The following divorces were granted in Surry County:
– Deborah Ann Angel and Joseph Tinsley Angel; granted on Feb. 23.
– Keith Austin Jones and Whitney Elizabeth Jones; granted on Feb. 23.
– Teddy Jackson Hash and Candy Necol Hash; granted on Feb. 23.
– Kevin Enrique Santiago Padilla and Danyelle Gregory; granted on Feb. 23.
– Margo Renee Collins and Gary Brandon Collins; granted on Feb. 23.
– Charles Willard Haney II and Felicia Renee Sexton Haney; granted Feb. 23.
– Rebecca Plott and Phillip Plott; granted on Feb. 23.
– Robin Brewer Porter and Terry Lee Porter; granted on Feb. 23.
– David S. Baker and McKenzie T. Royal; granted on Feb. 23.
Area’s first co-working space opens in city
Rebel Good, an Elkin resident since 1970, best known as the publisher of The Tribune from 1978 to 2007, was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Association’s Hall of Fame on Jan. 28 at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.
The honor recognizes Good’s career as a tennis umpire, as well as his longtime editorship of the United States Tennis Association’s rulebook and manuals for officials, and the “Court of Appeals” column in Tennis magazine.
Good, 73, began his officiating career in 1985 when the USTA relocated a low-level professional tournament to Elkin and its newly created hard courts at Elkin Municipal Park. At the time, Elkin was the smallest town in the United States to host a USTA event. It needed officials, however, and Good, then the 36-year-old publisher of The Tribune, signed up to help.
From there he embarked upon a nearly 40-year career that included assignments at the United States Open, annually, over five decades; two Olympics (Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996); the top events of the Women’s Tennis Association and the Association of Tennis Professionals, in the United States; as well as the administration of collegiate tennis championships for the West Coast Conference, the Southern Conference, the Colonial Athletic Association, and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Good, who was also named to the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, was inducted to the N.C. Tennis Hall of Fame along with three others: Jeff Joyce of Asheville, a longtime organizer, promoter, and advocate for the sport throughout the state; Cliff Skakle, a former tennis professional and four-time ACC champion for North Carolina under his father, Don Skakle (also an N.C. Tennis Hall of Fame member); and Sam Paul, the current head coach of the UNC men’s tennis team and the winningest tennis coach in the ACC.
There are now 111 members of the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, which is located at the Harold T. and Mildred Southern Tennis Center, 2708 Henry Street, in Greensboro.
WALNUT COVE – After sweeping Mount Airy in convincing fashion during the regular season, No. 2-ranked South Stokes had its hands full against MAHS during the second round of the NCHSAA State 1A Playoffs.
After trailing by two at halftime, the Sauras overcome the Bears 61-47 by outscoring the visitors 32-16 in the second half.
“We struggled to score in the second half,” said Bears coach Bryan Hayes. “Their pressure is tough and we were down a couple of guys who are big parts of who we are, but [we] struggled to get shots off, struggled making shots when we got them off, and we missed a lot in the paint and some open jumpers.
“But I am so proud of my guys. To be undermanned, and only have eight guys to compete against a really, really good South Stokes team, I’m proud of them.”
Mount Airy (12-14) started quick and outscored South Stokes 13-8 in the first quarter behind Caleb Reid’s inside presence.
Reid added five more points in the second quarter helping the visitors to a 31-29 half time lead. The Bears defense held Barry Hairston Jr. scoreless in the first quarter, but the junior added eight in the second to help his team to a 21-point quarter that closed the gap on Mount Airy’s lead.
Hairston continued his hot hand in the third quarter with 10 more points and helped his team take a 48-41 advantage heading into the last quarter of play.
South Stokes extended its lead in the fourth by outscoring Mount Airy 13-6. The Sauras defense only allowed 16 second half points against the Bears.
Hairston led the Sauras with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Teammates Ethan Moran and Isiah Lash scored 14 and 11 points in the effort, respectively.
Reid and Mario Revels each scored 12 for the Granite Bears. Reid led Mount Airy in rebounds with eight.
“Our guys have believed in us, they trusted the system, and have done everything we’ve asked them to do,” said Hayes. “We definitely have played some good basketball over the last few weeks of the season. I’m proud of them and the growth the guys have made though the season.”
South Stokes followed its win over Mount Airy by winning its 18th consecutive game, taking down No. 7 Bessemer City 70-62. The Sauras (25-4) will host No. 3 Eastern Randolph in the fourth round on Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
MA: Mario Revels 12, Caleb Reid 12, Carson Hill 8, Logan Fonville 7, Jourdain Hill 4, Taeshon Martin 2, Ethan Clabo 2,
SS: Barry Hairston Jr. 22, Ethan Moran 14, Isiah Lash 11, Jonah Fie 4, Brendon Bradford 4, Larsen Gallimore 3, Carson White 3
• Jewelry valued at more than $400 was targeted during a recent theft at Walmart, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.
The crime, reported on Feb. 17, involved a known party “defeating” an anti-theft device at the store earlier in the month to steal merchandise including two 10-karat jewelry sets, two pieces of gold-filled crucifix jewelry, three items of 18-karat gold-plated jewelry, a 14-karat yellow-gold piece and a 14-karat medal. The property is valued at $434 altogether.
While a known party is said to have committed the theft, no charges had been filed in the case at last report.
• A break-in and larceny involving a motor vehicle occurred on Feb. 17 in the parking lot of the Roses shopping center on West Independence Boulevard, where a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox owned by Kimberly Marlana Maracic was entered while unlocked.
A Marc Jacobs tote bag, a Chanel bag containing unspecified items, a gray in color Moto G cell phone and a Blu tablet were listed as stolen, with the total value of the property put at $470.
• Multiple vehicles were entered at Golden Corral on the night of Feb. 17, when a blunt object was used to break windows and steal items from inside including a Craftsman four-piece power tool combination valued at $280, an undisclosed sum of money and a black and red pocketbook valued at $30.
A 2014 Chevrolet Malibu owned by Greta Houchins Payne of Stuart, Virginia, was targeted along with a Ford F-150 pickup and a Nissan Sentra, with model years not given. Annie Hughes Collins of Jonesville also is listed as a victim of the incident.
Last week the Surry County Board of Commissioners heard a concern during open forum on the conduct of dogs in the area and specifically whether or not there should be additional rules in place regarding dogs who are off leash and not being handled by their owner.
Betty Fellows told the board she has had more than one close encounter with a large dog in her neighborhood. “Over the past 23 months I have had four aggressive dog incidents in my neighborhood, three in my own yard,” she explained.
“All four times this almost 100 pound dog was at large off the leash and not controlled, and the dog is not controlled by voice commands from the owner,” she said.
These incidents have led her to believe that there needs to be tougher laws or regulations that can help control the behavior of what she terms “aggressive dogs.”
She referred to the state statues on a potentially dangerous dogs which are defined, in part, as one who, “Approached a person when not on the owner’s property in a vicious or terrorizing manner in an apparent attitude of attack.” Fellows said this fits her example perfectly as the dog in question was for most of these incidents in her own yard.
“Our county and our state need stricter and tougher laws to protect all citizens from aggressive uncontrolled dogs, and I advocate from personal experience,” she said before laying out the details of the incidents she has had with this particular canine.
She said like many, she is a dog lover and has had dogs of varying sizes. “I love dogs, I’ve owned dogs and big dogs too, but they were trained, they were controlled, and they obeyed,” she said.
The concern with the neighborhood dog is its size and that it would overpower her own older dog. She asked the board to consider if a child had been at play when one of these incidents had occurred, at least one of which produced a bite to her own dog.
Fellows said she and other residents in the neighborhood like to be out and about on foot, but she knows that some people are not walking that way to avoid the dog. “That dog is controlling our neighborhood, and no dog is paying taxes,” she said.
Her husband Don expressed concern that their attempts at recourse have not yielded much. “I’m concerned that when all I was told is to take pictures and all you’re going to do is get a fine, and what happens next time? You get another fine, maybe more, but is that really a deterrent?”
Don said when people get caught speeding they may go to something like traffic court and then driving school. He wondered if there could be some sort of penalty for dog owners who cannot control their dogs that could end up with obedience training. He made it clear that taking someone’s dog is not his goal.
Betty said, “We as a county have to have stricter law to protect citizens… my neighborhood is held hostage because this dog is not controlled by the owner.”
A local resident with a history of violence will be spending at least 25 years in prison for a murder conviction in Wilkes County earlier this month.
Tyler Blake Daughenbaugh, 24, of 909 Hunter Drive, Mount Airy, who also has lived in the Zephyr community near Elkin, pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge in Wilkes Superior Court on Feb. 13, according to media reports from Wilkesboro.
Daughenbaugh originally had been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of James “Jimmy” Leroy Conley, 53, who was found dead in his yard in the Pleasant Hill community just west of Elkin on June 13, 2021.
The Mount Airy man was arrested two days later by law enforcement personnel from both Wilkes and Surry counties. They took Daughenbaugh into custody without incident while he was on a riding lawn mower in a wooded area near his home, according to media reports.
He is said to have been an acquaintance of Conley’s who shot the Wilkes man because Conley’s name was similar to that of another person who Daughenbaugh thought had molested his daughter and lived in another area.
Daughenbaugh’s sentencing for second-degree murder resulted from a plea agreement in which he also admitted guilt for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon during the incident. He drew an active sentence of 25 to 31 years and was transported from Wilkes County to Central Prison in Raleigh on Feb. 20, according to state penal records.
The Mount Airy Police Department, Carroll County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation assisted Wilkes County authorities in the case.
The June 2021 shooting in eastern Wilkes was not the first violent incident in which Daughenbaugh has been involved, based on previous local reports.
Less than a year before, in July 2020, Daughenbaugh had been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, after allegedly shooting Wesley Dale Hall, 27, during an argument at the latter’s home in the Dobson area.
The argument was over personal property, investigators said, with Hall being wounded in the mid-t0-upper torso, deemed non-life-threatening.
Daughbenbaugh was jailed under a $200,000 secured bond in that case.
This occurred four months after Daughenbaugh had been released from prison on Surry County charges of speeding to elude arrest, failure to heed lights/siren and felony possession of a firearm by a convicted felon which had been filed in 2018.
However, there is no conviction record for the Mount Airy man on the assault case involving Hall, which apparently was dismissed or he was found not guilty in court.
Daughenbaugh’s conviction record — among various drug, larceny, weapons and other cases — does include a felony charge of assault, inflicting serious injury issued in July 2016. It stemmed from a domestic dispute in Mount Airy.
United Fund of Surry and Funding for Good will be hosting a leadership education series beginning with “Fundraising for Success: What nonprofits need to know to move from research to results.” The classes will be held on March 1-2. The seminars will be held at the viticulture building at Surry Community College in Dobson.
“On the first day we will focus on how to craft a written fundraising plan and how to implement effective fundraising strategies with your board,” said Melissa Hiatt, executive director of United Fund of Surry. “Day two will focus on grant writing and effective grant research.”
The seminars will help participants understand the kinds of roles that board members can play in development and fundraising, and how to determine if your organization is prepared to apply for grant funding.
Featured speakers for the leadership education series will be Mandy Pearce and Marie Palacios from Funding for Good.
The workshop is free, and lunch will be provided.
Space is limited to 40 people and registration is first come, first served.
To register for the workshop visit http://www.unitedfundofsurry.org/nonprofit-bootcamp
North Surry’s storybook season came to a close on Feb. 25 with an 85-82 overtime loss to Lincoln Charter.
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 35-12 lead in the first half, but there was a lot of basketball still to be played. Lincoln Charter’s Kelan Flowers scored 19 of his 26 points across the fourth quarter and overtime to tie the score at 72 at the end of regulation.
The Eagles started overtime by taking their first lead since the first, then held on to that lead through the entirety of the four-minute period. A 3-pointer from North’s Jackson Smith cut the lead the one with five seconds to play, but Flowers hit both his double-bonus free throws with 0.2 seconds on the clock to secure the win.
“There were eight teams left in the west, and we knew all eight were capable of making it to the state championship,” said North Surry coach Tyler Bentley. “With a pretty even level of talent across the board you have to bring your A-game every night and the ball has to bounce your way sometimes.
“We had a heck of a season and had times where the ball bounced our way. It just didn’t tonight, and we lost to a very well-rounded team that played a really good game.”
North Surry finishes the season 27-3 overall. No. 8 Lincoln handed No. 1 North its first loss to a 2A opponent since the 2A West Regional Championship in March 2022. Mount Tabor (26-3), who went on to earn the 2-seed in the 4A West, was previously the only team to defeat North Surry this season, doing so in the championship game of the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic.
In the past two seasons, North Surry: won 50 games while only losing seven, won back-to-back regular season championships in the Foothills 2A Conference with an undefeated record, won back-to-back conference tournament championships, reached at least the Sweet 16 both years and finished 2A West Regional Runner-up in 2021-22.
“We talked about it in the locker room after the game that, yes, our goal was to be in the state championship game and win a title, but just because we didn’t make it that far doesn’t take away from all we accomplished,” Bentley said. “When the dust settles, I hope the guys can appreciate the incredible run we had. You just don’t see this type of success that often.”
Lincoln Charter (24-11) advances to the Elite Eight after winning its 17th consecutive game. The Eagles will travel to No. 4 East Gaston (25-2) on Feb. 28.
The Eagles led 7-5 in the first quarter before the home Greyhounds scored 30 of the game’s next 35 points. Lincoln Charter began a steady comeback through the remainder of regulation, cutting the lead to eight by halftime and four by the end of the third quarter.
“I thought for the first half we really executed our game plan that we had prepared and jumped out to a good lead,” Bentley said. “When you’re in the playoffs, no one is going to lay down and just hand it to you. We knew they were going to fight back, especially given their experience in nonconference play.”
North Surry played 29 games through the third round of the playoffs. This was tied for the second-most in the 2A West behind only Lincoln Charter, who competed in its 35th game of the year when facing North – the most of any team in the NCHSAA.
“They played a lot of really talented private schools, including a lot of players going to Power 5 schools, during November while a lot of the schools around here were still playing football,” Bentley said. “Playing against those great teams definitely gave them resiliency and taught them stay composed through anything, so we knew it wasn’t going to be a sure thing even up that much.”
A 3-pointer from Joseph Bruce tied the score at 59 with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter, marking the game’s first tie since 7-7. Elijah Burnett, who recorded a 13-point, 11-assist double-double for the Eagles, assisted on Bruce’s triple.
The Greyhounds countered the 3-pointer with an 8-2 run. Kam McKnight hit a pair of free throws to begin the run, then James McCreary picked up a steal and finished on the other end. McCreary picked the Eagles’ pocket once again and found Kolby Watson in transition, then did the same with Jahreece Lynch with 3:19 to play.
McCreary, Watson and Lynch combined for 63 of North Surry’s points, while Crawford and Flowers combined for 53 of Lincoln Charter’s total.
“They had some of the quickest, most athletic guards we’ve faced this season,” Bentley said.
Down 67-61, Flowers scored the next five points for the Eagles to make it a one-possession game. Flowers scored 13 of his 26 in the fourth quarter, then added six in overtime.
“We did a good job defending him (Flowers), for the most part, through the first three quarters,” Bentley said. “He just went off in the fourth.”
Lynch attacked the basket to make it 71-66 Greyhounds.
The Eagles missed their chance to score and match Lynch’s drive, but a steal from Crawford set the senior up with an easy layup in transition. Watson missed for the Hounds on the other end, which allowed Burnett to find Flowers open in the lane and cut the lead to 71-70. North left the door open after Watson went 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
“It’s not that we made bad turnovers, just turnovers at bad times,” Bentley said. It was the same with our free throw shooting: we didn’t shoot terrible overall, but we just missed them at bad times.”
Crawford scored the game-tying layup with 4.5 seconds to play, after which North used its final timeout of regulation. Crawford stole the inbounds pass and heaved up a 3-point shot at the buzzer that landed off target.
Lincoln won the tip in overtime and held possession for nearly 90 seconds. Flowers scored a floater for the visitors, but McCreary went to the line for the double bonus 10 seconds later. McCreary missed his first foul shot, but a portion of fans in Ron King Gymnasium claimed a whistle was blown as McCreary shot. The senior missed his second attempt, and the group of fans once again complained of a whistle and pointed to one side of the bleachers.
Play continued and Flowers hit two more free throws to extend the lead to four. North’s Cam Taylor responded with a 3-pointer, then Crawford went 2-for-2 from the line.
McCreary returned to the free throw line down 78-75 with 1:06 to play. He made his first attempt, and this time the officials also heard the sound of a whistle coming from the stands. The game was briefly paused as an announcement was made in the gym. McCreary then missed his second free throw.
Bruce hit a jump shot to make it 80-76, then the Eagles turned a missed 3-pointer from the Hounds into two more points from the foul line after grabbing the defensive rebound.
Lincoln Charter finished plus-11 on the boards in Saturday’s game. North Surry had 10 rebounds in the first quarter, then combined for just 13 the rest of the game. This included just one rebound in the fourth quarter and two in overtime.
McKnight hit a 3-pointer to make it 82-79, then Burnett went 1-of-2 from the line. North turned the ball over with less than 30 seconds on the clock, but Flowers missed both his double bonus shots the next time down. Taylor rebounded for North Surry and set Smith up for a 3-pointer with five seconds to play.
North Surry made 3-of-4 3-point attempts in overtime after shooting 4-of-11 from deep during regulation.
The Eagles let the clock run down before inbounding to Flowers, who was fouled with 0.2 seconds left to play. The senior scored his 25th and 26th points to put the game on ice as North wouldn’t have time to get a shot up.
McCreary led North Surry in two categories by finishing with 25 points and four steals, also tacking on six assists and four rebounds. Taylor had nearly half of the Greyhounds’ rebounds with nine, while also leading the team in assists with nine and blocks with two. Watson and Lynch each added four assists, and McKnight had one.
The Hounds finished with more assists, 24, than rebounds, 23.
Crawford scored a game-high 27 points and led his team in steals with five. Cairo Morales led the Eagles with nine rebounds despite fouling out midway through the fourth quarter, followed by Flowers with eight boards and David Reed with six.
Burnett’s 11 assists tied his career high.
‘It’s been a great ride’
“The big thing we try to tell our kids is that it is hard to cherish moments while you’re in them,” Bentley said. “We tried to make a conscious effort to stress that during the season. We’re spoiled with the support we have, ranging from our fans, parents, students, administration and community. A lot of people don’t have that.
“These players brough some camaraderie to our community and brought people together. Of course people show up when you’re winning games, but our community came out every night and took an interest in these kids.
Bentley added that the Hounds served as role models in the community – whether they knew it or not.
“It’s so cool to see the stands packed every night, especially with kids from the youth leagues that really look up to our players,” Bentley said. “We hold kids camp during the summer and have had really good groups the past few years. Our current players serve as the coaches for camp, and that’s where these relationships started. Credit goes to these players for their actions and how they carry themselves on and off the floor.”
The Greyhounds were led by nine seniors, many of whom have been with the varsity program for three or more years.
“We kind of grew up together since many of these guys have been with me since my second year here,” Bentley said. “Most of them have played together forever. This is the end of an era for them, but I know they’re going to have success in everything they do – both in sports and in life.
“I’m really proud to have coached this group and been a part of this great ride.”
Two of North Surry’s seniors finish their high school careers ranked in the top five in school history for career points. Kevin Strickland tops the list with 2,031 points, followed by Lynch with 1,815, Mason Hawks with 1,512 and McCreary with 1,497.
“Just imagine what James, Jahreece and Kolby could’ve done had they played a full season as sophomores,” Bentley said of the 2020-21 Covid-shortened season.
McCreary averaged 19.6 points in 11 games as a sophomore, while Lynch averaged 19.3 in eight games that year. Both scored more than 600 points this season.
Watson finished just below the 1,000-point mark with 893. He averaged 10.5 in 11 games during the Covid season.
North Surry was much more than a three-man band, though.
“What made these guys so good was their unselfishness and how they played together as a team,” Bentley said. “Yeah, we had three primary scorers, but the guys’ ability to step up and do a job every night was amazing. [Starters] Jackson and Cam may not have eye-popping numbers every night, but they’re invaluable to our success. Defense, rebounding, passing, scoring when needed, leadership, you name it.
“There were even guys on our bench that would’ve started for most teams. Most of these guys have played together forever, so their chemistry was never an issue.”
Bentley said the seniors will be missed after their all-time great run for the program, and that he’s also looking forward to future teams continuing that tradition.
“It’s been a great ride,” Bentley said. “It’ll be a very different team next year, but the culture stays the same. We’ve got a lot of talented young players ready to step up.
“I’m optimistic for the future, but for now I just want to say thank you to these seniors for all they’ve done for this community and North Surry High School.”
LC: Xavier Crawford 27, Kelan Flowers 26, Elijah Burnett 13, Joe Bruce 13, David Reed 4, Kasey Hudson 2
NS: James McCreary 25, Kolby Watson 19, Jahreece Lynch 19, Kam McKnight 10, Jackson Smith 5, Cam Taylor 4
A local teen who was listed in critical but stable condition after being shot early Friday morning is improving.
The victim, whose name was not released by investigators but is said to be a 16-year-old sophomore at Mount Airy High School, has been able to talk since undergoing surgery, according to sources relaying progress reports from his family.
However, he is not able to walk normally as yet although the youth has taken a few steps while recovering from the incident in which he was shot in the stomach by another juvenile believed to be an older cousin.
A prayer vigil was held Sunday night for the local student who was at a location outside the city limits when injured.
The victim was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem after being found by county deputies responding to a call about the shooting around 1:40 a.m. Friday in the 200 block of Woodbridge Drive, Mount Airy. It is located off Pipers Gap Road.
Although the male cousin who allegedly committed the crime initially was thought to be an adult, he actually is also a juvenile, according to the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. Names of both individuals therefore have not been released.
A juvenile petition was issued on the alleged perpetrator for assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill, inflicting serious injury. He was taken into custody on the day of the shooting, according to Maj. Scott Hudson, who was unsure Monday if the youth was still being held.
While the Surry Sheriff’s Office has not released circumstances behind the shooting, sources say it was part of an ongoing dispute between the two individuals which also had involved a fistfight between them recently.
That led up to the altercation early Friday, according to sources.
The teen wounded is described as well liked by his classmates and industrious, including holding down an after-school job.
At last report the shooting was listed as an active investigation by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, which has received assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation.
Gentry Middle School recently named Heather Grant, who teaches eighth grade social studies, as the 2023 Teacher of the Year.
She has worked at Gentry Middle School for the past ten years and has also taught at Chestnut Grove Middle School. She majored in History and secondary education in college and has enjoyed teaching for the past 17 years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who brings history to life for her students on a daily basis with hands-on, engaging lessons.
The day of Saint Matthias was Friday, Feb. 24. Something very important is said to occur on his special day. On this day, the sap in the maples, hickories and mighty oaks is supposed to begin its long journey from the ground to the trunks, limbs and branches. As the sap makes the journey up the trees, it’s time for us to get out the pots and containers and clean them up, and replace hangers on the hanging baskets. You can also purchase vegetable seed and be ready to plant them when the season arrives. If you are curious about who Saint Matthias is, we know him as the disciple who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles.
Signs of a productive year of dogwoods
As we reach the last days of February, a limb check of the dogwoods trees reveal plenty of tiny bud tips that promise plenty of blooms in early April and the up coming season of Easter. As February comes to an end, some trees are showing hints of life and some of the maples have tiny buds as the sap slowly begins its rise up the tree trunks. We will gain an extra hour of daylight in two weeks as Daylight Savings Time returns. That extra hour of daylight, added to the extra minute of daylight we will receive each evening until June 21, will really help with the cool weather vegetable planting as we move on into the month of March. It’s not very hard to get used to that.
As February winds down, set out those onion sets
The weather in late February may be frightful, but if the soil is not frozen onion sets can be planted in the garden. Most hardwares have onion sets in stock, and you can choose from yellow, red, and white onion sets. They are sold by the pound. Even though the soil is cold, onions will thrive in winter soil. Prepare a furrow about five or six inches deep and apply a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow. Place the onion sets about three or four inches apart with the root side down and apply another layer of peat moss on top of the onion sets. Spread an application of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food on top of the second layer of peat moss. Hill up soil on each side of the furrow and tamp the soil down with the hoe blade for solid contact with the soil. Keep soil hilled up to the onion sets as they sprout and grow. Keep them side-dressed with Plant-Tone every three weeks and hill it into the soil.
Chickweed and Bermuda grass; opposites
Bermuda grass and chickweed are perennial weeds in the garden and both grow in the winter garden plot, but they are opposite in their growth patterns. The chickweed has shallow roots and grows in shallow ground. It is easy to pull up and get rid of. The Bermuda grass has a root system that runs deep into the soil and may reach a foot or more in length. Winter is the best time to pull it up by the long roots and throw it out of the garden, or better yet, place the roots in the garbage bin. The best way to get rid of any weeds is by pulling them up by the roots and throwing them out of the garden. Don’t use chemicals or weed killers in the vegetable garden.
Using some water wisdom in 2023
Whether we have any drought conditions in the 2023 garden this year or not, we still need to exercise water wisdom. There are many methods to use wisdom in the use and conservation of water. We can use water wisdom by applying a layer of peat moss in the bottom of furrows before sowing seeds and then applying another layer of peat moss on top of the seed before applying plant food. Peat moss is a good organic product that promotes moisture retention and improves soil texture. Keeping soil hilled up to plants as they grow also helps moisture retention in the row and gives plants more support as they grow.
When applying water, use a water wand in spray mode and apply water to the rows and not the middle of the rows. A water wand is a great water saving product that has many adjustable settings that range from shower, mist, stream, and full. Mulch plants with layers of hay, leaf or straw mulch and compost to hold in moisture. Use natural or organic foods instead of pelletized chemical fertilizers. Use liquid plant foods that you add water to before applying. Use several five gallon plastic buckets and collect rain water and use it in a spray can to water the rows. Keep lids on the buckets to protect water from evaporating until you need it. Water only when no moisture can be felt in the row and place water directly in the row and on the plants only. Every time a thunderstorm puts down a lot of rain, collect some rain in five gallon buckets because this water when applied in dry conditions in the garden. It will perk up the plants because this water is charged energy generated by a thunderstorm.
Stock up on organic Holly-Tone plant food
As we get closer to spring, build up your supply of the Holly-Tone family of organic plant, vegetable, and flower foods to boost your garden into an abundant season of production. Notice that we said food, not fertilizer. Gardens need to be fed not fertilized. The Holly-Tone organic family has been producing organic plant, flower, and vegetable foods for 94 years. You can purchase it in four- and ten-pound bags. A four-pound bag costs around $10. The four-pound bags are easier to handle in the garden. Their zippered bags makes them easy to apply and place the plant food directly into the furrows and rows with no smell or mess. You can choose from Holly-Tone, evergreen organic plant food, Rose-Tone organic rose food ,Tomato-Tone organic tomato food, Garden-Tone plant and herb food, Plant-Tone organic vegetable food and Flower-Tone organic flower food. These are all fine-textured organic foods that are easily absorbed into the soil for a quick response from plants, vegetables, and flowers. An application of a little bit goes a long way toward a productive harvest. It can also be easily side-dressed into the soil to feed vegetables all during the garden season.
Making a creamy smooth millionaire cake
Mix one Duncan Hines white cake mix according to directions on the box. Bake in a 13x9x2 baking pan sprayed with Pam spray. Use these other ingredients to make the cake: one eight ounce box of cream cheese, one cup milk, one box Jello vanilla instant pudding mix, one 20 ounce can crushed pineapple (drained), one tub of Cool Whip, four ounces of chopped pecans, small jar of red maraschino cherries, and one teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat softened cream cheese with half cup of milk until smooth. Add the instant pudding mix and half cup milk. Beat until smooth. Spread on top of the cooled cake. Spread the crushed pineapple and cherry halves on the pudding layer. Spread the Cool whip on top and sprinkle nuts on top of the cake. Place in refrigerator one hour or overnight. (Add the vanilla to the pudding mix).
Halo around a moon during the winter
As we reach the end of February, there is still a possibility of some snow. Even in March we can receive some hefty snow. Keep an eye on the full or near full moon. If it has a halo around it count the visible stars inside the halo. This could indicate the number of days before we can see some snow.
“Bad Listeners.” Marriage Counselor: “Do you enjoy talking to each other?” Married couple: “Oh yes, we enjoy talking to each other all right, but our problem is listening to each other.”
“Happily Ever After.” Wife: “Now that looks like a happy married couple.” Husband: “Don’t be too sure, my dear, they may be saying the same thing about us!”
“A Crook and a Crooked Lawyer.” Crook: “I’ve got a million dollars in cash in my bank account. Can you keep me from spending time in prison?” Lawyer: “Believe me, you will never go to prison with that kind of cash.” And sure enough, he did not go to prison with that kind of cash – he went to prison flat broke!
The following marriage licenses were issued in Surry County:
– Andrew Warren Johnson, 29, of Surry County to Skylyn Mercedes Mendez, 24, of Surry County.
– William Adam Richardson, 36, of Surry County to Ashley Elizabeth Hodges, 34, of Surry County.
– Ricardo Torres Herrera, 48, of Surry County to Maria De Jesus Ibarra Garcia, 38, of Surry County.
– Trent Steven Shumate, 20, of Surry County to Genesis Marie Spencer, 18, of Surry County.
– Roberto Alejandro Flores Montes, 32, of Surry County to Sarah Nicole Pittman, 26, of Surry County.
– Isaac Schubel Jackson, 23, of Surry County to Meagan Olivia Johnson, 23, of Surry County.
– Justin Mark Johnson, 20, of Surry County to Brittney Elizabeth Hefner, 22, of Surry County.
– Stanley Dean Joyce, 63, of Surry County to Tammy B. Gilley, 63, of Surry County.
– Kevin Joseph Epperson, 28, of Surry County to Chetalee Nicole Childress, 30, of Davidson County.
The Surry County Community Corrections office is seeking information on the whereabouts of the following individuals:
• Hannah Marie Pegram, 22, a white female wanted on probation violations who is on probation for felony robbery with a dangerous weapon;
• Bobby Lee Hawks, 35, a white male wanted on probation violations who is on probation for felony possession of methamphetamine, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a schedule III controlled substance and resisting a public officer;
• Michael David Haulsey, 43, a white male wanted on a post-release warrant who is on supervision for felony larceny and assault with a deadly weapon;
• Bobby Dale Frazier, 42, a white male wanted for failure to appear in court on probation violations who is on probation for felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
View all probation absconders on the internet at http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi and click on absconders. Anyone with information on any probation absconders should contact Crime Stoppers at 786-4000, county probation at 719-2705 or the Mount Airy Police Department at 786-3535.
The following divorces were granted in Surry County:
– Deborah Ann Angel and Joseph Tinsley Angel; granted on Feb. 23.
– Keith Austin Jones and Whitney Elizabeth Jones; granted on Feb. 23.
– Teddy Jackson Hash and Candy Necol Hash; granted on Feb. 23.
– Kevin Enrique Santiago Padilla and Danyelle Gregory; granted on Feb. 23.
– Margo Renee Collins and Gary Brandon Collins; granted on Feb. 23.
– Charles Willard Haney II and Felicia Renee Sexton Haney; granted Feb. 23.
– Rebecca Plott and Phillip Plott; granted on Feb. 23.
– Robin Brewer Porter and Terry Lee Porter; granted on Feb. 23.
– David S. Baker and McKenzie T. Royal; granted on Feb. 23.
Modern offices are a far cry from the days of bulky roll-top desks, uncomfortable wooden chairs, pot-belly stoves and other meager furnishings of drab, dark environments that would make Ebeneezer Scrooge proud.
At Interworks in Mount Airy, the local area’s first-ever co-working space, it’s a totally different story.
The sparkling new facility certainly contains elements of today’s maximum-efficiency offices such as high-speed Internet and other cutting-edge communications technology, and comfy ergonomic-friendly furniture for offices, which at Interworks might be a cube, private room or entire suite.
Safe to say the decor there is a departure from the old-style arrangements lacking imagination and creativity.
Then there are extra amenities to be found at Interworks which are perhaps uncommon, but make the work setting as pleasant as possible while also promoting functionality: a lounge with a big-screen television set; kitchen facilities including refrigerators, microwave ovens, a coffee bar rivalling Starbucks and an ice machine. Countertops, tables and chairs are available for dining.
Executive suites upstairs are even equipped with a fully stocked liquor bar and private restrooms.
Interworks has large and small conference rooms, projection screens for PowerPoint and other presentations, whiteboards, state-of-the-art printing capabilities, access to books and relevant newspapers including The Wall Street Journal.
In a word — what it offers to business professionals of all types is flexibility with a capital “F.”
“That’s the name of the game when it comes to this,” Interworks founder Michael Brannock said of the key concept embodied by the facility launched in Mount Airy earlier this month.
“This is the first co-working space in Surry County,” Brannock explained while giving a tour of its spacious, cozy confines at 190 Virginia St. which represent an investment of just over $2 million.
“Really, the closest one is in Winston-Salem,” added Brannock, who says there is nothing similar in what he calls the “Rural Triad” region.
From the outside, Interworks resembles other two-story buildings downtown, which obscures the presence of the luxurious surroundings to be found inside the 14,000-square-foot structure.
The Interworks design didn’t overlook atmospheric qualities that can be important for one’s mental state — and productivity.
“We wanted light — we wanted color,” Brannock said of the open, airy ambience that resulted.
Even the artwork planned for Interworks’ large lounge/office area has a purpose other than decorative. Brannock says all the paintings and similar features to eventually grace its walls will be made of soundproof materials to lessen the echo in the room.
If someone needs to take a private call while in the lounge section during the middle of a meeting, they can go to one of four enclosed phone booths there.
To provide further inspiration, walls are adorned with famous quotes from titans of business such as Henry Ford and Mark Cuban which Brannock hand-picked.
It seems that everything a person can face during the work day has been accommodated at Interworks.
While new to Surry County, co-working spaces have caught on in other areas.
Co-working is a communal-type arrangement not employed in traditional office settings, which involves personnel of different companies or businesses sharing space. This allows cost savings and convenience via the use of common infrastructure such as equipment, along with cleaning and other services.
Brannock says someone needing a small office, for example, can rent one at Interworks and avoid the Internet and utility hookup hassles that normally would be required along with having to manage and maintain a building.
As a longtime executive of the Workforce Unlimited staffing firm, he saw a need for co-working space in Mount Airy.
“I absolutely think this is an asset to the community when it comes to economic development,” the local businessman said, “to help Mount Airy move forward.”
Brannock also referred to local “Vision” studies in 2021 during which citizen committees identified various goals for economic development and other segments:
“One of the big things that came out of that was a need for co-working space.”
Brannock consulted with Todd Tucker on the Interworks project, before Tucker resigned as president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, who fully supported the effort along with city officials.
Those taking space at Interworks on an ongoing basis so far — known as “members” — include six different companies or individuals, according to Marie Talbert, its business manager.
Among them are Mountcastle Insurance; a furniture business; a flooring contractor; and a person working in a bookkeeping capacity at Thirsty Souls Community Brewing nearby who has a separate space at Interworks where he can ply his craft without interruptions.
“There are lot of individual professionals who would love office space,” Brannock said of those Interworks caters to, along with businesses. The trend of more residences downtown also falls in line with the desire of some living there to have offices nearby.
Businesses using the Interworks facility can put their logos on office windows, with name plates placed on cube spaces.
In addition to the other benefits of co-working spaces are the camaraderie and collaboration that develops among the varied occupants. “We feel like it’s a community within a community,” Brannock said, a contrast to the loneliness persons working out of their homes sometimes experience.
At the same time, Interworks’ scheduling flexibility offers a place for such individuals to escape the kids and dogs for a while — “just a place to come,” Brannock said of what amounts to a simple change of scenery. Day passes can be had at the site for $30.
Members have 24/7 keyless access in a security-oriented environment, along with mail-handling services through the providing of a professional business address.
Interworks also has a manned reception area where visitors are greeted.
Event space part of mix
The idea of developing the Interworks facility coincided with Workforce Unlimited’s move from an office complex on Caudle Drive to a building formerly housing a family insurance business, which was owned by David Pruett until bought by the staffing firm.
Workforce Unlimited, which fronts West Independence Boulevard, is in the same building as Interworks located to its rear on Virginia Street.
“It’s meant for them to be a part of this,” Brannock said of the Workforce family, “but it’s also meant to be kept separate to avoid confusion.”
Renovations got under way at the beginning of 2022 for the Interworks facility. “It took the better part of the year, but I think it was worth it,” Brannock said.
Along with office space, Interworks offers a venue for special meetings or events which can accommodate about 75 people.
“You can rent meeting space by the hour,” Brannock said, which includes the option of food being provided by downtown restaurants.
Offices are available on a month-to-month basis or long term (one year), with additional details on membership options listed on the interworksmtairy.com website.
Instead of a bridge to nowhere, a sidewalk to somewhere is being constructed along West Pine Street in Mount Airy to aid pedestrian access to areas including the Emily Taylor Greenway.
The work is occurring near a bridge over Lovills Creek in a busy section of town near the Lowes Foods shopping center and Creekside Cinemas.
“This project will help provide a safer route for residents to walk to shop, work and/or access the Granite City Greenway,” Mount Airy Parks and Recreation Director Peter Raymer explained Thursday.
City Public Works Department employees in the Street Division are constructing the concrete sidewalk that will lead from the shoulder on the south side of West Pine Street directly to the Emily B. Taylor section of the greenway. When complete, it will operate much like an on-ramp or exit ramp of a highway.
Members of a crew working there Thursday said they were about halfway finished with the new walkway.
Raymer mentioned that Public Works Director Mitch Williams is overseeing the project, which was recommended in the Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan for Mount Airy dating to 2013.
That plan notes that in addition to being a vital link into and out of Mount Airy, West Pine Street (N.C. 89) “has a critical interface with the Emily B. Taylor Greenway,” and also New Market Commons, the shopping center including Lowes Foods and other businesses.
“Currently there is no connection to the greenway nor are there sidewalks along the bridge crossing,” the 10-year-old plan further states.
Aside from that specific site, the study cites problems from overall fragmentation, or gaps, among walkways around town and a need to provide more access for pedestrians.
Before beginning the present task to supply the direct link to the greenway, municipal workers constructed another span of connecting sidewalk along West Pine Street on the western side of the Lovills Creek bridge.
The project at hand recognizes the fact that rather than fitness purposes, some people use the greenway to better access business or other locations along its route, as opposed to walking and cycling on busy roadways and risking injury or death.
“We are excited that this project is taking place in an effort to make our community more connected and walkable,” Raymer added.
Along with meeting an immediate need, a big-picture consideration is involved, evidenced by a 5-0 vote by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 in favor of a resolution of support for the long-range connection of greenways across Surry County.
This eventually could lead to all municipalities, recreational areas and surrounding trail systems in the county being linked via paved trails and sidewalks, officials have said.
• Alleged reckless driving by a motorcyclist on a city street has led to him being jailed on multiple charges including speeding in a school zone, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.
Driving violations on the afternoon of Feb. 15 involving Donovan Luke Kendrick, 23, of Toms Creek Church Road, Pilot Mountain, occurred on Rockford Street toward Hamburg Street, where Mount Airy Middle School is located.
Kendrick, operating a 2017 Suzuki, subsequently was arrested on Quaker Road at Westfield Road and charged with reckless driving to endanger and driving while license revoked in addition to speeding in a school zone. He was held in the Surry County Jail under a $4,000 secured bond and slated for a March 22 appearance in District Court.
• Police learned Monday of a break-in and larceny involving a motor vehicle which had occurred on Feb. 17 in a parking lot at the home of Abbie Larae Wagoner on Jasper Pointe Circle.
Wagoner’s 2016 Nissan Rogue was unsecured at the time, enabling the theft of an Aldo black and brown snakeskin purse, a cowhide print wallet and an apartment key. The property taken is valued at $145 altogether.
• A break-in occurred Sunday night at the residence of Gary Warren Chilton on Mitchell Street, where the front door was kicked multiple times by an unknown suspect.
Nothing was listed as stolen or damaged during the incident.
• Merchandise with a total value of $670 was stolen from Ollie’s Bargain Outlet on North Renfro Street as the result of a break-in discovered on Feb. 16.
A window of the business was broken to gain entry, leading to the theft of three portable air conditioners, two vacuum cleaners and a pair of portable heaters.
Shoals Elementary recently announce its January Leaders of the Month.
The character attribute for January was “Respectful.”
“The students chosen this month show what it means to be respectful as they go throughout their day,” school officials said. “They show respect to their teachers, classmates and others they interact with daily. We are so proud of our Mountaineers for making a difference in the world.”
ARARAT, Va. — There is always room for more love in the world, including in Ararat where that word is now prominently displayed in a highly decorative way on the front of Willis Gap Community Center.
This did not occur through a desire to promote romance or this month’s celebration of Valentine’s Day, but this week’s official unveiling of the newest sign in Virginia’s LOVEworks program.
It is a statewide branding initiative designed to promote historic life experiences across the Commonwealth and strengthen awareness of the longtime “Virginia is for Lovers” message.
The new LOVE sign at Willis Gap Community Center which was welcomed during a special unveiling program Wednesday afternoon recognizes the center’s presence as a key stop along The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. The Crooked Road is a 330-mile driving trail through the mountains of Southwest Virginia which connects nine major venues and more than 60 affiliated locations and festivals that visitors can enjoy each day of the year.
That includes the Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam, a weekly series ongoing since the 1990s which showcases multiple musical genres including Appalachian heritage old-time, bluegrass, country and gospel. Musicians and singers of all skill levels are welcome at the Friday night performances that have become popular with fans.
Wednesday’s unveiling event celebrating travel and tourism in Ararat included officials representing the community center, Patrick County Tourism Department and others, according to information from Mary Dellenback Hill, secretary of the Willis Gap Community Center Board of Directors.
Hill has been a member of Willis Gap Community Center for more that 20 years and also is involved in local tourism efforts to promote the Ararat area.
She lent her artistic talents to the center by designing the new LOVE sign that incorporates a musical theme featuring imagery of instruments.
A depiction of an upright bass forms the letter “L,” The Crooked Road logo the “O,” a leaned-over mandolin and fiddle the “V,” with a musical note resembling an “E” completing the word LOVE.
After all board members at the center approved Hill’s design, she sent the concept to David Stanley of SilverLivingDesign, who created a computer image for it that allowed the finished product to be made at another business called SignSpot.
Wednesday afternoon’s program included remarks by Patrick County Tourism Director James Houchins, who also read a statement in honor of the occasion from Carrie Beck, the executive director of Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, Hill related.
“The Crooked Road is excited for this unique LOVE sign in Patrick County,” it reads. “The passion of Willis Gap Community Center’s Open Jam leaders and participants is evident in their love for heritage music.”
Beck added that “there is a long history of pickers and legends that have been in this building, so this sign is an amazing way to showcase their pride in this event. The Crooked Road is thrilled to have partners in the region that make heritage music every week with such dedication and thinks that the LOVE sign is a true beacon for Ararat and the Dan River District of Patrick County.”
Otto and Nellie Hiatt began the open jams in their home, according to Hill, which became so large that the sessions had to be moved to Willis Gap Community Center at 144 The Hollow Road.
East Surry’s Jordan Davis capped off his senior basketball season with three milestone achievements.
In the past two months, Davis, who will continue his career at Geneva College (Pa.), set East Surry’s single-game record for made 3-pointers with 10, scored his 1,000th career point and set the school record for career 3-pointers with 136.
Jordan set the single-game 3-point record on Jan. 10, making 10-of-12 attempts as part of a 36-point performance against Forbush. Less than a month later, Davis scored his 1,000th point as part of a 26-point performance against West Wilkes.
“To score 1,000 points is a huge accomplishment for anyone, but especially for someone that had to play during a Covid year,” said East Surry coach Chad Motsinger. “They only played 14 games that year, so that’s a lot you’re missing out on and have to make up for.
“He also averages around 4.5 assists a game, which speaks to his abilities not only as a scorer but as a facilitator on our offense.”
He is the first Cardinal to score 1,000 points since Jefferson Boaz, East Surry’s all-time leading scorer, hit the mark in Jan. 2019.
Finally, Davis set East Surry’s career 3-point record during a first-round playoff win on Feb. 21. He knocked down six triples en route to a team-high 24 points, breaking a record set more than two decades ago by Andrew Burge at 160.
Davis graduates with 167 made 3-pointers.
No. 22 East Surry upset No. 11 Maiden 57-52 in the first round of the 2A State Playoff, but fell to No. 6 Salisbury in the second round. The Cardinals finish the year 13-13.
Mount Airy senior Morgan Mayfield went out with a bang during her senior season of basketball.
On Feb. 15 Morgan became the latest Granite Bear to score 1,000 career points, doing so during a semifinal game in the Northwest 1A Conference Tournament. The senior is the first Mount Airy girl to hit 1,000 points since Shaunae Sawyers did so in 2019.
Morgan hit 1,000 points in her 83rd high school game and graduates with 1,037 points.
“Morgan has worked really hard to be a leader for our team this season,” said Bears coach Angela Mayfield. “She has done a little of everything for us. We are very proud of her, and we are happy to see her reach that milestone.”
Morgan was named Northwest 1A Conference Player of the Year two days after recording her 1,000th point.
A four-year varsity starter, Morgan took on a new role as the team’s primary scorer for the 2022-23 season. She was the team’s second-leading scorer as a freshman and sophomore, then led the team in points per game as a junior while being second in total points.
As a senior, Mayfield more than doubled her scoring total from any of her previous seasons by scoring 473 points in 27 games (17.5 average). This helped her make up for the games lost during the shortened 2020-21 Covid season, during which Mount Airy only played 13 games.
Morgan averaged career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks this season, and led the team in three of those categories: points, assists and steals.
Mount Airy earned the No. 19 seed in the 1A State Playoffs. The Bears upset No. 14 Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in the first round, then lost to No. 3 Cherokee in the second round.
Mount Airy finished the season 16-11.
Attorney General Josh Stein has sent a memo to all 100 North Carolina counties with “a request for you to take action to secure additional opioid settlement funds for your county.” The nation has been in the grips of the opioid epidemic for many years and with settlements agreements being reached between states and drug manufacturers, promoters, and distributors some tangible penalty has been assigned to parties that promoted the opioids for mass consumption that led to the current crisis.
Stein helped lead recent negotiations for $21 billion in new national settlement agreements with Walmart, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Allergan Finance, LLC, Allergan Limited, CVS Health Corporation, CVS Pharmacy, Inc., and Walgreen Co., as well as their subsidiaries, affiliates, and officers which is being called the Wave Two Settlements.
The Wave Two Settlements will bring the state more than $600 million in addition funds atop that $750 that already received as part of Wave One Settlements with Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisoureBergen as well as the drug maker Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals which Stein was also among the lead negotiators.
Assuming the defendants sign off on the final settlement, not a foregone conclusion hence Stein’s memo, Surry County will get an additional $7,274,337 from the latest round of settlements. These funds will be in addition to the money the county has already begun to receive from the Wave One Settlements totaling $9,087,494.
Of the 114 counties and municipalities listed to receive funds in Wave Two, Surry County will get the fourteenth largest payout, versus the county’s rank of 37 out of 100 counties in population.
“In travelling across North Carolina in recent months I have learned firsthand about the many innovative programs to address the opioid crisis hat counties and municipalities are funding with money from the Wave One Settlement. These settlement funds have the potential to bring significantly greater resources to your county to address the opioid epidemic,” Stein wrote.
“I am excited about the many new or expanded programs that can be funded with the additional resources from Wave Two.”
In all there will be five new settlements coming according to Surry County Attorney Ed Woltz, who advised the county commissioners that each would need to be acted upon separately. He and County Manager Chris Knopf were given authority to sign and submit upon receipt these settlement offers without further action from the board.
“The defendants will agree to finalize the Wave Two Settlements only if the vast majority of local governments across the nation sign onto them,” the memo read.
“We are hoping to achieve the same unanimous approval of Wave 2 Settlements,” Stein said. “I’m proud that the strong partnerships between the state and local governments in North Carolina produced 100% local government participation in Wave One. This enabled the state and the participating local governments to receive 100% of our collective share of the national settlement funds.’
Assuming the same level of participation as was found in Wave One, which Stein’s office is expecting, these funds could reach the county in the latter half of 2023.
– The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery was approved to enter one-year contracts for media services with WIFM radio and in print to implement a sustained 12-month county wide communications campaign. The goal is to educate on topics involving substance use and mental health. The request said that the campaign is an essential element in the implementation of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Prevention Plan that is ongoing through 2024.
The commissioners approved $4,500 for radio ads on WIFM, and $12,647.25 for print advertising,
The Prevention Plan seeks to build community awareness through education and developing community readiness and to reduce the availability of illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and vapes for the under-aged. The local office seeks to strengthen anti-drug use attitudes through sharing information and engaging with youth to enhance their life skills and drug refusal techniques.
By doing so the county’s goal is to reduce risk and improve protection in families by setting rules and opening lines of communication. Their theory is that communication will help kid’s feel more connected and strengthen social bonding that took a hit during the isolation of the pandemic.
Based on the feedback provided by the organization’s Communities Needs Assessment, this campaign will focus on suicide prevention, fentanyl education and prevention, targeted youth vaping prevention, and further promotion of Red Ribbon Week.
Also, Mark Willis, director of substance abuse recovery, gained board approved in a separate action to reallocate a $100,000 surplus from the Partners Recovery Grant to New Hope New Beginnings, a non-profit in Mount Airy that is seeking to open a transitional home for men on Rawley Avenue.
These were state Department of Health and Human Services funds allocated to Partners Health Management on a one time basis to address the needs of county residents who are struggling with disease. The Office of Substance Abuse Recovery gave Partners a list of priorities in 2021 which they received assistance on including funding the intervention team and establishing the re-integration program which helps those completing their time in jail with housing, treatment, and employment.
– Commissioner Larry Johnson is going to let greenbacks do the talking for him. He has offered to sweeten the pot and personally increase the stipend per bag of litter collected through the county’s litter program by $1 per bag.
That makes one bag of trash collected worth $8 – beating the federal minimum hourly wage. If a 501c3 group would like to participate as a fundraiser that county welcomes that but given the lack of participants, this program has been extended to contractors so there is an opportunity here for an industrious group or individuals to clean up both literally and figuratively.
As genial as he is known to be, don’t show up with a bag of litter at Johnson’s home. Contact the Development Services Department at 336-401-8357 for more information.
DOBSON — A local teen was shot early Friday, apparently resulting from an ongoing dispute with an older cousin who also is a juvenile.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the victim is a student in Mount Airy City Schools, who was wounded in the stomach during an altercation with that relative and taken to a hospital in Winston-Salem.
“The juvenile victim was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and his condition is listed as critical but stable,” said a statement issued by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office late Friday afternoon.
It received a call about 1:40 a.m. Friday in reference to a shooting near the 200 block of Woodbridge Drive, Mount Airy, located off Pipers Gap Road.
Deputies arriving on the scene found the male juvenile victim with an apparent gunshot wound.
Those officers requested the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Detectives and agents arrived on the scene to further the investigation of the shooting.
While that investigation was still ongoing late Friday afternoon, a juvenile petition has been issued on the other juvenile male involved for assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill, inflicting serious injury.
The names of both the victim and alleged perpetrator were not released because of their ages.
“This incident is still an active investigation,” the statement released Friday afternoon added. “If any updates come available, the Sheriff’s Office will release the information at a later time.”
Sheriff Steve Hiatt expressed thanks to the State Bureau of Investigation and Surry County Emergency Medical Service for their assistance in the incident.
There were indications from multiple sources that the juvenile who was shot recently had been in a fight with the cousin.
That dispute is said to have led to another altercation overnight Thursday when the youth was wounded.
The time has come for county leaders to begin preliminary planning ahead of crafting the budget for the next fiscal year, which begans on July 1. Before sessions to hash out specifics the commissioners first hold a budget planning retreat, which was held this week at the Yadkin Valley Heritage & Trails Visitor Center in Elkin.
“It’s always interesting, it’s always challenging,” Vice Chair Van Tucker said of the budget process at the onset. At these sessions the board is able to discusses the previous budget along with incoming revenue, hear from department heads and local leaders on what their needs for the upcoming budget may be.
There can be a lot of change between the first meeting proposals to the finalized departmental budgets so these preliminary discussions will help the board members as they prepare to hold more extensive budget hearings in the coming months with individual departments where the nitty gritty details are hashed out.
Before budget talks can begin in earnest the commissioners needed to get a grasp on the county’s prior budget and balance sheet, so Penny Harrison of the tax department presented tax collection data.
Commissioner Larry Johnson has previously taken, and took again, a moment to thank the taxpayers as he marveled at the consistent rate of tax collection the county achieves. Having that consistency in both the property tax rate and the rate of collection will help make better forecasts.
The county budget for the fiscal year 2022-2023, which ends on June 30, is $93,597,569 in expenditures versus revenues at $82,665,933. The county’s total year-end fund balance at the end of the most recent fiscal year rose $34 million to more than $91 million, but most of that figure is earmarked for specific projects. The unassigned balance available to be used also rose $3.5 million to $17.8 million. This is one of the measures of greatest financial health for the county according to analysts.
Assigned funds were set aside for additional capital projects to the tune of $16 million and future education spending at over $9 million. Johnson asked for a breakdown of these funds to see where they came from and what they future projects they are set aside for.
Categories of greatest spending for the county were 29.75% of the budget on education, 14% on law enforcement, 11.6% on department of social services, 9.4% on public health, and 8.8% on emergency services.
The budget has line items of projects that have expired with their balances not being fully spent or projects that come in under budget and the board was told that prior to the retirement of Rhonda Nixon that she had been going through to close out accounts and clean up the books. Neely, who took over for Nixon, gave one example of a $900,000 balance being unused that this type of maintenance turned up.
She went on to explain some ideas she had to lower the county’s debt responsibilities by paying off projects early using this surplus funds. The board was anxious to hear more about her proposal to pay off the $2.5 million Flat Rock/Bannertown water and sewer project and turn operation of that over to the City of Mount Airy.
The project has a balance remaining of $2.1 million and the last payment the county made of $136,846 paid a whopping $89,845 in interest and fees. Neely said the interest rate on that loan is high and with the payoff amount she was quoted it could save the county $1.2 million over the remaining course of the loan.
Some members were ready to vote on this action that would save the county money, and lower water bills for those customer which Neely said were high in this area.
Commissioner Mark Marion said it would be one less headache to deal with and Johnson concurred saying, “We don’t need to fool around with it and administer it; it’s not worth it.”
There was no motion made nor vote taken, so this remains a theory from Neely that the board found appealing but would like more information.
Conversely, the board took a rare piece of action in the form of a vote on a vehicle purchase request form Chief Deputy Larry Lowe of the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. He told the board that sheriff’s office was approved in this budget year for nine squad cards and had received three of them, leaving six outstanding.
Lowe explained that through some miraculous turn of events, seven pursuit rated squad cars were found sitting on a lot in the Midwest and the county’s purchasing agent Miranda Jones made inquiry to check availability. With long delays in securing pursuit rated law enforcement vehicles, the department was eager to gain approval to use existing funds to purchase six of the seven cars using only money the office already has.
The board approved that idea and County Finance Officer Laura Neely said Thursday that the calls to the dealer were fruitful; the squad cars are available. “The dealer has confirmed that they are still available, and we are supposed to get the paperwork Friday to sign.”
North Carolina has the largest Senior Games in the nation.
At least, that’s the message from Bradley Key, the coordinator of programs, special events, and volunteerism for Surry County Parks and Recreation when he was speaking during Monday’s meeting of the county commissioners at which local competitors were honored.
“Thanks for highlighting one of the positive things going on in our community,” Key said. “We were very well represented at the state level.”
The participation was robust, he said, and out of 140 participants that competed at the local level with Yadkin Valley Senior Games in the spring there were 27 participants went on to seek greater glory at state finals in the fall.
Yakin Valley Senior Games and Silver Arts is one of the 53 sanctioned programs making up the North Carolina Senior Games Inc. which encourages and challenges all senior adults aged 50 or better to stay healthy and active.
North Carolina Senior Games is sponsored state-wide by the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services.
Since its establishment in 1983, the senior games have become the largest Senior Olympic program in the nation, serving more than 60,000 participants across the state each year.
Key said the Yadkin Valley Senior Games and Silver Arts offer 25 different sporting events. For those seeking enrichment along with their friendly competition there are 30 cultural, literary, heritage and performing arts events each year as well.
“We set the bar for California for New York, for states that are bigger and have more seniors than us. They look to us to set the bar for senior programs that provide and encourage a healthy lifestyle year round,” Key said with pride.
It takes help to achieve the level of success the Yadkin Valley and North Carolina Senior Games have achieved, he said. “Without folks like Jackie Lewis, Bob Keck, and Randy Moore – these guys make this program work.”
“They are participants and certified ambassadors and without folks like these guys spreading the good news about senior games to our community, we wouldn’t be as strong and healthy as we are.”
Registration for the 2023 Yadkin Valley Senior Games and Silver Arts will run from March 1 – Mach 31 with events taking place in May and June.
There are many ways to register he said including at local fitness or senior centers, on the Surry County website under parks and recreation, on Facebook at Surry County Parks and Recreation, on ncseniorgames.org or by calling 336-401-8235.
John Brame: Silver Tennis Mixed Doubles
Pattie Brame: Silver Tennis Mixed Doubles
Linda Edwards: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group
Jon Foresman: Silver Pickleball Doubles
Elizabeth Freas: Bronze 50-yard Freestyle, Silver 100-yard Freestyle
Hobert Freeman: Bronze 400-meter Dash
Bonnie Hensel: Silver Pickleball Doubles
Susan Howlett: Gold Pickleball Doubles
Robert Keck: Bronze 50-meter Dash, Bronze Pickleball Doubles, Gold Tennis Doubles
Winston Kobe: Gold Pickleball Doubles
Jackie Lewis: Silver Basketball Shooting, Bronze Football Throw, Silver Croquet, Bronze Pickleball Doubles, Bronze Pickleball Mixed Doubles, Gold Tennis Doubles
Traci McGuire: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group
Daniel Merritt: Silver 10k Run
Randy Moore: Bronze Football Throw, Silver Softball Throw, Silver Billiards, Bronze Bocce, Bronze Horseshoes, Gold Mini Golf
Mary Jane Russell: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group
Sherry Smith: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group
Kathy Taylor: Gold Pickleball Mixed Doubles
Mitchell Taylor: Gold Pickleball Mixed Doubles
Phyllis Wagoner: Silver Pickleball Doubles
Derek White: Silver Pickleball Singles, Silver Pickleball Doubles
Judy Absher, Michelle Brown, Gary Stevens, and Linda Tilley were also among the contingent representing Yadkin Valley Senior Games.
Monroe’s combination of size and speed proved too much for North Surry in its second-round playoff game.
The visiting Redhawks out-rebounded the Greyhounds 42-26 on Feb. 23, including 11-5 in the crucial fourth quarter.
Despite the stark contrast in rebounding numbers, No. 7 North Surry cut a double-digit lead to just three points with less than a minute to play in Thursday’s game.
Greyhound Sadie Badgett hit a 3-pointer with 6:21 left in the fourth to cut the Redhawks’ lead to 47-39. Monroe’s 6-foot center, Saniya Gingham, followed by putting back an offensive rebound, but then Badgett found Callie Robertson for an easy layup. North Surry (17-9) forced a turnover on defense, then Robertson repaid the favor by setting a screen that gave Badgett room to knock down another 3-pointer.
Gingham, who grabbed 16 rebounds in Thursday’s game, scored the next four points for Monroe. The Redhawks (19-7) kept up their lead and went ahead 56-48 with 1:57 to play.
Badgett grabbed one of her three fourth-quarter steals to score and cut the lead to six. Monroe’s Gingham and Dynastee Parker each grabbed offensive rebounds on the team’s next possession, but a block from Badgett led Peyton Utt hitting a 3-pointer on the other end.
North shot 1-of-14 from 3-point range through three quarters before making 3-of-5 attempts in the fourth.
Monroe’s rebounding was the difference down the stretch. Parker went to the free throw line in the bonus with 57 seconds to play and missed her first shot. The senior came away with her own rebound and passed to Saniya Wallace, who evaded being fouled until the clock read 33 seconds.
Wallace had two attempts from the charity stripe for the double bonus, but missed both and the ball went out of bounds last touched by North Surry following the second free throw. Parker was fouled again and missed both free throws, but Gingham grabbed the offensive board. The Redhawks again relied on Wallace to run around their side of the court to waste time, then Parker was sent to the line with seven seconds left to play.
Parker hit the first of two free throws to go up 57-53, then North Surry missed its final 3-point attempt as the buzzer sounded.
Foul trouble affected North Surry all night as Monroe looked to attack the basket on every possession. The Redhawks had the speed to attack the basket, both in a halfcourt offense as well as in transition, and even when they missed had a good chance to grab the rebound.
Of Monroe’s 42 total rebounds, 23 came off the offensive glass.
North Surry capitalized on Monroe turnovers to take a 20-12 lead with 4:13 remaining in the second quarter. Robertson was big for the Greyhounds during this stretch, guarding Gingham on defense while also grabbing four rebounds and recording two assists. North actually held the rebounding advantage in the quarter until Robertson went out with foul trouble.
Monroe turned things around and closed the half with a 13-4 run, then scored the first six points of the second half.
Monroe attempted 34 free throws in the game to North Surry’s six. The Hounds shot 5-of-6 from the line (83%), while the Redhawks made 17-of-34 attempts (50%). Parker alone shot 11-of-23 (48%) from the line.
Badgett led North Surry with 20 points, while also posting a team-high six assists, four steals and three blocks. Badgett was second on the team in rebounds with five.
Robertson had a double-double for the Hounds with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and also dished out three assists. North Surry’s lone senior, Sarah Mauldin, finished with 11 points, two assists and one rebound.
Parker was Monroe’s leading scorer with 25 and posted a double-double with 13 rebounds. Gingham also had a double-double as she finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
Monroe advances to the Sweet 16 and will travel to No. 2 Shelby (25-1) on Feb. 25.
MR: Dynastee Parker 25, Saniya Gingham 18, Saniya Wallace 8, Summer Jones 6
NS: Sadie Badgett 20, Callie Robertson 12, Sarah Mauldin 11, Kalyn Collins 7, Peyton Utt 3
A strong start helped propel North Surry over No. 17 West Stokes in the second round of the NCHSAA Playoffs.
Greyhound senior Kolby Watson matched a season-high 23 points, 11 of which came in the third quarter, to help No. 1 North Surry win 75-62 and book its ticket to the Sweet 16.
Seeding was thrown out the window when it was announced the No. 1 Greyhounds (27-1) and Wildcats (15-11) would meet in the postseason as these teams have played a number of close games in recent years. Prior to Thursday, North and West were 2-2 in their past four meetings, and all four were decided by single digits.
“It’s difficult to beat a team multiple times in a season, especially one you’ve been very familiar with the last couple of years,” said North Surry coach Tyler Bentley. “Both teams have got a lot better as the season’s progressed, and that’s what you hope for: to be playing your best ball around February or March.
“Both of these teams really were at their best and I’m really happy to come away with the win.”
Bentley was also aware of the added motivation West Stokes had to take down the No. 1-ranked team in the bracket.
“We’ve had a target on our back all season,” Bentley said. “When you’re the one seed everybody expects you to go deep in the playoffs, and we have those expectations too, but the big thing for us is that we’re just going to take it one game at a time. We’re going to focus on who our opponent is at the time not even look at any other round or team.
“Tonight, all of our focus was on West Stokes and West Stokes only.”
The Hounds came out swinging and scored the game’s first nine points. Not out of the fight, the Wildcats battled back and made it a one-possession game midway through the second quarter.
North Surry jumped ahead by 10 at halftime, then went up 37-24 early in the third quarter. West’s Keyon Rawley and Bryson Bowman led the Wildcats on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to 41-36 with 3:05 remaining in the quarter.
The Greyhounds then took their largest lead of the game thanks to a 12-2 run in the final three minutes of the third quarter. North scored 21 in the quarter, and Watson scored 11 of the 22 while assisting on another field goal.
Bowman, Rawley and Cam Edmonds led West on its best scoring quarter in the fourth by combining for 19, but West never got back within single digits of North.
“I thought our defensive effort and mentality is what separated the game for us,” Bentley said. “They’ve got some really good scorers and some smart basketball players, so we wanted to emphasize defense in this game and the guys did a great job across the board.”
Edmonds, who dropped 34 in a first-round playoff win over No. 16 Surry Central, was a focal point of North Surry’s defense. The Hounds went to a box-and-1 for most of the game, with Jahreece Lynch staying on Edmonds for most of the game. Makiyon Woodbury and Fisher Leftwich each took turns guarding the Wildcat junior as well.
“I’m really proud of Fisher and Makiyon for the minutes that they gave,” Bentley said. “There was no drop off from when Jahreece was guarding him. When Jahreece needed to take a break those guys were there and ready to step up, and they did great.”
With Lynch, who leads the Greyhounds with 22.5 points per game this season, primarily focused on defense in the game, North relied multiple players to help pick up that slack on the scoreboard. Watson recorded his third game of 23 points this season, adding three assists and a team-high three steals, while James McCreary (19) and Kam McKnight (14) also finished in double figures.
“I thought Kolby played a great game tonight, especially on the offensive end. He really stepped up,” Bentley said. “That’s what makes this team really good and really fun to coach: we’ve got so many guys that can step up in big moments and do whatever needs to be done.”
Lynch still managed to score 12 points in the victory, with 10 coming in the second half. Lynch led North Surry assists with six while adding five rebounds and two steals.
Cam Taylor led the Greyhounds with six rebounds, and all five Hounds that scored also dished out at least three assists.
West Stokes alternated between zone and man-to-man defense, looking to use its size advantage to disrupt North Surry’s path to the basket while also controlling the boards. While the Wildcats were able to finish plus-10 in rebounding, North’s patience in a halfcourt offense set the team up for a high field goal percentage.
Rawley led the Wildcats with 19 points, followed by Bowman with 17 and Edmonds with 15. Bowman nearly had a double-double with his nine rebounds, and Edmonds finished with five rebounds, three assists and a team-high three steals.
Dillon Stanley was West Stokes’ leader in assists with five and blocks with two. Tyler Moran added four assists.
North Surry will host No. 8 Lincoln Charter (22-11) on Feb. 25. Lincoln Charter defeated No. 25 Brevard 88-58 in the first round, then beat No. 24 Burns 99-64 in the second round.
WS: Keyon Rawley 19, Bryson Bowman 17, Cam Edmonds 15, Tyler Moran 9, Derek Studer 2
NS: Kolby Watson 23, James McCreary 19, Kam McKnight 14, Jahreece Lynch 12, Cam Taylor 7
When photographer Will Warasila drove from Durham to Walnut Cove in early November 2018, he thought he was just going to observe a healing service for people who had possibly been harmed by coal ash pollution from Duke Energy’s Belews Creek Steam Station. He had no idea that just four short years later in November 2022, he would be in Paris, France, at the largest photo book expo in the world—debuting his photo book with pictures of the people he had met in Walnut Cove.
Now Warasila is bringing his creation, published by Gnomic Book, to Walnut for a book release event at the Walnut Cove Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. There will be light refreshments and copies of his book for sale—half-price for local residents.
Although Warasila admits he is not particularly religious, he also acknowledges that he was moved by that 2018 outdoor church service under the big tent at The Well. He was particularly struck by one statement from the event’s organizer, Pastor Leslie Bray Brewer: “Bitterness will kill you quicker than coal ash.” Although he was initially puzzled by that statement, he ended up choosing it for the title of his photo book.
Brewer often chuckles when she thinks about that line she spontaneously uttered at the healing service. “I am a former high school English teacher,” she explains, “so after I said it, I worried that I should’ve instead phrased it as ‘Bitterness will kill you more quickly than coal ash.’ But I was later relieved that grammar experts online agree that, although what I said was more informal, either usage is now acceptable.”
Then she shrugs with a smile, “Besides, that’s how we say it out here.”
When Warasila heard Brewer speak that line, he was admittedly torn, having a hard time understanding how she could expect people to forgive a corporation whose byproduct possibly poisoned them. However, he came to understand that hatred and bitterness can be a threat to health as well and that it was possible to lovingly forgive yet still firmly require Duke Energy to do the right thing and clean up the coal ash mess.
Walnut Cove became a regular stop on Warasila’s travels. He worked with Caroline Rutledge Armijo, founder/director of the local nonprofit The Lilies Project to gather photos and interviews from those who had lived near the coal-powered steam station. These were submitted to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality as part of a grassroots demand that Duke Energy transfer the coal ash, which had long been in unlined ponds, to a safer place.
DEQ agreed and ordered the mega-company to do just that. Many of Warasila’s photographs which were part of that fight are featured in his new 100-page hardcover book and can be seen in Walnut Cove on Saturday.
Warasila, a North Carolina native, received his BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in 2015 and most recently, his MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University in 2020. He has taught photography courses at Duke and also UNC-Chapel Hill. His photos have been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek magazine, The New Yorker, the New York Times, Southern Cultures Magazine and many other publications. One of his photos made the cover of TIME magazine in late September 2022.
“I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with such a mover and shaker in the international photography world,” Brewer says. “Will’s passion for environmental issues and his skill with the camera will take him far. I will always believe that his coming to Walnut Cove was a divine appointment.”
Shame on you Mount Airy News.
In the world we live in and you publish a letter to the editor on Feb. 9 (“Reader assails ‘liberals’’) that the last paragraph states Putin should start his nuclear war in Washington, D.C. I could care less about the rest of the letter, everyone has the right to their opinion. But, that comment is a threat to our country. That should be considered an act of treason against our country.
I would never buy or promote your paper again. Shame on you.
Saving someone’s life in an emergency, when every second counts, can be a challenging and intense experience — but 11 members of the Mount Airy Fire Department have done just that.
Lt. Jake Henley, firefighter Isaac Crotts, Lt. Brad Harrell, Lt. Dusty Smith, Capt. Trey Leonard, Lt. Justin Mayes, firefighter Dustin Swaim, Capt Scottie Wolfe and Capt. Danny Vipperman were recognized for lifesaving actions by the city council during a special ceremony at a meeting last Thursday night.
Two other department members also are on the list who did not attend, Steve Everett and Dalton Simmons.
Each person involved is credited with saving one life during 2022 and was issued a certificate.
The lifesaving award presentation is an annual observance recognizing the contributions firefighters make in addition to battling blazes, a gesture that never gets old, city officials say.
This has had special significance since 2010, when municipal fire personnel took on the extra role as first-responders to a wide range of emergency medical situations in addition to their normal functions. That was a major expansion of a service previously launched in 1997 which was limited to cardiac calls.
Those expanded responses might include a heart attack case, drug overdose, stroke, diabetes-related issue, cutting/stabbing, shooting, drowning/diving accident or cases of unresponsive persons.
“The opportunity to save a life doesn’t come on every call,” Fire Chief Zane Poindexter said when the lifesaving honors were bestowed by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.
But department personnel have proven they are up to that task as needed, which involves providing effective pre-hospital care to victims in various emergencies.
Administering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), removing an obstruction from an airway or controlling bleeding in a trauma situation were examples of that mentioned by Justin Jarrell, basic life support/public relations coordinator, who spoke during the recognition program.
With an average response time of less than three minutes at last report, city firefighters often reach a scene and render initial care ahead of EMS paramedics who provide advanced treatment that stabilizes patients until they reach a hospital.
Being credited with a medical save is a strictly defined process, which assesses the tangible role a firefighter played in prolonging someone’s life, whether it be restoring a pulse or someone’s ability to breathe.
Under program guidelines, multiple fire personnel can play a role in saving a single patient, according to previous reports. One firefighter might be engaged in chest compression and another ventilation, while someone else administers basic drugs the department is allowed to provide.
A county audit committee examines every case carefully to gauge the difference first-response efforts made in the outcome of an emergency to qualify as a save.
“We are very fortunate for the services they provide,” Commissioner Chad Hutchens said of the city firefighters.
“Departmental saves are up to 110 since the inception of the medical program in 1997,” Poindexter noted Wednesday in reference to the human equation behind the statistics.
“After the 2010 move to go ‘full medical response,’ our save numbers per year started going up significantly due to the fact we were afforded the opportunity to answer more medical calls,” the city fire chief added.
“The more calls we answered, the more chances we had to perform lifesaving measures — we projected that and it did in fact come true.”
https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/MTA022323V.pdf
• The Tractor Supply store on Rockford Street was the scene of a crime discovered Monday which involved the larceny of property valued at $2,600, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.
A locking cable was cut overnight Sunday, enabling the theft of Coleman products including a go-kart with a black frame and red seat; a gas-powered 100cc mini bike, black in color; and a green and black gas-powered mini bike. The damage to the cable was put at $50.
• Sage Andrew White, 32, of Madison, was jailed under a $91,500 secured bond on a felony drug charge and warrants for arrest for 16 other felonies, including larceny of a motor vehicle, on Feb. 13.
White was encountered by officers during a traffic stop on Hamburg Street, leading to a consent search of the 2010 Ford Focus he was operating. This led to him being charged with possession of methamphetamine, a felony; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
A routine records check also revealed multiple outstanding warrants for the Madison man on felony charges issued through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, which in addition to larceny of a motor vehicle include possession of stolen goods, financial card theft, 12 counts of obtaining property by false pretense and breaking or entering of a motor vehicle.
Those warrants had been issued in March 2022, with the exception of the one for vehicle theft which had been filed in October 2021. White is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court next Monday.
• A break-in occurred Sunday at the residence of Gene Rees on Marion Street, where an unknown suspect kicked in a front door to gain entry.
Nothing was listed as stolen, but damage to the door was put at $250.
• Damage to municipal property was discovered Sunday at a restroom facility on West Independence Boulevard adjacent to the Emily B. Taylor Greenway, where graffiti was written on walls, police records state. No damage figure was noted.
Whether it involves good old-fashioned neighborliness or a matter of supply and demand, a long-awaited flow of water from Mount Airy to Pilot Mountain has begun.
A line-extension project in the works since 2018 — when the city agreed to sell part of its excess supply of H2O to the nearby town — finally reached fruition in recent days.
“It’s all working wonderfully and everything’s good to go now,” City Manager Stan Farmer said Tuesday regarding the water to Pilot Mountain being turned on last Friday.
This coincided with Pilot shutting down its own water plant and beginning to rely exclusively on the supply from Mount Airy, a changeover accompanied by few glitches.
“Well, we’ve not had many issues at all,” Pilot Mountain Mayor Evan Cockerham said Tuesday. “It’s really been a smooth transition.”
Plans for the $4.5 million construction contract which was involved called for extending a 12-inch water line from the end of the city service area in the Holly Springs Road section to Pilot Mountain’s water system near Toms Creek.
In addition to the two municipalities, the Surry County government agreed to help fund the effort to serve the eastern portion of the county.
The deal was motivated by a deteriorating utility infrastructure in Pilot Mountain which was deemed more expensive to repair than connecting to an existing city water line running southeast to Holly Springs. Grant and zero-interest loan funding was tapped for that effort.
“We think it will be a great partnership,” Mount Airy Public Works Director Mitch Williams said Tuesday.
While the water transmission itself is going swimmingly, the project was hampered by a situation in which the receiving of certain parts needed for its completion was delayed. “Typical with all construction now,” Williams said of a condition brought on by the pandemic.
“The supply-chain interruptions last year were big,” Farmer, the city manager, agreed.
William said shipments of items such as valves and pipes were involved.
That situation improved to allow much work to occur on the extension during 2022 and now the water transmission is at full operation.
“So far, so good,” Williams added Tuesday.
Cockerham, the Pilot Mountain mayor, said the few issues encountered with the switchover have been minor in nature, with no line breaks or other developments of that magnitude occurring.
“We didn’t have anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “We had to fine-tune the water pressure” due to Mount Airy’s pressure being higher than Pilot’s, with tank levels also addressed.
There were some reports of cloudiness in the water at first, which were cleared up, according to Cockerham.
The Pilot Mountain mayor credited the public works staffs of both municipalities for getting everything up and running.
Under the agreement between the two, Pilot Mountain is buying no less than 100,000 gallons daily from the city and no more than 2 million, a cap that anticipates future growth in Pilot.
Mount Airy also is selling water to Dobson and Carroll County, Virginia, to serve southern areas of it, as part of an ongoing goal of finding new customers for its surplus supply. It resulted from closings of industrial plants over the years which were large users.
Early on in 2020, Williams reported that the city had a water-production capacity of 8.5 million gallons per day, but only 2.3 million were being used at that time — leaving much leeway for additional taps.
Mount Airy officials recently have courted an unnamed manufacturer in California which would be a major water consumer if it were to expand in the city.
Surry Central led Surry County with six state qualifiers for the 2A Wrestling State Tournament, and four of those finished in the top six of their respective brackets.
Jacob and Jeremiah Price each won state titles, and a full article on the Price boys’ victories can be found in the Feb. 21 print edition of the News or online at mountairynews.com/sports.
Junior Xavier Salazar qualified for his second state tournament and placed for the first time, taking fifth in the 2A 120 bracket.
Salazar (35-10) won his opening match via fall in the second period after taking a 3-0 advantage, then wrestled close matches for the remainder of the tournament. This included two matches decided in sudden victory periods.
Salazar met Seaforth’s Layne Armstrong in the quarterfinals and went back and forth all match.
“Xavier for the most part was winning, but near the end gave up some back points,” said Central coach Stephen Priddy. “He made a mistake, and at that level it’s going to cost you.”
Armstrong, who went on to finish fourth in the bracket, scored a late takedown to tie the score at 7-7, then pinned Salazar in the sudden victory period.
Salazar won his first consolation match via fall after taking a 4-3 lead, then found himself in another sudden victory period against Louisburg’s Braulio Nolasco-Rayo. The pair were tied at 2-2 at the end of three periods, but this time is was Salazar that got the takedown to advance.
Salazar then faced two familiar opponents from the Foothills 2A Conference. Salazar fell to West Wilkes’ Carter Minton, who went on to finish third, via fall in the consolation semifinals, then defeated North Surry’s Will Brickell 5-2 in the fifth-place match.
“Xavier really picked things up about three weeks before regionals,” Priddy said. “He peaked at the right time and wrestled some of his best matches at regionals and states.”
Sophomore Ayden Norman (37-10) finished sixth at 106 in his first state championship appearance.
“Ayden decided early on that he was going to be the 106 for the year,” Priddy said. “He made that choice and really had to watch what he ate, and it was a full time job to maintain weight and keep himself in the best shape. He had an outstanding year, and I think all of his losses came against state qualifiers or placers.
“He definitely had the toughest draw of any of our guys at states.”
After dropping his first-round match to the eventual state runner-up, who came into the tournament 34-1, Norman picked up three consecutive wins. The first came via forfeit, the second was a 3-2 decision and the third was a win via fall.
Priddy called Norman’s 3-2 win over Hendersonville’s Alexander May, “the biggest match of the year for Norman.”
“The kid from Hendersonville came into states 48-1,” Priddy said. “His only losses at states came against the guy that got third and then Ayden.”
Norman eventually fell to Forbush’s Jose Pina-Velasquez via 4-2 decision in the consolation finals, then dropped a 3-0 decision to R-S Central’s Sam Gosnell, the 2A West Regional Champion, in the fifth-place match.
While Norman had the toughest overall draw for the Eagles, Priddy said Jose Trejo (35-9) had the most difficult first-round match by far against Newton-Conover’s Isaiah Pittman.
“Drawing Pittman was really bad luck for Trejo,” Priddy said. “That’s a really talented wrestler that came into states with 50 wins this season, and I hate Jose ran into him so early.”
Trejo fought back to win his first consolation match via fall, then dropped his second consolation match.
“Him reaching states a freshman is a really big deal,” Priddy said. “Yeah, it may not have ended like he wanted to, but he’s had a great year. He, Ayden and Xavier have really pushed each other all year and I think it made them all a lot better.”
Trejo is the fifth freshman to qualify for states during Priddy’s tenure as coach, joining: West Brown, Kaleb Dunn, Jeremiah Price and Jacob Price.
“All four of those guys went on to compete in a state championship, so statistically that bodes well for Trejo,” Priddy said. “Brown and both Prices won state titles, and Dunn finished second.”
Senior Enoc Lopez (29-9), competing in his second state tournament, won his first match in the 195 bracket. Lopez went up 13-4 before picking up the pin in the third period.
Lopez then went scoreless for two periods against Morehead’s Xavier Roberts in the quarterfinals. An escape and takedown from Roberts put him up 3-0, and an escape from Lopez wasn’t enough to come back. Lopez then dropped his first consolation match via 10-6 decision.
“That consolation match was a one-point match with like 15 seconds to go, but then the Manteo guy put up five late and Enoc only added one,” Priddy said.
The competitors that defeated Lopez at states went on to finish fifth and sixth in the bracket.
Lopez joins Jeremiah Price as Central’s two senior state qualifiers.
“Especially over the past two years, Enoc has covered every class from 195 to heavyweight,” Priddy said. “He’s been a key piece to our team during this great run the past few years. He’s contributed a lot to the success we’ve had as a team because we could count on him to wrestler anything. Ultimate team guy.”
In an era when good news surrounding local industries has been hard to come by, Mount Airy officials are making the most of such a development by Renfro Brands.
“Any expansion is good,” Commissioner Tom Koch said of plans by that company to enlarge an existing operation on Riverside Drive.
Koch was speaking at a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting last Thursday night, when the board gave final approval to an incentive package for the project which it initially had OK’d in November, joining a similar one by county leaders.
Officials have said the project will involve a consolidation of Renfro warehouse/distribution operations locally which also had been considered at two other locations in Alabama and South Carolina where the company has operations.
The ultimate decision to choose Mount Airy not only will create 35 jobs, but preserve 63 already here which would have been lost with a consolidation elsewhere.
“I just think it’s a good sign that the operation they have, they’re expanding it,” Commissioner Koch said of a decision that reflects the company’s confidence in this community.
Commissioner Phil Thacker, a retired director of engineering for Renfro, pointed to the company’s long history in Mount Airy, beginning with its founding here in 1921.
“I think it is an amazing accomplishment and I certainly hope it continues for many more years,” Thacker said of Renfro’s success and contributions. “It’s had the opportunity to make jobs available in this community for a long time.”
The unanimous vote by the Mount Airy commissioners putting the finishing touches on the incentive package was described by City Attorney Hugh Campbell as a bit of legal housecleaning.
“It just kind of finalizes it,” Campbell said, “for reasons of efficiency.”
The incentive package had been fast-tracked in November as both municipal and county officials scrambled to influence Renfro’s decision to expand here amid competition from the other states for the endeavor then dubbed secretly as “Project Cobra.”
“We just front-loaded the incentives — I don’t know that they’ve done that before” Campbell said of the city commissioners.
Last week’s action by them does not change any of the terms involved.
“Everything is exactly the same,” the city attorney said, with the exception of taking “mays” out of the agreement and replacing those with “wills.”
Renfro will receive $36,341 from the city and $36,244 from Surry County in the form of local government incentives. These are performance-based and reflect a company investment in taxable property as part of the package. It plans to invest about $2 million in equipment and infrastructure at the expansion location.
“The incentives are subject to a clawback if the company fails to perform,” Campbell said of provisions that will require it to make financial reimbursements should it, for example, decide to remove machinery or equipment acquired through the agreement.
“That seems unlikely,” the attorney said, given Renfro’s track record here.
Also at the meeting, the city commissioners voted 5-0 to rezone property on Carroll Street from a business to residential classification.
This occurred after no one spoke against that move during a public hearing affecting a .542-acre parcel in the 900 block of Carroll Street which is now vacant.
The zoning change, from a B2-CD classification (General Business with conditions) to R-6 (General Residential), will accommodate the construction of a duplex housing unit, Planning Director Andy Goodall has said.
Samuel and Letonia Moore, the owners of the property in question, who live on Hickory Street, had requested the zoning change.
While the commissioners had questions about the proposal, they ultimately voted unanimously for the rezoning.
East Surry sent three wrestlers to the 2A State Championship Tournament on Feb. 16-18, and two finished the final day on the podium.
Eli Becker, a senior, finished on the podium for the third consecutive season. He finished third in the 1A 182 bracket as a sophomore, second in the 2A 182 bracket as a junior and now fourth in the 2A 182 bracket as a senior.
“Eli’s had a phenomenal career and it seems like the past four years with him have just flown by,” said East Surry coach Darrin Haywood. “Win or lose he’s got the same attitude and comes ready to work every day. He strived to be the best every time he stepped on the mat, but just came up a little short this time.
“I’m really proud of him and totally enjoyed coaching him.”
Becker (33-6) won his opening match via 6-3 decision. He and Trinity’s Gavin Hardister went scoreless for two periods in the quarterfinals, then Becker scored two points early in the third period before holding on to win 2-1.
Becker went down 4-2 after the first period of the semifinals and had to fight his way back into the match. He ultimately fell 6-3 to West Lincoln’s Mason Avery.
“He caught Eli early with a 2-point takedown and got another two on a near fall, so now we’re fighting out of a hole,” Haywood said. “Eli came back at the end and made it close though. He lost 6-3, but that’s how semifinals go. Everybody’s good and a lot of those matches are close.”
Prior to the finals, Haywood said of Avery, “That kid’s a very good wrestler and will probably be the state champ.” Avery went on to win the 182 championship via 12-5 decision.
After a scoreless first period in the consolation semifinals, Becker picked up a quick takedown and pinned his opponent 10 seconds into the second period. He then took a 9-4 lead over Southwest Onslow’s Jason Rodriguez before Rodriguez caught him for a pin in the third period.
“Eli was definitely better for most of the match, he just got caught. He gave everything he had in that match, though, and that’s all I can ask for,” Haywood said.
Andrew Meadows (39-9) and Michael Fischer (25-14) are the first East Surry freshmen to qualify for the state tournament since Eddie Nunez did so in 2012. Meadows made history by becoming the first East Surry freshman to place at the state meet by finishing fifth in the 2A 160 bracket.
“To be a state placer as a freshman is a great accomplishment,” Haywood said. “Andrew fought through a tough bracket and maybe didn’t get some good breaks, but wrestled well. Looking for some exciting things out of him in the future.”
Meadows won his first match via 16-2 major decision. He and Wheatmore’s Dominic Hittepole were tied 2-2 in the quarterfinals before Hittepole picked up the win via fall in the second period. Hittepole went on to finish fourth in the bracket.
Meadows went up 10-4 in his first consolation match before picking up the pin, then won his consolation quarterfinal match via fall as well before falling to the eventual third-place winning, Bandys’ Ian Moore, in the consolation semifinals.
Meadows clinched his fifth-place finish by pinning Madison’s Kyle Jamerson in 39 seconds.
“Andrew is just not quite as strong as some of the kids in his class yet as he’s still developing his body, but I think we’re going to see a huge jump with him next year,” Haywood said. “He got beat this year, but fought back to place. The two kids that beat him finished third and fourth.”
Fischer had a tough draw by facing the eventual state champion, Reidsville’s Rayshun James, in the opening round. Fischer then drew North Pitt’s Hayden Manning and fell in the first round of the consolation bracket.
“Michael may not have had the success he wanted to in terms of victories, but to be a state qualifier as a freshman gives him a lot to build off of,” Haywood said. “I’m looking for him to compete for a spot on the podium next year and the years to come.
“He’s got a great work ethic and always finding somewhere to go work out to do mat work.”
Becker is East Surry’s only state qualifier graduating this year, and Haywood has high hopes for the returning Cardinals.
“It’s a joy to coach these guys,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of young kids, so I’m looking forward to coaching them and seeing their progress.”
The Surry County Board of Commissioners decided to begin the process of breaking its 19-year association with the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation last year. As with many relationships of this length, breaking up can be hard to do when one person wants the relationship to work but the other has decided it no longer does.
So is the case with the now defunct Route 6 Mount Airy Connector line that ran commuter bus service up and down US 52 from Mount Airy to Winston-Salem, stopping in King and offering a pair of stops in Pilot Mountain as well.
The commissioners informed PART in January 2022 of their desire to withdraw and end collection of a 5% rental car tax that was levied to cover the costs to operate the bus stops and buses. PART said it will not eliminate the rental car tax but have countered that it be reduced from 5% to 2%.
Surry County voters previously voted down a license plate registration fee or a tax increase for PART. It was decided that a 5% tax on cars rented in the county would be assessed to the renter which would cover the county’s cost for using the services of PART.
The route ceased operation last summer, but PART sent a memo last week to the county explaining that until they divest their assets in the county, the county still has a responsibility to contribute to their upkeep as was agreed upon when the county entered into the regional authority.
“From 2005 to 2022 PART invested in property, capital needs, established PART Express public service, increases promotions and various mobility enhancements in Surry County to expand the mobility options so that citizens of Surry County could reach employment center and join in other counties,” the organization said.
“PART and the jurisdictions of Pilot Mountain and Mount Airy have requested that Surry County reconsider its decision to withdraw from PART and maintain the public services provided to the citizens of Surry County, but have not been successful in maintaining their commitment to be a member of the PART territorial jurisdiction.”
PART seems to have resigned to the fact that Surry County has withdrawn from the authority, but there is no light switch that is going to turn the rental car tax off. Surry County is stuck with that until such time as the properties in Surry County that were operated by PART can be divested.
Officials with PART said that “ongoing maintenance and utility expenses will continue until such properties are no longer owned by PART, which investments and properties will take time to dispose of.”
The wording suggested Surry County cannot just take its ball and go home from a game county officials asked to be part of and contribute to the costs of. Until PART sells off its assets there will be costs. “The board will revisit this local tax at a time when there are zero expenses for the capital investments made in Surry County.”
The transportation authority’s counter to drop the tax to 2% in order “to collect a local fund source to continue the maintenance needs of the property” was not well received by the county commissioners. They were not seeking a reduction but rather an elimination of the rental car tax that was seen as being unfair.
When the commuter service was launched it was thought to be a money saver for riders who could keep hard earned money from going into the gas tank and help the environment while reducing traffic on the Piedmont’s major roadways – US 52 among them.
There was repeated discussion and more than one request from Commissioner Larry Johnson to review the rental car tax. He said as a person who rents cars with some frequency but does not use PART services, he was not too keen on paying a tax for a service he isn’t using.
With ridership numbers down, the commissioners wondered if Surry County residents were being unfairly taxed for a ride share program that was not being widely used. Residents’ taxes may be carrying the load for folks in larger counties who were using the service in greater numbers, it was felt.
PART’s point of view on ridership was that the way to help those numbers was to increase services by considering more stops at more locations. With more frequent opportunities to get on the PART bus for a jaunt to Pilot Mountain perhaps more would have been inclined do so.
The authority was in the process of gaining federal funding to do just that, to the tune of more than $300,000. It was approval of these funds that set this discussion in motion as the board asked for ridership data and Scott Rhine, director of PART, came to speak in person to explain that repeated attempts to get increased funding for rural routes had not been successful up to that point.
After the county exited from PART it was announced that Randolph County had been the beneficiary of this change to the tune of $600,000 – the amount they were going to get anyway, and the $300,000 Surry County declined to accept.
Monday evening it was clear the board members were displeased with PART’s suggested counteroffer and County Attorney Ed Woltz suggested they may want to speak to their representatives in Raleigh to express their “displeasure in the actions of PART.”
The board agreed and Chairman Eddie Harris recalled comments made last year as this was being debated, “We said this is either going to be a clean divorce or a messy one. Looks like it’s going to be a messy one.”
Eight teams from four local schools each made the state playoffs for basketball.
Six of those teams, three girls teams and three boys teams, won their opening matchups and advanced to the Round of 32.
East Surry girls vs. Community School of Davidson
East Surry bounced back from a close loss in the Foothills 2A Conference by winning 70-22 in the opening round of the 2A State Playoffs.
The No. 5 Cardinals jumped ahead by double digits in the first quarter against Community School of Davidson, then never looked back. Tuesday’s victory was East’s third game of at least 70 points this season.
Senior Addie Phipps led East Surry with 19 points on 88% shooting. East Surry shot 51% from the field as a team and 60% from 3-point range.
Phipps and Merry Parker Boaz each had five assists, and Boaz led the team in steals with five. Bella Hutchens came close to a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, while Khloe Bennett added eight rebounds and the Cards’ only block.
No. 12 East Surry (20-5) will travel to No. 5 East Burke (24-2) in the second round.
CSD: not available on MaxPreps
ES: Addie Phipps 19, Merry Parker Boaz 13, Izzy Cline 9, Bella Hutchens 9, Maggy Sechrist 8, Emory Anderson 4, Khloe Bennett 4, Addyson Boaz 4
East Surry boys at Maiden
No. 22 East Surry got back above .500 with upset win over Maiden, 57-52.
East’s road win not only gave No. 11 Maiden (22-5) just its second home loss of the season, but it was tied for the third biggest upset in the 2A boys bracket by seeding. The largest upset in the 2A West saw No. 23 Walkertown beat No. 10 Monroe, and the largest upset in the 2A East saw No. 26 North Lenoir beat No. 7 East Bladen.
Despite the win being labeled an upset, East led at the end of each quarter. The Cards went up by double figures at the end of the first quarter and led 36-10 at halftime. East Surry’s two leading scorers, Jordan Davis with 24 and Luke Brown with 15, combined to outscore Maiden 26-20 in the first half.
The Cardinals held on to win despite Maiden outscoring East 32-21 in the second half.
Davis hit six 3-pointers in the game and now holds the East Surry school record for career 3-pointers with 163. He sets the record despite only playing two full varsity seasons.
East Surry (13-12) travels to No. 6 Salisbury (20-5) in the second round.
ES: Jordan Davis 24, Luke Brown 15, Daniel Creech 10, Folger Boaz 5, Braxton Davis 3
MD: Chris Culliver 19, Jalen Robinson 14, Landon Teague 8, Raheim Misher 7, Ben Gibbs 2, Parker Pait 2
Mount Airy girls at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy
The Granite Bears went on the road and upset the No. 14 seed in a close 44-40 game. Neither side outscored the other by more than four points in a single quarter.
Mount Airy senior Morgan Mayfield scored seven points through the first three quarters, then added eight in the fourth as the Bears held on to advance.
Thomas Jefferson freshman Samara Jones scored 12 points in the first half, but went scoreless in the third before adding six in the fourth quarter.
Mount Airy improves to 16-10, and Thomas Jefferson’s season ends at 14-11. Mount Airy advances to the second round to play No. 3 Cherokee (24-3).
MA: Morgan Mayfield 15, Addie Marshall 11, Alissa Clabo 8, Niya Smith 4, McKenna Watson 4, Da’nya Mills 2
TJ: Samara Jones 18, Breasia Ussery 6, Sara Hargro 6, Sydney Jones 5, Jazzelle Martinez 3, Julissa Bell 2
Mount Airy boys vs. Hayesville
The No. 15 Bears hosted No. 18 Hayesville and came away with the 62-45 win.
Mario Revels led Mount Airy with 29 points, including five 3-pointers. The junior scored 12 as part of a 20-point first quarter. Logan Fonville added 12 points, with all 12 coming in the second half.
Mount Airy improves to 12-13, and Hayesville’s season ends at 14-12.
Mount Airy advances to the second round to play No. 2 South Stokes (23-4). South Stokes won both meetings against Mount Airy this season.
HV: Logan Caldwell 16, Ethan Hooper 11, Seth Hedden 6, Taylor McClure 4, Slade Crouch 3, Kyle Lunsford 2, Cade Denton 2, Isaac Chandler 1
MA: Mario Revels 29, Logan Fonville 12, Caleb Reid 8, Tyler Mason 4, Carson Hill 4, Jourdain Hill 4, Nassir Lemon 1
North Surry girls vs. Owen
2022-23 Foothills 2A Conference Champion North Surry began its playoff journey with a 7-point victory over No. 26 Owen.
The No. 7 Greyhounds spread the love as eight players scored in the victory. No North Surry player scored in all four quarters, but whenever someone had an off quarter the Hounds were there to make up for it. Kalyn Collins led the way with 15 points, but never had more than six a quarter.
Four other North Surry players had a least six points: Reece Niston, Sadie Badgett and Josie Tompkins each had eight, and Jaxie Draughn had six.
North Surry is now 15-1 when scoring at least 46 points.
No. 26 Owen finishes its season at 10-16.
North Surry improves to 17-8 and will host No. 10 Monroe (18-7) in the second round.
ON: Carly Hancock 16, Maesyn Gardner 12, Ellie Martin 8, Savannah Hollingsworth 5, Mia McMurry 4
NS: Kalyn Collins 15, Sadie Badgett 8, Reece Niston 8, Josie Tompkins 8, Callie Robertson 4, Zarah Love 2, Sarah Mauldin 1
North Surry boys vs. Owen
The second part of the North Surry-Owen double header saw the home Greyhounds win 83-48.
Similar to the girls game, the No. 1 Greyhounds (26-1) saw contributions across the board as 11 players scored. James McCreary led four double-digit scorers with 20 points, followed by Kam McKnight with 14, and Jahreece Lynch and Kolby Watson with 11 each. McCreary scored all his points in two quarters, while Lynch and Watson did all their scoring in three.
North Surry broke free of a 14-14 tie at the end of the first quarter by outscoring No. 32 Owen 31-4 in the second quarter. Eight Hounds scored in the second to bring the halftime lead to 45-18.
North Surry hit 10 3-pointers in the win.
Owen finishes the year 12-15.
North Surry will host No. 17 West Stokes (15-10) in the second round. North Surry defeated West Stokes 79-71 earlier this season.
ON: Eli Lewkowicz 12, Jacob King 7, Asante Martin 7, Jaheem O’hara 5, Caleb Mooney 4, Aidan Warnock 4, Hunter Inabinett 4, Jack Wesley 2
NS: James McCreary 20, Kam McKnight 14, Jahreece Lynch 11, Kolby Watson 11, Makiyon Woodbury 6, Isaac Johnson 6, Jackson Smith 4, Fisher Leftwich 4, Cam Taylor 4, Keaton Leonard 2, Brady Bennett 1
Surry Central girls at Monroe
Surry Central’s young core led the team to the 2A State Playoffs, although a first-round date with No. 10 Monroe was less than ideal for the Golden Eagles.
The Redhawks, now 18-7 on the season, won 13-of-14 games heading into the state playoffs and only have one loss against a 2A opponent all year. Monroe jumped out to a double-digit lead in the opening quarter and maintained in through all four quarters.
No. 23 Central had to reload after losing all five starters from the 2021-22 team, but coach Mandy Holt is very optimistic for the future. Underclassmen scored 26 of Central’s 34 points against Monroe, while Monroe upperclassmen scored 49-of-62 points.
The Golden Eagles finish the season 12-13.
Monroe advances to take on No. 7 North Surry (17-8).
SC: Ragan Hall 10, Layla Wall 7, Ashley Santamaria 6, Presley Smith 4, Jenna Cave 3, Ally Crotts 2, Mallie Southern 2
MR: Saniya Gingham 16, Dynastee Parker 15, Saniya Wallace 15, Summer Jones 11, Taleah Hallman 3, Angel Mckay 2
Surry Central boys vs. West Stokes
Surry Central’s historic season came to an end following a 68-62 loss to West Stokes.
The No. 16 Golden Eagles finish the year 19-8, marking the team’s most wins since at least 2005-06.
The No. 17 Wildcats controlled the boards and used their height advantage to make attacking the basket difficult for the Eagles. West led by as many as 14 in the game behind Cam Edmonds’ 34 points.
West Stokes led by 11 with three minutes to play before Central used an 11-2 run to cut the lead to 59-57. It was a 2-point game with less than a minute to play, but Central was unable to hit shots down the stretch. West scored seven of the game’s final 10 points.
Tripp McMillen led Surry Central with 19 points, followed by Adam Hege 15 on 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Hege and Josh Pardue led Central in assists with four each, and Pardue had the Eagles’ only block. Mason Jewell’s three steals were the most by a Golden Eagle.
West Stokes (15-10) advances to the Round of 32 and will face No. 1 North Surry (26-1). North Surry defeated West Stokes 79-71 earlier this season.
WS: Cam Edmonds 34, Bryson Bowman 14, Tyler Moran 9, Keyon Rawley 5, Dillon Stanley 4, Derek Studer 2
SC: Tripp McMillen 19, Adam Hege 15, Ayden Wilmoth 12, Jacob Mitchell 6, Mason Jewell 6, Josh Pardue 4
A late afternoon fire on Tuesday damaged a building at Betty’s Outdoors in Walnut Cove and closed portions of NC 89 to motorists for several hours.
The blaze apparently began between 5:30 and 6 p.m., according to multiple online and media reports. Officials with the Stokes County Fire Marshall’s office and with Walnut Cove Volunteer Fire Department were not available for comment Wednesday.
Thick black smoke poured from the fire, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation alert system said the road there was closed shortly after firefighters arrived on the scene a few minutes before 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Several hours later the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office stated on Facebook the road was back open.
While a number of social media reports indicated the building which caught fire was heavily damaged, it was not the main store.
“Last night at approximately 6 p.m., we were dispatched as mutual aid to assist Walnut Cove Fire & Rescue on a report of a building fire on Hwy 89 east @ Betty’s outdoors,” the South Stokes Fire and Rescue Department posted on Facebook. “The first arriving unit advised they had a working fire with fire through the roof. T-40 & 40-E2 operated on scene as water supply other station 40 personnel assisted with fire attack and fire ground operations. The fire is currently under investigation at this time.” the post said.
Other postings said the main store at the location was untouched, but the workshop was a “total loss.”
The store’s Facebook page had a posting on Wednesday stating the store was still open and running as usual for walk-in customers. Attempts to reach owners at the store were not successful.
While parts of the U.S. had the warmest January on record — with that attributed to climate change — this wasn’t the case in Mount Airy.
It experienced above-normal heat last month, but nowhere near the local record set 73 years ago when the mercury averaged 48.1 degrees.
In fact, there have been nine years altogether with an average temperature for January higher than that for 2023 (42.1 degrees), according to information provided Tuesday by Andy Utt, Mount Airy water treatment supervisor.
Local weather conditions are monitored at the city’s F.G. Doggett Water Plant. Statistics for Mount Airy go back nearly 100 years, to 1924.
Last month was indeed much warmer than usual, with the mercury averaging the 42.1-degree figure after factoring in all temperatures recorded during January. This exceeded the all-time local average for the first month of the year, 36.1, by exactly six degrees.
January’s result was bolstered by a high for the month of 67 degrees on Jan. 19. At the lower end of the scale, a trio of 22-degree days, on Jan. 16, 28 and 29, took low-temp honors and frost was noted on seven days.
It’s been hotter
While six degrees above average is nothing to shiver at, many local residents who might assume the weather is appreciably hotter than it once was, due to all the global warming talk, can be assured statistics show the opposite to be true here.
In addition to the all-time Mount Airy average temperature record of 48.1 degrees set during January 1950 were these next-highest years in order for that month, most not part of the modern era and undermining the common assumption of earlier times being much colder:
Last month also was wetter than normal, with all the precipitation measured at the city water plant coming in the form of rain and none of the wintry kind one normally associates with January.
A total of 4.03 inches was logged, which is 0.31 inches — or 8.3% — above normal for the first month of the year for Mount Airy, which averages 3.72 inches.
The maximum output recorded for a single day during January was 1.03 inches on Jan. 26.
Measurable rainfall occurred on 13 of the month’s 31 days.
Snow was not observed at all at the water plant. Fog was on 11 days.
DOBSON — West Stokes held off a fourth-quarter comeback from Surry Central to advance in the NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs.
The visiting Wildcats, the No. 17 seed in the 2A West, never trailed after the first quarter and led by as many as 14 points in the game. The No. 16 Golden Eagles cut that lead to two points with less than a minute to play, but the Cats scored seven of the game’s final 10 points to win 68-62.
West Stokes picks up its first playoff victory since the 2019-20 season and the first under coach Rhett Bonner. This is also West’s first win over Central this season as Central won the two regular season matchups.
The Wildcats improve to 15-10, while Surry Central’s season ends at 19-8.
Central finishes the year with its most wins in the MaxPreps era (2005-present). This season’s team surpassed the 2011-12 team’s record of 18-11, which was also the last Golden Eagle team to host a playoff game.
Junior Cam Edmonds led the Wildcats with 34 points, while senior Bryson Bowman added a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Edmonds scored 13 of West’s 20 fourth-quarter points, including five of the team’s six field goals in that span.
West Stokes’ height advantage helped limit Central’s interior presence with a zone defense. The Cats won the rebounding battle 28-17, with Bowman and Keyon Rawley combining for 19 boards. West also held Central to just 10 2-point field goals on Tuesday.
The Wildcats set the pace for the Feb. 21 victory with an efficient 21-point opening quarter which came after a bumpy start. Surry Central reacted to the zone by hitting shots from the perimeter to take an 8-2 lead; senior Adam Hege knocked down two of his first five 3-pointers on the night, and sophomore Tripp McMillen hit nothing but net on a long 2-point jumper.
Hege’s five 3-pointers and 15 total points were both career highs. According to his dad, Mark, the secret to Adam’s shooting success against West Stokes was his backward shorts.
West Stokes survived the initial onslaught from Central and responded with a 19-4 run. After turning the ball over on two of their first three possessions, the Wildcats only had one offensive possession that didn’t result in points for the remainder of the quarter.
The teams combined for just six rebounds in the first quarter, with West grabbing five of them, because West rarely missed and Central couldn’t get inside to get an offensive rebound.
The Wildcats’ lead grew to 14 in the second quarter after an 8-3 run. The Eagles’ defense stepped up to force turnovers and responded with a 9-2 run, then Edmonds scored his seventh, eighth and ninth points of the quarter on a 3-pointer just before time expired. This put West up 34-24 at the midpoint.
Hege’s sharpshooting helped Central cut into the lead as he hit three 3-pointers in the third. The lead was cut to six at 38-32, then Edmonds and Bowman scored the next seven points to extend the Wildcat advantage to 13. Hege hit his third triple of the quarter, then assisted on the next two field goals scored by Jacob Mitchell and Mason Jewell to make it a five-point game.
Central seemed to have momentum heading into the fourth quarter, but another late 3-pointer – this time from Tyler Moran – put West up 48-40 with eight minutes to play.
West Stokes led by double-digits for nearly five minutes in the fourth quarter. Then, an offensive rebound from Mitchell set Wilmoth up for a drive to the basket with 2:49 to play, cutting the lead to 57-48. McMillen then forced a turnover in Central’s full-court press that gave Wilmoth another easy drive to the basket.
Jewell forced a turnover on the Wildcats’ next possession, then McMillen converted a layup while being fouled. Edmonds put a stop to the 6-0 run with 1:57 to play, but Central kept going with a 5-0 run after Edmonds’ bucket to make it 59-57.
Edmonds and McMillen traded 2-point field goals as the clock ran below a minute. Edmonds scored a layup, was fouled and made the free throw to make a two-possession game with 47 seconds to play, then Central missed 3-point attempts on its next three possessions. West turned those misses into points by hitting free throws.
A 3-pointer from Jewell was too little too late as West Stokes booked its ticket to the second round.
Central finished the night 10-of-27 from beyond the arc (37%), with Hege leading the way by making his first five attempts. West Stokes had a similar shooting percentage from deep by making 6-of-16 attempts (38%). Central shot 9-of-12 (75%) from the free throw line, and West made 10-of-12 attempts (83%).
McMillen led the Eagles with 19 points and six rebounds while adding three assists and two steals. Hege was next in scoring with 15 points, followed by Wilmoth with 12.
Hege and Josh Pardue led Central in assists with four each, and Pardue had the Eagles’ only block. Jewell’s three steals were the most by a Golden Eagle.
Edmonds’ 34 matched the total of Central’s two leading scorers. The junior also finished with two rebounds, two assists and a team-high four steals.
Bowman was the Wildcats’ other double-digit scorer with 14 while leading the team with 11 rebounds and two blocks. Dillon Stanley led West with four assists, and Rawley and Bowman each had three assists. Rawley also added eight boards.
West Stokes advances to the Round of 32 and will face No. 1 North Surry (26-1) on Feb. 23.
North Surry, who defeated No. 32 Owen 83-48 in the opening round, won the only regular season meeting against West Stokes 79-71 on Dec. 28.
WS: Cam Edmonds 34, Bryson Bowman 14, Tyler Moran 9, Keyon Rawley 5, Dillon Stanley 4, Derek Studer 2
SC: Tripp McMillen 19, Adam Hege 15, Ayden Wilmoth 12, Jacob Mitchell 6, Mason Jewell 6, Josh Pardue 4
https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/MTA022322S.pdf
The annual Tommy Jarrell Festival gets underway later this week, with three days of workshops, lessons, competition, dancing and concerts to celebrate the musical legend who spent his life perfecting the Round Peak style of old time fiddle playing.
Jarrell, who lived from March 1, 1901 until Jan. 28, 1985, was known throughout the world of blue grass and old time music for his distinctive playing style. Many musicians from around the world made the sojourn to Surry County to study under his tutelage during his life, and some of those students, along with many fans, descend on the county each February for the festival, set for the final full weekend in February every year.
Old-Time workshops and classes are slated Thursday through Saturday.
On Thursday, the free Youth Traditional Arts Lessons will get under way at the Historic Earle Theatre. At 4:30 p.m. will be flatfoot dancing instructions, followed by fiddle at 5:30 p.m. and the guitar, banjo, and mandolin at 6:15 p.m.
Award-winning musician and teacher Jim Vipperman leads the instrument classes and Darius Flowers oversees the dance lessons. Instruments are provided if needed while available. Parents and guardians are welcome to stay and participate
On Friday, bluegrass and old-time master Wayne Erbsen will hold a beginning banjo workshop, followed by a concert. The workshop is 2 to 4 p.m., while the concert is 7 p.m., both at the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre. The workshop costs $35, with a $10 banjo rental for those who may need an instrument. The workshop and concert cost is $45. Those attending the concert only can expect to pay $12.
“As a musician, Wayne is a master of old-time, bluegrass, folk, Appalachian, cowboy, pioneer, railroad, and gospel music and music of the Civil War,” the Surry Arts Council said. He plays clawhammer and bluegrass banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar.
“Wayne has performed … across America and in western Europe. He has recorded many solo CDs and written dozens of music instruction books and songbooks. Wayne has won numerous prizes at fiddler’s conventions, including first place in clawhammer banjo (Galax, Virginia, 1973) and first place in senior old-time fiddler (Fiddler’s Grove, North Carolina, 2004).”
On Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m. will be a series of old-time workshops in the Historic Earle Theatre, led by Emily and Martha Spencer, with a $25 cost per participant.
At 4 p.m. in the Earle will be one of the highlights of the annual gathering — the Tommy Jarrell Celebration Youth Competition. This is free to all youth who wish to take part, and categories include fiddle, clawhammer banjo, guitar, vocal, dance, and other (which includes all other instruments and bands), in two age levels: 5-12 and 13-18. Each contestant may enter only two categories. Contestants will have three minutes to perform and can have one accompanist, though no recorded backup is permitted.
Saturday evening at 7:30, again at the Historic Earle, will be the annual Tommy Jarrell Birthday Concert, featuring Whitetop Mountain Band.
“The Whitetop Mountain Band is a family-based band from the highest mountains of Virginia,” arts council officials said of this year’s concert artist. “Whitetop, Virginia is an area rich in the old-time music tradition; this band has deep roots in mountain music. The members have done much to preserve the Whitetop region’s style of old-time fiddling and banjo picking and are legendary musicians and teachers of the style. The band is currently led by Emily Spencer, who was a founding member of the group in the mid-1970s.”
Cost of the concert is $12.
For additional information or to enter the youth competition or purchase tickets for any of the events, visit https://www.surryarts.org/shows/tommyjarrell.html or call 336-786-7998. Tickets can also be purchased at the door prior to each show, if they are available.
A Westfield man has been missing since Feb. 5, and now the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office is looking to the public for help in finding him.
Trinity Sabastian Fain, 25, has not been seen since Feb. 5, when he left his Puckett Road residence in Westfield, but that is where the trail seems to go cold, according to scant information released by the sheriff’s office.
“He is reported to have been to his place of employment in Mount Airy on Sunday 2/5/2023,” the statement released by law enforcement said. “He is no longer employed at this location.”
Captain Danny Bottoms said he could not state whether Fain had been fired or quit, nor could he say whether Fain and his employer had parted ways that day before or after his disappearance, or if his employment ended at some other point.
Fain’s vehicle was found around 8 a.m. on Feb. 6, on Puckett Road, about a mile from his residence. However, Bottoms declined to say if foul play was suspected, or if Fain had left any personal belongings behind, such as a phone, wallet, or his identification.
“The information I have given you is all the information available for release at this time,” he said in an email. “This missing persons case is an active investigation.”
Fain was last seen wearing light colored blue jeans, Wolverine work boots, a green shirt and a blue jean Carhartt coat. He is described as being 6 feet tall and weighing 146 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
“If you have any information on the location of Trinity Sabastian Fain please contact the sheriff’s office,” his statement read.
Anyone with information is asked to call 336-593-8787, 800-672-2851, or 336-593-8130 and ask for Detective Larry Smith or the sergeant on duty.
Six weeks have passed since the death of 4-year-old Skyler Wilson, of Mount Airy, that shocked the Yadkin Valley region and made splashy headlines across the country.
Behind the headlines and left in the wake of the storm is Sherry Bowman, the lone employee of Dr. Joseph Wilson at Affordable Wellness Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Nutrition of Mount Airy. Wilson and his wife, Jodi Ann Wilson, are accused in their son’s death, each charged with murder.
Bowman said the tragedy has taken a toll on her emotionally, mentally, and even professionally. She sees the smiling face of Skyler Wilson and has even taken to drawing that now familiar, toothy grin of the late boy that has adorned social media since early January.
“I’ve been crying on and off for six weeks; I’m having nightmares too, at least one a week,” Bowman explained. “This is something I’ll never forget and never get over and when it all comes out, you’ll see why.”
Bowman has had communication with the Wilson family since Joseph and Jodi Ann were arrested in the Jan. 9 death of their son. She said that she is aware of the status and welfare of all four Wilson children, but declined to elaborate.
During a recent interview, Bowman repeatedly declined to answer questions for concerns of doing harm to the case; she wants justice for Skyler. “I don’t want to say or do anything to jeopardize the case.”
During her four years working for Joseph Wilson at Affordable Wellness, she said she was the only front desk employee despite information to the contrary found on the business’s website. Jodi Ann Wilson had been the initial receptionist when the practice opened and there had been another before Bowman took over, but for most of that time it was just the two of them, she said.
Bowman said that there has been confusion since Jodi Wilson had been previously identified as the front desk employee of Affordable Wellness and some have thought Bowman may be Wilson, “out on bail and looking for a job,” Bowman said Monday.
There has been so much interest in the case that she said people have been trying to reach her by phone, social media, through her child, and even via a drive by visit of her home. She is confused by the morbid fascination in such a sad affair. “There’s no scoop here and there is no dirt to a 4-year-old getting killed,” Bowman said.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” she said. “I’ll have a lot more to say after the trial.”
The next court date for Joseph and Jodi Ann Wilson is set for Superior Court on March 6 in Dobson, but Bowman suggested that the trial could be delayed. She said she was told by the Wilson family that the defendants are on their fourth lawyer and appeared to be on track to find their fifth one soon.
She got to know all five of the Wilson children — Skyler and his younger brother had been adopted by the Wilson family, and she knew that they had fostered other children and had taken classes on being foster parents.
Joseph Wilson, she said, conducted his practice in a way “that was a little too holistic from my perspective, but that’s his choice.” Bowman never worked with Jodi Ann Wilson but described her in some broad terms familiar to local residents when describing a New Yorker, noting she was a fast talker and a little “high-strung.”
She advised the Wilson family to retain legal counsel to deal with the affairs of Affordable Wellness, Dr. Wilson’s practice on West Pine Street in Mount Airy. They told her that the practice was closed for good. Affordable Wellness was not a chain or franchise location, and she pointed out that there is a potential HIPAA minefield waiting inside.
“I asked (the family) what was the plan? It would be a HIPAA violation (to throw the medical records out) so I suggested talking to a lawyer about what to do with medical records,” Bowman explained.
Bowman said she has no knowledge of self-professed parenting guru Nancy Thomas and her for-profit parenting and counseling solutions — according to court records, Skyler died after suffering injuries sustained in a practice called “swaddling,” in which he was allegedly tightly bound up in sheets and other bed clothing and unable to move. Thomas is a proponent of the practice, and other controversial parenting methods.
Bowman said she was not aware of the methods or practices that Thomas was extolling. “I didn’t know anything about her methods, and I assume she was just their counselor.”
Court documents said that Bowman “knew from previous conversations with Joseph Wilson that the Wilsons had recorded Zoom counseling sessions with Nancy Thomas… and knew Joseph Wilson would search parenting techniques and exorcisms while at work.”
Joseph Wilson, in court filings, identified that those swaddling technique were used by Jodi Wilson on the day of the incident, Jan. 5, where young Skyler was swaddled, and oxygen was cut off to his brain.
Surry County detectives were told at Brenner Children’s Hospital that the boy was already brain dead on Jan. 6 from the incident the day before; he did not pass away until Jan. 9.
Search warrants for the Wilson home and Affordable Wellness said detectives were looking for media and evidence “related to pouching, swaddling, and/or Nancy Thomas parenting.”
Thomas is not a doctor or therapist, and she states that in her writing and her website. She said she has learned about parenting and what works through years of experience with troubled kids with “attachment disorder.”
The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children held a task force on attachment theory and in 2006 wrote, “Assessment for attachment problems requires considerable diagnostic knowledge and skill, to accurately recognize attachment problems and to rule out competing diagnoses.”
“A diagnosis of attachment disorder should never be made simply based on a child’s status as maltreated, as having experienced trauma, as being a foster or adoptive child. We believe that it is important to take a stand on harmful or questionable practices and theories, while encouraging increased dialogue and research in these areas.”
One tenant of attachment therapy is the concept of “re-parenting” where a child is treated as though they were younger than they are. The theory suggests kids could be treated like a baby or a toddler in an attempt to create a new bond between child and caregiver to replace those that were not formed with their birth parent or caregiver.
Court documents in the Wilson case said a woman identified as a former foster mother for Skyler’s and his brother had raised concerns to Surry County Department of Social Services for the treatment they were receiving at the hands of the Wilsons. The search warrant said, “Jodi Wilson had discussed with her pouching, swaddling, food restriction, the gating of Skyler in a room for excessive alone time, and the exorcisms of both children.”
North Carolina has banned swaddling of children as of 2017 in child care facilities and group homes as there is a danger in the poor execution of swaddling. The American Academy of Pediatrics said care givers should stop swaddling a child, “As soon as your baby shows any signs of trying to roll over.”
Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church held the 18th Annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser in Mount Airy on Friday. Members of the congregation and the community at large were welcome to the attend and the event had a nice turnout.
There were more than a few folks dressed to impress in regalia that would fit right in on Bourbon Street. However, on Main Street at Holy Angels Catholic, they had a more subdued family friendly evening with music, dancing, raffle, and silent auction.
Donations received at the event and proceeds from the auction and raffles benefit the Columbiettes charitable projects. A giant quilt adorned one wall of the Monseigneur Duncan Center, one of the prizes available during the evening, as silent auction items sat on a table for perusal.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic partygoers were happy that the Mardi Gras Fundraiser and Celebration was back in full swing. Entering the parking lot, one could hear the music thumping before even getting into the hall. There were cooks in the kitchen getting a meal ready for those who attended in person and take out plates were available as well.
Adreann Belle, one of the event organizers, was hard at work in the kitchen Friday evening and she estimated they served more than 120 meals at the event as well as several to-go orders. Among the projects the Columbiettes use the money for are assisting the Knights of Columbus in their endeavors along with a full slate of projects of their own including helping the Shepherd’s House, food banks, and local handicapped children.
Planning for such an event takes time and while it may be hard to believe, Belle said the committee for next year’s Mardi Gras would be holding its first meeting next week.
The Columbiettes are a sibling organization of the Knight of Columbus who are comprised of affiliated Auxiliaries of the Knights of Columbus Councils. “In 1939 Monsignor J. Francis McIntyre, Chaplain of the New York Chapter Knights of Columbus, seeing great numbers of women coming out of a rally at Madison Square Garden, conceived the idea of a ladies organization to work with the Knights of Columbus,” they wrote.
The group seeks to promote the spiritual, social and charitable welfare of its members and “instill a steadfast conviction relating to the proper place and function of Catholic women in safeguarding the religious, civil and economic rights of all Catholics.”
A game that started as a defensive standoff soon turned into a one-sided affair as North Wilkes defeated North Surry 61-30.
The teams combined for just three points for nearly four minutes to start the game, then North Wilkes (22-5) went up 13-0 before North Surry’s Kalyn Collins hit a pair of free throws late in the quarter.
The Vikings’ alternated between a 1-3-1 and 2-1-2 zone, using their height and length advantage to make attacking the basket harder for the Hounds (16-8). The Greyhounds found success shooting the three as the season progressed, even posting three games of at least nine triples in the final weeks of the regular season, but struggled to replicate that success in the title game.
North finished 5-of-28 (18%) from deep. Three of those 3-pointers game in the second quarter. North Surry’s defense once again was able to slow the visitors from Wilkes County down at times, and when the threes were falling the lead was cut to 24-14.
The Hounds kept the Vikings from scoring for nearly 2:30 of game time, but failed to score themselves after a Reece Niston 3-pointer with 2:42 left in the half.
Each team scored five points in the first four minutes of the second half; North Surry’s Collins put back an offensive rebound followed by a Sadie Badgett 3-pointer from NBA range, and North Wilkes made five free throws. The Vikings then built on a 32-19 lead with a 10-2 run. The Hounds did manage to go on a 6-2 run to close the third quarter and make it 44-27.
North Surry turnovers opened the door for North Wilkes to go on a 6-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter, resulting in a platoon swap for North Surry. Peyton Utt had North Surry’s only three points of the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer off an assist from Westyn McCraw.
Badgett led North Surry with 11 points in eight rebounds, and tied Callie Robertson with two assists. Collins and Sarah Mauldin led the way and steals, while Robertson and Zarah Love each had blocks.
North Surry’s Shane Slate repeated as FH2A Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Greyhounds to a 10-2 conference record and the FH2A Title game.
North Wilkes’ Bare was named FH2A Player of the Year after averaging 16.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.9 steals in 12 conference games.
Bare was named MVP of the Conference Tournament, during which she averaged 23.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 5.0 steals. This included 32 points in the title game.
North Wilkes, who outscored tournament opponents 184-109, earned three selections for the FH2A All-Tournament Team: Bare, Kate Brown and Olivia Rhodes.
North Surry’ had two All-Tournament selections, while East Surry and Forbush each had one selection; Badgett and Tompkins represented the Greyhounds, Addie Phipps was selected from the Cardinals and Mallory Chapman was selected from the Falcons.
NW: Ralee Bare 32, Kate Brown 15, Olivia Rhodes 7, Allie Farrington 5, Brook Settle 2
NS: Sadie Badgett 11, Reece Niston 6, Josie Tompkins 5, Kalyn Collins 4, Peyton Utt 3, Sarah Mauldin 2
Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast.
North Surry defended its Foothills 2A Conference Tournament Championship with a 99-49 statement win over West Wilkes on Feb. 17.
The Hounds, now 25-1 on the season, led by as many as 22 points in the first quarter, then went up by 39 with 4:15 remaining in the second quarter. At one point, North Surry went on a 26-2 run in the first half.
The Greyhounds put a running clock into effect by taking a 41-point lead with 4:15 to play in the third quarter. The shot that gave North the running clock was a made 3-pointer from Jahreece Lynch, which was the most common sight of the night in Ron King Gymnasium.
Lynch scored a game-high 35 points to record his fourth game of at least 30 this season. The senior scored all of his points in the first three quarters: four in the first, 15 in the second and 16 in the third. He made 13 field goals in the game, and only two of those weren’t dunks or 3-pointers.
Jahreece came into Friday’s championship averaging 34% shooting from beyond the arc while attempting 6.3 3-pointers per game. He made each of his first six 3-pointers against West Wilkes, matching his career-high for a single game, then made three more to finish 9-of-15 (60%) from deep.
North Surry started the game 1-of-6 (17%) on 3-point attempts but finished the night 16-of-31 (52%). The Hounds scored 48 points on 3-pointers while the Blackhawks scored 49 total points.
Lynch finished the game with 35 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Lynch’s scoring total combined with that of either of the Greyhounds’ next two leading scorers, senior James McCreary with 20 and senior Kolby Watson with 17, surpassed West Wilkes’ entire team.
North assisted on 30 of its 38 total field goals. Sophomore Kam McKnight had a double-double off the bench and led the way with 10 assists, followed by Lynch with seven, Makiyon Woodbury with four, McCreary with three, Watson and Fisher Leftwich with two, and Cam Taylor, Keaton Leonard and Julius Brintle with one each.
The Blackhawks (13-13) relied heavily on 3-point shots during their recent run winning seven of their past eight games coming into the championship.
While North Surry tied its most made 3-pointers in recent memory, West Wilkes was held to just two made triples as North’s defense focused on eliminating open looks from the perimeter. West Wilkes made a combined 25 3-pointers in its first two conference tournament games, then was held to 2-of-15 shooting (13%) from deep against North Surry. This included 10 consecutive missed 3’s to start the game.
The Greyhounds swept the FH2A Conference’s top honors in 2023.
Coach Tyler Bentley repeated as Coach of the Year after leading the Greyhounds to another 12-0 conference season in which North won both the regular season and conference tournament championships.
McCreary was named FH2A Player of the Year after averaging 22.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.8 blocks in 12 conference games.
Lynch was named MVP of the Conference Tournament. He averaged 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.5 blocks during the tournament while shooting 13-of-22 (59%) from 3-point range and 20-of-33 (61%) from the field.
North Surry, who outscored tournament opponents 166-97 in two games, earned three selections for the FH2A All-Tournament Team: Lynch, McCreary and Watson.
West Wilkes had two All-Tournament selections, while East Surry and Surry Central each had one selection; Andin Ashford and Harrison Holbrook represented the Blackhawks, Luke Brown was selected from the Cardinals and Tripp McMillen was selected from the Golden Eagles.
The following players were named to the All-Conference team:
WW: Andin Ashford 19, Jaheim McDougald 10, Daniel Lambert 8, Harrison Holbrook 8, Jayden Walker 4
NS: Jahreece Lynch 35, James McCreary 20, Kolby Watson 17, Kam McKnight 10, Keaton Leonard 6, Cam Taylor 4, Fisher Leftwich 2, Julius Brintle 2
The city of Mount Airy has another problem building on its hands, the former site of a bank on the corner of North Main and Franklin streets in the heart of the central business district.
Cracked windows that endanger the public and a flow of rainwater damaging neighboring property have emerged as immediate concerns for the structure at 201 N. Main St., which housed major financial institutions of this city in its heyday.
The three-story building that towers over the Franklin-Main corner was constructed in 1923, according to Mount Airy Historic District records. The Bank of Mount Airy originally was located there, with that name etched in granite above the front entrance and still visible. The building served as the bank’s headquarters until 1934, when it became the site of Surry County Loan and Trust Co.
Many longtime local residents also will recall that Northwestern Bank later occupied the spot for many years, which occurred after Surry County Loan and Trust merged with Northwestern in 1961.
Now this century-old, former center of commerce sits vacant and has been for some time. A structure long considered a fine exponent of the fabled white Mount Airy granite it was made from stands in major disrepair.
Not only is its internal structural integrity being compromised by roof leakage, cracked exterior windows on the Franklin Street side of the building pose external hazards to passersby which officials say is an everyday risk.
Cracks in the plate glass are what first brought the issue to municipal attention.
“A good strong wind could put that glass out in the middle of the street and endanger our citizens,” said the city’s building codes enforcement officer, Chuck Morris, in detailing problems Thursday night during a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting.
“The sashes have rotted out of those windows,” Morris explained regarding the structures holding them in place. “Once the sash fails, the glass has no stop.”
Due to that potential, the Mount Airy Police Department has considered closing Franklin Street at that location, it was noted.
During Thursday’s meeting, a comparison between the former bank and another structure further down Franklin Street deemed a major safety hazard for years seemed inevitable.
“This is sort of like the Koozies building,” Commissioner Tom Koch said of what once existed at the corner of Franklin and South streets in relation to the old bank structure, “except it’s closer to Main Street.”
The Koozies building, in a less-trafficked area, was demolished in September after years of inactivity by its out-of-town ownership group that neglected numerous city appeals to correct the situation.
Although there was no talk Thursday night about razing the facility at 201 N. Main, the commissioners did vote unanimously to pursue steps to alleviate the pressing concerns.
“Right now what we’re asking for is to make a quick fix,” Morris said before that action.
Along with the falling glass threat, the flow of water into the neighboring site of a business, Mayberry Embroidery, is deemed a priority. Damage put at $5,000 has occurred to materials and merchandise there as a result, according to meeting discussion.
Similar to Koozies, the old bank building is owned by an out-of-town entity, in its case King’s Corners, LLC, based in Florida. Morris said an elderly lady who has expressed an affinity for the structure is somehow part of the ownership chain, but that admiration has not led to the site being maintained.
“There seems to be little to no effort by the owner to stabilize or improve these conditions,” Mayor Jon Cawley said. “The building has been and remains in a state of disrepair.”
Numerous violations have been spelled out to King’s Corners, LLC and multiple letters sent by the city government, Cawley added, which Morris says have produced “very, very” slow response.
“(The owner) has had opportunity after opportunity and it just keeps getting worse,” Commissioner Koch observed.
A series of photos showing other water damage that has stemmed from roof leakage was presented by the codes officer at the meeting.
This included shots of rotting flooring, damaged ceilings, crumbling stairs and mold outbreaks, with standing water documented throughout.
Some stopgap measure to alleviate the flow to the business next door will be taken along with securing windows.
City officials say that in correcting the immediate priorities, they are prepared to file a lien on the property to recoup the labor and other expenses involved.
Meanwhile, Morris said a private contractor has been exploring ways to shore up the inside of the structure to make it safe to allow substantial roof repairs seen as the ultimate solution.
The codes officer said the interior is not a direct threat to the public as long as entry to it is prohibited, comparing the situation to a tree falling in the woods and no one being there to hear that.
Concerning the long view in dealing with possible implications from the building’s present state, “we’re looking at all the options,” City Attorney Hugh Campbell informed the commissioners.
Campbell, who has been closely involved with the case along with Morris, says he is amazed that someone would pay a substantial sum for the old bank building 10 years ago and then let it fall into ruin.
The total assessed value of the structure and land is listed as $233,760 in county tax records.
Commissioner Marie Wood, apparently bothered by ongoing issues Mount Airy officials encounter with such structures, offered an idea Thursday night for nipping these in the bud, as Deputy Barney Fife might say.
Wood wants a new provision instituted in the city whereby those buying buildings would be subjected to fines if they allow them to become vacant and neglected for a specified time.
She said the penalty involved should be significant enough to compel property owners to avoid such situations.
“Do something to really get their attention rather than just send letters over and over,” Wood suggested.
City Manager Stan Farmer will explore what’s needed to implement such a procedure and report back to the board at an upcoming meeting.
Major League Baseball’s regular season is more than a month away, but a sneak preview of diamond drama was provided to fans this past weekend in Mount Airy.
This didn’t occur on a local field — instead the venue was inside the city’s public library on Rockford Street, where an entertaining and thought-provoking presentation highlighting the life and times of Jackie Robinson was in full swing Saturday.
Robinson was the first African-American player to break into Major League Baseball during its modern era, and a production by the Bright Leaf Touring Theatre celebrating his accomplishment proved to be a hit with the library audience. It was arranged by the Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library and the Surry Arts Council in recognition of Black History Month.
Although Robinson covered much ground before, during and after his baseball career and interacted with many key figures along the way, stories and events surrounding all that were highlighted Saturday through the talents of only two actors in just under an hour.
The Bright Leaf Touring Theatre’s Cedric Calhoun portrayed Robinson and also an elderly man who had seen Robinson play as a youth, while fellow performer Jayla Lomax almost stole the show by tackling a variety of others.
Those included Robinson’s mother, his wife and that of the elderly fan, along with several male figures prominent in the athlete’s life. Among them were his drill sergeant in the Army; boxing legend Joe Louis; Branch Rickey, the general manager of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers who orchestrated Robinson’s historical entry into the big leagues; a bus driver; and a New York sports announcer.
All came to life in a series of rapid-fire skits requiring constant costume changes by Lomax — yet carried out as seamlessly as a Jackie Robinson stolen base or the infielder’s snagging of a line drive.
The audience also was engaged in the production.
“I cut my teeth on baseball, so I had to come,” said one person there, Katherine Rose-Plum of Mount Airy, a retiree who played the sport while growing up in New Jersey.
The fact Jackie Robinson came into prominence during a turbulent time in history — punctuated by segregation — can’t be ignored.
But Saturday’s program also was heavy on the message that anyone of any color who faces adversity through racism or otherwise can learn from the lessons of perseverance, leadership and good role-models which factored into Robinson’s success.
“Knowing that so many people believed in me, it helped a lot,” Calhoun said in character as Robinson, who died in 1972, more than 40 years before a certain film was released.
“I never thought there would be a movie about my life,” the actor added in rendering a statement Robinson might have made had he been alive to see the premier of “42,” a title that referred to his uniform number.
Robinson was born in 1919 to a single mother of five who worked various odd jobs to support them.
She eventually saved enough to buy a house, but while growing up in an affluent community in Pasadena, California — in poverty compared to neighbors who didn’t want them there — Robinson and other friends of color often were excluded from community recreational activities.
“I wanted to run away — my mom decided we would stay,” he (Calhoun) related Saturday of her decision not to move elsewhere. Robinson’s mother encouraged him to not give up on the dream of playing baseball no matter how many unfriendly people he encountered.
“She didn’t let us fight back” — encouraging her children to do so by excelling rather than engaging in violence.
While Robinson was in his early 20s, America entered World War II and he was drafted into the Army.
During that point in Saturday’s production, two kids from the audience were recruited to participate in a short calisthenics session to help recreate the rigors of basic training.
Robinson sought to become an officer, a goal not feasible because of his race.
“That was not the first time I was turned down because of the color of my skin,” Calhoun (as Robinson) told Saturday’s audience, commenting on the absurdity of this:
“Now I want you to think for a minute — did you choose the color of your eyes?”
Robinson later enlisted heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis (played Saturday by Lomax) to use his contacts to help him in becoming an officer. This led to Robinson attending officer school and being promoted to the rank of second lieutenant.
“We’ve got to stick together if we want to change the world,” Louis told Robinson, based on the script.
“But I didn’t earn the right to sit on a bus,” Calhoun (as Robinson) recalled of an event in 1944 which ended his Army career. “I was kicked out of the military for doing the same thing Rosa Parks did — I refused to give up my seat to a white soldier.”
Through the efforts of Branch Rickey, Robinson, who had been a star for the all-black Kansas City Monarchs, joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, bringing more challenges.
“There are no laws about black players playing in the major leagues — there’s just this segregation thing,” Rickey said at the time, according to Saturday’s script.
Along with not being able to eat at certain restaurants, stay in certain hotels or frequent certain movie theaters during his playing days, Robinson faced resentment from some of his own teammates in addition to those on opposing clubs.
That did not deter his performance, with Robinson gaining a reputation for hitting, speed around the bases and fielding, leading to him becoming the first African-American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967. “Playing baseball always felt at home to me,” Calhoun (as Robinson) said.
Robinson’s experiences formed a natural springboard for becoming part of the Civil Rights Movement after his 10-year playing career, putting him in contact with individuals such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “What a time to be alive,” the actor portraying Robinson said.
Later in life, Robinson held executive positions in the business world, among sports and other involvements, before dying of a heart attack in 1972 while only 53.
A big part of his legacy surrounds the groundbreaking role he played in paving the way for other players of color such as Willie Mays and those of all races to participate in whatever sport they choose, Saturday’s audience was told.
“Jackie Robinson did live an interesting and exciting life,” Calhoun said at one point Saturday, speaking from the viewpoint of actor rather than dramatic subject.
“This story has taught me a lot.”
GREENSBORO — The cost of reaching the state championship may be high for student-athletes, but the experience of winning North Carolina’s ultimate prize is simply priceless.
That said, the NCHSAA Individual Wrestling State Championship Tournament has been anything but “Price-less” the past four years. Injuries, nationally ranked opponents and even a worldwide pandemic weren’t enough to stand in the way of the state meet’s one constant since 2020: a Price brother winning a state title.
After winning the 2019-20 2A 145-pound State Championship, Jeremiah Price – a freshman at Surry Central at the time – said: “I just came here looking to place. Since I’m a freshman and wasn’t supposed to win it, I just came here looking to do the best I could do.”
On Feb. 18, 2023, Jeremiah and his younger brother Jacob each won state championships, bringing their family’s total up to six in four seasons.
That’s something that money can’t buy.
“They put the time in and both are well-deserved,” said Josh Price. Josh is Jeremiah and Jacob’s father as well as the Eagles’ assistant coach.
Jeremiah put his name in the state’s record book by becoming the 12th person in N.C. history to win four wrestling state championships. The senior won the 2A 145-pound Championship in 2020 and 2021, then won the 2A 152-pound Championship in 2022 and now 2023.
“When I was a kid I always dreamed of it,” Jeremiah said. “It was a dream, but you’ve always got to work and attack that dream to make it a reality.”
Jacob wrestled one match after Jeremiah on the same mat. The junior captured the 2A 160-pound Championship, becoming just the sixth Surry County wrestler to win multiple individual titles.
Jacob joins: Mount Airy’s Cameron Pack, Jacob Hogue and Connor Medvar, North Surry’s Justin Jones, and of course his brother Jeremiah from Surry Central.
“You can’t say enough about them,” said Surry Central coach Stephen Priddy. “Both of them are tremendous young men with great character. They just come out here and they get it done. It’s just fun to be a part of.”
To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man
Jeremiah set the bar high by going 56-1 as a freshman, with his only loss that season coming against a multi-time state champion in the 3A division. Following that defeat on Dec. 27, 2019, Jeremiah won his next 96 matches as he went undefeated for nearly three years.
This would be his only high school loss to an in-state opponent.
“My freshman year was going to be the hardest year, so once that year kind of rolled into place I knew that now was the time to make my dream a reality,” Jeremiah said.
When asked if he thought Jeremiah had a legitimate shot at making history after winning as a freshman, Priddy didn’t even have to think before responding.
“Yes, no question,” Priddy said. “I knew it was possible and that he wasn’t going to slow down. There are obviously things you can’t plan for like injuries, but with his work ethic I knew the potential was there.”
Jeremiah won titles his sophomore and junior years without losing. As a sophomore, he outscored opponents 57-3 in the state tournament to repeat as 145 champion. The Golden Eagle moved up to 152 as a junior, but won his first two matches at states in 10 seconds and 26 seconds. He won via 25-10 technical fall in the semifinals, then 26-9 tech fall in the championship.
Only three wrestlers in North Carolina won their 2021-22 championship match via technical fall, and Jeremiah’s 26 points total of 26 points was 10 more than the other two wrestlers. He went on to be named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2A Tournament.
Jeremiah won his first four matches as a senior before falling in the third round of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Tournament, a national tournament that featured 64 wrestlers in each bracket. He lost twice in the 150-pound bracket to competitors from Florida and Colorado, but came back to finish fifth in the nation.
Jeremiah got payback over the wrestler who handed him his first loss in the fifth-place match.
“It’s fun for us to talk about individual records and win streaks, but I can tell you he really does not care a bit about that stuff,” Priddy said. “All he cares about is getting better, and him winning four state titles on top of being a multi-time All-American tells you all you need to know.”
Jeremiah wrestled 45 matches his senior year, and only seven of those matches lasted all three periods without ending via tech fall. All seven came in the Walsh Tournament.
“I train to be the best, and to be the best I’ve got to beat the best,” Jeremiah said. “If kids are gunning for me it keeps me motivated to work out and work harder.”
It was another clinic put on by Jeremiah in the 2023 state tournament. He won all four of his matches via fall, the first of which only lasted 18 seconds, and wrestled for less than nine minutes in the three-day tournament. He outscored tournament opponents 61-17 and was named Most Outstanding wrestler for the second consecutive year.
Jeremiah finishes his high school career with a record of 161-3 with the following records by year, beginning with his freshman season: 56-1, 20-0 (Covid-shortened season), 43-0 and 43-2.
NCHSAA records state that his record his 159-3, but do not include his two wins as part of the 2020 and 2022 dual team state tournament.
“I just want to say thank you to all my coaches,” Jeremiah said. “My dad (Josh) has been my coach since I was eight and has been a huge part of my journey. Coach Priddy has helped me get into tournaments, even at Combat and Roundtree.
“Just all of my coaches and family have been awesome through the whole thing.”
There were times in the 2022-23 season that Jacob was doubtful to even compete in the state tournament, but he wasn’t about to let anything stand in his way.
The defending 2A 145 State Champion didn’t start wrestling this season until January after undergoing surgery for a hernia in Nov. 2022. Once he returned, he was put back on the shelf with Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV.
“It’s messed with my breathing, and I’ve had to get treatments for asthma related to the RSV,” Jacob said.
Jacob dominated when he was available. He wrestled 13 matches through the end of January, winning the 170 bracket of the Jeff Peal memorial as well as the Foothills 2A Conference Championship at the same weight.
The junior went down to 160 for regionals. He earned a first-round bye, then picked up a pair of victories via fall to advance to the championship.
Jacob ran into a 2021-22 state placer in the finals: Bandys’ Ian Moore. Price went up 2-0 in the first period, and held on to that slim lead heading into the third. Moore caught Price late in the match and won via fall.
If the two were going to rematch in the state tournament it would be in the championship.
Jacob won his first match at states via forfeit, and Priddy said he was never told why the forfeit occurred. The Golden Eagle then came back from a 3-2 deficit in the third period of the quarterfinals with a late near fall, defeating Bunker Hill’s Donta Davis 4-3.
Price nearly used up his five minutes of injury time in the match.
Jacob found himself in another close match in the semis against Wheatmore’s Dominic Hittepole. Price struggled to breathe, but went up 6-2 after the second period and held on to win 7-4.
“He managed to survive that first day, and I’m proud of how he fought through everything,” Josh said. “He had us worried at times with all the injuries and sickness, but he really battled.”
A potential rematch with Moore was spoiled by the 2A East Regional Champion, Southwest Onslow’s Jeremiah Jones. Jones defeated Moore via 9-5 decision in the semifinals.
A takedown and near fall put Jones up 4-0 in the period, but Jacob scored a late reversal and 2-point near fall to tie things up. Price started on the bottom in the second period and went up after a reversal, then Jones earned a point with an escape.
Similar to the first period, Jacob earned four points at the end of the second period with a takedown and near fall. This put the Eagle up 10-5 with 2:00 left on the clock.
The championship match was stopped a few times as Jacob used injury time, but he kept fighting back.
“I knew I had to capitalize on that lead,” Jacob said. “I tried to keep myself from getting gassed out too much more and just capitalize on it.”
“He knew he had to hold on but still keep moving because you don’t want the ref to call stalling,” Josh said. “We told him he had to finish it out, but had to be smart about it and stay in good position.
“I told him in the beginning: you’ll win the match on position because there’s a lot kids that wrestle now that don’t get taught position. It’s something you have to learn over a long period of time.”
Jacob held on to his lead and scored two points in the third period while giving up two as well. He won his second title via 12-7 decision.
Priddy said that the championship was “probably one of the smartest matches he’s wrestled in his three years.”
Jacob put everything he had into the match and had to be helped off the mat before his hand could be raised. He was able to make it to the podium after, and said he felt “exhausted, but happy.”
Jacob moves to 70-6 overall as a Golden Eagle. He finished 18-3 as a freshman, 33-2 as a sophomore and 19-1 as a junior.
© 2018 The Mount Airy News