Preseason Media Prediction: 7th

My Projection: 6th

Leading Returning Scorers: Tyson Carter (10.4 PPG), Reggie Perry (9.7 PPG), Nick Weatherspoon (9.6 PPG)

The Bulldogs lost their top 2 scorers in Quinndary Weatherspoon and Lamar Peters and will play without Nick Weatherspoon for the first 10 games of the season. This is now Reggie Perry’s team as he was named Preseason 1st Team All-SEC a few weeks ago. They have great size at every position on the floor and in the game in Starkville last season, they took advantage of it. This will be a good challenge for Auburn getting out of the gate in SEC play.

Wednesday January 8th

8PM, SEC Network

Vanderbilt Commodores

Last Year’s Record: 9-23 (0-18)

KenPom Ranking: 148

Preseason Media Prediction: 14th

My Projection: 14th

Leading Returning Scorers: Saben Lee (12.7 PPG), Aaron Nesmith (11 PPG)

It’s a whole new era on the West End of Nashville. Jerry Stackhouse will make his SEC Coaching Debut in the Jungle. There’s nowhere to go but up for the Commodores after the team posted the first winless season by a team in the SEC in over 60 years. Darius Garland played just 5 games before an injury sidelined him and he went on to become the 5th pick in the NBA Draft. The Dores never recovered from losing their starting PG last year.

I think you'll see improvement from Vandy this year as the team had a solid recruiting class including the son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, Scotty Pippen Jr. Nesmith was named to the 2nd Team All-SEC squad.

Saturday January 11th

5PM ESPN/ESPN2

Georgia Bulldogs

Last Year’s Record: 11-21 (2-16)

KenPom Ranking: 55

Preseason Media Prediction: 9th

My Projection: 11th

Leading Returning Scorers: Rayshaun Hammonds (12.1 PPG), Tyree Crump (9.1 PPG), Jordan Harris (7.8 PPG)

Nicolas Claxton went to the NBA or else I think this team would be a Top 4 or 5 preseason pick. The player to watch for Georgia though is Anthony Edwards, and this will be your only chance to see him play in Auburn. Ranked #3 in Rivals Top 150, Edwards, an Atlanta native, elected to stay home for at least a year as he looks likely to jump to the NBA after the season. Fellow freshmen Sahvir Wheeler and Jaywkon Walton also look to make a big impact in their 1st year in Athens. Tom Crean’s squad looks likely to take a step forward after a 13th place finish in the league last season.

Wednesday January 15th

8PM, ESPN2/ESPNU

at Alabama Crimson Tide

Last Year’s Record: 18-16 (8-10)

KenPom Ranking: 70

Preseason Media Prediction: 6th

My Projection: 7th

Leading Returning Scorers: Kira Lewis Jr. (13.5 PPG), John Petty (10.2 PPG), Herb Jones (6.4 PPG)

Whether you want to believe it or not, Alabama made an outstanding hire getting Nate Oats from Buffalo. Oats has won everywhere he’s gone and quite frankly, the recruiting battles between Oats and Bruce Pearl will be ones to watch. The biggest wins for Oats was convincing Kira Lewis, John Petty and others to remain in Tuscaloosa. In addition to Lewis at the point, they added James “Beetle” Bolden, a grad transfer from West Virginia to the backcourt who has shot 40% from 3-point range in his career.

Last year, Auburn swept Alabama. The 2nd loss was a crippling blow to the Tide’s NCAA Tournament hopes. I’ve seen Alabama predicted to finish higher than Auburn by several people and this team, on paper, looks like a NCAA Tournament team. It’s gonna be difficult to sweep Alabama this year but at this point, we’ll have a good idea of where each team stands.

Saturday January 18th

12:30PM, CBS

at Florida Gators

Last Year’s Record: 20-16 (9-9)

KenPom Ranking: 12

Preseason Media Prediction: 2nd

My Projection: 1st

Leading Returning Scorers: Noah Locke (9.4 PPG), Keyontae Johnson (8.1 PPG), Andrew Nembhard (8 PPG)

I think Florida will win the SEC this year and the addition of grad transfer Kerry Blackshear from Virginia Tech is a big reason why. Combine that with the additions of highly rated freshmen guards Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann, along with Andrew Nembhard and several others returning to Gainesville and you’ve got the makings of a potential Final Four squad this year.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Kerry Blackshear

Auburn hasn’t won in Gainesville since 1996 and until beating the Gators twice last season, hadn’t won against Florida since 2009. This will be one of the most difficult games of the year for Auburn.

Wednesday January 22th

6PM, ESPN2/ESPNU

South Carolina Gamecocks

Last Year’s Record: 16-16 (11-7)

KenPom Ranking: 69

Preseason Media Prediction: 10th

My Projection: 13th

Leading Returning Scorers: AJ Lawson (13.4 PPG), Keyshawn Bryant (9 PPG), Maik Kotsar (6.7 PPG)

Remarkably, South Carolina was 16-16 overall last year and finished tied with Auburn for 4th in the SEC. The non-conference schedule was brutal last season for them is a big reason why but they surprised some folks in league play, as is typical of Frank Martin teams. Chris Silva is now playing for the Miami Heat which means he won’t be able to torment Auburn this season. Last season in 2 games against the Tigers, Silva scored 59 points and grabbed 25 rebounds.

This game is also not in Columbia which has been a house of horrors for Auburn the past 2 years. This team will e primarily led by a group of sophomores this year led by Lawson who elected to stay in Columbia for at least another season. With Silva gone, all eyes will be on Lawson if the Gamecocks hope to finish better than 16-16 this year.

Tuesday January 28th

8PM, ESPN/ESPNU

at Ole Miss Rebels

Last Year’s Record: 20-13 (10-8)

KenPom Ranking: 60

Preseason Media Prediction: 8th

My Projection: 10th

Leading Returning Scorers: Breein Tyree (17.9 PPG), Devontae Shuler (10.3 PPG), Blake HInson (8.3 PPG)

Terence Davis is gone but Breein Tyree and Devontae Shuler return to Kermit Davis’s 2nd Ole Miss squad that made a surprising run to the NCAA Tournament last season. A team that was picked to finish last in the league last year, finished 7th in the league but were blown out by Oklahoma in the Round of 64.

Kermit also had Auburn’s number last year sweeping the season series and executing a game plan of slowing the game down, and making tough shots late in the shot clock in both meetings.

Saturday February 1st

5 OR 7PM, ESPN

Kentucky Wildcats

Last Year’s Record: 30-7 (15-3)

KenPom Ranking: 2

Preseason Media Prediction: 1st

My Projection: 2nd

Leading Returning Scorers: Ashton Hagans (7.7 PPG), Immanuel Quickley (5.2 PPG), Nick Richards (4 PPG)

P.J. Washington, Tyler Herro, Reid Travis, Keldon Johnson and others are gone but Ashton Hagans and E.J. Montgomery are back for Year 2 in Lexington. After admitting that they didn’t take Auburn seriously in the Elite 8, Coach Cal will have his kids ready for this one.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Ashton Hagans

This year’s talented freshmen crew is led by Tyrese Maxey, the 10th ranked recruit in America. Kahlil Whitney (14th), Keion Brooks (29th), Johnny Juzang (34th), and Dontaie Allen (68th) make up the talented group of freshmen Coach Cal put together this year. Like last year, they also added a grad transfer, Nate Sestina, from Bucknell. He averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds a game for the Bisons.

Depending on how things are progressing in the season, this game has a primetime television slot and could very well be Auburn’s 1st Basketball College Gameday appearance.

Tuesday February 4th

6PM, SEC Network

at Arkansas Razorbacks

Last Year’s Record: 18-16 (8-10)

KenPom Ranking: 44

Preseason Media Prediction: 11th

My Projection: 9th

Leading Returning Scorers: Isaiah Joe (13.9 PPG), Mason Jones (13.6 PPG), Jalen Harris (7.6 PPG)

I think the Razorbacks are better than 11th and Eric Musselman is a big reason why. He is doing phenomenal work with the fanbase and is building a heckuva recruiting class for next season. In fact, Musselman and Pearl are battling for several guys in next year’s class inclduing Chris Moore and Jaylin Williams who spent their weekend on the Plains.

But as for this year’s team, they have to first and foremost replace Daniel Gafford. That won’t be an easy task but Isaiah Joe appears ready to be the next star in Fayetteville. Joe had a great freshmen season knocking down 113 3-pointers last season, 2nd in the SEC to Bryce Brown (of course).

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Joe

Saturday February 8th

11AM, ESPN/ESPN2

LSU Tigers

Last Year’s Record: 28-7 (16-2)

KenPom Ranking: 38

Preseason Media Prediction: 3rd

My Projection: 3rd

Leading Returning Scorers: Skylar Mays (13.4 PPG), Javonte Smart (11.1 PPG), Emmitt Williams (7 PPG)

There was a lot of things going on in Baton Rouge towards the end of last season. Will Wade was suspended by the school the day before the regular season finale against Vanderbilt as part of the FBI Investigation and didn’t coach in the postseason. Wade was reinstated in the middle of April and remains on the Tigers sidelines. Wade has turned around the LSU program in short order since taking over in the Bayou and has a solid group returning this year.

However, last year’s SEC Regular Season Champs visit Auburn without Tremont Waters as he’ll now be Bryce Brown’s teammate on the Maine Red Claws in the G-League. LSU has however added Trendon Watford, a highly touted kid out of Birmingham who spurned Alabama to go to Baton Rouge.

Wednesday February 12th

6PM, ESPN2

Alabama Crimson Tide

Auburn has defeated the Tide by an average of 20 points over the past 3 meetings inside Auburn Arena.

Saturday February 15th

5PM, ESPN2

at Missouri Tigers

Last Year’s Record: 15-17 (5-13)

KenPom Ranking: 39

Preseason Media Prediction: 13th

My Projection: 8th

Leading Returning Scorers: Mark Smith (11.4 PPG), Jeremiah Tilmon (10.1 PPG), Javon Pickett (7.7 PPG)

No more Jordan Geist, no more Porters, it’s a new day in Columbia but here’s another team that I think will be better than their preseason prediction. Mark Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon return to bolster the Tigers frontcourt and they got several contributions from their freshmen last year.

Injuries really derailed Mizzou last year but as we’ve seen, there’s been one team picked very low by the media who ends being the surprise team. I think it could be Mizzou this year.

Wednesday February 19th

6PM, ESPN2/ESPNU

at Georgia Bulldogs

Auburn has won 4 straight against the Dawgs, the longest winning streak against Georgia since winning 12 in a row between 1976-1980.

Saturday February 22nd

11AM, CBS

Tennessee Volunteers

Last Year’s Record: 31-6 (15-3)

KenPom Ranking: 20

Preseason Media Prediction: 5th

My Projection: 5th

Leading Returning Scorers: Lamonte Turner (10.9 PPG), Jordan Bone (10.6 PPG), John Fulkerson (3.1 PPG)

Auburn plays 2 of their final 5 games against Tennessee this season with the first being in Auburn. There’s a lot of pieces off both teams that are no longer there and this will be a very interesting game from the sense of all the new pieces who look to make an impact.

Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, and Jordan Bone have all departed Knoxville. This year, they will need Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner to take a step forward. They do bring in highly touted freshman Josiah James, the 14th ranked recruit who will be asked to be a big part of Rick Barnes team in his first season on Rocky Top. A lot of predictions have this team high but others have this team on the bubble. How these 3 develop will go a long way in determining if Tennessee will return to the Big Dance.

Tuesday February 25th

6PM, ESPN/ESPN2/SEC Network

Ole Miss Rebels

Breein Tyree is the SEC’s leading returning scorer from last season.

Saturday February 29th

2:45PM, CBS

at Kentucky Wildcats

Auburn has not won at Rupp Arena since 1988.

Wednesday March 4th

6PM, ESPN2/ESPNU

Texas A&M Aggies

Last Year’s Record: 14-18 (6-12)

KenPom Ranking: 58

Preseason Media Prediction: 12th

My Projection: 12th

Leading Returning Scorers: Savion Flagg (13.9 PPG), Wendell Mitchell (13 PPG), TJ Starks (12.3 PPG)

We’ve looked at every team except for the Aggies who will be the opponent for the final home game for Austin Wiley, Anfernee McLemore, Danjel Purifoy, Samir Doughty and J’Von McCormick. Buzz Williams takes over for Billy Kennedy in College Station and a change was sorely needed. Buzz was the primary target for the Aggies and they got their man. He did a terrific job at both Marquette and Virginia Tech, getting the Hokies a basket away from the Elite 8 last season, losing to Duke in heartbreaking fashion. This will be The Aggies will visit Auburn for the first time since handing the Tigers their only home loss of the 2017-2018 season.

The Aggies do return 5 of their top 6 scorers so perhaps this is another team that could surprise in Year 1 of the Buzz era.

Saturday March 7th

11AM, ESPN/ESPN2

at Tennessee Volunteers

These two schools meet in the season finale at 11AM, for the 2nd straight year, this time in Knoxville.

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Bowden

To close, it’s been 213 days since Auburn has played a Basketball Game but we’ve made it! The wait is over as Auburn takes the court tonight at 8PM against Georgia Southern. I’ll have a preview of tonight’s game out later today.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/11/5/20942380/sec-schedule-preview-season-predictions

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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0403yhsh-blog · 5 years

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六月四日二千十九

hey there, my little star. can you believe it's been three months of us already? it seems crazy that it's been that long already — maybe because time flies so fast when we're together. you know what they say about time flying when you have fun and stuff. anyway, i think playlists are more my thing than long letters all the time so i thought it'd be good to make a collection of all the songs that reminded me of you or made me wanna be with you. i love you so much, yoon sanha. never forget that. you're my everything, my world, my future, and my love for you grows every single day. you're perfect and there's nothing you can do or say to convince me otherwise. happy three months, baby. i hope we can spend the next one together. i'll be wishing for it all month.

▸ you make me OH! — donny electric

▸ swimming in the moonlight — bad suns (again)

▸ have you ever been in love — the ivy

▸ pink — no rome

▸ preach — keiynan lonsdale

▸ lotion — the peachskins

▸ i think — tyler, the creator

▸ let me love u — wayv

▸ tinted — kvsper feat. lukie b

▸ faded photo — leo xia

▸ proximity — william hinson

#040619 #from yukhei.#playlist.

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ovrlord · 6 months

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Tallah 2023

pics by Vanessa Valadez / lionrevolt on IG

#tallah #nu metal #true american nu metal #nucore #nu core #justin bonitz #max portnoy #alex snowden #derrick schneider #tyler hinson #metal #metal bands #band photography #nu metal bands #next to none #perfect shadows #coldxpanic #hungry lights #call it ego

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aquariumdrunkard · 4 years

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The Aquarium Drunkard Show (Halloween Edition)

Broadcasting from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery … The Aquarium Drunkard Show. The Halloween edition, Wednesday night / 7pm California time. SIRIUS/XM ~ Channel 35.

Eartha Kitt – I Want To Be Evil (AD Halloween Version) ++ The Munsters – Munster Creep ++ Bob McFadden & Dor – The Mummy ++ Danny Ware – The Zombie Stomp ++ The Sound Offs – The Angry Desert ++ The Blue Echoes – It’s Witchcraft ++ The Tomko’s – The Spook ++ Scotty Macgregor And His Spooks – I’m A Monster ++ Screaming Lord Sutch – She’s Fallen In Love With A Monster Man ++ The Gories – Casting My Spell ++ Baron Daemon & Vampires – Ghost Guitars ++ Elvira – End of Side One ++ The Five Blobs – The Blob ++ Vincent Price – A Hornbook For Witches (AD Halloween Version) ++ The One Way Streets – Jack The Ripper ++ The Swamp Rats – Louie Louie ++ Oma Liddie – J. J. Jackson and the Jackals ++ Bill Buchanan – Beware ++ Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads – Goo Goo Muck ++ Frankenstein – This Is The Fiend ++ Donovan – Wild Witch Lady ++ The Frantics – Werewolf ++ Radio Spot – I Was A Teenage Werewolf ++ The Cramps – I Was A Teenage Werewolf ++ Donovan – Hurdy Gurdy Man ++ Evariste – Connais Tu L’animal Qui Inventa Le Calcul Intégral ++ The Frantics – The Whip ++ Charles Bernstein – Jail Cell ++ The Vault of Horror ++ Lee Kristofferson – Night of The Werewolf ++ Steve King – Satan Is Her Name ++ Kip Tyler – She’s My Witch ++ The Madmen – Haunted ++ Don Hinson & The Rigamorticians – Riboflavin-Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood ++ Bobby “Boris” Pickett – Monster Mash (AD edit) ++ Billy Lee Riley – Nightmare Mash ++ Wade Denning & Kay Lande – Halloween ++ Los Holys – Campo de Vampiros ++ Otis Redding – Trick or Treat ++ Monsters Crash The Pajama Party ++ Bobby Bare – Vampira ++ The Sonics – Strychnine ++ Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages – All Black & Hairy ++ Chance Halladay – Deep Sleep ++ The Weirdos – E.S.P. ++ Leroy Bowman – Graveyard ++ The Frantics – Werewolf ++ The Dynamic Kapers – Alligator Wine ++ The Surfmen – Ghost Hop ++ The Connoisseurs – Count Macabre ++ The Poets – Dead

#halloween #aquariumdrunkard

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parkerbombshell · 1 year

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the-record-newspaper · 5 years

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The Killing of Rhonda Hinson Part VI

By LARRY J. GRIFFIN

Special Investigative Reporter

“…I feel dirty….” –Rhonda Hinson’s explanation to her parents

“Snowball” was the moniker for Rhonda Hinson’s 1967 white Volkswagen Beetle.

“Rhonda would come by every morning to pick-up Jill to take her to school in Snowball,” recalled Revonda Turner, Jill Turner-Mull’s mother. “One time I remember I fussed at her because there was trash all over the back floorboards of the car. I said, ‘Rhonda, you are going to have to cleanup this car.’ She was like a daughter and I could do that…She didn’t disagree; she just said, ‘Yes, Ma’am.’”

If anyone rode with Rhonda in Snowball, then it was mandatory that she/he adhere to the driver’s safety protocol—doors had to be locked, and seatbelts had to be fastened, even though North Carolina’s seatbelt law was not fully enacted until Oct. 1, 1985.

Next-door neighbor and classmate, Sarah McBrayer, remembered that particular idiosyncrasy of Rhonda’s as well. “Yes…her seatbelt was always fastened and door locked; if you rode with her, so were yours.”

“She was almost OCD [Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder] about it,” remarked Rhonda’s cousin, Dr. Christina Hardin. “You had to lock your door and buckle your seatbelt. She would say, ‘My car won’t start until you lock your door and buckle your seatbelt.’ It was a game she liked to play to remind whoever was riding with her. And it worked! I played the same game with my kids, and it worked wonderfully.”

“Rhonda was safety-conscious for everyone. And she didn’t take any chances with her own,” observed Rhonda’s best-friend, Jill Turner-Mull. She recounted a rather humorous incident that illustrated her point:

“I remember one day during the summer—I believe it was the summer before our senior year—I called Rhonda on the phone. She told me to come over to her house; she was there by herself. I told her that I had to clean my room before I came but would be over later. She said fine; just come through the kitchen door [off the carport] when I got to her house—it would be open.

“Well for some reason or other, I decided to wait until later to clean my room; so, I went on over to Rhonda’s. I entered the side door, walked into the kitchen, and heard the water running in the shower. I walked through her parent’s bedroom, that has always been located off the kitchen, and stepped into the bathroom—Rhonda didn’t know I was there. I flipped the bathroom light switch off and went back into her parent’s bedroom to see what would happen. Suddenly, Rhonda bolted out of the bathroom, into the living room, through the front door, and into the yard. I was laughing when I walked out of the door after her. She wasn’t laughing.

“‘You scared me!’ she said to me.

“‘Rhonda you do know that you are standing in your front yard without any clothes on right? Get back inside,’ I told her.

“When we went back in, she said that she was shampooing her hair and was in the process of rinsing it—her eyes were closed of course. The bathroom light was on when she closed them; but when she opened them the bathroom was dark; she thought someone was in the house. Rhonda recalled seeing a figure standing in the room to her left; but she didn’t stop to see who it was, of course.”

“No matter where she was, Rhonda always called before leaving to come home,” her mother, Judy Hinson, explained. “Whether coming home from working at Myra’s [in Valdese], her grandmother’s house, or Tastee-Freez [in Morganton], Rhonda always phoned before she left for home.”

Bobby Hinson, Rhonda’s father, recalled that practice as well. “She called when she was working at Tastee-Freez in Morganton one night, and said, ‘I’ll bring you something to eat if you will turn the porch light on and have the door unlocked for me when I get home.’ That’s how she was.”

On June 30, 1981, the Hinsons traded “Snowball” for a tan 1981 Datsun 210-MP6, purchased at Far East Motors in Hickory. After a $1,042.30 trade-in and down payment was processed, a balance of $5,000 dollars remained—financed through Wachovia Bank. On August 5th, Rhonda waited while the service department changed the oil and filter for the first time on her new automobile, with a scant 1,220 miles showing on the odometer. “She was proud of her car and proud of the fact that she was working to make car payments,” Judy Hinson remembered. “And she never missed one payment.”

Not long after the new automobile acquisition, Rhonda landed a job as a key-punch operator at Hickory Steel off Hwy 321 on Old Lenoir Road. Now subsumed by Structural Steel of Carolina, LLC [Limited Liability Company], Hickory Steel is essentially locally owned and operated. When she went to work there, she already knew at least one of her co-workers—her boyfriend’s mother—Betty McDowell.

In a Feb. 9, 1984, conversation with Judy Hinson, the Reverend Charles McDowell stressed that they loved Rhonda and had done a lot for her. “Betty got her the job at Hickory Steel. If it were not for Betty, she would not have gotten the job.”

But her supervisor, Don Colson, remembered it differently and said as much to Judy. “He said that Rhonda was given the job based upon her own merit and that she was, in fact, a hard worker.”

“For the first week [that she worked at Hickory Steel], Rhonda went out with Betty for lunch,” Judy Hinson wrote in her personal recollections. “At the end of the week, Rhonda was miserable. She asked Sherry [Pittman Yoder] and Tonya [Benge Fetherbay] why no one liked her [Betty] and asked her to go to lunch with them. She was told no one liked Betty. At work, Betty was called ‘Mother Superior.’ Rhonda started …to go out with the other people, including Sherry and Tonya. Rhonda told me many times that she felt guilty not asking Betty to go with them; but, she said most of the time Greg’s dad picks her up for lunch.”

Working with her boyfriend’s mother apparently proved to be the proverbial “two-edged sword” for Rhonda—she commenced to suspect that Betty was spying on her for Greg, who was away in school at N.C. State. “…During the day on December 22nd, Rhonda called me from work several times. In one of those conversations she told me [that] Betty was watching her. I laughed and said, ‘Rhonda, you are exaggerating!’ And she said, ‘Mom she tiptoes around, and a lot of times I look up and there she is watching and listening to me.’”

Apparently, the frustration of being “monitored” was mounting and more stressful than Rhonda was willing to abide. “She told her dad, at one point, that she was just going to quit Hickory Steel and go back to Morganton to work at Tastee-Freez,” Judy remembered.

The perceived officiousness of Betty McDowell notwithstanding, Rhonda seemed to enjoy going to work. “…Even though she had worked part time since she was 14-years-old, she was always looking for an excuse to stay home from work—that is until she went to work at Hickory Steel. She…never missed a day’s work,” Mother Judy affirmed.

And, ostensibly Rhonda was held in high regard by her fellow-employees, just as she had been among her high school friends and acquaintances. Co-worker, Don McGee, would later write a missive to the Hinsons in which he made that observation:

“I work at Hickory Steel and saw Rhonda every day. I knew her well enough to know that no one could hate her—she had no enemies. She was a model teenager and reflected the upbringing of being in a loving family. I would tease her by calling her “Rhoda” just to watch her blush. [Rhoda was an American sitcom, starring Valerie Harper in the lead role of Rhoda Morgenstern. A spinoff from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda ran for four seasons from 1974-1978.] She blushed easily and she smiled a lot. She was a very good worker and smart, too. She was a happy girl and I don’t believe she had an unkind thought about anyone. She was a genuine pleasure to be around…”

Yet something was troubling Rhonda Hinson, and alterations in her behavior became evident to her mother and father—even her brother. “I think it was after they [Rhonda, Greg, Jill, and Mark] returned from their beach trip that summer, after they graduated, that Rhonda began to have difficulty sleeping at night,” her mother reported. “She took to sleeping on the floor at the foot of our bed for some reason. Bobby had to be up early to get ready to go to the bakery; one morning he nearly tripped over Rhonda, who was on the floor at the foot of the bed and as close to it as she could get.”

Rhonda even approached her brother, Robbie—whose bedroom was opposite hers at the other end of the hallway from their parents—about sleeping in his room. “She told him that she would pay him if he would let her sleep in his room. Of course, he refused to let her do that,” Judy Hinson explained.

On another occasion, Judy was asleep but had the distinct perception that someone was watching her. “I opened my eyes and there was Rhonda standing beside our bed just staring at us.”

Their daughter offered no explanation for these peculiar nocturnal activities. However, there was something else even more disturbing to her parents.

“I woke up to the sound of water running very late at night or very early in the morning. Rhonda was in the shower taking a bath—even before Bobby left for work,” recounted Ms. Hinson. “And this continued to happen for the rest of her life. I asked, ‘Rhonda, what are you doing taking a shower now?’ She responded, ‘Mom, because I feel dirty.’”

Rhonda Hinson had in excess of three days to live.

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