AHOSKIE – Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, genders and races.

They can be a person performing a miraculous rescue just in the nick of time. They can be dressed in military fatigues, standing the watch on domestic or foreign soil so we can rest peacefully at night.

However, heroes can also be your next door neighbor; your Sunday School teacher; the bagboy at the grocery store…..the list goes on and on. It’s those heroes whose stories the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald and Gates County Index are sharing in Crossroads – 2018, which can be found inserted inside today’s edition.

Over the life of Crossroads, which is now entering its 18^th year, writers with Roanoke-Chowan Publications have entertained and informed our readers with a wide range of lifestyle articles, those featuring the people, places and things that make our little corner of the world a great place to live, work and raise a family.

For 2018, we are proud to feature the stories and faces of our ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things. This year’s theme is Heroes At Large.

The 60-page special edition features 17 stories of “heroes” from Bertie, Gates, Hertford and Northampton counties. We hope you enjoy reading about your friends, neighbors or even total strangers. And be sure to visit the local advertisers that helped us to make this annual publication possible.

For those wishing to have additional copies of Crossroads – 2018, they are available free-of-charge at the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald office, located at the intersection of Main Street and Catherine Creek Road in downtown Ahoskie.