• A traffic stop that turned up cocaine has led to a Mount Airy man being jailed under a $22,500 secured bond, according to city police reports.

Sayeed Miguel Silva, 19, of 426 Worth St., was encountered by officers on Brooklen Avenue near Park Drive last Friday afternoon and subsequently found in possession of a clear plastic baggie containing a white material, arrest records state. Vibration Isolation Table

Silva was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also was found to be the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court which had been filed in Stokes County on Dec. 14. Silva is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court on Jan. 30.

• A business on Merita Street, New 2 You Treasures, was the victim of a larceny discovered last Thursday, which involved the loss of property valued at more than $1,000 which was stolen from the rear of the establishment.

Included were two plastic tote bags containing miscellaneous tools, a kerosene lamp, a small wooden dresser and a wooden bat.

• Police were told on Dec. 18 that two green city trash containers, valued at $250, had been stolen from a residence on Galloway Street.

• Crystal Nicole Barker, 41, listed as homeless, was arrested on drug and theft charges after an incident at Walmart on Dec. 15. An investigation resulted in Barker being charged with a felony, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, identified as methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; larceny; and possession of stolen goods, described as miscellaneous items of men’s clothing with a total value of $261, which were recovered.

Barker was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $5,000 secured bond, with court date information not available.

• Jamie Robert Vanhoy, 34, of 155 E. Crosswinds Court, is facing drug and weapons charges stemming from officers investigating alleged illegal narcotics activity at Riverside Park on Dec. 11.

Vanhoy is accused of being in possession of a concealed handgun (a Smith and Wesson military/police .40-caliber pistol along with a magazine) after consuming a controlled substance.

In addition to the gun-related offense, he was charged with possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana) and possession of drug paraphernalia (wooden one-hitter smoking devices). Vanhoy is scheduled to be in District Court on Feb. 13 and has been banned from all city property.

MLK celebration set for Saturday at museum

At the annual meeting of the Friends of the Historic Satterfield House and Rosenwald School/ Sandy Level Community Council officers were elected to operate the non-profit organization. Those who will serve on the board in staggered terms expiring in 2024 are Shelby King, Ann Vaughn, Carol Burke, James Norman, and Jean Tucker.

Officers serving terms that expire in 2025 include Thomas Angel, Ella Green, Julia Mitchell, Henry Taylor, Sue Stanish, and Rev. Thomas Williams. Officers serving terms that expire in 2026 include Burnard Allen, Janice Simmons, Norm Shultz, Mary Sawyers, Peggy Taylor, Joe Zalescik, Anthony Hughes, and Shirley Rawley.

The executive committee officers were recently announced as Chairperson Ann Vaughn, Vice Chairperson Norm Shultz, Secretary Janice Simmons, Treasurer Anthony Hughes. Assistant to the Secretary Sue Stanish, Assistant to the Treasurer Burnard Allen. Colonious King will serve as president of operations of the organization.

Meetings of the Friends of the Historic Satterfield House and Rosenwald School are held on Tuesday afternoons beginning at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 326 South Main Street, Mount Airy. All are welcome to attend the meetings and consider membership in the organization.

The mission of the group is to enhance the public’s knowledge about the history, heritage, and cultural contributions of the African Americans in Mount Airy through education, collaboration, and service; to be an inclusive and welcoming hub for a diverse community, providing dynamic, social, and educational enrichment grounded in the African American values and culture.

Work is being done to upgrade the historic Satterfield House located at 262 North Franklin Road in Mount Airy to become a living museum and culture center, along with being a stop on the Booker T. Washington Trail. Fundraising and grant opportunities are in progress. For more information contact Chairperson Ann Vaughn at her e-mail address annlvaughn@gmail.com

Rockford Elementary School’s Gator Food Program received a recent donation. Every Friday, The Gator Food Program provides a helping hand for families who participate in the program by sending home a backpack filled with food items

School officials expressed a special thanks to Cross Roads Missionary Baptist Church for its donation of almost $5,000 to the Gator Food program. “We are so fortunate for their generous donation. This donation was made in memory of John White and David Reece,” school officials said.

Abe Mayes Road is a secondary road like so many others in Surry County that simply does not see a lot of traffic. It was thought to be so underutilized, that in 2020 the Surry County Board of Commissioners decided to close 0.21 miles of the road and sent notification to the North Carolina Department of Transportation of that decision.

Paul Reynolds had petitioned that the portion of Abe Mayes Road that crosses his land and connects to Oscar Calloway Road be closed to through traffic and the board was under the impression this had been done.

County Attorney Ed Woltz explained this week to the board of commissioners that, “There was some misunderstanding as to what the action was going to be. A petition was filed with DOT and the county and what the county did was… remove the road from public upkeep, not to close the road.”

He said that in addition to passing a resolution the board should have conducted a public hearing, advertised the hearing, posted signage indicating the hearing so the neighborhood would know this was underway, “and we should have sent certified mailing to those that would be effected,” Woltz explained.

According to the residents who spoke to the board this week, that did not occur. Now the road is not being maintained and it is still open to traffic.

Woltz advised the board that the county has sent the mailings, advertised, and were holding an open hearing “to obtain comment from the citizens as to whether this closure would be adverse to access and egress of their property, or otherwise not in the public interest.”

At Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, resident Davia Sweat and Priscilla Bhati both spoke to the board and expressed concerns to the point of access and egress.

Bhati said that a newly paved portion of Abe Mayes Road gets little direct sunlight and has proved dangerous during winter weather. Sweat said there would be no other safe option during those times than to use the small length of the roadway that is set to be closed.

Sweat also told the board unequivocally that she uses that length of road daily. “They are saying no one accesses that road, yes we do we use that road every day. That road is also the EMS way; when you call them, that’s the way they come in. When you put in GPS, that’s the way it brings you in,” she said.

Both she and her mother have had serious health issues and she is concerned about adding extra time to emergency response. “If you come in the other way (via Wolfe Road), that’s adding minutes to that… and minutes count.”

Roland Jones owns a large tract of land along either side of Abe Mayes Road, and he expressed a concern that closing the road to through traffic would have an adverse impact to his property values. Chairman Eddie Harris said he thought the opposite may prove to be the case as some landowners would prefer to not have a through road – much as the petitioner was hoping to do.

“What I’m hearing is that these people would be inconvenienced by the change,” Commissioner Mark Marion said. Based on his survey of those who made the effort to turn out for the public hearing, “The people say they don’t want it closed.”

“I have been here for twelve years, and this is the first time this type of issue has come up,” Harris said, noting that often in these situations the road closure is a dead end. “These are exceptional circumstances.”

Harris asked Woltz if there was a mechanism for the board to undo what had been done in 2020, and was told, “You would have to reapply to the state of NC to put that piece of road under state maintenance and there is a bridge set to be replaced, I think for a couple million bucks, that was deferred and then canceled as a result (of the action) taken in 2020.”

“Typically, I defer to the commissioner whose district this is,” Commissioner Van Tucker said but, in this instance, he wanted to weigh in given the nature of the matter and that it was a mistake on the part of the execution of the county that was “maybe of our own doing.”

Woltz offered a suggestion that the county make contact with the department of transportation to see what the process may be to get the state to again maintain Abe Mayes Road and to revisit the issue with a whole new hearing in March.

Tucker thought that a good idea. “We can have a public hearing and the original presenters can present why they think it ought be closed, and the folks that think it ought not to be closed can present another argument, and I think that would be a good way to solve this problem.”

“The citizens deserve no less,” Harris said before the board agreed unanimously to table the issue until the second board meeting in the month of March.

Riders In The Sky will be performing in Mount Airy on Saturday, Jan. 21, in a 7 p.m. concert that is part of the Blue Ridge and Beyond Series at the Historic Earle Theatre.

“Riders In The Sky are the best in western music since 1977,” organizers with the arts council said of the group. “America’s Favorite Cowboys bring award-winning harmonies, wacky Western wit, and high-yodeling adventures. Their family-friendly style also appeals to children, exemplified in their recordings for Disney and Pixar.”

The gruop has won two Grammy Awards and has written and performed music for major motion pictures, including “Woody’s Roundup” from Toy Story 2 and Pixar’s film, For the Birds. The band also recorded full-length companion albums for Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc.

Road dates and recordings and other film and television projects have filled the days and weeks and years, and since the quartet has slowed up little, the numbers begin to add up: more than 7,700 appearances, 40 years on the Grand Ole Opry, 40 records albums, and tours of all 50 states and all over the world.

Honors accumulated as well. In addition to the two Grammy Awards, Riders received numerous awards from the Western Music Association, including the highest, membership in the Western Music Hall of Fame; numerous Wrangler awards from the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum; awards from the Academy of Western Artists; enshrinement in the Walkway of Western Stars, and more. What began as a celebration of classic western music and an evening of hilarity has become a career, and that career has become a legend, one which, 45 years on, shows no signs of stopping or even slowing down much.

Tickets are $65 for Orchestra and $55 for Balcony. Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org.

Last week the Surry Arts Council announced that it would be distributing more than $30,000 in grant funding to ten organizations throughout Surry County based on recommendations from a local steering committee to choose which groups would be among the recipients of a subgrant from the Grassroots Arts Program of North Carolina.

Among the recipient of funding was Pilot Mountain Development Corporation, which will be receiving $8,000 to assist with the upgrades and renovations to the mobile stage used for many concerts and events held in downtown Pilot Mountain.

To leverage those grant funds, the Town of Pilot Mountain has said it is going to chip in another $8,000 to match the arts council grant for a total renovation of $16,000, Jenny Kindy, Main Street coordinator for Pilot Mountain said.

Renovations to the mobile stage are needed and a wide array of improvement will be done to the stage’s flooring, awning, and interior and exterior. Upgrades will be done to enhance the audio and lighting capabilities of the stage to improve the experience of spectators for the variety of events where the mobile stage may find itself.

Kindy said office there are looking at quotes for the repair to the mobile stage with a goal of having the work done by around Easter. “The first event it will be used for is the Pilot Mountain Outdoor Adventure Festival & Expo on April 21 through 23, so that gives us about twelve weeks from start to finish to get it done.”

She is excited about the event but could not say more. “We will have a ton of information to share about that event soon. Due to the status of the artist we booked, we need preapproval before we can say more.”

With a desire to grow the recreation and tourism profile of downtown Pilot Mountain and add more events, an improved mobile stage will be a great asset to those involved in their planning and execution.

Pilot Mountain Development Corporation officials said they are looking forward to applying the grant funding toward enhancing the mobile stage which they see as a vital community asset for its varied uses throughout the year.

The mobile stage has been used for many years to host concerts in downtown Pilot Mountain. Some events that utilize the mobile stage have been the Hot Nights Hot Cars Cruise Ins, Mayfest, The Pilot Art Walk, and one of the best named events in these the Yadkin Valley: the Pilot Mountain Pig Out Food Truck Rodeo. Sometimes a name really does say it all.

Other groups receiving funding included the Surry County Historical Society, the African American Historical and Genealogical Society, the Mount Airy Public Library, the Mount Airy Photo Club, and the Reeves Community Center Foundation.

One of the highlights of the year for the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce is coming up soon — the organization’s annual meeting.

That is slated for Thursday evening, Jan. 18, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Cross Creek Country Club, and it will include recognizing outgoing officers, welcoming new members of the group’s board of directors, and revealing the chambers’ Citizen of the Year award winner.

The night will also include a keynote speech by Jennifer Mauldin, president and chief client officer of Inmar Intelligence.

The evening dinner, the 62nd annual gathering for the chamber, has drawn more than 200 area chamber members and friends in recent years, a number that chamber officials expect to match this year, according to Jordon Edwards, the chamber’s events director and Autumn Leaves Festival director.

“It’s our largest ticketed event of the year at the chamber,” Edwards said. “It’s really important for us, not only for the ceremony and the leadership change,” but also as the chamber hears from the incoming president about the goals and priorities of the upcoming year.

Edwards said that Mauldin will be sharing with those in attendance the lessons she learned over the years in growing Inmar from a $30 million business to one with more than a billion in sales and revenue.

She said the meeting will be a time to acknowledge retiring board members — Luke Morrison of Gates Pharmacy, Brian Johnson of Johnson Granite, John Phillips of State Farm Insurance, Todd Tucker, who recently stepped down from the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, and Steve Yokeley, who served as the city’s representative to the chamber.

Incoming board members to be recognized include Stan Farmer, Peter Raymer, Melissa Hiatt, Robbie Gardner and Joe Zalescik.

The highlight of the night will be revealing the name of the person selected as this year’s Citizen of the Year. Generally considered the chamber’s highest award, chamber officials took nominations from the community last year, then a committee reviewed the applications before settling on this year’s winner. The name will remain secret until the award is presented.

Edwards said ticket sales for the event have officially closed, however, there are a limited number available for some “contingency” sales and late sponsors. For more information about the event, or to see if sponsorships are still available, visit https://www.mtairyncchamber.org/

A Mount Airy City Schools teacher has been chosen as a finalist for a statewide award.

Sabrina Moore, sixth grade teacher at Mount Airy Middle School, has been named a finalist for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching Empower Beginning Teacher of the Year Award.

“She and 26 other finalists across the state were chosen for their dedication, innovation, and ability to inspire students to achieve,” the local school system said. “Moore makes the third teacher in the MACS district to be a finalist for this award in four years.”

“Sabrina Moore is a talented and dedicated beginning teacher,” said Levi Goins, principal of Mount Airy Middle School. “She knows her students’ strengths and weaknesses and works diligently to provide them with opportunities for growth. We are proud to have her represent Mount Airy Middle.”

“We are ecstatic to have Mrs. Sabrina Moore represent our district and beginning educators across our state,” said Penny Willard, director of Innovative Programming. “She sets a great example of perseverance through her desire to be a lifelong learner. Mrs. Moore always aims to serve our middle school students with a passion for learning and growth through improved literacy skills. The district’s beginning teachers group is proud to have her represent the Mount Airy Bears.”

One of the 27 educators will be named the 2023 North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching Empower Beginning Teacher of the Year. The award will be presented March 9 at the organization’s Cullowhee campus.

“We appreciate the enthusiastic response from all over the state for the Beginning Teacher of the Year Award,” said the group’s Executive Director M. Brock Womble. “These finalists provide a snapshot of the lasting impact great teachers have on our students from the first to the last day they step into a North Carolina public school. We are excited about this opportunity to honor teachers for the important work they do in our state.”

The teacher chosen will receive a$5,000 cash prize, participation in a GoGlobal NC trip in 2024, and instructional supply funds for the teacher’s school. The runner-up will receive a $2,000 cash prize, while finalists will receive travel expenses and substitute costs for regional finalists to participate in organization’s meeting.

More information about the program is online at www.nccatbtoy.com.

In the fall, Surry Online Magnet School middle and high school students took a break from the virtual world and took a hike to Pilot Mountain State Park.

Students picked their own groups and participated in an interactive Goose Chase where they were given multiple tasks to complete throughout their hike. The Goose Chase allowed students to get to know each other a little better while enjoying the views that Pilot Mountain State Park had to offer.

Students also had the opportunity to listen to an on-site park ranger talk about the wonders of the park and learn about the daily tasks of his position. After the park ranger’s talk students took the time to ask questions about career opportunities.

Two Mount Airy officials have journeyed to California this week in an effort to strike gold with a company they hope will locate a facility in the city.

“I could see it offering lots of jobs and using lots of water,” Mayor Jon Cawley said of the best-case scenario that could be achieved before he and City Attorney Hugh Campbell departed to the Golden State.

They were heading to an undisclosed location to speak to representatives of an industry headquartered there which a veil of secrecy also surrounds.

“I can tell you it is a manufacturer,” the mayor said.

“The company has given us part of a day to try and woo them,” Cawley added earlier this week. “And I’m really excited about that.”

The visit to California is coming at a time when no full-time industry recruiter is available locally due to the recent resignation of Surry Economic Development Partnership President Todd Tucker.

Cawley and Campbell indicated that their efforts are an attempt to be proactive in trying to boost the city’s economy in the absence of an individual dedicated solely to that function.

“The Board of Commissioners and mayor have hit the ground running in 2023 with a sharp focus on job creation and economic development,” in the words of the city attorney.

When seeking the mayoral post he was elected to in November, Cawley said being mayor would allow him to be the face of Mount Airy and “tell our story” in ways that seem to mirror this week’s venture.

Cawley said before leaving that he wants the city government to help existing local companies expand while also seeking others from outside which might provide job diversity.

“I don’t believe they would be competing with anything that we have now,” he assured regarding the California prospect.

In addition to job creation, tax and other benefits a new manufacturer could provide, there is a motivation to find more users of the municipality’s surplus water supply.

“We contacted them,” the mayor said of the entity in California, which was targeted due to its potential for tapping into that supply.

In January 2021, city Public Works Director Mitch Williams disclosed that the municipality had a water-production capacity of 8.5 million gallons per day, but only 2.3 million were being used.

At that time, Mount Airy officials were working on a plan to supply a small part of that surplus to the town of Pilot Mountain, with a need to find other users voiced.

Officials of the California company “have expressed interest” in an endeavor here, according to the mayor.

In addition to what that manufacturer would bring to the table on its own, he said its presence could lead to spinoff businesses being spawned locally.

Early during the week of Dec. 26, Cawley had asked for a meeting with the California-based company and one was granted, according to Campbell.

“The mayor eagerly accepted their invitation and asked me to accompany (him) in my role as city attorney,” he added.

All that led to a discussion during a closed session at the end of a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 5.

“The purpose of the closed session meeting was for me to apprise the board (of the situation), obtain authorization to go and discuss my role and responsibilities on the trip,” Campbell related.

Board members gave the nod for this.

“The money for the trip is in the city’s economic-development budget.” Campbell mentioned further. “The city will pay our expenses according to the city’s normal travel policies.”

Campbell said the total cost for both him and the mayor was estimated at $2,000 or less, with no additional expense or attorney fee to be involved for his participation.

He stressed that “at no time” has the board discussed economic-development incentives for the company out West.

“The purpose of this trip is to build goodwill and explore opportunities for future dialogue,” Campbell explained.

“Any commitment from the city would require approval by the board at a public meeting.”

Surry County Farm Bureau President Danny Hodges was honored recently during the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Greensboro.

He was recognized among his peers at the Presidents’ and Agents’ Luncheon. Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding presented each winning county president with a limited edition Case knife.

Each county’s agency force worked to qualify their county president for this recognition. Special plaques were also presented to the agents and agencies whose production was superior during the contest period.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — Patriotism is alive and well among America’s youth, as evidenced by the achievements of two local students.

Abram Richardson and Luke Tedder have been recognized by Pilot Mountain Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9436 and the VFW Auxiliary for their participation in the annual Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest.

Open to middle school students, the competition gives youths the opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme.

“My Pledge to Our Veterans” was the title of the essays authored by Abram and Luke.

Abram is a seventh grader at Pilot Mountain Middle School and the son of Damion and Kara Richardson of Pilot Mountain.

Luke is in the eighth grade at Meadowview Magnet Middle School near Mount Airy. His parents are Ian and Meredith Tedder of Pilot Mountain.

Each student received a monetary gift and a certification of appreciation from the Pilot Mountain VFW family during a recent meeting that involved Post Commander Kem Byrd, VFW Auxiliary President Margie Nichols and other members.

Nearly 68,800 students in grades 6-8 enter the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest nationwide each year. It reflects the VFW’s dedication to patriotism and investing in future generations through youth scholarships and other means.

The Pilot Mountain VFW Post and its auxiliary wish both local students much success in the future, a spokeswoman for the organization stated.

When the winner of a N.C. Senate seat representing this area got around to being sworn in to office, the person assuming that state post turned to a local elected official from Mount Airy for assistance.

This occurred last weekend when Eddie Settle officially became the senator for District 36, which includes Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

Settle, a Republican in his early 60s, had no opposition in the Nov. 8 election, setting the stage for the Wilkes County businessman to be administered the oath of office during a well-attended ceremony Sunday in Willkesboro.

“He asked me to be the emcee,” Mount Airy Mayor Jon Cawley said of Settle, “and I was very honored to do that.”

The program was held at the Wilkes Historic Heritage Museum in the old Wilkes County Courthouse.

“It was a really nice event,” Cawley reported afterward. “They had a lot of dignitaries there.” They included U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx along with local office holders and other participants from a number of Northwest North Carolina counties.

State Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr. administered the oath to Settle as Cawley, a member of the clergy, held the Bible.

Welcoming remarks were offered by Keith Elmore, the chairman of the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners, on which Settle, a resident of the Pleasant Hill community, served multiple terms before stepping down for the state Senate seat.

Other county and Republican leaders and pastors were part of Sunday’s program that also included a presentation of colors by the Elkin High School Junior ROTC. A retired U.S. Marines gunnery sergeant led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Bluegrass music was performed by Wes Tuttle and R.G. Absher.

In his remarks during Sunday’s event, Sen. Settle repeated his reasons for running for state office, which are rooted in concerns about the direction Settle believes North Carolina is headed.

“As your senator, I will stand against the indoctrination of our children, against this woke culture, for our traditional Christian values, for our small business community, for our working parents, for our elderly, for our veterans, for our taxpayers, for the unborn,” Settle said, as reported by the Elkin Tribune/Yadkin Ripple.

Surry County offices, including the landfill and recycling convenience center locations, will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The recycling convenience centers that would normally be closed Tuesday will instead be open due to the holiday schedule.

The Surry County Board of County Commissioners meeting normally scheduled for Monday is moved to Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m.

• A welfare check by officers at the Circle K convenience center on North Main Street led to the incarceration of a Mount Airy man under a large secured bond last Saturday, according to city police reports.

An investigation revealed that Johnny Ray Gwyn, 54, of 341 Welch Road, was the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court which had been filed on Nov. 22.

In addition, police records indicate that after being taken into custody, Gwyn was charged with possession of a controlled substance in a prison/jail, a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was confined in the Surry County Detention Center under a $16,000 secured bond and slated for a Jan. 30 appearance in District Court.

• Tools and equipment valued at $838 were stolen last Saturday from an unsecured 1999 Ford Ranger pickup at the Inman Drive residence of Wesley Kent Brown and Caleb Wesley Hiatt Brown, who are both listed as victims of the crime.

The property stolen included an impact driver and battery, a brushless chuck drill and battery, a socket set and miscellaneous tools.

• Devan Alan Ramey, 34, of Sparta, was jailed under a $1,000 secured bond on charges of resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer and driving while impaired stemming from a Jan. 4 encounter with police investigating a suspicious vehicle at Grab and Go Mart on West Pine Street.

Arrest records indicate that the incident involved damage to open land near that location owned by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, but Ramey was not charged accordingly. A search warrant was obtained in order to obtain a blood sample from Ramey, who is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court on Jan. 30.

• Cooke Rentals on West Lebanon Street was the scene of a theft on Jan. 3, when two 4.6-gallon refillable propane cylinders valued at $32 were taken from the premises.

• Police learned on Jan. 2 of a case involving larceny and damage to property which had occurred at a rental property on Umpire Lane.

A known suspect is said to have caused damages estimated at $705 to a door and frame, a wall and a bed comforter along with stealing property valued at $51, including two bed sheets, a pillow and a pillow case protector.

No charges had been filed at last report concerning the crime in which Diamond View Real Estate of Pilot Mountain is listed as the victim.

Details were coming into focus Friday of the arrest of two Surry County residents who have both been charged with murder in the death of a young child, although the details leading to the child’s death have not been made public.

Joe and Jodi Wilson of Mount Airy have both been arrested and charged with murder according to a statement from the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. The charges stem from a Jan. 6 call the Surry County Sheriff’s Office received from Child Protective Services regarding a 4-year-old child.

Joseph “Joe” Paul Wilson, age 41, his wife Jodi Ann Wilson, age 38, of 148 Rosecrest Dr., Mount Airy, were arrested on Friday and formally charged with the murder of four-year-old Skyler Wilson.

The child, Skyler Wilson, had been transported to Brenner’s Children Hospital by Surry County Emergency Medical Services after suffering from a medical emergency on Jan. 5.

Skyler Wilson succumbed to injuries he sustained on Jan. 5 and passed away on Jan. 9.

The Surry County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division initiated an investigation into the death and have requested the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation revealed that Skyler Wilson passed away from injuries related to abuse sustained at the hands of his parents, and his death is being investigated as a homicide. The sheriff’s office did not give any details on the alleged abuse, and said no additional information regarding the victim would be released.

Joseph and Jodi Wilson were being held Friday evening at the Surry County Detention Center under no bond. A court date for Joseph and Jodi Wilson was set for Feb. 2.

The Wilsons have two children of their own and are foster parents of two other children. According to reports other children within the custody of Joseph and Jodi Wilson have now been turned over to the Department of Social Services.

According to Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, “This is a tragic event that resulted in the death of a precious child way too soon. Please remember the other siblings involved in this situation as well as the investigators who worked tirelessly on this case in your thoughts and prayers.”

This incident remains under investigation and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office has promised more information will follow when it can be released.

STUART, Va. — Although Patrick County’s sheriff has been on the job since taking office after a 2007 election, Dan Smith says it seems as if he’s just getting started.

“I have more energy now than I did 15 years ago when I first became sheriff,” Smith observed in announcing plans Thursday to run for a fifth four-year term in the county election later this year.

He has become a fixture in Patrick politics after being elected in 2007, capturing a second term against one challenger in 2011 by garnering 84% of the votes and winning again four years later with 88% support against another opponent.

Smith had no opposition for the last election in 2019.

In announcing his latest re-election bid, the incumbent detailed progress he says has occurred during his tenure in guiding local law enforcement efforts while also indicating that the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office is facing unique challenges today.

Combating illegal drug activity has been one priority for the office under Smith’s leadership.

He gives credit to his employees and agency partners for successfully bringing more than 800 drug dealers to justice.

Smith added that “the list is long” in terms of other accomplishments made by the employees under his command.

These include transitioning into a new jail and office, achieving and maintaining accreditation, upgrading equipment and technology and, most importantly, strengthening the bond with those the office serves, he outlined.

“We are nothing without the support of our citizens, and we take great pride in that relationship,” Smith said in a statement. “I fundamentally believe that bond starts with me, and I want folks to know that I am just a phone call away.”

Smith admits that the job of sheriff is difficult, but he embraces the challenges that come with this.

Far and away, the greatest one has involved attracting and retaining employees, he says, given a climate of pay limitations and related factors that have plagued other area law enforcement agencies in recent years — including the Mount Airy Police Department.

“When compensation doesn’t match skill set or job demands, you lose every time, and local law enforcement, regionally, has been losing badly at that game.”

Smith is grateful for the relationship he has maintained throughout the years with those controlling the purse strings locally, the Patrick Board of Supervisors and county administration, which has made that situation more tolerable.

“They have supported us and allowed me the ability to at least try and stay competitive with surrounding agencies, and I am very appreciative of that.”

Smith points to the negative image of law enforcement over the past few years as also creating challenges, while correspondingly presenting a solution.

“Treating all people with decency and respect is the simple answer, and our employees have a genuine understanding of that.”

A stake in the county

The sheriff admits that he is a bit territorial and protective when it comes to Patrick County, where Smith has deep roots.

He was born in Stuart in 1972 to Sue Simmons Smith and the late James Russell Smith Sr., the youngest of six children.

“My drive and work ethic come from my parents and brothers and sisters — they had a huge influence on me,” Smith stated.

He graduated from Patrick County High School in 1990 and from East Tennessee State University in 1994. That same year, Smith was employed by the Chesterfield County Police Department in the Richmond metro area.

In January 1997, he was hired by the Martinsville Police Department, where Smith held the rank of sergeant and was a commander on the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.

He campaigned successfully for Patrick County sheriff later that year, replacing longtime incumbent David Hubbard, who had stepped down for health reasons.

Smith and his wife Amy have two sons, Daniel and David, and live in Patrick Springs. They are members of Stuart Presbyterian Church.

“This place is my life, it is in my DNA,” the sheriff said of Patrick County.

“I consider our people and our beauty a national treasure, and I will protect and defend it until the day I die.”

Chris A. Lumsden, president and CEO of Northern Regional Hospital, has been elected as an at-large delegate of the Regional Policy Board 3 (Southeastern United States) with the American Hospital Association.

The association is the national organization that represents hospitals and healthcare networks throughout the U.S. and serves their patients and communities through advocacy, representation, knowledge exchange, and thought leadership.

The American Hospital Association uses analysis and recommendations from the organization’s regional policy board in policy deliberations. The appointment is effective through Dec. 31, 2025.

“I am honored to represent Northern Regional Hospital and other North Carolina hospitals and health systems,” said Lumsden. “Serving on this board allows me the opportunity to favorably influence federal health care policy and legislation that impact the well being of rural, community-based hospitals.

“Chris is a transformational leader whose passion for health care is critical as the AHA develops policies to address the specific challenges that hospitals across the country are facing,” said Matthew Wright, AHA Region 3 executive. “His decades of experience and unique perspective will inform the Regional Policy Board as we undertake this important work.”

Lumsden is a native of Roanoke, Virginia, graduated with honors from Bridgewater College and received his master’s degree with honors from George Washington University. He is a licensed nursing home administrator in North Carolina and Virginia, and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is past board chairman of several Virginia state economic development and higher education organizations and serves on the board of the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, Surry County Economic Development Partnership, and several boards associated with the North Carolina Healthcare Association.

He is recipient of several distinguished leadership awards and in 2020 was named as one of the Top 20 Most Admired CEOs in the Triad region of NC by the Triad Business Journal.

Rockford Elementary School recently held its yearly spelling bee.

Fernanda Rodriguez, was crowned overall school champion, and he will go on to compete at the district spelling bee in February.

Clint Robson won the fourth-grade spelling bee, while Blaine Goad took the fifth grade title.

To say that Mount Airy ended 2022 with a “slight” precipitation surplus might be an exaggeration, with a razor-thin margin involved inch-wise.

Through 365 days of wet periods, dry spells and all kinds of other weather conditions in between, this area wound up with total precipitation of 52.46 inches last year, according to a breakdown from F.G. Doggett Water Plant.

That figure is just 4.1 inches — or 8.5% — above the all-time annual precipitation average for Mount Airy of 48.36 inches.

Weather records have been kept here since 1924, and the water plant is the official observation station for climactic conditions locally.

Last year’s precipitation surplus — albeit slim, minuscule, tiny or whatever — was bolstered by higher-than-usual precipitation during December, which totaled 4.32 inches. The norm in Mount Airy for the 12th month of the year is 3.74 inches.

Fog was observed on eight days during December.

Measurable amounts of precipitation were noted on 13 days last month at F.G. Doggett Water Plant, with the most for a single day — 0.78 inches — recorded on Dec. 23.

That occurred just before a strong system moved into the area and offered frigid conditions, thus producing another weather highlight for December.

This included the mercury dropping to 2 degrees above zero on Dec. 24, breaking a low-temperature record of 7 which had been set on that date here in 1930.

Overall, the cold snap resulted in an average temperature last month which was nearly 3 degrees cooler than that of all time for December in Mount Airy — 36.8 degrees compared to 39.3.

While the 2-degree reading on Dec. 24 took low-temperature honors for the month, the high for December of 62 degrees was logged on three different days, Dec. 1 and Dec. 30-31.

Frost occurred on 13 days last month.

That annual rite is soon to be upon the land — filing tax returns.

For those with low to moderate income, and no desire to get deep in all the paperwork and form filing that accompanies tax season, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is back and ready to help.

Sponsored locally by the YVEDDI Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the Surry County Senior Center, the effort pairs trained volunteers with area residents whose income generally is less than $60,000.

According to Jody Crawford, program coordinator, those wishing to take advantage of the service can do so beginning Jan. 28. Starting that day, volunteers with the program will be at the Mount Airy Public Library each Saturday morning and at the Surry County Senior Center every Wednesday morning, meeting with individuals looking for assistance with filing their taxes. She said not only do the volunteers file federal taxes for those who qualify, they file state taxes for those living or working in North Carolina and Virginia.

The way the program works is simple. For those who qualify, Crawford said volunteers will sit down with individuals, go over their tax forms, and file their taxes for them. She said many of their clients are older, though individuals from all age groups utilize the service.

“Not everyone feels comfortable doing that stuff, they don’t understand taxes,” she said. “Not everyone is comfortable being online.”

So, the VITA program steps in and offers that service, free of charge.

Crawford said there is no hard and fast income limit for those seeking help.

“This is for people in the community who are usually at $60,000 or less (annual) income,” she said. However, there are other qualifiers. For instance, she said if a person has a lot of stocks or has been selling securities, they may not qualify. Someone who sold a house or received an inheritance over the past year may not qualify either, while some individuals who run a small business or who make more than $60,000 might still qualify to use the service.

“$60,000 isn’t exactly a limit, it is an estimate of when you’re likely to start having people out of the scope of what we can offer,” she said.

The best way to find out is to call — the trained volunteers know what questions to ask, and what forms to have individuals to complete to determine eligibility.

Crawford said those using the service will need to call in advance to set up an appointment. They may be asked to complete a simple form ahead of time and are told what tax documents they will need to take with them to an appointment. Generally, she said the process is fairly smooth.

“It can take as little as a half hour or 45 minutes, though usually it’s more like an hour, maybe an hour and 15 minutes,” she said. “You never know how complicated someone’s tax return is going to be.”

She said individuals utilizing the library might get faster service, since there are generally more volunteers available on Saturday than during the week.

“Usually, the library will have five or six people preparing returns. At the senior center we have fewer than that, maybe three or four. Last year we did 151 returns,” she said of how many people used the service.

While everyone involved with the program has to undergo IRS training, they are all volunteers. This is the sixth or seventh consecutive year the two local agencies — the Senior Center and the library — have offered the service. Crawford said it was offered for a number of years before, but then the program lost its coordinator and did not exist locally for two or three years. In addition to Mount Airy, the service also operates in Elkin and at other locations throughout the county.

While COVID restrictions have largely faded, she said the volunteers still often wear masks and sometimes ask that those coming in to have their taxes prepared do the same — it is up to the volunteers and what they are comfortable with, Crawford said.

She emphasized there is no cost for the service, and the services is simply filing taxes electronically on behalf of clients — it does not issue tax refund checks nor take tax payments. While individuals bringing their tax documents in to be filed can opt to have the IRS mail a check to them if they qualify for a refund, she said it is far quicker if they have a bank account the IRS can use to make a deposit.

Anyone with questions, or those wishing to make an appointment, should call 336-415-4225.

STUART, Va. — Saying the clerk of court office in Patrick County has undergone turmoil could be an understatement, with its leader suspended while facing drug and other charges, but candidate Nancy Turner Belcher seeks to turn things around.

“Our clerk’s office has suffered some setbacks,” Belcher said Tuesday regarding recent events surrounding Patrick’s present circuit court clerk, Sherri Hazlewood, a resident of Claudville.

Hazlewood had a series of run-ins with law enforcement during 2022 in multiple counties, including being charged with possession of cocaine, driving while intoxicated, breaking and entering and other offenses, according to various news reports in Virginia. She presently is suspended from the clerk post, having been removed by a judge in November.

Meanwhile, Belcher has emerged as a candidate for the seat of circuit court clerk in anticipation of a general election for the non-partisan office on Nov. 7.

Belcher, 50, lives in the Woolwine community and has nearly 25 years of experience in the legal profession. She is hoping to serve Patrick County in the court clerk capacity, given the need to restore public confidence in the position that provides a critical function in the judicial system.

“I am a person of integrity, so I would follow the law number one,” the candidate added Tuesday.

Along with that, it would be a matter of “just showing up every day” and meeting the needs of all those the office affects, said Belcher, a first-time seeker of public office.

The candidate is a lifelong resident of Patrick who is a graduate of Patrick County High School and Ricks College.

Belcher has worked as an administrative assistant for Martin F. Clark, a well-known figure in Patrick County legal circles, along with attorneys Chris Corbett and Marcus Brinks.

She later transitioned to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Corbett, Stephanie Vipperman and presently, Dayna Bobbitt.

Belcher believes the invaluable experience she has gained in the field would enable her to make a seamless transition to the position of clerk of court.

“And having the necessary leadership skills, I know that I would undoubtedly benefit the clerk’s office with knowledge and expertise as I strive to make this county better for current and future generations,” she said in a statement.

“If elected, I would work tirelessly to make the clerk’s office a resource that would be accessible to the folks in Patrick County, whether that be in person or online,” the candidate mentioned further. “I was raised to serve others, and I know of no greater opportunity to do just that than to serve as clerk of court for Patrick County.”

The daughter of Alfred and Aylees Turner of Woolwine, Belcher has been a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

She served a mission within her church for 18 months in Provo, Utah. As a member of the LDS church, Belcher has served in a variety of positions including pianist, activities director and president of its Young Women’s group. She now is Relief Society president, leading an organization within the church for women ages 18 and older.

In addition, Belcher has been a member of the Smith River Rescue Squad for 25 years. This has included running calls and serving in various leadership roles including positions on the board of directors for the squad. She is presently an EMT-A (Advanced) member and vice president of the Smith River Rescue Squad.

Belcher has been married to David Belcher for 16 years and is excited about the possibility of contributing in an additional way through the clerk’s office, saying it would be “a blessing” to do so.

“I have lived in and served this community my whole life, and I am no stranger to hard work,” she assured. “I plan to continue to work hard for this community that has provided so much for myself and my family.”

Belcher filed for the clerk of clerk office after the filing period began on Jan. 3.

Two other persons are said to have tossed their hats into the ring for clerk, including Morgan Boothe and Erica Wade, with others expected to follow.

Along with removing Hazlewood from office, Judge Marcus Brinks recently appointed Boothe, deputy court clerk, to serve as clerk of Patrick County Circuit Court on an interim basis.

• A traffic stop that turned up cocaine has led to a Mount Airy man being jailed under a $22,500 secured bond, according to city police reports.

Sayeed Miguel Silva, 19, of 426 Worth St., was encountered by officers on Brooklen Avenue near Park Drive last Friday afternoon and subsequently found in possession of a clear plastic baggie containing a white material, arrest records state.

Silva was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also was found to be the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court which had been filed in Stokes County on Dec. 14. Silva is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court on Jan. 30.

• A business on Merita Street, New 2 You Treasures, was the victim of a larceny discovered last Thursday, which involved the loss of property valued at more than $1,000 which was stolen from the rear of the establishment.

Included were two plastic tote bags containing miscellaneous tools, a kerosene lamp, a small wooden dresser and a wooden bat.

• Police were told on Dec. 18 that two green city trash containers, valued at $250, had been stolen from a residence on Galloway Street.

• Crystal Nicole Barker, 41, listed as homeless, was arrested on drug and theft charges after an incident at Walmart on Dec. 15. An investigation resulted in Barker being charged with a felony, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, identified as methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; larceny; and possession of stolen goods, described as miscellaneous items of men’s clothing with a total value of $261, which were recovered.

Barker was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $5,000 secured bond, with court date information not available.

• Jamie Robert Vanhoy, 34, of 155 E. Crosswinds Court, is facing drug and weapons charges stemming from officers investigating alleged illegal narcotics activity at Riverside Park on Dec. 11.

Vanhoy is accused of being in possession of a concealed handgun (a Smith and Wesson military/police .40-caliber pistol along with a magazine) after consuming a controlled substance.

In addition to the gun-related offense, he was charged with possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana) and possession of drug paraphernalia (wooden one-hitter smoking devices). Vanhoy is scheduled to be in District Court on Feb. 13 and has been banned from all city property.

A long-time Mount Airy tradition will be making a comeback of sorts on Saturday.

That evening, the Mount Airy Surry County Branch of the National Association of University Women Inc. will join with the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History for the 18th annual program celebrating Marin Luther King.

In the Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Surry Countians Continuing the Dream will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the museum. While the event has been held every year for nearly two decades, this will be the first time in three years the gathering has been held in person.

Cassandra Johnson, director of programs and education at the museum, said COVID gathering restrictions forced the previous two versions of the event to be held virtually, and she believes all involved are excited about being able to return to in-person gatherings.

“It’s really going to be something we’re going to be proud to have back in the building,” she said of the gathering.

“The Dreamer Award has been something we’ve given out for 18 years,” she said. This recognizes “a member of our community who really upholds the dream that MLK talked about…It’s as much about celebration as well as to honor people in our own community. It’s just very important for us to continuously look into the community and see who is really putting their community first, being a leader,” upholding the hopes expressed by King.

Adreann Leufray-Belle, president of the local branch of the National Association of University Women will be one of the event leaders, and will be helping to recognize past honorees as well as announce the winner of this year’s Dreamer of the Year Award.

Fellow association members Marie Nicholson and Roxanne Beame are expected to lead in singing Lift Every Voice and Sing, and Shapaille Dobson has been putting together a presentation on the history of the Buffalo Soldiers from Surry County. Rev. Daryl Beamer will be playing piano and assisting in the lighting of the candles.

The night’s events will also feature music, socializing, and refreshments, Johnson said.

Among those who have received the Dreamer Award are:

– 2011 — Emma Jean Tucker and James A. McCarther Sr.

– 2014 — Alfrida Gaines and Faye Carter

– 2021 — Cheryl Yellow Fawn Scott and LaDonna McCarther

There is a multi-million dollar engine helping drive the economy of Surry County parked quietly alongside US Highway 52 that is consistently finding itself ranked among the best in the state.

In its 2022 State of Aviation Report, the North Carolina Department of Transportation distinguished the Mount Airy/Surry County Airport as among the top three general aviation airports statewide in all metrics creating an economic output last year for the county of $739.3 million.

“The Mount Airy/Surry County Airport has again been recognized for its tremendous economic impact on our community. According to just released data from the North Carolina Division of Aviation, our airport is a leader among general aviation airports in the state in the four economic rankings,” county officials said in a statement about the report.

MWK, the call sign designation for the Mount Airy/Surry County Airport, ranked in the top three in the metrics of economic output, local/state tax revenue, personal income, and number of jobs supported.

This is yet another feather in the cap of the airport and its director George Crater who manages the day-to-day operations of the facility, which is itself managed by an Airport Authority made up of seven members comprised of representatives of the county and the City of Mount Airy.

Some may be surprised to find a striking similarity of the ranked results from this study and the previously released numbers from 2020 that also showed the Mount Airy/Surry County airport in the top three in all four metrics.

MWK produced an economic output for this region totaling $739 million which was ranked second only to Smith Reynolds in Winston-Salem, which totaled $894 million in output. Smith Reynolds was also atop the leaderboard in 2020 report when its output was $814 million compared to MWK’s $691 million.

To determine the economic output of general aviation airports the report “quantified the impact of jobs supported by the airport directly, jobs supported by the businesses that rely on the airport, and the impact of visitors,” the state explained.

By comparison Charlotte Douglas International has the largest economic output of any of the commercial airports in the state yielding an astonishing $37 billion of the state’s total aviation economic output of $72.3 billion.

Take in to account that total factors in all air cargo, wages, rental cars, food, and lodging on site – offerings that most general aviation airport do not offer. MWK would like to change that, and Crater has described future improvements to the airport that will create a chance for MWK to be more than a pit-stop but a cozy destination for tourists and visiting business leaders to enjoy.

In terms of economic output, third place belongs to the Kinston Regional Jetport at North Carolina Global Transpark, which created $660 million in economic impact. It should be noted that jetport serves Foreign Trade Zone 214 and is found on a the campus of a 2,500 acre industrial park that was once Stallings Air Base.

The FTZ was formed in 1996 as essentially a free trade zone for foreign goods to enter the country, be assembled in the United States and then have taxes assessed when the products exit the zone to be sold. Needless to say, having a foreign trade zone is a far cry from the operation locally at MWK that is creating more of an economic output.

MWK achieved first place ranking in state/local tax revenue at $38.9 million, Kinston Regional Jetport ranked second at $33.8 million, and the Columbus County airport brought in $32.1 million in taxes.

Elizabeth City’s airport ranked first in both personal income and number of jobs supported. It is adjacent to a Coast Guard base and manager Scott Hinton said in 2021 the jobs number encompasses “Everything within the fence line at the airport, meaning that jobs at U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City, both civilian and Coast Guard, are included.”

For Surry County to again have the airport ranked so highly is good sign for its future health and growth. “We are pleased that the airport continues to support local business and industry in such a significant manner,” Airport Manager George Crater said.

“The consistent rankings from one cycle to another are indicators that our community continues to be a substantial center of commerce.”

“North Carolina’s aviation system continues driving the economy by connecting people, companies and communities to markets and destinations worldwide,” said Bobby Walston, director of the Department of Aviation, found within the state’s department of transportation.

Of the $72.3 billion dollar aviation industry in the state, $6.18 billion of that is created from general aviation airports and the MWK accounted for almost 12% of that figure.

The State of Aviation report was generated from the latest analyses of economic impacts from each of North Carolina’s public airports, as conducted by North Carolina State University’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education.

The observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday will be accompanied by interruptions in Mount Airy’s sanitation services.

This will include no yard waste collections in the city that day. The next such pickups are scheduled a week later on Jan. 23.

In addition, the holiday will affect the commercial garbage routes and the industrial roll-off route normally run on Monday.

Those routes are to be serviced on Tuesday instead.

Municipal offices will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

DOBSON — Two Lowgap residents are facing felony charges for allegedly desecrating the grave sites of Confederate veterans at a cemetery in that area last month, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday afternoon.

Travis William Barker, 37, of 228 Barker Hollow Lane, and Tina Louise Lowe, 44, of 156 Sunshine Lane, are each accused of disturbing a casket/grave marker stemming from a Dec. 7 incident at the Cockerham Cemetery.

It is located at 218 Hanner Way, about a quarter-mile off the roadway in a wooded area.

“There’s around 30 graves in it, but there’s only about seven or eight there that are marked,” local Civil War historian Eldridge Easter said of the Cockerham Cemetery, with the rest designated by field stones.

Two of the marked graves were the ones targeted by those charged with the crime, the resting places of Confederate veterans Andrew A. Cockerham and Samuel Cockerham, according to Easter.

On Dec. 7 at about 4:30 p.m., the Surry County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to someone desecrating the grave sites, states an account released Wednesday by Sheriff Steve Hiatt.

The caller stated that the two Confederate grave spots had been damaged during the incident.

Deputy Melody Capper responded to the scene to investigate, locating tools used to disturb the sites.

During the investigation, Capper and a detective with the Surry Sheriff’s Office, Sydney Alderman, were able to identify Barker and Lowe as the individuals involved in damaging the cemetery, Wednesday’s announcement states.

Lowe was arrested relatively soon, on the day after the incident, and was held under a $5,000 secured bond.

However, Barker was not taken into custody until last Friday, by the Dobson Police Department, with a $10,000 secured bond set for him.

Lowe is facing a Feb. 15 appearance in Surry District Court, while Barker is to be in court next Wednesday.

Maj. Scott Hudson of the Surry County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that the desecration mainly was limited to the grave sites themselves, including the ground being disturbed, with no actual entry occurring to caskets or anything else of that magnitude.

He said the December crime marks the first time he has dealt with such a case during his law enforcement career spanning multiple decades.

“We don’t have this kind of incident that often,” Hudson said of law enforcement in general, including resting places of Confederate veterans or those of others.

The Surry Sheriff’s Office spokesman said he had not interrogated the two suspects and does not know the motive behind their alleged crime, including why they targeted the graves of former Confederates.

Easter, the local Civil War historian, “absolutely” believes those spots were singled out for that reason.

He says there are increasing numbers of such crimes occurring around the South. In addition to modern anti-Confederacy sentiments, Easter speculates that persons addicted to drugs might be involved who hope to unearth artifacts or souvenirs which could be sold.

No property was removed from the cemetery in Lowgap, Capt. Hudson said.

Easter is hoping the arrests of Barker and Lowe will serve to deter other such crimes.

Both Andrew A. Cockerham and Samuel Cockerham survived the Civil War, with Easter unsure of their relationship to each other with their remains located in the same family cemetery.

Andrew, who was born in 1838 and died in 1910, served with Company E of the 53rd North Carolina Regiment.

Samuel (April 1840-June 1927) was a private, a member of Company D with the 37th North Carolina Regiment.

Both men were in infantry regiments.

Students in Surry Community College’s Professional Development course recently held an end-of-semester breakfast and roundtable discussion with staff and faculty members.

Students in the class, taught by Marsha Underwood, spent the semester focusing on professional social interactions and meal etiquette. Eight college faculty and staff members were invited to share breakfast with the students, as well as discuss the topic of student advising at the college.

Underwood commended her students on their work at this event, saying, “As these students are early on in their college experience, we thought this would be a great chance to gather feedback for the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan topic of student advising. This was also a chance for the students to show off the skills they learned this semester.”

Students who participated in the class and event include Angelica Cortes and Vanessa Lowe of Dobson; Caitlin Grubb of Mount Airy; Kody Ballou of Pilot Mountain; Sofia Grande and Jessica Sonato-Sixtos of Surry County.

Registration is open for spring courses at Surry Community College. For questions about college application, financial aid, or class registration, contact Student & Workforce Services at 336-386-3264 or studentservices@surry.edu.

Jessi Seat’s Shoals Elementary School kindergarten students wrote and published their own book—starting with drafting and writing and then adding illustrations.

“Parents were able to join in on a very special author’s breakfast to celebrate these young authors,” school officials said of the celebration.

ARARAT, Va. — The Ararat Ruritan Club celebrated its 70th anniversary over the weekend with a special guest in attendance to help mark that occasion.

Ruritan National President Glen Broadwater was among those gathering Saturday afternoon for the event held at the club building on Ararat Highway.

The Ararat Ruritan Club was chartered on Jan. 9, 1953, being sponsored by another club at the opposite end of Patrick County in the Critz community.

That early group in Ararat had 29 members, mostly farmers, with an honorary roll call of those individuals conducted as part of Saturday’s festivities to mark 70 years of serving the community.

Those initial members’ mission of making it a better place to work and live continues today through an active membership that has made its mark in a number of ways.

“It’s the most wonderful thing,” Broadwater said while mingling with those attending the event.

Not only is the 70-year milestone important to commemorate, said the 2022 Ruritan national president — who will step down from that post later this month. It’s also a time to reflect on what the club has done for the corner of the world which it serves.

And that can be assessed by posing a key question, added Broadwater, who lives in Nickelsville in Scott County in the far-western corner of Virginia:

“What would the community be like without you?”

The Ararat Ruritan Club is engaged in a variety of service projects, which 2023 President Pam Smith says is a way of carrying out the goals envisioned by the original members and maintaining their legacy.

It has mounted fundraisers to support community causes including the Patrick County Food Bank, a county backpack program and a Home Alone effort that serves residents in the Willis Gap and Ararat areas.

One noteworthy project emerged at the height of the coronavirus pandemic which met a need created when local students were kept at home and could not attend schools where they normally received free breakfasts and lunches.

The Ruritans mobilized to provide bags of food for the youths.

And recently when a cold snap brought record temperatures to the area, the club opened the doors to its building to provide safe, warm shelter for folks lacking that.

Saturday’s festivities included the serving of cake and ice cream to commemorate the anniversary and a large array of memorabilia on display to highlight the club’s storied history.

Broadwater pointed out that the Ararat club is one of more than 900 in the national Ruritan organization that has nearly 25,000 members throughout the United States altogether.

Surry Community College is offering Advanced EMT Feb. 13 through May 24, with an orientation scheduled for Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. The orientation and class sessions will be held at the Yadkin Center, 1001 College Drive, Yadkinville.

The course is for EMTs wishing to continue their education to Advanced EMT. Students will learn essential advanced skills including advanced airways, intravenous therapy, IV medications, ECG monitor basics, and more.

This Hybrid AEMT course consists of online course work; in-class didactic (lecture/labs/practicals); and EMS, ED, respiratory clinical rotations. In-class will be offered on a Monday/Wednesday flip/flop schedule from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. where students will choose one day each week to attend.

The prerequisites are an active EMT credential; high school diploma or high school equivalency; completed physical/immunization form provided by SCC; drug screen/background check; and entrance assessment exam including sections on English, math and EMT.

Interested applicants should register on signupgenius.com at bit.ly/SCCaemt. Direct questions to Kenneth vaught, scc coordinator of emergency medical program, at 336-386-3633 or vaughtk@surry.edu. learn more about emergency medical service courses at SCC at facebook.com/surryems.

The college is offering two notary classes this month.

The first course section will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 17 and Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Yadkin Center. The second course section will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Yadkin Center.

Notary Public courses prepares students to become a Notary Public in North Carolina. Topics include notary qualifications, guidelines, and processes for notarizing documents. After passing the course test, students are eligible to submit an application to the Secretary of State to become a notary.

Tuition for this course is $71. For information about this class or to register, call the Yadkin Center at 336-386-3580.

Two new businesses have joined the lineup of occupants at Mayberry Mall in Mount Airy, one that is replacing a previous tenant with a similar name which closed there in 2021.

Leases with Bargain Bins and Myobody Studio were disclosed Friday by Taylor Massey, marketing director of WRS Inc., a real estate investment firm based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, which bought the local shopping center in February 2019.

The bargain store opened Friday at the mall, with Myobody Studio having done so previously.

“Bargain Bins replaces Bin City Bargains as a family-owned liquidation company featuring products from major online retailers, as well as big box department stores,” Massey explained. That terminology from the WRS spokesman is almost identical to that accompanying the opening of Bin City (also listed as BinCity) Bargains at the mall in July 2021.

“It’s totally different,” Marty Miller, a store spokesman, said Saturday afternoon of the distinction between the two stores.

“Be sure to put that in there,” Miller stressed regarding including that fact in an article about the Bargain Bins opening.

The store was packed with customers Saturday. And 275 people were lined up for its opening Friday morning, according to Miller, who is office manager there.

The earlier Bin City Bargains store had shut its doors in October 2021, about three months after opening, with competition from a growing number of similar retailers cited as a reason.

As its name implies, Bargain Bins offers merchandise in a bin-type setting at reduced prices.

Though announced just last Friday to the Mount Airy News, WRS actually had leased a 20,243-square-foot retail space to Bargain Bins in October 2022, with a 1,258 square-foot section leased to Myobody Studio in December.

Information from Massey describes the Myobody operation as “a high-energy group fitness studio that focuses on HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and functional training exercises to promote a healthy lifestyle.”

The concept has gone over well so far, according to a statement from Joshua Claybook, the owner and operator of Myobody Studio, as relayed to WRS Inc.

“My family is over the moon with joy from the level of support we have received from our community,” Claybrook said.

“We hope to bring a brand of exercise and wellness to Mount Airy that is energetic, scientifically proven, safe, personal and most of all, compassionate,” he added.

“It has been a lifelong passion of ours to help others to learn the many health benefits of living a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and exercise.”

As the latest tenants to enter into leases at Mayberry Mall, Bargain Bins and Myobody Studio are joining an existing array of retailers including Belk, Hobby Lobby, Shoe Department Encore, Enmar Accessories and LA Nails.

It recently was announced that one longtime occupant, a Hallmark store with a 40-year history there, would be closing this month.

There is much more space to be occupied and WRS Inc. continues to actively seek new retailers and restaurateurs to operate at the recently redeveloped mall.

Based on events of the past six years, there was a good chance the shopping center located in the area of U.S. 52-North and Frederick Street wouldn’t even be around at all today.

After opening in the late 1960s, Mayberry Mall eventually fell into the hands of a New York owner and into disrepair.

Structural problems were ignored that came to a head in 2017, which local governmental officials said threatened public safety and eventually prompted them to plan for its demolition.

WRS Inc. stepped in at a critical point to buy the mall and initiate major renovations to achieve its present status as a viable business location.

The Pilot Mountain Civic Club officially installed new officers for 2023 at its first meeting in January. The new officers are Michael Warren as president, vice president Mike Russell, Donna Kiger as treasurer and Meagan Hutchens as secretary.

Wayne Smith, a past president and charter member, conducted the installation ceremony. He recognized the outgoing officers and thanked them on behalf of the club for their service. In the selection of new officers, he cited their leadership, contributions, and service provided as well as the support from the club membership. Referencing the by-laws and responsibilities of each position, he administered the oath of office and obtained their pledge of service to the club in serving our community. The new officers were congratulated by the members.

As the new president, Warren presented a plaque to outgoing president Michelle Fallin in recognition of her four years as president. “Her leadership, creativity, forward vision, and true caring for our community has been key in the club’s success,” officials with the club said.

“Under the new leadership, the club is excited to continue the purpose of the civic club of promoting civic pride, establishing public unity, obtaining needed improvements and providing aide to our community,” they said.

Will every place in the world eventually be connected by some giant pathway? While that sounds far-fetched, a movement is now underway to study the possibility of linking municipalities in Surry County via paved trails and sidewalks.

As part of that concept, the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 last Thursday night in favor of a resolution of support for the long-range connection of greenways in the county.

Specifically, the city will be partnering with an entity known as the Northwest Piedmont Rural Planning Organization to seek a feasibility study grant. If awarded, the funds would be used to help identify potential routes to connect Mount Airy to Dobson and Mount Airy to Pilot Mountain through the paved trails/sidewalk network.

The resolution approved Thursday states that city officials realize neighboring municipalities and communities in Surry hope to develop trail systems. And it is their desire to link those here with other sections of the county along with recreational areas and surrounding trail systems, it adds.

“By all means, I think this is a big-picture dream plan to be able to connect communities,” Assistant City Manager Darren Lewis, Mount Airy’s former parks and recreation director, said in follow-up comments after the board’s action.

“But there is no question it is being done all across the country,” Lewis added. “And if they can do it, why can’t we?”

“The benefits of this project are numerous and include quality-of-life improvements, community-wide health benefits, access to key amenities, the increase of tourism and economic development and the increase of property values,” the city government resolution says.

Lewis acknowledged the long-range nature of the concept actually taking shape, due to the detailed, time-consuming process involved with acquiring easements for and constructing trails.

For example, it has taken more than 20 years for Mount Airy to realize its Granite City Greenway, beginning with the opening in 2001 of the Emily B. Taylor segment along Lovills Creek.

The system now contains 6.6 continuous miles, to soon be joined by a 1.3-mile extension.

Money for the study to explore possible links elsewhere is being sought from the state Integrated Mobility Division Paved Trails and Sidewalks Feasibility Program.

Lewis said Mount Airy’s involvement in that process could help in securing grants for construction of connecting routes.

When a loved one passes and the hymns sung, the hugs and cries complete, it is the wish for the one who has left passed on to find rest.

We offer ‘rest in peace’ as a wish that the body shall remain undisturbed again by human hands. It should go without saying that the goal is for the loved one to also lay undisturbed from eighteen-wheeler traffic in a cemetery.

Enter Cheryl Craft, who has found the cemetery at Oak Grove Baptist Church, where her father is among those at eternal rest, being driven through and even having some headstones knocked to the ground.

Craft explained the current situation that has only been a problem of late. “That monument (her father’s headstone) has been there since 1973 and we’ve never had any problems until the Dollar General was opened at Beulah Church Rd.”

She has talked to some who live around Oak Grove Baptist and on Oak Grove Church Drive and have found the commonality to the tractor trailer turnaround turmoil to be those ubiquitous Dollar General trailers that are so hard to miss because of their distinctive coloration.

Her father’s grave, even from first glance at a distance, shows the damage from an interaction with a tractor trailer as a big chunk is missing from the façade, with other smaller nicks and dings visible that one would not expect to find on a heavy stone grave marker.

Craft said they were shocked when they first saw that damage. “That was the first time, and we didn’t know what happened. The whole thing was lying flat on the ground about two feet back.”

She said damage like that to a headstone is not something that can just be buffed out or filled in, the stone is permanently damaged. William Smith, a deacon of the church, was the one who placed the headstone back in place.

If this had been a one and done sort of thing, Craft may have done the Christian thing and turned the other cheek, but it soon happened again. “The second time the people in the house saw the Dollar General truck, that’s when a man from church (Swift) made a report at Dollar General.”

She went on to relate that Swift made a complaint at the Dollar General physical location. “The clerk told him that the same truck driver had ran into the store wall making a huge hole.”

“A few weeks later my aunts were there removing some flowers from other graves, and lo and behold a Dollar General truck starts to pull in the lower driveway,” Craft said the story starting the same way as it had before. “But because (my Aunt’s) car was sitting there, he went on down the road turned around, came back.”

While she was quick to point out that there are contract drivers whose livelihood is made by hauling goods for retailers, so it may not be actual employees of Dollar General who are behind the wheel of these trucks. However, since the Dollar General location on Beulah Road opened this situation soon followed with it.

Craft said she had no clue what was causing this issue. “I don’t know if they have the wrong address in GPS or if they just look up and see oak grove “Church Road” and think that’s it,” referring to the Beulah Church Road, which is the location of the Dollar General store in question.

Craft said enough is enough. “The church finally put up cameras last week.” On a tall wooden post found at the beginning of the southern entrance drive to the wrap around is a sign noting that cameras are now in place.

That may seem a dramatic step to some, but for those who have loved ones at rest at Oak Grove Baptist, it is far from dramatic and may be only the first necessary step. Craft has been at this for some time, she began making calls on this issue in February 2021 and advised that other contacts were made with Dollar General that year as well.

Phone calls have not worked as Craft said she has tried to make contact with Dollar General corporate. She was told a ticket was to be opened and she would be contacted back from the corporate office; that call has not arrived.

The Surry County Sheriff’s Office have also been called to Oak Grove Baptist Church after one such drive through did tremendous damage to the grass of the graveyard. Even now there are several discernable sets of tire tracks in different places of the graveyard, lingering evidence of a choice some drivers made to save time by sacrificing the sanctity of the dead.

A call to Dollar General corporate offices Monday were not returned and the general manager of the Dollar General of Beulah Church Road. referred all questions to the corporate office.

After being there for so many families across the region when their services were needed, now Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care officials are asking the public for a helping hand. They are seeking volunteers to help staff The Humble Hare, their new nonprofit shop which opened in Mount Airy in October.

The Humble Hare is a retail hub selling a little of this and some of that – with profits going to support the efforts of Mountain Valley in providing comfort to those facing a time of incredible need. Their store location is found at 705 West Pine St., suite 300, Mount Airy, near the crossing of Andy Griffith Parkway and West Pine Street.

They are asking the public for assistance with finding additional volunteers to staff the store. “The Humble Hare employs one store manager, Kelly Jennings, and a part-time employee but relies heavily upon volunteers for its daily operations.”

“Our shop volunteers are a fun and friendly team, who graciously donate time out of their week to make a difference for those in need of end-of-life care, grief counseling, and other hospice-related services. The atmosphere of the new store is cheerful and relaxed which makes it a pleasant place to volunteer and shop,” says Sara Tavery, vice president of philanthropy at Mountain Valley.

“Volunteers do not need retail experience, although a passion for fashionable clothing and quality home furnishings is a plus for volunteers who price, sort, and display store merchandise. Additionally, volunteers with the ability to lift furniture are needed to help load and unload the store’s delivery truck. As an added incentive to encourage additional volunteer support, all volunteers receive a store discount.”

She said of The Humble Hare’s mission, “Our goal is to offer shoppers high-quality new and gently-used items at affordable prices while increasing revenue in support of patients and their families who lack financial resources to pay for their hospice care.”

The Humble Hare store is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Item donations are accepted by appointment only, Tuesday – Thursday. To learn more about volunteering at The Humble Hare in Mount Airy, stop by the store or contact Jan Matthews at 336-583-2893 or jmatthews@mtnvalleyhospice.org.

A new storefront is only one of the changes in the works for the folks at Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care as the organization approaches its 40th year in operation. Like the caterpillar emerges as a butterfly, they are shedding one identity to take flight anew simply as: Mountain Valley.

“As we begin our milestone 40th year of service, we are unveiling a new brand identity reflecting this evolution and growth,” the announcement read.

“We believe every patient facing serious illness deserves skilled and compassionate care. Our new identity reflects our agency’s progression, as well as our commitment to our mission and the community,” said Tracey Dobson, president and chief executive officer.

“Our mission is to honor the lives and experiences of the individuals we serve and make every moment matter. Our brand now reflects our commitment to create the best experience for those facing serious illness. Every patient. Every family. Every time.” said Jan Bullard, vice president of marketing and public relations.

Over the coming weeks, the new identity will begin to appear in various applications and then roll out more broadly throughout the eighteen-county service area Mountain Valley covers during 2023.

For more information on Mountain Valley Hospice call: 888 789-2922 or visit their website at: http://www.mtnvalleyhospice.com.

Ten non-profit organizations in Surry County have been awarded subgrants from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina. Of the total, $13,981 were state funds and $16,722 were federal funds from a special appropriation. The subgrants provide funding for quality arts programming within Surry County, with $12,440 awarded for multicultural projects.

The subgrant committee was hosted by Marianna Juliana, Surry Arts Council’s grant and contract coordinator. Members of the subgrant committee included Surry Arts Council Board members Terri Champney, Swanson Snow, Lenise Lynch and Scott Kniskern. Jody Crawford and Emily Loftis also served on the committee. The Surry Arts Council Board approved the committee’s recommendation for these awards.

A total of $13,981 was awarded from the North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant program. Those receiving these funds include:

– The Surry County Historical Society received $1,500 for continued work on the Surry County Old-Time Music Documentary that was prepared by Paul Brown for the 250th Surry County Anniversary Celebration;

– Voce received $1,000 to provide musicians and accompanists for concerts that will be held in Surry County;

– The Mount Airy Public Library received $1,363 for monthly free live performances by Bright Star Children’s Theatre;

– Minglewood Fam and Nature Preserve received $400 to set up a booth to promote nature art at Surry County events;

– The Mount Airy Photo Club received $2,000 for a free presentation and workshop with a professional photographer;

– The African American Historical and Genealogical Society received $2,218 for artist fees to offer free African American drumming and dance workshops;

– The Reeves Community Center Foundation received a total award of $5,500: $1,000 to hire an artist or artists to enhance Kidfest; $1,000 for free monthly arts programs for families to extend the summer Young Audience Series into the winter and spring months; $1,500 for artist fees to enhance the Cinco de Mayo Celebration on Market Street; and $2,000 for artist fees for a new celebration of Latin American Heritage on May 27;

Those receiving the federally funded subgrants include:

– The Dobson Community Library received $1,600 to publish “Communion: A Historical Narrative of the Mitchell River and Devotion.”

– The Pilot Mountain Development Corporation will receive $8,000 to improve the portable stage that is used for downtown community events;

– The Downtown Business Association in Mount Airy will receive $2,000 ($1,750 for artist fees and $250 for marketing) to enhance and promote Farmfest, a celebration of Surry County’s agricultural heritage;

– The Reeves Community Center Foundation received $5,122 for artist fees to enhance a celebration of 190 years of Thai-United States relations and the Sister City relationship with the Province of Samutsongkhram.

The funded projects will enrich the lives of thousands of adults and children in Surry County and beyond. New annual multicultural events were funded along with existing festivals being enhanced. Several genres were represented in the awards ranging from documentary film to multicultural festivals and celebrations to literary projects, vocal performance, performing arts, visual arts, photography, craft, agriculture and a small capital project.

Since 1977, the N.C. Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided North Carolina citizens access to arts experiences. The program distributes funds for the arts in all 100 counties of the state primarily through partnerships with local arts councils. Surry Arts Council is the Designated County Partner in Surry County and manages and is accountable for the funds received from the N.C. Arts Council Grassroots Arts Program.

For additional information, contact Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org.

• A trespassing investigation in Mount Airy has resulted in a Pinnacle man being incarcerated on a felony drug charge, according to city police reports.

Joe Robert Reynolds, 62, of 3337 Shoals Road, was encountered by officers Sunday during the trespassing incident at a Northridge Street location.

Reynolds was charged with second-degree trespassing and during a routine search as part of the arrest process allegedly was found with methamphetamine on his person.

He is accused of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, a felony, along with possession of drug paraphernalia, listed as a glass smoking device. Reynolds was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond and slated for an appearance in District Court this coming Monday.

• Zachary Lawrence McMillian, 42, of 607 Riverside Drive, was served with an outstanding warrant for a larceny charge after police responded to a domestic disturbance incident at that location last Saturday.

The charge had been filed on Dec. 23 through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office with Tanner Austin Lineberry as the complainant and no other details listed. McMillian is free on a written promise to appear in District Court on Jan. 18.

• Damage to municipal property occurred at Riverside Park on Dec. 28, when a stainless-steel wall-mounted trash can and a plastic jumbo bathroom tissue dispenser in a restroom were targeted.

The total damage was put at $150.

The local Daughters of the American Revolution has recognized key volunteers with the group and also announced the selection of DAR Good Citizens at area high schools.

This round of honors included Harry Downs, a Pilot Mountain resident, receiving the Community Service Award of the Jonathan Hunt Chapter of the Daughters of the American Resolution from Faye Haas, vice regent of the chapter based in Elkin.

Downs has been a long-term volunteer Good Citizen judge for that chapter.

Good Citizens are selected among the senior classes at area high schools as part of an initiative begun by the DAR in 1934. The DAR Good Citizens Award and Scholarship Contest seeks to encourage citizenship.

It has long recognized and rewarded high school seniors who possess the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism in their homes, schools and communities.

Students can choose to write an essay for the scholarship portion of the national DAR program.

Application essays are judged locally and at the district and state levels prior to winning applications being sent to the national DAR for final judging.

In addition to Downs, Brenda Barfield and Joyce Downs are judges for the Good Citizen program locally and were tapped to receive an award from the Jonathan Hunt Chapter.

Seniors named Good Citizens for 2022 also have been announced by Haas, highlighted by Avery Castle of Yadkin Early College being named as the chapter winner.

Her application will be sent for judging at the district and state levels and if she wins there it then advances to the national DAR for a chance to capture a $50,000 scholarship.

Others seniors chosen as DAR Good Citizens include Ava Utt of Millennium Charter Academy in Mount Airy, Allyn-Claire Simmons of North Surry High School, Calista Stone from East Surry High School, Anne O’Neal of Surry Central High School and Conner Allen, Elkin High School.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization for women whose membership is based on being direct descendants of persons involved in the United States’ efforts toward independence.

Along with working to preserve Revolutionary War history while promoting education and patriotism, the non-profit group sponsors activities on behalf of Native Americans.

In the game of tennis, love means nothing (a score of zero), but city government officials have served up plenty of good love to the girls championship team at Mount Airy High School.

This occurred Thursday night during a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners when the squad was honored for capturing the 1-A dual team state title in November. That marked the second state championship for the Lady Bears tennis players in as many years.

“It’s been a heck of a run and I couldn’t be prouder,” Head Coach Luke Graham said during a special program held for the team at the meeting. It included the reading of a resolution of recognition from city officials in honor of the girls’ success, an introduction of the players and special remarks from council members.

“This team has represented Mount Airy High School very well — and also this community,” Commissioner Phil Thacker said.

Thursday’s recognition marked the second time in recent weeks that the council has honored a state championship team from Mount Airy High. On Dec. 15, the school’s football team was celebrated for its 1-A title victory five days earlier in Raleigh.

Just as having a good serve or backhand can pay dividends in tennis, certain other qualities are needed to compete at a championship level, it was noted Thursday night.

“All of us have seen teams that had good players who didn’t win,” said Mayor Jon Cawley, who also has coached at Mount Airy High School. “But not the Lady Bears.”

Coach Graham was given much of the credit for their achievements by Cawley. “He has got them to perform at their best, match after match.”

That was evidenced by Mount Airy’s 5-0 win over Chatham Central in the November championship match in Burlington during which the Lady Bears did not lose a single set in individual competition.

While such a showing requires great talent, also “it takes a good leader,” Commissioner Thacker added in his compliments regarding the team.

Graham, however, was quick Thursday night to praise the players, whom he said possessed all the intangible qualities needed for a state championship in addition to their athletic skills. Just as any other sport, long days of practice and preparation produced that outcome.

“They came in and put the work in every single day,” Graham said of his players. They logged a won-loss record of 21-1 and went undefeated in Northwest 1-A Conference play this past season for the second year in a row.

The coach characterized them as the epitome of what the term student-athlete should be all about, praising their academic prowess along with that on the tennis court.

“GPA (grade point average)-wise, it’s got to be the smartest team at our school,” Graham declared during the meeting. “I’m probably the dumbest one on our team.”

He also stressed that the players possess a brand of self-discipline that has not required coaching them up in the traditional sense.

“I do not have to raise my voice with them too often.”

“It’s pretty amazing,” Commissioner Tom Koch said as the girls gathered in the council chamber, “state champions, smart and pretty.”

Koch added, “Nobody will ever take that away from you.”

In commending the tennis squad for its “outstanding job,” Commissioner Marie Wood said its legacy will last long into the future given the nature of that sport. “Tennis is something you can take with you the rest of your life.”

“It’s only just begun for you and Coach Graham,” Commissioner Deborah Cochran told the team, saying that as an educator she is impressed by its dual achievements in class and competition — which should benefit the group as community members going forward.

“The player who serves well rarely loses,” Cochran commented, quoting an old saying about life being similar to a game of tennis.

As someone who has been involved with coaching, Commissioner Chad Hutchens says he appreciates how the Bears’ tennis team has carried itself.

“I can understand your commitment,” Hutchens said, and how that has spelled back-to-back state championships that are important for Mount Airy as a whole.

“It means a lot.”

This is a resolution of recognition prepared in honor of the Lady Bears tennis team at Mount Airy High School winning the 1-A dual-team state championship — its second in a row — which was read during a meeting of the city commissioners Thursday night attended by players and their coach, Luke Graham:

WHEREAS, the Mount Airy High School women’s tennis team ended the 2022 season with a 21-1 record; and

WHEREAS, the Mount Airy High School women’s tennis team played at the highest level and finished with a 2022 NCHSAA (North Carolina High School Athletic Association) 1-A dual-team championship win over Chatham Central 5-0; and

WHEREAS, the Mount Airy High School women’s tennis team and their coach have demonstrated the teamwork and drive necessary to produce a winning season while showing commitment and dedication to their sport; and

WHEREAS, these players and their coach have helped create a positive image for their school, the city of Mount Airy and the surrounding communities:

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF MOUNT AIRY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS IN OPEN SESSION THAT:

Section 1. The mayor and Board of Commissioners do hereby commend the Mount Airy High School women’s tennis team, along with Head Coach Luke Graham, for their hard work, exceptional talent and success during this tennis season.

Section 2. The mayor and Board of Commissioners do hereby extend their heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for the continued success for each member and coach of the Mount Airy High School women’s tennis team in their future endeavors.

Section 3. The mayor and Board of Commissioners do hereby encourage all citizens to recognize the accomplishments of this tennis team.

Section 4. Mayor (Jon) Cawley is hereby authorized to present this resolution to the Mount Airy High School women’s tennis team on this 5th day of January, 2023.

In witness whereof, I have hereto set my hand and caused the seal of the city of Mount Airy to be affixed on this the 5th day of January, 2023.

Attested by Melissa N. Brame, city clerk

(The resolution will be in the permanent records of the municipality.)

Commissioner Larry Johnson scored a victory Tuesday night during the meeting of the board of county commissioners. Each board member represents a district and so each will, at times, take an especially vested interest in a particular issue facing their constituents.

Johnson has reminded his fellow board members repeatedly about the fire in 2018 that gutted Faith Baptist Church on Franklin Road in the Toast community of Mount Airy. He has been asking, and gently reminding from time to time that he has asked, for a solution to preventing such a fire again by adding a fire hydrant to the East side of Franklin Road.

On Thursday he told fellow board members that the City of Mount Airy had taken it upon itself to place a request for bid and had selected a contractor to lay not one, but two, new fire hydrants on the East side of Franklin Road. One of the two new hydrants will be located on the school grounds to protect the largest elementary school in Surry County from another such dangerous fire.

Greenfield Utility Construction LLC won with a low bid of $135,000 for a project Fire Marshal Jimmy Ashburn called a no-brainer. Johnson informed Mount Airy will continue to lead the effort, “They took it and run with it… and are willing to pay for it, and bill us half of it.”

Mount Airy and the county will split the cost of the project 50-50 with the county’s $67,500 being paid from the general contingency fund. Johnson thanked the city and the board for agreeing to remove this thorn from his side and protect the citizens in Toast.

More than a dozen agencies responded to the Faith Baptist fire with assets even crossing the line from Virginia. Franklin Elementary was examined for smoke damage and air quality before students were allowed back in for instruction.

Pastor Randy Edwards said at the time, “I don’t think there’s words really to describe all the emotions you’re going through at that time, it’s devastating.”

Johnson has been pushing for the new hydrant to prevent anyone else from the feeling of devastation Edwards referred to and has been monitoring the potential cost estimate as well. As with nearly everything else, the projection went up dramatically, but County Manager Chris Knopf also pointed out that a second hydrant had not been included in the quote before.

In other actions at the board meeting:

– Jessica Montgomery of the county’s public works department sent through a series of budgetary changes related to the constructions of the new detention center that needed board approval. Contractor HG Reynolds and Moseley Architects are overseeing the detention center construction. The firm sent four changes to cost projections on projects like waterline blow-offs and epoxy of floors/surfaces in the center’s shower rooms, and one price reduction to a fifth project.

The board of commissioners approved the five budget projection changes that added a total of $60,099 to the projects initial estimated total cost of $41 million. Completion of the project and opening of the facility are to happen this year, with firm dates yet to be announced.

– The Town of Elkin renominated Bill Golden to be the ETJ representative on the planning board and board of adjustments. The board approved his reappointment for another term upon the recommendation of Sarah Harris, Elkin’s town planner, which will run through December 2025.

– In county personnel moves, Samantha Ange, county health director, received approval to establish a new Public Health Nurse II position that will work in support of the WIC division. WIC is the colloquial name of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children that serves to help those who are at “nutritional risk.”

She said the nurse will help “provide services to meet the needs of Surry County residents and proved high quality health care and resources.” Ange is using creative staffing to fill this job as she told the board in her memorandum that finding a nutritionist to work for the health department has been challenging. The Public Health Nurse II role can be cross trained, providing some of the same services her department is lacking for not having a nutritionist on staff.

– Finally, a resolution sought by residents and faith-based leaders was presented to the board in the fall that seeks to have the county proclaim this a safe place for the unborn. Residents petitioned the board to consider the resolution that would proclaim Surry County as a sanctuary county for unborn children and take a stand against abortion, or murder as proponents of the resolution may choose it phrased.

Since the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June that changed the face of reproductive health and rewrote the laws on abortion in many states across the nation, some women have been seeking recourse by travelling across state lines to places where there are less stringent restrictions.

While there are restrictions, abortion is still legal in North Carolina until week twenty of a pregnancy. In July, Governor Roy Cooper by executive order decreed the state would not seek to prosecute women who cross into the state seeking an abortion and the resolution proposed to the county board seeks to plug that hole, at least in spirit.

Chairman Eddie Harris recalled that when last discussed all five commissioners expressed an interest in further discussion of the resolution “in some form or another.”

“This is the resolution in regard to the sanctity of life. I would ask the board members think about this, I think we really ought to have a unanimous vote on this. I am not going to let perfection be the enemy of good in this, I think if we’re going to do this – and I do support doing this – I think it ought to be a unanimous vote.”

He encouraged his colleagues to consider the resolution and offer comments to him. “Think about it, makes some notes in regard to what you can support, and can’t support, and bring those back to me,” he advised that during one of February’s meetings the board could consider the resolution as the public requested.

In October Harris said he was aware any such action by the county commissioners would be a non-binding resolution, but he said there is a benefit to the board, and therefore the county, taking such a stand, “It (the resolution) has no weight behind it, it would send a strong message.”

The Blue Ridge Girls will lead the Surry Arts Council celebration of Breaking Up Christmas on Saturday night, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. at the Historic Earle Theatre.

Across northwestern North Carolina and southwestern Virginia, the 12 days of Christmas have traditionally been celebrated with a generous amount of enthusiasm. Breaking Up Christmas is both a tradition and a song of the same name. Both have taken on a life of their own over the years from its beginnings as a celebration that bridges the gap between Christmas and the New Year, as well as a way to continue traditions.

The tradition refers to the 12 days from Christmas Day on Dec. 25 to the Epiphany or Old Christmas on Jan. 6 during which folks would travel from house to house for an ongoing celebration filled with music, friends, food, and dancing. The song is an old-time fiddle tune played during almost two weeks of festivities which holds its heritage from the area.

The annual celebration dwindled after World War II but was revived in the 1970s. The tradition lives on with festivities held in civic clubs and concert venues rather than traveling amongst several private homes. This year, Surry Arts Council strives to continue the tradition with The Blue Ridge Girls for a night full of music, fun and dancing at The Historic Earle Theatre that is aimed at being reminiscent of the old times.

The Blue Ridge Girls, like their name, invoke a picturesque simplicity with their take on traditional mountain music. The trio features Martha Spencer, Jamie Collins, and Brett Morris, and features a variety of old time, bluegrass and country songs, flatfooting to fiddle and banjo tunes, original songwriting, and unique takes on other familiar crowd-pleasers. All three women grew up in musical families and are working to preserve and promote the Blue Ridge’s rich musical heritage.

Breaking Up Christmas will be held at the Historic Earle Theatre in downtown Mount Airy on Saturdaystarting at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $12 for orchestra seating and $10 for balcony seating. Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org.

Chuck and Brenda Pierson have been in Mount Airy this week trying to solve a mystery.

The two have been in town celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary in a curious way — trying to find just where they were married.

The couple, Ohio natives who have lived in the Newport area of North Carolina since 2012, were just young adults — she was 18, he was 20 — when they planned a clandestine wedding more than five decades ago, as 1969 was drawing to a close. They put that plan in action just after the first of 1970 — the two hopped in a car, drove from Ohio to North Carolina, where they could marry without parental permission or a waiting period, and Mount Airy was the first city they found once they drove across the border.

Brenda Pierson said both sets of parents were not necessarily against their planned matrimony, but they wanted the two young lovers to slow down just a bit.

“We dated 19 days before he asked me to marry him,” she said. “That was a Thursday night. I told him ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll let you know.’”

The next evening she told him yes, but then their parents stepped in.

“Needless to say, after the short period of time we dated, neither set of parents were extremely pleased with it. They asked us to hold off to June. So, we started planning a June wedding,” she said.

That was in October 1969. By December, the two had decided waiting was not in the cards. With the help of a relative on each side of their families, the two planned to elope, but not tell anyone about their marriage, carrying on through the June wedding as if the marriage had never taken place.

As is often the case when two young folks drive off with what some might consider an impetuous plan — enacting that plan was fraught with obstacles.

“We planned to leave Ohio on Friday morning, to come to North Carolina to get married, and our bloodwork was delayed at the hospital in Ohio, we got a very late start,” Brenda Pierson said.

Chuck Pierson said once they were in Mount Airy, they stopped at the first store they saw to ask where the courthouse was so they could secure a marriage license, only to learn they had to drive to Dobson.

“We got into the courthouse, into the office to get our marriage license, I looked up at the clock and it was 5 til 5,” Brenda Pierson said. “We cut it very close. I didn’t think there was any way we would get a license that day.”

But they did, and then motored back to Mount Airy, stopping in some unremembered store to buy a Bible and a set of rings.

So the young couple found themselves with everything they needed to get married — except a minister or Justice of the Peace.

“We went looking for a church, but it was Friday, 6:30 or 7 at night,” she said.

Finally, the two stopped at a local pharmacy — and this is where the mystery begins.

“The owner was the pharmacist. We asked him if he knew where we might find the Justice of the Peace,” Barbara recalled when telling the story this week.

In a scene that would be very Mayberry-like, she said the owner laughed.

“So ya’ll want to get married? He’s (the justice of the peace) a friend of mine, I’ll call him and he’ll be right up.”

Sure enough, he was there in just a few minutes, and corralled a couple of his friends who happened to be shopping in the store at the time to be witnesses.

“We didn’t have a church, he (the justice of the peace) said ‘Let’s use the back of the store.’ I didn’t want to get married in a pharmacy, but I didn’t want to say no,” Brenda said. “I had imagined getting married in the living room of the justice of the peace, or at the courthouse, but not in a pharmacy.”

Still, the two went through with the service, and soon were Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Pierson.

Now, 53 years later, the couple has been back in town this week trying to find the building that served as their wedding chapel.

Their search has sent them to a number of places to check out older buildings — Holcomb’s Hardware, the current home of Surry Medical Ministries, and a few others, including a vacant building on the corner of Rockford and Worth streets.

Both of them thought that building looked familiar, until they discovered it was a former bus depot.

That sent them searching again, with few clues. Even on their marriage certificate they could glean little useful information — the hand-written signature of the magistrate, along with any information about where the wedding may have taken place, was illegible.

Amy Snyder, curator of collections at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, did a bit of sleuthing and discovered the name of the Justice of the Peace at that time — J. Earl Ramey. He worked at Granite City Insurance Agency, was secretary at Surry Milling Co. & Ice Plant and also served as the Justice of Peace.

She also landed on what might have been the wedding location, the former hospital pharmacy on Rockford Street across from Super Mercado Esmeralda — known as The Red Barn. That pharmacy building, unfortunately, was razed a few years ago for expanded parking space.

While it appeared the couple might not definitely learn where their marriage took place, the two decided to make one more stop in their search — at the Mount Airy Public Library. There, in a stroke of good luck, retired head librarian Pat Gwyn happened to be attending a book club meeting there. Learning of their search, Gwyn was able to direct them to some old Mount Airy telephone directories still on file at the library.

Utilizing those, the couple discovered while the building on the corner of Worth and Rockford had been a bus depot, its prior use was as Surry Pharmacy.

“Pat said it used to have a lunch counter and a few small booths,” Brenda Pierson said. “I remembered those.”

Standing outside the vacant building Wednesday, peering through the windows, she also pointed out a series of support poles inside. “I remember those. I think the pharmacy counter was there.”

Given that the couple is marking their 53rd anniversary, the quickie wedding seemed to suit the two. While relations between their two families were strained for a bit after everyone learned of the wedding — one of those relatives helping set it up apparently spilled the beans a couple of months later — Chuck Pierson said all involved became the best of friends, often vacationing and socializing together.

His younger sister even married Brenda’s younger brother a decade later, the two men spending their careers working in the same manufacturing plant, the two women spending their careers working in the same school system.

“Our kids are all double-first cousins,” he said, with Brenda chiming in that the entire extended family has remained close over the years.

But that one question, about where they were married, tugged at them.

Now, the two seem to have closure on that mystery.

“I didn’t think we were ever going to figure it out,” Chuck Pierson said Wednesday, standing outside the former pharmacy. “But it’s been worth it. I’m glad we finally figured it out.”

First it was the Bears’ state championship football team, and now the girls tennis squad at Mount Airy High School will receive official recognition by the city council for its like achievement.

It is unusual for athletic teams from the same high school to win state titles within the same academic year, and both the MAHS football and tennis teams pulled off that feat during the fall.

The football players and coaches were invited to City Hall before Christmas to be congratulated during a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting for their victory in North Carolina’s 1-A championship game against Tarboro on Dec. 10.

In November, the girls tennis team had captured its second-straight dual team championship in the state 1-A classification by defeating Chatham Central — not losing a single set in the process.

It will be recognized during a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners scheduled today at 6 p.m.

This is expected to include a resolution of recognition being read and presented in honor the Lady Bears’ latest championship under their coach, Luke Graham, along with special remarks offered by city council members.

When the football team was honored last month, players also got the chance to introduce themselves.

Mount Airy officials believe the state championships reflect well not only on the high school but the community as a whole through the example of teamwork and dedication that the players and coaches have demonstrated.

In addition to announcing plans to have the football and tennis teams come to City Hall for special recognition programs, officials declared Dec. 18 as “Mount Airy Bears Day” in the city.

A Parade of Champions also was held that day in which both teams were featured in a procession that left the school campus on North South Street and made its way to the downtown area to be greeted by appreciative fans.

The resolutions of recognition for the football and tennis teams will be permanent parts of the official governmental records for the city of Mount Airy.

Mount Airy officials are awaiting word on an application seeking American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding targeting a section of town hit by stormwater runoff problems over the years.

This involves a possible infrastructure improvement grant for the Aims Avenue area. It is a densely populated residential neighborhood in the northern section of Mount Airy, where Aims Avenue occupies a low-lying spot near the bottom of a hill off Hylton Street adjacent to Madison Avenue.

It is one of several areas in Mount Airy with longtime drainage problems. “And we hear about them frequently,” former city Public Works Director Jeff Boyles said at a March 2019 meeting.

The money for the proposed Aims Avenue improvements has been made available through the N.C. Division of Environmental Quality, which announced plans for awarding $82 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for such projects.

ARPA funding involves assistance provided by the federal government to help localities around the country recover from the pandemic. Earlier, Mount Airy received $3.2 million from that source to cover various other needs, with a chunk of that also allocated to aid the missions of local non-profit organizations after a rigorous selection process.

Meanwhile, a separate ARPA funding pool has been set aside for stormwater projects through a newly created Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investment program, according to Mitch Williams, the city’s present public works director.

Those funds are available for cities, counties, non-profit partners and other entities for construction and planning projects that will improve or create infrastructure for controlling stormwater quantity and quality.

The cost of the Aims Avenue work is estimated at $450,000 to $500,000, to cover rehabilitation/replacement of the existing stormwater infrastructure there. It is part of a multi-year storm-drainage capital improvement plan that also seeks to meet needs in other areas of town including on Franklin Street near a former Quality Mills site.

That plan cites projects with a total price tag of about $1.3 million, also including several for water/sewer rehabilitation.

WithersRavenel, a consulting engineering firm working on behalf of Mount Airy, was hired to submit an application for the possible stormwater improvement grant targeting the Aims Avenue area.

“There is no guarantee we’ll get it,” Williams said after the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted to approve the application submission in September, which city documents state could be in the form of a loan rather than a grant.

A check with the public works director in recent days revealed that the city hasn’t learned whether the funding request was approved.

Williams has said that the proposed project would not change the fact that Aims Avenue is in a zone susceptible to flooding during major weather events.

“But it may help with some of the smaller storms that happen, getting water out of the street quicker.”

• A crime involving two commodities much in the news these days — a catalytic converter and gasoline — was discovered last Thursday in Mount Airy, according to city police reports.

The incident targeted a 2009 Mazda owned by Haylie Michelle Bullock of Pipers Gap Road while it was parked at 1412 W. Pine St., the address for an unspecified business.

In addition to the catalytic converter being stolen from the vehicle, its fuel was removed, representing a total loss figure of $215. Property damage also was caused.

• Police were told on Dec. 28 that power tools and related property valued at $1,360 had been stolen from a toolbox on a vehicle, constituting a felonious larceny.

This occurred at the home of the victim, Carlos Alberto Espinal Gomez, on Durham Street, where the items were taken from his 2022 Dodge Ram pickup.

Included were three pieces of battery-powered Dewalt equipment, a Sawzall, drill and sander; a Bosch concrete drill; and eight DeWalt and Bosch batteries.

• Cody Dodson Jackson, 36, of 250 Cross Creek Drive, was jailed without privilege of bond for a charge of assault on a female after police investigated a Dec. 21 incident at that location.

Jackson is accused of pushing Monique Sheran Howlett to the ground, causing an injury, police records state.

He is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court next Monday.

• Israel Jacob Davis, 24, of 211 W. Oakdale St., was arrested on charges including possession of a stolen motor vehicle as the result of a Dec. 20 traffic stop on Newsome Street.

Davis was found to be the subject of an outstanding warrant for the vehicle-related offense, which had been filed on Dec. 16 through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office with no other details listed. He also was charged with driving while license revoked and littering in connection with the traffic stop and confined in the Surry County Jail under a $500 secured bond.

During that same encounter with police, Hailey Nichol Robinson, 37, of 1243 Brooklyn Ave., was charged with possessing up to a half-ounce of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Robinson is free on a written promise to be in District Court next Wednesday, when Davis also is slated to appear.

Another set of secretive economic development incentives was passed by the Surry County Board of Commissioner Tuesday evening. Project Denver will now join Project Cobra on the shelf as it waits for a companion incentives package to be debated by the Town of Elkin Board of Commissioners next week.

The county board was told a private company is proposing to make a direct investment of $6.4 million in property and equipment in Elkin. As per North Carolina general statute 158-7.1 a public hearing was called for so that residents could offer their thoughts on the proposed Project Denver.

Terms of Project Denver are for a five-year performance-based grant of $116,156.74 that will only be paid out upon the company’s completion of its investment and payment of property taxes.

Just as with Project Cobra, the identity of the company was not disclosed, “What I can tell you about the company is that it is a supplier to an existing industry cluster in the county,” County Manager Chris Knopf advised the board.

“Also, the company is looking at three states, three locations, this is one of them. So, this is a competitive project,” he added.

Richie Parker, the only speaker during the public hearing, spoke in favor of Project Denver on behalf of the Surry Economic Development Partnership, “SEDP supports the location of this new company in Elkin. The diversification of the business base is important to ensure that we have a strong and thriving local economy.”

He said the tract of land is suited for the company and would require no rezoning. “The proposed location is zoned for the land use, so the project aligns with the town’s long term development goals and future land use plan.”

He went on to offer a few tantalizing details that were enough to get the imagination of those in the gallery going with rampant speculation as to what the company may be. “This company will support an existing business cluster of the region and our primary economic develop strategy is to retain and grow existing businesses. This company will help with that strategy by strengthening the regional supply chain.”

Parker said a lot without giving away the farm and drew a few lines for the commissioners and residents alike to read between. “The new jobs created by this company will create economic opportunities for our citizens, and manufacturing jobs generate a higher economic multiplier than retail or service jobs.”

“This company’s impact will far exceed the direct jobs and investment by stimulating more economic output in the local economy and the incentive is performance based, so no funds expended until the investment is complete and begins paying taxes, plus the town and the county will receive new tax revenue from the company’s investment.”

Commissioner Van Tucker said that incentives are the way this business seems to get done nowadays. “These companies and their expansions, and new company startups, they are very highly sought amongst a lot of rural counties and municipalities in many states.

“It’s a proposition where they are expecting some type of incentives from the place where they will eventually reside. That’s what they’ve asked of us, and that’s the resolution we will be voting on,” he summarized.

Chairman Eddie Harris retraced some of his steps from the Project Cobra hearing and gave a short history lesson on the way in which incentives used to be done. “In the last twelve years economic incentive projects have been greatly scaled back, particularly in this county.”

He remembered again the Pittsburgh Glass incentives package. “That was an $8-9 million package, trimmed back to six, and then it went to four. They were required to hire 265 folks, and there was a lot of complicated parts and pieces to that, those days are long gone.”

“This one (Project Denver) is based on the investment the company does and they have to perform; they have to do what they say they are going to do. But, at any scale this is a very, very modest number and its indicative that the county supports bringing businesses to this community and job creation. I think it will pay taxpayers back many, many times.

“There are multiple locations in competing for this company,” the chairman continued “and I will say that in light of some of the comments I have heard recently about, ‘Well, how do we know what it is?’ These things are competitive in nature and some of the information proprietary,” he said, acknowledging some frustration of residents in a process that is pitting three communities against one another for this project.

“It just can’t happen in that order. I am about business succeeding on their own merit, and the free enterprise system, but I think this meets all the parameters of capitalism and free enterprise and furthermore that the county is supporting business and job creation, in particular small business. This would be classified as a small business under the definition by the standards.”

“We hope this business does move to Surry County and I think it’s a good thing for Elkin in particular,” he said in support of the measure before opening it to a vote which was passed unanimously.

The Elkin board will consider Project Denver on Jan. 9 at Elkin Town Hall located at 226 N. Bridge Street.

Officials at Shoals Elementary School recently announced the November Student Leaders of the Month.

“These students demonstrated the leadership attribute integrity,” school officials said. “We are so proud of these students for being honest, respectful, hardworking students in their classrooms and around school.”

The Surry Early College High School HOSA-Future Health Professionals club recently competed at the NC HOSA Regional Leadership Conference.

Fifteen students participated competing in several different categories. Nine out of the 15 placed in the top ten and will move on to participate in the NC HOSA State Leadership Conference in April.

Theses students who placed in the top ten, and their category, include:

– Ben Sain, second place biotechnology;

– Maddie Grimes and Saylor Jennings – third place CERT skills;

– Jordin Beasley and Angie Guarneros – top 10 CPR/first aid;

– Fayonna George – third place epidemiology;

– Addison Southern – top 10 human growth and development;

– Hadie Guarneros-Montoya – top 10 medical law;

– Jasmin Ruiz-Vazquez – first place medical spelling.

When is the best time to conduct public meetings on matters affecting taxpayers which takes the interests of everyone concerned into account?

For now, the prescribed time for the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners is 6 p.m. two days each month, under a revised schedule that will go into effect beginning with the board’s next meeting this Thursday.

The city council has regularly been convening at 2 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month and 6 p.m. on the third Thursday.

But when last gathering on Dec. 15, officials decided to alter that by holding both monthly meetings at 6 p.m.

This was suggested by Mayor Jon Cawley in response to a recent changing of the guard with three new commissioners coming aboard as a result of the November election. Two of those members, Deborah Cochran and Chad Hutchens, have day jobs out of town, while the third, Phil Thacker, is retired from a local industry.

The two others on the five-member board, Tom Koch and Marie Wood, also are retired.

Cawley reasoned that eliminating the 2 p.m. meeting in favor of a night session would better accommodate members who typically are at work during the afternoon.

However, Hutchens, a North Ward commissioner who is employed by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, said his schedule shouldn’t matter.

“I don’t want to change the time for me,” Hutchens advised his fellow council members.

“I’ll make it work,” he said of the afternoon meeting time and the juggling of his schedule to accommodate that. “I’ll make it work regardless.”

Yet the group decided as a whole to go the 6 p.m. route for both meetings each month, which reflects concerns for other stakeholders.

In saying he wouldn’t object to maintaining the 2 p.m. session, Hutchens referred to municipal employees who might be attending for some reason. They obviously favor the daytime meetings to better fit their schedules as opposed to returning in the evening after work.

“We also have to remember the public,” Mayor Cawley reminded. “And for years I have heard that the public did not like our two o’clock meeting,” especially if there were matters of special interest to citizens on the agenda.

Time demands have necessitated public hearings being conducted during the first-Thursday meeting, yet those sessions are always moved to 6 p.m. to address the very concern cited by Cawley.

City Manager Stan Farmer pointed out that the scheduling change will be accompanied by giving municipal staff members the option of not attending the evening meetings unless there is some business pertaining to their areas of responsibility.

“Some department heads like to come even if they don’t have anything,” Farmer added.

Cawley mentioned that the origin of the 2 p.m. time dates to when he was an assistant football coach at Mount Airy School and the team’s practices conflicted with the evening start time. “We weren’t done in time for me to get here,” he said of rushing to City Hall.

Originally, plans called for the 2 p.m. meetings to be only work sessions with no votes taking place.

“But it wasn’t long until we were voting at two o’clock,” Cawley recalled, which usually occurred due to some action being needed which couldn’t wait until the third-Thursday session.

“The speed of life right now,” the mayor said in offering a reason for this.

Altering the meeting time requires formal action involving the Mount Airy Code of Ordinances, the council was advised at the Dec. 15 meeting by City Clerk Nicki Brame. “We need to change the ordinance if we’re going to change the time of the meeting,” she explained.

The board officially recessed its Dec. 15 meeting until the next one this Thursday night, when a vote on the time shift is expected.

As part of the same discussion, Commissioner Wood suggested that officials consider altering the standard agenda for the meeting being moved to 6 p.m. as a way to shorten that session.

Wood said this could include not conducting a public forum for citizens to speak on issues and eliminating a time set aside for city officials to offer general remarks — focusing “just on the business at hand that needs to be done.”

“I am not in favor of changing certain elements of our meeting,” the mayor responded. “We might run into a problem if we start trying to limit elected officials’ ability to be able to speak.”

Wood had successfully lobbied for council members’ comments to be eliminated during a meeting held right before the municipal election on Nov. 8.

The other members agreed to that move, including Koch calling it “an excellent idea” — which Wood said was a way to avoid politics being injected into those comments.

Wood later said she was not in favor of this becoming a permanent change, explaining that the early November bypassing of remarks “was just a one-time thing.”

Meanwhile, Cawley said the board will return to the 2 p.m. meeting time if the change to 6 p.m. proves problematic.

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