In recording deeds, the state of North Carolina does not require that the amount paid for a parcel be stated on the deed. However a tax stamp at the rate of $2 for every $1,000 in value is affixed to each deed.

Recent real estate transfers recorded in the Surry County Register of Deed’s office include:

– Jared B. Moser and Ashley O. Moser to John D. Fordyce and Linda Fordyce; 11,924 sq ft lot 4 Hower subdivision PB 11 201 Mount Airy, $600.

-Alvin Ray Smith Sr and Lougenia Sue Smith to Alvin Ray Smith Jr, Sharon R. Smith, Kimberly Dawn Smith Bare and Matthew Bare; 1.073 acres PB 37 51 Stewarts Creek; $24.

-Justin M. Horne to George Allan Speight Jr and Sherry Wright Speight; tract Eldora; $70.

-Robert J. Lovill III and Elizabeth J. Lovill to Charles Chester Setser; lot 31 Ring Creek subdivision PB 23 78; $42.

-Daniel C. Golden and Mary G. Golden to Thomas A. Crawford and Dianne E. Crawford; 1.43 acres Elkin surry and 4.5 acres Edwards wilkes; $694.

-Van Douglas Tucker, Karen Tucker, James Samuel Scott, Cynthia H. Scott, Timothy J. Scott and Sandra G. Scott to Jeffery Tanner Hamilton; 19.750 acres lot 9 PB 10 153; $244.

-Wayne H. Gillis Jr and Katherine L. Gillis to Matthew David Hearn; 10.43904 acres tracts 5-6 PB 14 88 South Westfield; $1,140.

-Mitzy King Johnson, Sarah Elizabeth Hicks, Gary Hicks and Kendra Bethanne Johnson to Maria Nichole Watson and Joshua Lee Watson; tract; $0.

– Michael W. Creed, Jennifer G. Creed, Mary Gladys Creed and Robert Franklin Credd to Daniel Simon; condominium deed unit C building C Salem Condominiums BK 1 24-28 Mount Airy estate of Robert Franklin Creed file 21 E 540; $580.

-Franklin Monroe Riggs, Pamela Edwards Flippin and Jessie Lee Riggs to Elty M. Hernandez and Contreras Arturo E. Quintanilla; 1.444 acres Mount Airy; $268.

-Janene Budnik, Charles Budnik, Regina Snow Carter and C A Budnik Jr to Timothy Neil Martin and Tammi Martin; tract Dobson; $34.

-Edward C. Westmoreland to Daniel P. Dollyhigh; 3.0573 acres lot 7 PB 24 94; $30.

-Estate of Melissa Anna Oliver, Crystal Bowman, and Melissa Anna Oliver to George G. Easter and Misty B. Easter; lot 63 Cedar Ridge subdivision section 5 PB 12 52 Mount Airy estate of Melissa Anna Oliver file 21 E 261; $260.

-Apex Bank to 4CFarms.Org, LLC; 34 .39 acres PB 39 93 Eldora; $248.

-Thomas Scott Goodman, toni Barnette Goodman, Tony Wayne Goins and Amanda Salmons Goins to Hayday Investments, LLC; tract; $134.

-Chad E. Lewis and Jenna Lewis to Karen A. Talbert; tract Mount Airy; $257.

-Teresa L. Love and Terri L. Love to Kenneth Welch and Tiffany Welch; tract 1 0.015 acres and tract 2 .0.28 acres Elkin; $374.

-Steven McNamara and Kristin McNamara to Gardenia Gray Properties, LLC; lots 25-28 block C C.P Creed property PB 3 80 Mount Airy; $50.

-Kelly A. Oakley and John Brandon Oakley to Christopher Robin Collins and Heather Harrison Collins; tract Dobson; $250.

-John Mark Snow and Amy Bledsoe Snow to Sheila Ann Billings; 2.016 acres PB 21 43 Rockford; $400.

Autumn Leaves Festival gets green light

Normally a sedate affair, Monday evening’s meeting of the Surry County planning board was this week anything but. Residents of Sheltontown came out in force to express their desire to block a rezoning request on Westfield Road from Teramore Development.

Teramore sounds familiar because around these parts the firm is known for building Dollar Generals and would like to build more.

Officials with the retailer say this part of the county is showing growth and that they see a need for another retail option to serve the future growth. New larger floor plan Dollar Generals they said are also incorporating fresh fruit and an increased selection of frozen/cold goods to better serve residents.

Sheltontown residents organized themselves in preparation for the planning board meeting by gathering at the Westfield Church of Brethren directly across Quaker Road from the proposed DG location at 2953 Westfield Road. When the weather turned sour, organizers Heather Moore and Melissa Hiatt moved the strategy session inside so the group could set their lineup.

Residents gathered more than 1,000 signatures for a petition against the request to rezone two parcels of land on Westfield Road from Residential General to Rural Business Conditional. They have also made up and deployed yard signs that read “Say No to Rezoning Sheltontown” in a bright yellow color reminiscent of the Dollar General coloration.

The public was allowed to offer comment at the meeting. Sheltontown residents laid out the case for why they are objecting to the rezoning request itself and not specifically objecting to Dollar General. Any commercial development along Westfield Road would raise similar concerns whether that were a proposed dollar store or not.

They say it would encroach on the natural beauty of the area, disrupt wildlife, lower property values, add traffic (including foot traffic), and they fear it could attract crime. The group presented available crime stats at the meeting to show a comparison between similar types of retail stores. The Busy Bee and Moore’s General Store were said to have had a fraction of law enforcement calls of any kind comparatively.

Chris Hiatt lives 200 yards from the proposed Dollar General. His family has roots in this area that run deep, he estimated he is in the tenth or eleventh generation of Hiatt to reside in Sheltontown. “I am one of four that still reside there, three are represented in the room tonight. That’s approximately 200 years of my family living in a three-to-four-mile radius.”

“I’ve seen traffic patterns change, what was once mill traffic is now all day traffic – we do not need more. We have a rural setting, most of us know our neighbors and what day they mow their yard or what kind of car you drive.”

“One thing that has not changed is the need for more commercial and retail business in Sheltontown. If Moore’s General Store or Busy Bee doesn’t have it, the other Dollar Generals will have it covered. We don’t want our community to look like 601-Rockford St. We don’t need any more grass, tress, or flowers replaced with asphalt and cement. We are happy as we are.”

Melissa Hiatt led off with the six applicable points of the county’s land use plan. In part the land use plan calls for decisions on use that will preserve open spaces; maintain the quality of life; encourage development of underutilized building; create sustainable economic growth to include higher wage jobs. She also noted that in the 2039 land use plan this parcel of land is zoned rural — just as it is today.

She hammered home that decisions should, “encourage isolated business in predominantly rural areas on a case-by-case basis if the amenities are not already available in the vicinity.” There is no way she sees the need for a sixth Dollar General within five miles of Sheltontown.

“The businesses built by Teramore do not offer amenities that we don’t already have. We currently have two wonderful family run, community family general stores within two miles.”

Conversely, Greensboro land use attorney Nick Blackwood gave his opinion that this rezoning request was in accord with the county’s land use plan. “(It) seems your land development ordinance itself contemplated this exact type of commercial development when that ordinance was enacted to allow for this kind of isolated commercial use to serve these specific rural areas that we are here talking about tonight.”

Mike Fox, who was representing Teramore at the planning board concluded, “Just a reminder this is land use decision… It is the use that the board is considering tonight, and it is looking at whether or not it meets your plan, which we feel it does. We feel it is not in the purview of land use decisions to pick winners and losers.”

At the air pump at Moore’s General Store Wednesday a local resident said he did not see any need for more retail options, “We got one out at Bannertown, why we need one here? Where they gonna put it anyway?”

Add Betsy Davis to the list of those who say needs are being met. “In Sheltontown we have all the amenities we need in our current community stores and if in the event that on one crazy day – that has never happened – they didn’t have something, there are five Dollar Generals within five miles, and two of those within two, I think our bases are covered. We chose to live in this area precisely because of the quiet rural environment and I hope it remains that way.”

Inside Moore’s Tarren Wright was checking out as she picked up one of the bright yellow signs. “I think there’s too many Dollar Generals. (Moore’s) is just so convenient and has gas, food, accessories, hardware, beer, jerky, and fishing supplies.”

Behind the counter Russell Davis loves hearing customers appreciate Moore’s and that support for the fight against the rezoning has garnered attention from outside the area. Some of the yellow signs, he said, have shown up in Pilot Mountain already.

“It’s not even just Dollar General, we don’t want anything else out here. I was born across the street from the property in question, and I moved back from Ohio. I came back for the quality of life here. People come here to be near town but not quite in town.”

Joe Davis has the house across the street from the site and said it would create “headaches which we purposefully chose to avoid when we moved in our home 37 years ago.” He asked that rezoning for any commercial use be denied, “Please help us protect our way of life in our community.”

The names on residences may have changed, but the sense of community has not Melody White told the board. She grew up walking to Sheltontown Grocery, now Moore’s General Store. She appreciates the sense of community, “Conversations go ‘how was the game’ or ‘how is your back?’ because neighbors know. Neighbors have skin in the game.”

A real estate agent in Mount Airy, she recounted helping a couple resettle to North Carolina after an exhaustive search. They chose this area for the very reasons the Sheltontown group opposes the rezone: the peace and quiet of a rural community coupled with its natural beauty.

One argument that the opposition stated had to do with the North Carolina Scenic Byway that runs along Westfield Road In fact, Mary Rush told the board the Hanging Rock leg of the byway begins just a stone’s throw from the Sheltontown Church of the Brethren. It should be noted that the bikeway follows along this route as well and by design the bikeway and byway were meant as a draw for tourists. The board was told that tourists come here for green spaces, not Dollar General.

After the residents made their case, the board took a moment to offer comment back to the presenters before offering a motion to deny Teramore’s rezone request. It passed the planning board to thunderous applause from the crowd.

The group are now preparing to speak to the board of county commissioners who meet Monday evening at 6 p.m. in Dobson. The commissioners may at that time chose to approve the request to rezone the land even though the planning board said no.

There is some precedent for such as Salisbury’s city council members broke with their city planning board in May to approve a new Dollar General despite vigorous local objection.

Heather Moore was excited for the group’s success at the planning board this week and hopes other communities may be watching. “Sheltontown showed up. This is just the first victory as our fight will continue in front of the county commissioners next Monday. Remember this could happen in your neighborhood as easily as it is ‘trying’ to happen in ours.”

DOBSON — Almost all candidate filing periods include some office-seekers waiting until the last minute to toss their hats into the ring, but a Friday deadline came and went without anyone doing so for municipal elections across Surry.

With the field now complete for nine different positions affected in Dobson, Pilot Mountain and Elkin, the final lineup ensures that the only contested election among all three will be for two commissioner seats in Dobson.

However, an unrelated development emerged Friday with word that a possible write-in candidacy could be undertaken for the Mount Airy Board of Education election for which the filing period had closed on March 4.

The exact seat involved was not specified by Surry County Director of Elections Michella Huff.

Meanwhile, the final list of candidates for the non-partisan municipal elections includes:

• In Dobson — Mayor Ricky Draughn will be running unopposed for his sixth four-year term on the board, while incumbent town commissioners J. Wayne Atkins and Walter White are being challenged by a pair of first-time office seekers, Sharon Gates-Hodges and John Jonczak.

Atkins is a longtime council member, while White is a recent appointee to fill a vacant term of a commissioner who resigned.

The two council candidates receiving the most votes among the four in the Nov. 8 general election will take the prize.

• Pilot Mountain — Mayor Evan Cockerham and commissioners Donna Kiger and Scott Needham are each seeking re-election to their second four-year terms without opposition.

• Elkin — The mayor there is not up for re-election, but three incumbent commissioners all filed to seek new four-year terms with no opponents having dropped the gauntlet. They include Cicely McCulloch, William Gwyn and Jeffrey C. Eidson.

Huff, the elections director, mentioned Friday the possibility of someone filing a petition to be a write-in candidate for the Mount Airy Board of Education election.

“But the signatures needed have not been turned in to date,” she added.

The city school board is partisan in nature.

After the filing period for it ended in March, only three incumbents had tossed their hats into the ring with no challengers then coming forward.

They included Kyle A. Leonard in District A and Ben Cooke, District B, both Republicans, and the board’s at-large member, Democrat Tim Matthews.

Mount Airy High School will host the Junior Granite Bear Football Camp July 21-22.

Camp will take place at the Wallace Shelton Stadium each evening from 6-8:30 p.m. Cost of registration is $40 if registered before the first day of the camp and $50 for same-day registration.

Registration forms can be found at bit.ly/3O9EkgP

The Junior Granite Bear Football Camp is designed to give children from kindergarten to eighth grade the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of being a great football player by teaching the fundamentals of each position and enhancing their athletic ability.

Each camper will have a better understanding of the “basics” and “fundamentals” of each position including stance, footwork and position specific fundamentals. Agility and speed work will also be administered each day.

The Granite Bear Football Camp will give each participant a maximum of drill periods supplemented by lectures. The objective is to give each camper a foundation on how to be a better athlete as well as a great position player, and at the same time, teach them to have a great attitude and learn how to compete within the framework of being a good sport and a team player through discipline and hard work.

“I would like to express an invitation to every young person involved in athletics in our area to be a part of our Granite Bear Football Camp,” said Mount Airy varsity head coach J.K. Adkins. “The camp will not only give your child a great foundation in football skills, but life skills which will help them in ALL their endeavors. We work the campers very hard but have a lot of fun also. Our coaching staff, as well as our players, look forward to meeting and working with the future of Mount Airy football.”

The camp director can be contacted at Mount Airy High School. The school phone number is (336) 789-5147, and Coach Adkins’ email is jadkins@mtairy.k12.nc.us

Something didn’t look quite right about the man with a bulky protrusion in his clothing, who wound up being charged this week with stealing costly steaks from a Mount Airy supermarket which he had stuffed into his pants.

Rodney Jay Canter II, 39, of 153 McMillian Lane, is accused of taking items valued at more than $100 from Lowes Foods on West Independence Boulevard, including two packages of ribeye steaks along with bacon.

After the Tuesday morning theft, Canter was able to make it outside the store — where his appearance gave him away, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

“I noticed a bulge in his front pants,” Lt. R.N. Bennett stated on an arrest report regarding his encounter with Canter, who subsequently was charged with larceny and possession of stolen property.

This occurred after a call was received at the police station in reference to a man stealing merchandise from Lowes Foods. And upon responding a person matching the description of the alleged perpetrator was located nearby on West Pine Street at South Street, identified as Canter.

After the investigating officer noticed the bulge at the front of the suspect’s pants and “called him to me,” Bennett’s report states, Canter — whom police records indicate was on foot — admitted to taking the steaks, saying he had made a mistake.

The officer then located two packs of steaks, listed as USDA Select ribeyes and USDA Select Angus ribeyes, along with a package of smokehouse thick-sliced bacon, stuffed into the front of Canter’s pants.

“Like the old Wendy’s commercial, we found the beef,” Police Chief Dale Watson said Thursday afternoon in commenting on the case.

He was referring to a 1980s-era advertising slogan for the fast-food hamburger chain involving an elderly customer going to a competing restaurant and complaining about the small patty placed on her bun by shouting “where’s the beef?”

“It’s not very unusual,” Watson said of the type of offense involved.

“People will go to great lengths to conceal this type of crime,” he added, although Canter’s fashion choice for the alleged theft proved to be problematic. “Typically, people try to wear a different type of attire so it cannot bring attention to what they are doing.”

In addition to the bulging pants, Canter’s demeanor was suspicious when approached by the investigating officer, the chief said.

The total value of the meat products was listed as $101.

Although the merchandise was recovered from the man’s pants, restitution is owed to Lowes Foods in the matter, according to police records.

“The items were not in resalable condition,” Watson advised.

Canter was released from custody after a citation issuance and is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court on Sept. 12.

CHARLOTTE. – Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) this week declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of $1.005 per share, an increase of 2 cents per share. This dividend is payable on Sept.16 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Aug.12.

The company also declared a quarterly cash dividend on its Series A preferred stock of $359.375 per share, payable on Sept. 16, to shareholders of record at close of business on Aug.12, 2022. This is equivalent of 35.9375 cents per depositary share.

In addition, the company declared a semi-annual cash dividend on its Series B preferred stock of $24.375 per share, payable on Sept.16, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Aug.12.

Duke Energy has paid a cash dividend on its common stock for 96 consecutive years.

Duke Energy, headquartered in Charlotte, is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

The Surry Arts Council hosted its annual Surry Strings Camp at the Historic Earle Theatre from July 11 to July 14. This camp is one of the many weekly artistic youth summer camps provided by the Arts Council from the beginning of June through the end of July.

Young musicians from as far away as Asheville attended the week-long camp. The camp consisted of youth with varying skill levels from beginners who had never before touched an instrument to those who had experience with several instruments.

Award-winning musician and teacher Jim Vipperman introduced the participants to the basics of playing the fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He also taught them about Surry County music. All instruments were provided for the duration of the camp to give each child a hands-on music experience.

At the close of the camp, each child was encouraged to continue learning through the free Traditional Arts Programs (TAPS) held every Thursday in the Historic Earle Theatre starting at 4:30 p.m. traditional dance, 5:30 p.m. for fiddle instruction, and 6:15 p.m. for guitar, banjo, and mandolin lessons. These free classes and the Surry String Camp are funded in part by a TAPS grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the local ABC Board.

For additional information on Surry Strings Camp or Traditional Arts Programs, visit www.surryarts.org or call the Surry Arts Council office at 336-786-7998.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — The Women’s Golf Coaches Association recently announced Surry Community College’s Hadly Tucker as an All-American Scholar Team selection for the 2021-22 year.

The criteria for being named to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team is some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. Student-athletes must earn a minimum 3.50 grade point average during the academic year while participating in college golf.

“We are very proud of Hadly as a student-athlete in earning this prestigious award,” said Surry athletic director Mark Tucker. “Her pursuit of excellence in the classroom was rewarded by receiving this honor.”

Hadly finished eighth overall in the Sandhills Flyers Invitational hosted by the Longleaf Golf Course in Southern Pines. The East Surry graduate recorded her highest finish at fourth overall in the Davidson-Davie Storm Invitational hosted by Colonial Country Club in Thomasville.

“While Hadly was new to golf, she made improvements throughout the season,” Mark said.

Tucker graduated from Surry this past spring with an Associate in Arts degree. She will be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro starting this fall.

The WGCA, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition.

Today, the WGCA represents over 600 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.

Surry Central High School hosted the first-ever Golden Eagle Tennis Camp July 12-14.

The camp was led by Surry Central boys tennis coach Mason Midkiff, as well as current/former members of the boys and girls varsity tennis teams.

The Mount Airy Granite Bears were named the Northwest 1A Conference Cup Champions for the 2021-22 school year.

This marks Mount Airy’s first Conference Cup since the 2017-18 school year. The Granite Bears most recently finished third in the NW1A Cup in 2020-21.

The Wells Fargo Conference Cup is a companion to the Wells Fargo Cup and recognizes schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performances within individual conferences. In most conferences, points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Since the NW1A Conference is composed of seven schools, teams were awarded seven points for each conference championship victory. Second-place finishes earned a school six points, third-place finishes earned five points and one fewer through seventh place.

If schools tied in the final standings, each team would split an equal amount of points. For example: Mount Airy, Elkin and South Stokes tied for first place in girls soccer so all three teams received six points.

Schools that did not have enough participants to compete as a team in a particular sport weren’t given any points in that sport.

Full standings for the NW1A Conference Cup are below:

Mount Airy won eight conference championships out of 21 total sports; seven of the eight were outright championships, while one was shared. The Bears conference titles came in the following sports: football, boys soccer, girls tennis, girls basketball, wrestling, girls indoor track, girls soccer (tied) and boys tennis.

In addition to winning the most conference titles of any NW1A team, the Granite Bears also had the most second-place finishes in the conference. Mount Airy finished second in seven sports: girls golf, volleyball (tie), boys basketball, boys swim, girls swim, baseball and boys golf. The Bears also finished third in boys indoor track and boys outdoor track.

Mount Airy fielded teams in 19-of-21 total sports and finished in the top three of 17. The school only had one seventh-place finish this school year.

Elkin had the second-most conference championships with seven – six outright and one shared – and tied with East Wilkes for the second-most second-place finishes.

The Buckin’ Elks’ won the following conference titles: boys cross country, girls cross country, volleyball, boys swim, girls swim, girls soccer (tie) and girls outdoor track. Elkin’s four runner-up finishes came in: boys soccer, girls indoor track, boys golf and boys tennis (tie). The school’s three third-place finishes came in girls golf, girls tennis (tie) and softball (tie).

Elkin fielded a team in 20-of-21 sports; no NW1A fielded all 21 sports. The Elks finished outside the top three in six sports, including two seventh-place finishes.

After Elkin was South Stokes. South won five conference championships, including one shared title.

The Sauras five conference titles came in the following sports: girls golf, boys basketball, baseball, boys golf and girls soccer (tie). South finished second in girls cross country and girls outdoor track, and third in both football and softball (tie).

South Stokes fielded teams in 16-of-21 sports. The Sauras finished outside the top three in seven sports, and were seventh in one.

Starmount followed South Stokes in the final standings. The Rams won two conference championships: an outright title in boys outdoor track, and a shared title in softball.

Starmount added two second-place finishes – football and wrestling – and had the most third-place finishes of any NW1A team with six: boys soccer, girls tennis (tie), girls basketball, boys swim, girls swim and baseball.

The Rams fielded teams in 16-of-21 sports. Starmount finished outside the top three in eight sports, and didn’t have any seventh-place finishes.

East Wilkes won its only conference championship by sharing the softball title with Starmount. The Cardinals tied Mount Airy with the most second-place finishes with four, coming in the following sports: girls tennis, girls basketball, boys indoor track and boys tennis (tie).

East Wilkes added third-place finishes in wrestling, girls indoor track and girls outdoor track.

The Cards fielded teams in 17-of-21 sports. East Wilkes finished outside the top three in nine sports, and didn’t have any seventh-place finishes.

North Stokes won its only conference title in boys indoor track. The Vikings added a second-place finish in boys outdoor track, and two third-place finishes in girls tennis (tie) and boys basketball.

North fielded teams in 15-of-21 sports. The Vikings finished outside the top three in 11 sports, including four seventh-place finishes.

Alleghany’s only top three appearance was in volleyball, where the Trojans tied for second with Mount Airy. Alleghany fielded 16-of-21 teams, finished outside the top three in 15 of those and had four seventh-place finishes.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MTA071422V.pdf

The Reynolds Homestead in Critz, Virginia, will offer two weeks of summer camp opportunities for middle grade students in July.

Art Camp will begin Monday, July 18 and run through Thursday, July 21. Students will explore landscapes and biomes through art in this “Mythical Adventure” themed camp. Art camp is led by Grace Helms and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, with the final day offering a public reception for the students. Art Camp is open to students ages 7-12 and registration is $45.

The following week, staff and volunteers of the Reynolds Homestead will host Camp Homestead, a three-day experience packed with traditional camp fun, including field games, crafts, and STEM challenges. Camp Homestead is held Monday, July 25 through Wednesday, July 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Camp Homestead is offered to students ages 7-13 and the cost is $35

Snacks are offered daily for both camps. Registration details can be found by visiting the Reynolds Homestead website at: https://reynoldshomestead.vt.edu/upcoming-events/education-programming.html. Questions can be directed to Kristin Hylton, communication and program support assistant, at krhylton@vt.edu.

For the second time in less than a week, murder charges have been filed against a local man in connection to a drug overdose. This one stretches back 13 months, to spring of 2021.

Chris Wayne Mosley, 50, of 219 William Penn Street, Mount Airy, was charged with second degree murder in the May 2021 death of Melissa “Shannon” Renee Dublin, who was 29 at the time of her death.

The case stems from a report the sheriff’s office received on May 28, 2021, of an unattended death. Deputies arrived on the scene at 137 Greenhouse Trail, Lowgap, where they found Dublin deceased from an apparent drug overdose.

“The detective division was contacted and started investigating the origin and supplier of the illegal narcotics that were provided to Ms. Dublin,” according to Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt.

That probe ultimately led to Mosley’s arrest on the second degree murder charge. He was placed under a $300,000 secured bond and is in the custody of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, where he was being held on unrelated charges unrelated to the local murder charge.

Earlier this week, second degree murder charges where filed against Mosley, and Laken Nichole Mabe, 34, of 257 Tolbert Road, in connection to a similar case, which saw a local man die on Halloween.

In that case, deputies received a call of an unattended death, arriving on the scene at 137 Bobs Way, Ararat to find Jeremy Franklin Collins III, 34, dead from a drug overdose.

“Detective Donald Blizard was contacted and started investigating the origin and supplier of the illegal narcotics that were provided to Mr. Collins,” the sheriff said in announcing those arrests, which came after an eight-month probe.

Mosley, who was already in custody of North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections at that time, was served with the charges with another $300,000 secured bond slapped on his detention.

Mabe was arrested by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Probation and Parole and placed under a $200,000 secured bond.

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Verse 5 of Romans 8 says “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” That verse reminded me of when I was growing up on the tobacco farm. We had an old mule by the name of Kate. Kate was a good working mule but, it was another thing putting the bridle on her. Without the bridle, you could never get that mule to do what you needed her to do. Most of the time even with the bridle she wanted to do as she pleased. Her passion was to go back to the barn where she came from and that’s what she did many times.

Folks, many Christians are the same way even when the Holy Spirit tries to guide them. Our passion many times is to do as we please. On the other hand, some people over time will have a passion to go back into the world and they do. I have witnessed this many times over the years.

Another frightening category is some never let Christian friends know that they love living worldly or fleshly lives. They can be church leaders or pew warmers with perfect attendance. These kinds of people are the hardest ones to reach because they think they are ok, but there was no repentance and turning from their sinful lifestyle when or if they were saved. They only want a good standing in modern society by following the Christian community.

We live in a society today that teaches mankind is basically good. But the Bible says “All have sinned and come short of His glory.” It’s not other Christians or good people that saved us from our sins. It is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh and we as Christians are supposed to love, praise, worship and most of all follow Him. We are not to be guided by fleshly ideas. We are to listen when the Holy Spirit speaks with our spiritual ears. We are not to give in to Satan’s deceiving ways and without regular prayer, you will drift every time because a regular prayer life is the foundation of following the will of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8 Paul puts it very plain in the last statement of verse 6 when he said “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. If you are a Christian you are to be indwelled, guided by the Holy Spirit.” You can’t have it both ways or you are carnally minded Paul says.

In verse 6 Paul doesn’t candy-coat the truth of the Holy Spirit. “6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Salvation is about believing, and accepting Christ as your Saviour by asking forgiveness of sins and turning from those sins. God sends the Holy Spirit to be with you forevermore. It’s not complicated. Asking God in the name of Jesus forgiveness of your sins by repenting of them, turning from those sins, and accepting Holy Spirit to guide, comfort, and seal your identity that you belong to Jesus Christ Son of the living God. Keep a regular prayer life by asking Jesus for strength and guidance in your daily life because our God’s love is an unbridled love and covers a multitude of sins.

The calendar might show summer, and the outdoor temperatures will reinforce that, but some area folks are already gearing up for an annual autumn event that has a special meaning for many.

The yearly Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s teams are starting their fundraising and organizing efforts, working with the Alzheimer’s Association to get ready for the Mount Airy walk — which is less than two months away.

Christine John-Fuller of the Alzheimer’s Association Western Carolina Chapter said the walk is set for Sept. 10 at Riverside Park. Check-in opens at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. and a walk start time of 10:30 a.m.

“On walk day, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with the poignant Promise Garden ceremony — a mission-focused experience that signifies our solidarity in the fight against the disease,” the organization said in a statement announcing the walk date. “The colors of the Promise Garden flowers represent people’s connection to Alzheimer’s — their personal reasons to end the disease.”

More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. In North Carolina, there are more than 180,000 people living with the disease and 356,000 caregivers.

“Registration actually opens in January every year,” John-Fuller said. “We’ve had people all spring getting involved. A couple of months out is when people really kick into gear.” she said.

Typically, those participating in the walks will do fundraising efforts of various sorts, with the money going to the Alzheimer’s’s Association.

“Some do an online fundraising page, they put their picture up, tell their story of who they are walking for,” she said, explaining that many participants have been touched by Alzheimer’s’s. “One person might decide they are going to fundraise by creating a Facebook fundraising page and sharing, another person may say ‘I’m going to throw a lemonade stand together and raise money that way.”

She said most of the folks taking part in the walk, or volunteering to run the event, have often had a brush with the dreaded disease. Often, she said they have had a family member or close friend who was claimed by Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia.

Others, she said, are professionals who work in the medical and long-term care field, who often work with Alzheimer’s’ and dementia patients.

For those wishing to participate, either as a walker or a team captain, she said registration for the walk is free at act.alz.org/MountAiry.

John-Fuller said there is no cost to register, and once a person joins up, they are paired with someone within the association along with an online “tool kit” that can help them with fundraising and preparation for the walk.

While her agency oversees a number of walks each year, he said Mount Airy is one of the stand-outs because it often “overperforms” when compared to communities of a similar size.

“We are incredibly impressed with Mount Airy. Several hundred people come out and participate…Every year, year after year, they have done unbelievable work and surpassed their goal.” This year’s goal, she said, is $90,000. By comparison the walk in Winston-Salem, one of the largest ones the agency administers drawing from a population base ten times larger than Mount Airy, has a goal of $240,000.

“It’s important for people to understand, the funds we raise, whether you have a walk or not, serve the individuals in the community or that county where the money was raised,” she said. That support may take the form of education programs for caregivers and family members of a person with Alzheimer’s, providing support groups, or the use of the 24-hour help line.

For individuals who do not want to go through the formal fund raising efforts, she said there is still an opportunity to help.

“In addition to getting a team together or considering sponsorship, we’re always looking for volunteers. Both the Winston-Salem walk and the Mount Airy walk have local committees that help rally the troops. Getting involved as a committee member or volunteer at a walk is a great way to help.”

For more information about the walks, volunteering, or for anyone seeking information, visit alz.org/northcarolina or call 800-272-3900

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MTA063022S-Best-of-Preps-Online.pdf

As the historically significant Main Oak Building began to crumble and its top floor be professionally disassembled and removed, there was no sign whatsoever of the mayor of Mount Airy or any city council official acting in his absence – such as the mayor pro tem or the managing director.

You don’t have to be a communications expert to know that a true leader is always first-on-hand to comment about an emerging or emergency situation that affects the population for which he or she is the identified leader. Some kind of comment or press statement should have been forthcoming from the mayor’s office at the outset of this situation (and at regular follow-up intervals) – if only to let citizens know the city’s leadership was awake and aware of the situation.

Despite the noticeable absence of leadership from the mayor’s office, the City of Mount Airy is blessed with many talented, natural-born leaders in the police department, fire department, and other key divisions – all of whom were able to work quickly and efficiently with other agencies and companies to help organize and orchestrate the necessary follow-up measures that needed to be taken to ensure public safety.

This November, let’s elect individuals with demonstrated leadership traits to help guide the city into a bright, bold future.

• An area electrical provider was the victim of a theft discovered Monday in Mount Airy, according to city police reports.

This involved copper wire valued at $400 being stolen from a roadside site on Forrest Drive near Reeves Drive, off U.S. 601. The owner of the wire was listed as Duke Power, also known as Duke Energy, with a local employee of the company, Austin Chrissman of Beeswax Lane, reporting the incident to police.

• Police also learned Monday that property valued at more than $1,200 had been stolen from a local residence during a breaking and entering.

This occurred at the home of Ibarra Thomas Garcia and Amy Lynn Garcia on Galloway Street, where an LG 60-inch television set was taken along with another 42-inch TV set for which no brand name was specified. Also listed as missing were a speaker, miscellaneous alcohol and a wooden cross bearing a likeness of Jesus.

• Johnny Ray Gwyn, 53, of 143 Welch Road, was jailed under an $8,000 secured bond for a felonious larceny charge on July 1 after police encountered him during a traffic stop on South Franklin Road near Snowhill Drive.

A warrant for the theft case had been issued through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office with no other details listed. Gwyn was scheduled to appear in District Court on Wednesday.

• Sixty dosage units of prescription medication and a tumbler cup were stolen on July 1 from the residence of Krystal Dale Whittington on South Gilmer Street, where an unknown suspect reached through an open window in order to effect the crime.

Mount Airy has been tapped to receive $2 million in state funding to aid further redevelopment of the former Spencer’s textile property, which is tied to plans for establishing a large conference/visitors center there.

“It’s an exciting next step,” Mayor Ron Niland said Tuesday in announcing the assistance for continued transformation of the downtown site where children’s apparel production ceased in 2007, which the municipality bought in 2014 and has spearheaded two phases of development.

Phase 1 included the private developments of market-rate apartments and loft condominiums.

Much attention in recent months has been focused on Phase 2 plans for a hotel and market center by another private entity, Sunhouse Development Co. The lodging establishment, rumored to be a Marriott facility, is to utilize what are known as the Sparger Building and the Barrel Building, both fronting Willow Street.

The market center, meanwhile, is eyed for a section of the so-called Cube Building site located behind, or west, of the Sparger Building. It is to feature mini-convention meeting rooms, mezzanine amenities both for hotel guests and the public, a spa and a tap room/coffeehouse.

That leaves the rest of the large site open for additional redevelopment, including what are commonly referred to as The Cube and the Cube Annex.

The proposed Mount Airy-Surry County Visitor Center and Conference Center is now the focus for that property, which Mayor Niland said represents a third phase of the Spencer’s redevelopment.

He added that the $2 million from Raleigh will be used for “outside” improvements there, rather than building work itself.

This will include providing infrastructure needed to support what Niland described as a convention center to host large gatherings and the adjacent visitor center, with amenities on the grounds also part of the mix.

While no plans have been forged so far, he said those amenities likely will include some type of green space, a farmers market and a splash pad facility.

“There has been no final decision on exactly what,” the mayor said, but the plan is to use the state funding to hire architects and engineers to chart a course for the third phase with such items in mind.

The funding is directed toward site planning, design, engineering, grading, utilities and additional infrastructure, stabilization and any other required pre-development activities surrounding The Cube property.

“I’ve been working on this with our state legislators,” the mayor said of efforts to secure the funding, which included a request from the city government along with its partners Mount Airy Downtown Inc., the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority.

“We just heard about it yesterday (Monday),” Niland said Tuesday of receiving notification that the $2 million was included in the state budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year through the support of legislators serving this area in the North Carolina General Assembly.

“And the first thing I want to do is thank Sarah Stevens, Sen. (Phil) Berger and Kyle Hall for their continued help in making our city stronger going forward,” the mayor said. Stevens, of Mount Airy, and Hall, Stokes County, are members of the state House of Representatives.

“They have been champions in the transformational projects going on in our town,” Niland added regarding the state lawmakers involved.

City Manager Stan Farmer also reacted to the news of the state funding this week.

“The city, along with local partners, sends our utmost appreciation to the state of North Carolina for supporting small-town economic development,” Farmer said in a statement.

Bryan Grote, who is president of the governing board of Mount Airy Downtown Inc., offered similar comments affirming the impact of the initial investment by the state in the further reuse of the former textile mill complex.

“The proposed Phase Three visitor center and conference center project is a capstone development that best leverages the $30 million of private investment already committed to the Phase One and Phase Two projects,” Grote said in a statement. “The Spencer’s initiative is a transformational economic-development project with major long-term public benefits.”

Incremental progress continues this week on the cleanup from the partial collapse of the historic Main Oak Building last Tuesday. The caution tape came down over the weekend, Main Street has reopened to traffic, and Downtown Mount Airy Inc. wants people to come out and show their support to the downtown.

The downtown association encouraged, “We would love to see you showing some love to our small businesses this week. In addition to this being traumatic experience for them, they have also had to unexpectedly close their businesses. They are the lifeblood of downtown. Let’s show them some love!”

Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshal Chris Fallaw reported on Wednesday that the plan for the Main Oak building remains the same. “The plan is to get the building safe for engineers to assess.”

“The preliminary plan was for structural support on the ground level for the second story floor system. After shoring up the floor, plans are to proceed with debris removal on the second floor as to lessen the load and give clearer picture for assessment.”

“A plan for temporary roof structure is in place to prevent further water damage and help secure remaining building structure. This will probably also hinge on the insurance company’s options for coverage as well. I would think they are eager to see the engineer assessment and determine the path forward.”

Downtown Mount Airy Inc. echoed what so many residents of Mount Airy, and beyond, have said, “We are still hopeful for a restored outcome for this beloved historic building.” Crews will continue to assess the interior of the structure to determine what can be salvaged from the historic landmark.

Matt Webster was taking photos on the building Wednesday morning as the crew from United Rentals loaded up a heavy piece of equipment for removal onto a trailer that was blocking a portion of Main Street. “Shoot, it looks unsteady. See that beam?” he asked, pointing to a thick exposed wooden support beam, “I’m no expert but that looks like it could buckle.”

Inside of Old Mille Music the lights were on, and they were ready for business. While it is true that the collapse and cleanup have cost them business, Jennie Lowry took a broader look at the situation and determined the missing stoplight at Main and Oak is among her biggest concerns. Folks are expecting a stoplight that is not there, she said, so use caution when approaching Main and Oak keeping in mind pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks.

Lowry was worried also about the status of The Loaded Goat, one of the only businesses in the area still closed since the collapse last Tuesday. Owner Scott Freeman previously reported the business was closed and he had lost the entirety of his perishable food to a lack of power to run the refrigerators. He lamented not being able to access his kitchen to donate the foodstuffs that were not able to be used.

Freeman said they had been working hard to get the kitchen back in order for a reopening this week, “However, we have experienced a setback in some of our equipment due to electrical surges from the power being turned back on after the forced shut off resulting from the partial collapse of the Main Oak building.

“This will delay our reopening for an unspecified time until crews can repair these pieces of equipment. During this time, I appreciate everyone’s patience while we continue to work through these secondary and tertiary events.”

What had been a good flow of communication between the city and the businesses has slowed for some. Greg Bell of the Grand Pup Resort Hotel & Spa said, “They have not updated us on anything. We do not know what is going on or if the building has become unsteady again.”

Seeing work continuing without further updates has created an information vacuum that makes Bell nervous, “They are out there right now, and we have no idea what is going on if our building is in danger. With all the rain we had last night and more to come it is a real concern that something will happen and put our building in jeopardy.”

The collapse of the Main Oak Building is still being discussed with lots of opinions being offered on what may have caused the collapse. Some amateur detectives are sure it must have been the air conditioning or the cell tower while others say old buildings are old and fail.

However, until the investigation is complete, and results sent to the insurance company, these are but speculative points made by mostly armchair engineers.

Main Street is open and the businesses of downtown Mount Airy stand ready to welcome both neighbors and visitors alike with the same charm and warmth Mayberry is known for.

DOBSON — The Surry Community College volleyball team hosted its annual youth camp July 11-13.

The camp was held in the campus gym and consisted of 78 campers ranging from rising fourth graders to rising eighth graders. Coaches and members of the Surry volleyball team instructed each camper in the areas of serving, passing, spiking, digging and other skills during the camp.

“We had a tremendous camp, and all of those that attended received some great instruction from our players and coaches,” said head coach Caleb Gilley. “Our college team members did an outstanding job with helping teach and develop the fundamentals of volleyball. Hopefully this camp helped to spark an interest in young girls to play volleyball. There are a lot of very talented young volleyball players in our area.”

Several campers earned individual honors by grade.

Coaches Award: Lori Lynn Whitaker

Server of the Week Award: Hannah Smith

Camper of the Wee Award: Ada King

Server of the Week Award: Adelyn Wall

Camper of the Wee Award: Lilyana Mathis

Server of the Week Award: Sammi Moser

Camper of the Wee Award: Peyton Cameron

Server of the Week Award: Rozlyn Oakley/Lilie Allen

Camper of the Wee Award: Makenzie Wall

Server of the Week Award: Alyssa Jenkins

Camper of the Wee Award: Mae Danley

At the conclusion of the camp, several door prizes and awards were presented along with all participants receiving a camp shirt.

Surry Community is coming off a 24-5 season finishing as Region 10 Western Division Champions along with being ranked nationally by the NJCAA. The Lady Knights will open up the 2022 fall volleyball season on August 19 traveling to Wilmington for the Cape Fear Invitational Tournament. Surry’s home opener is scheduled for August 23 at 6:30 pm against Rockingham.

For more information on Surry volleyball, visit knights.surry.edu

DOBSON — More candidates have filed for elected offices in municipalities across Surry County this week, including a Dobson woman who wants to improve the quality of life for older residents in town.

“We don’t (have) anything for seniors,” Sharon Gates-Hodges said in listing her reasons for seeking a seat on the Dobson Board of Commissioners in the 2022 municipal election. “We don’t even have bingo.”

Gates-Hodges, 64, who resides on Freeman Street, has never sought public office before. And in addition to wanting to help provide more programs or activities to help prolong the lives of senior citizens, the candidate is interested in serving Dobson residents as a whole.

“I guess my main motivation was, I’m a lifetime resident and a retired engineer and I have time and I just want to make a positive difference in our town,” Gates-Hodges said.

She seeks to work for the betterment of all Dobson residents, including listening to their concerns and needs and trying to respond to those.

The filing of Gates-Hodges as a candidate in Dobson was joined by others tossing their hats into the ring this week at the Surry County Board of Elections office.

Also doing so was a present member of the Dobson town board, Walter White, who took office last fall as the replacement for Commissioner John Lawson. Lawson had resigned in June 2021 after 13 years of service, for health and family reasons.

White is 58 and lives on Windsor Park Drive.

Filing last week were a longtime incumbent commissioner, J. Wayne Atkins, 78, a resident of Lewis Lane, and John Jonczak, who is a political newcomer along with Gates-Hodges.

There are only two seats available on the Dobson Board of Commissioners, now held by Atkins and White, and in addition to the four candidates already involved, more could enter the race by the filing deadline Friday at noon.

The two top vote-getters in the Nov. 8 election will win four-year terms on the board.

Dobson Mayor Ricky Draughn also has filed for his sixth term, with no challengers coming forward at last report.

At last report, the only candidates filing for the three offices at stake this year in the Pilot Mountain municipal election are the incumbents.

They include Mayor Evan Cockerham and commissioners Donna Kiger and Scott Needham. All are running for re-election to their second four-year terms.

The situation is much the same for the Elkin municipal election, which affects a trio of seats on the town council. All three have filed for re-election.

Cicely McCulloch, 58, a West Main Street resident, did so this week, joining the previous filings of fellow incumbent commissioners William Gwyn and Jeffrey C. Eidson.

Three teams from Millennium Charter Academy were recognized for their academic achievement at the 2022 N.C. Coaches Association’s annual Coaching Clinic.

Both the Lions’ boys and girls outdoor track teams from this past spring were awarded the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s (NCHSAA) Scholar-Athlete Team Award.

The Award is given in every sport to the team that recorded the highest combined grade point average. There were more than 420 eligible NCHSAA member schools for the 2021-22 school year.

Millennium’s girls track team had a perfect 4.0 GPA, and the boys team had a 3.7 GPA.

In addition to the track awards given to teams competing in the 2021-22 school year, MCA also had a team from the 2020-21 school year recognized. The Lions’ softball team from spring 2021 was also presented the Scholar-Athlete Team Award in just the school’s first year as an NCHSAA member.

Millennium’s softball team also had a combined 4.0 GPA.

“Our athletes are students first, and they are required to put a lot of hard work in their academics at MCA in order to play sports,” said Athletic Director Rodney King. “MCA athletes are held to a very high academic standard due to the rigorous academic classes. Ninety-five percent of our student-athletes have a 3.5 or higher GPA.

“Being recognized by NCHSAA for having the highest team GPAs in men’s and women’s track and softball was a great honor, and we at MCA are proud of how hard our student-athletes work to maintain such high GPAs while also excelling athletically in their sports.”

Awards for both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years were presented at this year’s Coaches Clinic since no clinic was held the past two years due to the pandemic.

Jewel Carrie Parker of Greensboro, a graduate of Surry Community College, is taking on the role of a university-level instructor.

Parker graduated from Surry Community College in 2014 with an Associate in Arts degree, before transferring to Appalachian State University where she continued her educational career. She went on to earn a B.A. in history in 2016 and an M.A. in history in 2018.

“I had a wonderful experience at SCC. Dr. Cory Stewart (division chair of social sciences) was my advisor, and he was a wonderful mentor,” she said.

Parker was also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor organization’s chapter at SCC and served as chapter president in her second year. She gave a presentation on campus with her fellow chapter members that was covered in local newspapers, and she attended PTK’s national convention that was held in Orlando.

Parker got her first glimpse at helping students learn when she became a tutor during her last semester at SCC. She tutored students in American history, English, biology and political science courses. “I think it’s a great resource for students on campus,” she says of the Academic Support Center’s free tutoring services.

Since 2018, Parker has been in a Ph.D. program at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She spent her first two years of the program working as a teaching assistant, and the following two years as an instructor of record. Classes she has taught as an instructor include: American History to 1865; Women and Gender in Early America; Human Rights in Modern World History; American Indian History to 1840; Women, Gender, and Power in the Premodern Atlantic World; and this summer, History of Christianity.

Starting in the fall 2022 semester, Parker will begin teaching as an adjunct history instructor at Appalachian State University. She aspires to become a history professor upon completing her doctoral degree.

Though she’s gone on to earn additional degrees and teach a wide variety of courses in the field of history, Parker still looks back at her time at Surry Community College as a positive experience. She has also returned to the campus several times to give presentations to students. She was the guest speaker at the Edward M. Armfield Sr. Foundation College Scholarship Program in May. Parker was a 2015 Armfield Scholarship recipient.

“Attending SCC is a great way for students to gain an affordable college education. The faculty and staff are extremely supportive and offer top-quality education,” said Parker.

It’s been said that there is no better gift than a good book, and a local organization is fulfilling that sentiment through a recent gesture with kids in mind.

This involved the Mount Airy-Surry County Branch of the National Association of University Women (NAUW) donating eight children’s books to the public library on Rockford Street.

This is part of the non-profit organization’s mission including health and education, which has involved delivering meals to persons taking refuge in their homes at the height of the COVID crisis and recognition programs for veterans and others, among additional initiatives.

For the past six years, the NAUW — which was founded in early 2016 — has donated books with African-American subject matter for readers of all ages.

The Mount Airy Public Library was the 2022 recipient of the NAUW’s annual book program.

“We just have projects we do every year and donating books is one thing we like to do,” Emma Jean Tucker of the group said Tuesday, along with other efforts on behalf of the city library.

“We have a tradition of giving something to the library every year,” added Tucker, who is the corresponding secretary for the local NAUW.

It also distributed free books to youngsters during a Juneteenth celebration at Mount Airy Museum of Regional History.

The latest book donation has a dual purpose, she said, including promoting literacy and exposing readers to material they might not have access to otherwise via regular library channels.

Among the titles of the volumes are “I am Jackie Robinson” by Brad Meltzer, about the first African-American player in Major League Baseball; “Five Brave Explorers” by Wade Hudson, detailing exploits of individuals such as Matthew Henson, the first African-American to reach the North Pole;

Also, one on famed composer and pianist Duke Ellington; books about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. including “My Daddy,” authored by his son; and “28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World.”

Tucker says providing books to a segment of society that can be considered underserved is another key element of the donation program.

“It’s important that children see themselves in books,” she said of being able to identify with subjects of one’s own race.

While growing up, Tucker said the availability of such material was an obstacle for her, yet she was able to read about agricultural scientist and inventor George Washington Carver — “all those wonderful things he did with peanuts.”

DOBSON — The Foothills Senior Legion Team didn’t go down without a fight in its Area III Tournament Series against Mocksville Post 174.

Post 123 trailed for the better part of five innings in Game Three, which was hosted at Surry Central High School on July 11. A 3-run performance in the bottom of the fifth inning put the Foothills seniors ahead for the first time at 4-2. However, Post 174 bounced back and scored four runs over the next two innings – including three runs in the top of the seventh – to come away with the 6-4 victory.

The fourth-seeded Foothills team won the opening game of the best 2-of-3 series by shutting out Mocksville 4-0. Post 123 only allowed one hit while picking up eight of their own. Mason Howell (West Stokes High School ‘22) got the win on the mound by throwing 10 strikeouts in four innings, then Brady Edmonds (Surry Central HS ‘22) threw three innings and struck out four batters.

Post 174 kept the series alive by defeating Post 123 6-5 in a 10-inning thriller that featured a combined 23 hits. A 2-2 game through seven innings, Mocksville and Foothills each scored once in the eighth inning and twice in the ninth. Post 174 forced a Game Three with a 10th-inning walk-off.

Mocksville came out swinging in the win-or-go-home game. With just one out on the board, Post 174’s Dan Loyd hit a solo home run out of left field in the top of the first inning. Mocksville added two singles with a strikeout thrown by Styles Geramita (Carlisle School, Va. ‘23) sandwiched in-between, and then Post 123 escaped without any further damage.

The visitors put another runner on base in the top of the second inning, but this one was thrown out attempting to steal second by Foothills catcher Reece Hagwood (Elkin HS ‘23). Logan Dowell (Mount Airy HS ‘22) made the tag, then Edmonds forced a ground out with a throw to Ethan Ball (West Stokes HS ‘22) that ended the inning.

Hagwood had Foothills’ only hit of the first two innings in the bottom of the second. He sent a hard ground ball between third and short, then took advantage of a fielding error in left field to go to second base. Hagwood moved to third when Beau Callahan (Elkin HS ‘23) flied out, but was left on base at the end of the inning.

Four consecutive singles by Post 174 led to the team’s second run. Mocksville even had two runners on base when Tristen Mason (East Surry HS ‘22) caught a pop fly for out No. 3 in the top of the third.

Post 123 was able to mount some offense in the bottom of the third after going down two runs. Carson Willoughby (East Surry HS ‘21) was walked with two outs, then advanced to second when a pick-off attempt hit the dirt and sailed into right field. Mason scored his former Cardinal teammate with a hit to left field.

Foothills didn’t have any problems connecting with Mocksville pitches, which was apparent given Post 174 didn’t strike out a Post 123 player until the bottom of the sixth. However, the Foothills seniors struggled to find holes in Mocksville’s defense.

Even when Post 123 did get a runner on base, it seemed like it always came with two outs already on the board.

This all changed in the bottom of the fifth inning. Daniel Shearin (Grayson County HS, Va. ‘22) led off with a stand-up double, then was moved to third on a bunt from Landon Jackson (Elkin HS ‘21). Jackson also beat the throw to first to put runners on the corners.

Willoughby brought Shearin in for the score by taking Post 174’s first pitch and sending it to left field. Jackson advanced to third on the throw home, and Willoughby moved to second at the same time.

Mason flied out on a hit down the third-base line. Jackson tagged up and beat the throw home to give Foothills a 3-2 advantage – the home team’s first lead of the game. Dowell extended the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single that scored Willoughby.

Mocksville cut into the Foothills lead in the sixth to make it a one-run game. The Post 174 leadoff doubled, moved to third on a ground out and ran home on another ground out.

Callahan got on base in the bottom of the seventh with a chance to extend the lead, but three quick outs left the score at 4-3.

Willoughby took over on the mound for Post 123 in the seventh. Mocksville’s first batter was walked after facing a full count. While many of the home fans clamored that Willoughby’s pitch warranted strike three, the umpires sent the batter to first for a base on balls.

The next batter was Loyd, who was 3-for-3 on the night with a home run and two singles. A similar situation saw the batter face a full count, but this time strike three was called and the first out was put on the scoreboard.

Post 174’s Ryan Thiel picked up a hit to right field that sent his teammate around second and headed to third. An error getting the ball back to the infield allowed the runner to score the game-tying run, while also allowing Thiel to reach third. The next batter was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners.

Post 123 had a chance to escape the inning with a tie after Jackson Sink hit a ground ball to the middle infield. Foothills tagged second and attempted to throw to first for a double play, but the throw missed the mark allowing Thiel to score and Sink to reach second. The next batter hit an RBI single to score Sink and make it 6-4 in the visitors’ favor.

Down but not out, Post 123 went to bat needing two runs to force another extra-inning game.

Shearin faced a full count and was walked, then Jackson struck out with a full count. Willoughby was walked as well to join Zach Bryant (North Surry HS ‘21), who was running for Shearin, on base. Both runners moved to scoring position on a ground out, then a strikeout ended the game.

Mocksville Post 174 advances in the Area III Tournament and will face the No. 1-seeded Rowan County team in the next round.

Post 123’s season ends with a 14-6 overall record.

Earlier this year, Mount Airy City Schools was awarded a grant for approximately $900,000 to help diminish the negative academic impacts of COVID. Since then, district leaders have been building the foundation of the school system’s Professional, Innovative, Versatile, Open-minded, Talented yet Teachable (PIVOT) project.

Advanced Teaching Roles (ATR) have been integrated into this work. Each school within the district was allotted a certain number of ATRs based on enrollment. Interested individuals were interviewed and several were awarded these positions. They will continue to serve in their regular roles while lleading within the district’s new PIVOT team.

Through creative scheduling and administrator support, these individuals will devote a portion of their time to co-teaching, modeling high-quality instructional practices, coaching, serving small groups of students, and working alongside others to increase their reach and build the efficacy of others.

This three-year grant funding will begin in August. The following teachers and staff members will become leaders in their content areas and grade levels.

• Beth Martin – Multi-Classroom Leader: first grade

• Brooke Ledford – Master Teacher Leader of Literacy

• Nicole Hooker – Master Teacher Leader of MTSS and Intervention

• Eve Trotter – Master Teacher Leader

• Ginnie Deaton – Master Teacher Leader of MTSS and Differentiation

• Ben Pendleton – Master Teacher Leader of Exceptional Children

• Dalton Tedder – Master Teacher Leader

• Katie McCrary – Master Teacher Leader of Math: third-fifth grades

• Tarona Hollingsworth- Master Teacher Leader of Literacy: third-eighth grades

• Marie Hauser – Master Teacher Leader of Math: sixth-eighth grades

• Courtney Howlett – Master Teacher Leader of Math: ninth-twelfth grades

• Garrett Howlett- Master Teacher Leader of Career and Technical Education: ninth-twelfth grades

• Nora Santillan- Master Teacher Leader of Dual Language Immersion

“This is a unique and innovative opportunity for Mount Airy City Schools, which is multi-faceted because educators will be empowered with leadership opportunities without having to leave their classrooms,” said Penny Willard, director of innovative programming. “Our highly-skilled and newly formed PIVOT team will continue serving in their current capacities but have increased responsibilities to serve both students and other teachers. This will allow them to support their colleagues in a non-traditional, yet highly valuable manner that is projected to yield high results for student achievement. Building capacity within our own district allows us to foster meaningful relationships that revolve around professional growth that is centered around meeting both students and teachers at their individual point of need.”

Superintendent Dr. Kim Morrison added, “These teachers and administrators have demonstrated a desire to lead within our school buildings. Advanced teaching roles keep these strong leaders closely connected to students by collaboratively problem-solving solutions to ensure every child grows every day. This new paradigm leads a way for the future of education spreading expertise across classrooms and impacting all students.”

During COVID, educators and staff members have gained and strengthened their skills in a multitude of areas. This grant will allow the district to capitalize on these skills with more attention to technology, remote learning, and intentional and consistent collaboration practices around highly effective teaching and learning.

The implementation of the Mount Airy City Shools PIVOT project will follow the Opportunity Culture Principles to allow the district to prioritize overall improvement in the following areas:

– superior teaching and learning for all learners

– recruitment and retainment of quality educators

– teacher efficacy (with a priority around teachers viewing themselves as leaders)

– professional learning communities (PLCs) with a focus on high-quality instructional planning times

– family and community engagement in the learning process

CLAUDVILLE, Va. — It doesn’t involve the Mississippi, but an annual event that makes use of an area waterway continues to roll along in its own right.

The 2022 Kibler Valley River Run is scheduled Saturday, when canoeists and kayakers will invade the upper portion of the Dan River in Patrick County for a whitewater event now in its 39th year which benefits charitable causes.

Several hundred people tend to gather along the headwaters of the Dan for the run, both competitors and spectators who enjoy the mountain scenery of the valley along with sporting aspects of the downriver race course.

The event is sponsored by the Red Bank Ruritan Club in Claudville, which is expecting a good turnout this year on the heels of a successful river run in 2021 after being cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus.

“Last year we had more than we’ve ever had,” Ruritan Club President Lottie Gammons said Monday.

“And we were really surprised,” she added of the event routinely penciled on the calendars of whitewater enthusiasts from a wide region. “We get people from all over the place.”

The run is enhanced by the presence of the Pinnacles Hydro Plant at the end of Kibler Valley Road in Claudville where the race course starts. The velocity of water released by it into the river is increased on Race Day to ensure good canoeing and kayaking conditions through a cooperative arrangement with the Ruritans and the company that owns the electricity-generating complex.

“They’re great,” Gammons said of Northbrook Energy, an Arizona company that bought the plant in early 2021 from the city of Danville, the longtime owner of the facility since its construction in the 1930s.

The increased water flow results in Category III rapids, which are high, irregular waves and narrow passages that often require precise maneuvering. Category II waters also are part of the mix — easy rapids with smaller waves and clear channels that are obvious without scouting, but with some maneuvering possibly required.

Trophies are awarded to the fastest finishers of competition categories.

Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at a cost of $25 per person, with the races to begin at noon. There is no charge just to watch. Rustic camping is offered for $20 per night, recognizing the fact that some attendees make the river run into a weekend outing.

The event relies on a shuttle system to transport canoes and kayaks as runs are completed.

“It takes a lot of people to put it on,” Gammons said.

Proceeds from the Kibler Valley River Run are used by the Red Bank Ruritans for an array of community projects that benefit schools along with aiding cancer patients and residents coping with deaths in their families.

The river run area can be accessed from Mount Airy by taking N.C. 103 to Claudville and turning left onto Route 773, also known as Ararat Highway, and then right on Kibler Valley Road and proceeding about four miles.

Concessions will be sold, with no pets permitted in the food preparation area. Service animals are allowed.

• A Greensboro woman was arrested Saturday night in Mount Airy on a charge of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, according to city police reports.

Amy Virtudes Galindez, 36, was located by officers in the Walmart parking lot along with the 1997 Plymouth Voyager van that was found to have been stolen.

Galindez was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $2,500 secured bond and slated for an Aug. 8 District Court appearance in Dobson.

• April Dawn Bowman, 44, listed as homeless, was arrested Friday as a fugitive from justice as the result of a welfare check by police at 541 W. Pine St., the address for Mill Creek General Store.

Bowman’s name was discovered to have been entered in a national crime database due to being wanted in Patrick County, Virginia, on an unspecified matter.

She was jailed under a $1,000 secured bond and was scheduled to be in Surry District Court on Monday.

• A break-in involving a larceny was discovered on July 3 at the residence of Anthony David Manley at Davis Rooms and Apartments on West Pine Street.

A brown wallet was taken, with the loss also including an undisclosed sum of money, a North Carolina driver’s license and ID card, an insurance card, a Social Security card and a Sheetz reward card.

• Police learned on June 30 that a utility trailer valued at $2,209 had been stolen from a business on North Andy Griffith Parkway earlier in the month.

The property was described as a 5-foot by 8-foot black metallic high side utility trailer, which was taken after a security cable was disconnected on the premises of Leonard Aluminum Utility Buildings.

Three favorite bands among local music fans return to the Blackmon Amphitheatre this weekend. The Embers will play Thursday night. Legacy Motown Revue will take the stage on Friday night and Phatt City will perform on Saturday night. All three shows will be at 7:30 p.m.

The Embers are widely considered a musical marvel and have laid the groundwork for what has become known as ‘Beach Music’ in the Carolinas, Virginias, the gulf coast region of North America, and every beach in between. They are a true musical tradition with which many Americans have listened to from childhood to adulthood. The Embers consider the genre of Beach Music as “music with a memory” and have been creating lasting memories since its inception in 1958. Simply put – heart and soul, rhythm and blues, feel good music.

The Legacy Motown Revue takes listeners back to the days of The Drifters, The Coasters, The Jacksons, Earth Wind & Fire, The Temptations, and so many more legendary icons. Featuring talented performers that dance and sing, plus an amazing six-piece horn band, residents will be transported back in time to one of the most influential periods in American Musical History.

Phatt City is a nine-member band that plays the best of beach, R&B, and dance music. Phatt City draws inspiration from the bands Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire as well as the energetic audiences that attend their concerts.

Each concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Admission to each show is $15 or a Surry Arts Council Annual Pass. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission or Annual Pass. The Dairy Center, Whit’s Custard, and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the Amphitheatre area. Those attending are asked to bring a lounge chair or blanket to sit on.

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

Area residents and leaders will have a chance to get an update on what at least one local business official is saying could be among the biggest economic development efforts in the history of Mount Airy.

The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Lunch and Learn on Friday at Cross Creek Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lizzie Morrison with Mount Airy Downtown Inc. will be speaking, presenting a downtown economic development update centered round the Spencer’s Mill Redevelopment project.

“Mount Airy Downtown has done so much to bring a vibrant downtown to Mount Airy,” said Chamber President and CEO Randy Collins. “The Spencer’s Project could very well be the largest economic development project in the history of the city.”

The three-phased $55 million Spencer’s Mill Redevelopment Project centers around a former complex of textile facilities downtown, preserving as many of the buildings as possible for their historic value, while converting the buildings and surrounding area into a commercially and residentially viable community.

The plan calls for a mix of residential and business development, including an upscale hotel, convention center, and other public uses.

In making her presentation, Morrison joins a long line of area leaders — including state officials, local school district heads, commissioners, and others who have taken part in the Lunch and Learn series sponsored by the chamber. Those are quarterly lunch meetings that give area leaders and those with expertise in a particular subject matter a chance to bring the public up to date on various projects, and is a way for residents to interact with and learn more from these leaders.

Collins said the series was started several years ago “To help educate our members and the business community on the issues of the day. We felt it was time to give everyone an update on downtown Mount Airy economic development.”

Friday, after Morrison’s remarks, there will be a question and answer session on her presentation open to those in attendance.

Tickets to the event can be purchased at the chamber website www.mtairyncchamber.org. Sponsorship packages are still available for this event, which include tickets to the event. The gathering is open to both members and non-members of the chamber.

For more information on the event contact Jordon Edwards at the chamber, 336-786-6116 ext. 204 or via email at jordon@mtairyncchamber.org.

DOBSON — No one enjoys being forced to dole out money, but at least Surry County residents are getting a good value for the property taxes they pay, according to a new report.

The recent study by an entity called SmartAsset shows that Surry ranks third among North Carolina’s 100 counties in terms of citizens receiving the most value for what they spend in property taxes.

Mitchell and Avery counties rate first and second, respectively, in the report from SmartAsset, a 10-year-old financial technology company headquartered in New York City which publishes articles, guides, reviews, calculators and tools on various monetary matters.

To determine the rankings, the study measured the effective property tax paid in each county to determine a relative property tax burden, then incorporated data on school quality within each. It also assessed where home values have increased the most during a five year period, 2016 -2021, which was 52% in Surry County, to reach an overall index for purposes of the rankings.

The SmartAsset report points out that North Carolina property taxes are relatively low compared to other states, with Surry County’s level of taxation below both that of both the state and national averages — nearly $1,000 less than the latter.

Based on a median home value of $121,000, Surry Countians have a median annual property tax payment of $892, according to the study.

“I think that is indicative of several things,” county Commissioner Eddie Harris said Monday in reacting to the new report and the financial stability it reflects.

Harris credits the people of Surry along with its businesses, industries and three public school systems — “the fine job they do for the funds that they receive,” he said of the educational component.

The local college also is a key part of that equation, added Harris, the longest-serving member of the Surry County Board of Commissioners who lives in the State Road community and represents the South District.

“We’re very fortunate to have a community college that’s laser-focused on businesses and industries,” he said of their training and other needs, which also has coincided with the county having a diverse manufacturing base.

Surry is well-positioned geographically with good highways, with Harris further mentioning how Mount Airy, Pilot Mountain and Elkin are centers of commerce located at corners of the county. This collectively allows them to draw consumers from neighboring localities and regions.

Meanwhile, the county continues to maintain strong farming and tourism communities, Harris said in listing factors that have helped create a forecast of financial stability for years to come.

The longtime commissioner says Surry County leaders across the board traditionally have done a good job managing the financial and other resources available to them.

Coupled with that, overall revenue efforts have been undertaken to keep property taxes low — with that rate now 55 cents per $100 of assessed value.

“I’ve been on the board for 12 years and there hasn’t been a tax increase since,” said Harris.

“Another thing is, our people pay their taxes,” the county official mentioned. Surry’s annual budget projects a 97% collection rate, but the actual figure is “north of 99,” he said.

Harris pointed out that one way in which officials has made wise use of those revenues is maintaining infrastructure and good services along with a generally fine quality of life — benefiting both present and future residents.

“I think there’s a wide range of things that make Surry County more attractive to move to,” he observed.

Having been selected as the pilot county for Strengthening Systems for North Carolina Children (SYNC), the Surry County team has been working together since May to develop a plan of action.

The SYNC team has a goal to improve the lives of children in the county by finding ways to mitigate a variety of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Officials hope that doing so will reduce instances of childhood trauma the effects of which can have a life-long impact. Studies have shown these traumas may also be passed on to the next generation and have a cascading effect on families.

The CDC reports, “A large and growing body of research indicates that toxic stress during childhood can harm the most basic levels of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, and that such exposures can even alter the physical structure of DNA.”

With county staff, teachers, health care professionals, peer support counselors, and representatives from local non-profit groups across the spectrum coming together meetings have been something like an All-Star game of subject matter experts.

Community teams have completed a trio of workshops during which they were introduced to the use of tool called causal loop diagramming to create a map view of institutions and systems that may influence ACEs in their community. The map identifies two types of loops — one that reinforces patterns, and the ones that seek to balance out systems or bring them back into order.

The map they developed is a bulky crisscross of lines and arrows that run between varied concepts such as “positive self-image” and “ability to meet needs” to see where they intersect or may influence one another.

The map can show at times a path of progression that creates a loop like how substance abuse may lead to decreased decision-making capacity and then to more risky behavior including the possible progression to the justice system getting involved. An outside influence along the path can easily create a nudge toward a different way forward and a new outcome.

SYNC is trying to find ways that the community, not just experts from UNC Chapel Hill or Raleigh, can create that nudge to influence these loops or cyclical patterns. Determining a role for parents, faith groups, educators, or law enforcement to play on the prevention of trauma, as opposed to after the fact, will also prove one of the best tools to create positive outcomes for children.

Groups such as educators, counselors, and parents need to be brought up to speed on how to identify warning signs of potential trauma. When these signs are spotted there is a ‘signal for need’ that may then be detected, and this is where loops can break free of reinforcing cycles.

This will require teaching people to know what these signs are, and to look for them in all children. That also means “looking at prevention and detection in perceived healthy children,” county parks and recreation director Danny White said. The pandemic and remote learning created more feelings of isolation for children and their families, he noted, and warning signs can be impossible to distinguish when focused on “squeaky wheels.”

Practice is an invaluable commodity, so the SYNC squad spread out to conduct interviews with members of the community. This was a chance to put what they learned to the test – at least a dry run – before the training is over. Their mission was to express the concept of loop diagramming to a community member and then pick their brain for input on what areas the all-star SYNC team had missed.

The public’s input revealed places where they saw shortcomings such as the need to address a stigma around men’s mental health. There was also concern expressed that minority representation needs to be considered. Juan Sanchez agreed and wanted to make those parties not seated at the table like people of color, LGBTQ, and immigrants were being taken into consideration while setting goals for SYNC.

After the diagrams and feedback from the community came together the team’s next challenge was to take concepts and turn them into actionable ideas. Their concepts were weighed on their level of importance versus probability to create change.

Some ideas can have great potential impact to change many lives but the implementation of them is so far-fetched due to costs, logistics, or red tape that they just are not feasible. One could lump a wide-reaching county public transportation system in this category.

Other ideas such as having substance abuse education happening in the county jail seemed unlikely until Mark Willis chimed in to remind that just such a program is forthcoming in the new detention center. Having these voices and expertise from different elements of the community addressing the same problem is part of the hallmark of the SYNC design.

Surry County’s leadership in this program may create a guide for further implementation of these concepts in other counties or states. To that end Jaime Edwards said he hopes the group can help create advocates for change in spaces of all sizes.

Facilitator Kristen Hassmiller Lich of UNC concurred saying that discussions such as these that the group is having may create the very changes needed to institutions and systems, “If all of you reached into your organizational policies after having these conversations; that could be very powerful.”

By design SYNC is meant to look at systems but the team made sure to bring their focus back to the human element and invested some time in a discussion on empathy and compassion. Charlotte Reeves reminded regarding empathy that it needs to be applied generously and to not forget to include yourself.

“Once you have empathy for yourself you can start to forgive yourself and then you can start to come to terms with the traumatic event and the healing.”

Co-advisor of Surry Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Dr. Kathleen Fowler attended the organization’s annual convention this spring Denver, Colorado, where she was recognized for her and her chapter’s accomplishments.

Fowler won the Paragon Award for New Advisors and the Phi Theta Kappa Carolinas Region Horizon Award. Advisors who receive the Paragon Award are recognized for significant contributions to the growth of individual members, serve as the chapter’s advocate on campus and encourage the chapter to be involved on the local, regional and international level of the organization. The Horizon Award is given to advisors who participate in regional and international programs, as well as attain new levels of achievement in PTK programs.

The additional award recognitions include: three International Hallmark Trophies for 2020, four International Hallmark Trophies for 2022, six Regional Trophies including the 2022 Most Distinguished Chapter, Distinguished Theme Award for Honors in Action, Distinguished Honors in Action Project, Distinguished Chapter and seventh finalist for Most Distinguished Chapter of 1,300 chapters.

“I am so elated that Dr. Kathleen Fowler was chosen as a recipient of the 2022 Phi Theta Kappa Paragon Award for New Advisors,” said SCC College President Dr. David Shockley. “She continually leverages superior leadership qualities, advising, knowledge, and work-ethic to transform our Alpha Xi Tau Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa while always seeking to improve the lives of students.”

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations.

For more information about Phi Theta Kappa and their projects, contact PTK’s faculty co-advisors Fowler at 336-386-3560 or fowlerk@surry.edu or Kayla Forrest at 336-386-3315 or forrestkm@surry.edu or go to www.ptk.org. Follow the local chapter on Facebook @surryPhiThetaKappa.

The East Surry Cardinals were named the Foothills 2A Conference Cup Champions for the 2021-22 school year.

East Surry has now won a Conference Cup each of the past four years. The Cards’ previous three Cup victories came as part of the Northwest 1A Conference.

The Wells Fargo Conference Cup is a companion to the Wells Fargo Cup and recognizes schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performances within individual conferences. In most conferences, points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Since the FH2A Conference is composed of seven schools, teams were awarded seven points for each conference championship victory. Second-place finishes earned a school six points, third-place finishes earned five points and one fewer through seventh place.

If schools tied in the final standings, each team would split an equal amount of points. For example: West Wilkes and Forbush tied for first in softball, so instead of one getting seven points and the other getting six points, both teams received 6.5 points.

Schools that did not have enough participants to compete as a team in a particular sport weren’t given any points in that sport.

The full standings for the FH2A Conference Cup are below:

East Surry won seven conference championships out of 21 total sports. The Cardinals won conference titles in: football, volleyball, girls tennis, boys indoor track, boys swimming, baseball and boys golf.

East also finished second in three sports – boys basketball (tied), girls indoor track and boys tennis – and third in three sports – girls basketball (tied), girls swim and girls soccer.

The Cards fielded a team in all 21 sports, finished outside the top three in eight sports, didn’t finish last in any sport and only finished sixth once.

FH2A Conference Cup Runner-up Surry Central won five conference championships: girls cross country, wrestling, girls indoor track, girls outdoor track and boys tennis.

The Golden Eagles finished second in six sports – boys cross country, boys soccer, football (tied), girls tennis (tied), boys indoor track and girls swimming – and third in four sports – volleyball, boys swimming, boys outdoor track and boys golf.

Surry Central fielded a team in 20-of-21 sports, only finished outside the top three in four sports and only finished seventh once.

Just behind Surry Central was Forbush, who most recently won the Western Piedmont 2A Conference Cup in 2020-21. Forbush was joined in the WPAC by North Surry and Surry Central from 2013-2021.

Despite only winning conference championships in two sports – boys soccer and softball (tied) – Forbush was runner-up in 10 sports: football (tied), girls tennis (tied), girls basketball, boys basketball (tied), boys swimming, baseball, girls outdoor track, boys outdoor track, boys golf and girls soccer.

The Falcons fielded teams in 20-of-21 sports, finished outside the top three in six sports and had one seventh-place finish.

North Surry, who finished fourth in the Conference Cup standings, won four conference championships in 2021-22. The Greyhounds finished first in: girls golf, girls basketball, boys basketball and girls swimming.

North Surry also tied for second in football, and finished third in: girls cross country, boys soccer, boys indoor track and baseball (tied). The Hounds fielded 21-of-21 teams, finished outside the top three in 12 sports and finished seventh once.

Wilkes Central, who finished fifth in the FH2A Cup standings, was the only other team to win multiple conference titles. The Eagles won conference championships in the following sports: boys cross country, boys outdoor track and girls soccer.

Wilkes Central finished second in two sports – girls cross country and girls golf – and finished third in three sports: girls basketball (tied), girls indoor track and softball. The Wilkes Eagles fielded teams in all 21 sports, finished outside the top three in 13 sports and never finished seventh.

Wilkes Central and East Surry were the only two FH2A teams that fielded all 21 teams and never finished in seventh place.

West Wilkes won its only conference title by tying Forbush in the softball standings. The Blackhawks finished second in both volleyball and wrestling, then finished third in baseball (tied) and girls outdoor track.

West Wilkes fielded 17-of-21 sports, finished outside the three in 10 sports and finished seventh once.

North Wilkes did not finish in the top two of any sport, but finished third in both girls golf and wrestling. The Vikings fielded 18-of-21 sports, finished outside the top three in 16 sports and finished seventh in nine sports.

A nine-month probe following a deadly Halloween overdose has led to two Mount Airy residents being charged with murder.

Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt said this morning that Chris Wayne Mosley, 50, of 219 William Penn Street, and Laken Nichole Mabe, 34, of 257 Tolbert Road, have both been arrested and charged with second degree murder in the Oct. 31 death of Jeremy Franklin Collins III, 34.

The sheriff said the case began on Halloween when deputies responded to a call of an unattended death at 137 Bobs Way, Ararat. Upon arrival, they found Collins, dead from an apparent drug overdose.

“Detective Donald Blizard was contacted and started investigating the origin and supplier of the illegal narcotics that were provided to Mr. Collins,” the sheriff said.

That probe led to the arrests of both Mosley and Mabe.

Mosley, who was already in custody of North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections on an unrelated matter, was served with the charges, remaining incarcerated under a $300,000 bond.

Mabe was arrested by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Probation and Parole. She is being held in the Surry County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center under a $200,000.00 secured bond with a pending court date of July 18.

No other details on the case were available.

Books available for check-out at the Mount Airy Public Library:

The Lies I Tell – Julie Clark

The Heart’s Charge – Karen Witemeyer

The summer programming is underway, lasting through Aug. 8. Explore the theme of the week through stories, crafts, games and more. Spaces are limited for some events, call or come by to register to secure a spot. Call 336-789-5108. The schedule is:

• Monday at 6 p.m. – teens, ages 13-17. Light up Angler Fish. Learn how to make a circuit and create your very own light up Angler Fish.

• Tuesday at 2 p. m. – kids ages 8-12; Light up Angler Fish. Learn how to make a circuit and create your very own light up Angler Fish.

• Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. – Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3;

• Thursday at 9:30 a.m. – Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old;

• Thursday at 11 a.m. – Preschool Storytime – ages 4-5;

• Friday at 9 a.m. – Adults, age 18 and older; This week, we will watch a documentary on a Sealab.

• Friday at 1 p.m. – Family Movie Series, popcorn and water will be available. Feel free to bring your own snacks. This week, we will be watching The Little Mermaid.

• July 21 at 4:30 p.m. Brightstar Children’s Theatre Presents “Treasure Island.” Get a crash course on this Robert Louis Stevenson classic tale of treasure, pirates and ocean adventure. For all ages.

Book Bag Giveaway. This summer, each time you check out books, put your name in the box at the check-out deks to win a bookbag full of school supplies. The drawing will be Friday, August 5.

Top Reader. The top reader of the summer, the one who turns in the most reading logs, with the most time read will win a Kindle. This contest is for youth ages 8 – 18. Turn in all reading logs by August 5.

Surry Community College is offering a fun and free English as Second Language (ESL) class at the Mount Airy Public Library Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

Hooked – Come join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on.

Tai Chi has returned to the library. Join us each Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. This class is beneficial for those with limited mobility.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. This month we will be reading The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m.

Classic Movie Monday on July 25 at 5:30 p.m. to watch JAWS, if you dare. “We’re going to need a bigger boat.”

Keep up with all events on our FaceBook pages, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

Freshness in a Dog Day afternoon thunderstorm

The sweltering sun bears down and heats up the Dog Day afternoon. The leaves on the mighty oaks, poplars, and maples flip their petticoats as they await the heat-relieving benefits of an afternoon thunderstorm. Even the hot foliage in the garden plot of summer vegetables fold open their green leaves to wait for the approaching thunder and lightning that heralds the up and coming refreshing thunderstorm, when huge raindrops will fall from dark gray clouds. The summer wind picks up and so do the torrents of rain. Temperatures fall as the leaves and garden foliage absorb the rain drops and both spread back their petticoats in thankfulness and even as the clouds clear out, the sky responds with a colorful rainbow at the close of a Dog Day afternoon.

The first tomato sandwich from garden

The joy of harvesting and excitement of the regular harvest of ripe tomatoes heated by the summer sun and that first tomato sandwich of the season is near. The very best tomato sandwiches are made with sun-heated tomatoes directly from the garden, sliced, placed in fresh slices of bread, sprinkled with salt and pepper on both sides and smothered with mayonnaise on both sides. We remember only one thing better and that was my mother and grandma’s cat head biscuits with a tomato the very same size as the biscuit and coated with Duke’s mayonnaise, salt and pepper. What a taste of heaven that was! One of the blessings of summer’s Dog Days is the rays of the sun bearing down on the rubies of the garden in summer.

A cool tomato treat in hot summer

Tomatoes from the summer garden brighten any meal and they enhance the flavor of any vegetable dish they become a part of such as fried corn, with diced tomatoes mixed into the corn. Lima beans with diced fresh ripe tomatoes mixed in them is also a special taste treat. This special recipe calls for fresh tomatoes combined with other ingredients to make a tasty tomato dish on a warm summer evening. To prepare this recipe, you will need eight medium-sized firm freshly harvested tomatoes. Cut off tops of the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and pulp and place the hollowed out tomatoes in a round glass plate. In a bowl, mix an eight-ounce pack of cream cheese (softened), three tablespoons mayonnaise, ten florets of fresh broccoli (diced), 12 strips of crispy fried bacon (diced), one peeled and diced cucumber. Mix all ingredients and spread into the hollowed out tomatoes. Cool in the refrigerator for an hour before serving. Garnish the tops of tomatoes with stuffed olives or tomato cubes.

Rainbow of color in the zinnia bed

The Zinnia bed is in full bloom with a rainbow of summer beauty and color. The swallowtail butterflies, bumblebees, goldfinches and sparrows visit the zinnias every afternoon as well as the majestic monarch butterflies. They all add extra color to the zinnias. As Dog Days get hotter, keep zinnias watered at the base of the plants with the water wand in shower” mode. Do not spray water directly on the foliage because this promotes powder mildew and cucumber mosaic. Soak the zinnia row or bed with a cool, drink of water to relieve the stress of Dog Day heat. As Zinnia blooms phase out, pinch off blooms to promote growth of new blooms. Drop spent blooms on ground outside the row or bed so the birds can peck the seeds from the died Zinnias.

Surry County blueberry harvest on way

The blueberry harvest is getting ripe in the Dog Day Sun. The best time to visit the blueberry fields and have a somewhat comfortable condition for picking several buckets of berries is to go early in the morning hours before the sun heats up the fields. Leave the kids at home with grandma simply because blueberry fields and kids do not combine well when your goal is to harvest a few buckets of blueberries. It really takes patience to pick blueberries. They have a taste and unique flavor that makes them well worth a journey to a pick your own blueberry farm.

Making a quickie blueberry cobbler

A combination of canned blueberry pie filling concocted with a mix of fresh blueberries and a crust made from two ready-made pie shells makes this cobbler easy to prepare. In a bowl, mix one can of Comstock blueberry pie filling, one and a half cups of fresh blueberries, two teaspoons vanilla flavoring, one and a half cups sugar, half cup water, one stick melted light margarine, two teaspoons corn starch. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan or dish, sprayed with Pam baking spray. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Break or cut two thawed pie crusts into pieces and spread over the blueberry pie mixture. Melt the stick of light margarine and spoon over the pie crust pieces. Bake for one hour or until the crust is golden brown. Serve with ice cream, Cool Whip, or it’s great as it is.

Saint Swithin’s Day will be July 15

Saint Swithin’s Day will be next Friday. Saint Swithin is known as the saint of the soakers. Swithin may not live up to his name simply because we are in the middle of the heat of Dog Days. This heat on the other hand, could generate some hefty thunderstorms and protect the saint’s reputation. A Saint Swithin tradition states that when it rains on his day, he is christening the season’s apple crop. Maybe he could throw in a colorful rainbow to top of his special day!

Canning summer squash for winter sonkers

The straight neck and crookneck summer squash should now be producing a harvest. Do not allow any of them to go to waste or get too large. Can them in quart jars to make squash casseroles and sonkers all winter long. To can the squash, wash and scrub the squash with a stiff brush. Cube the squash into half-inch cubes. Fill sterilized quart jars with the cubed squash, fill jars with hot water and seal with lids and rings. Place jars in a pressure canner and process at ten pounds pressure for 25 minutes. To use canned squash in winter, drain water from jar and use as you would fresh squash. Squash casseroles and sonkers in winter are a real treat.

Making a simple squash sonker

Squash sonker is a Surry County treasure and heirloom that includes some mystery on how it received its name and how it came to be an important part of Surry County history. Sonker is good simply because the ingredients are so simple and available almost every Surry County home. It includes no fancy ingredients, mixes, or gourmet items just ordinary, plain household ingredients. There are many sonker recipes and some may be secret family recipes. It does not take long to decode the sonker secret because any Surry County country cook that knows their way around the kitchen can do the math and figure out what a squash or other basic sonker consists of and put one together in their country kitchen. For the next two weeks, the Garden Plot will feature two simple sonker recipes and later a basic sonker crust recipe.

Supporting pepper plants from storms

Use cages and tomato stakes to support pepper plants and prevent them from blowing over during hefty thunderstorms. These supports will also keep peppers off the ground and easier to harvest later in the summer.

“Hair Raising.” While shampooing her 4-year-old son’s hair, his mother noted how fast his hair was growing and that he would soon need a haircut. Her son said,”Maybe we shouldn’t water it so much.”

“A short cut.” Church member: “Pastor, how did you get that cut on your face?” Pastor:”I was thinking about my sermon this morning, and wasn’t concentrating on what I was doing, and I cut myself while shaving.” Member: “That’s too bad. Next time, you should concentrate more on shaving and cut your sermon.”

“College Kick out.” Larry: “My college has turned out some great men.” Harry: “I didn’t know you were a college graduate.” Larry: “I’m the one they turned out!”

North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction is seeking information on the whereabouts of the following individuals:

Travis Shane Broughman, 42, white male wanted for failing to appear in court on probation violations who is on probation for felony trafficking of methamphetamine, two counts felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and driving while license revoked;

Cody Ryan Hutchens, age 21, white male is wanted for failing to appear in court on probation violations who is on probation for felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance.

Sheen Lynette Smith, age 41, black female wanted on probation violations who is on probation for felony obtaining of property by false pretense and felony uttering forged paper.

Jennifer Nichole Sawyers, age 43, white female is wanted for failing to appear in court on probation violations who is on probation for use/possession of drug paraphernalia, no liability insurance and display revoked tag.

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, please contact Crime Stoppers at 786-4000 or probation at 719-2705.

Calm down America. You can still kill your babies. The whole issue is just going to state authority instead of federal.

But God is still God. And God will avenge the millions of babies that America has murdered and thrown in the trash, and sold their body parts to science.

You’re acting like heathens America. Women scream about “their bodies,” but when a new human being is conceived in the womb, it is “not” the mothers’ body anymore. It’s a brand-new human being. And if “mama” kills it, God will judge her as a murderer. And all those who helped her kill it.

According to one statistic 86% of abortions are done by unmarried women. So, if Americans would just stop being adulterers and fornicators, we wouldn’t even have an abortion issue.

You’re going the wrong way America. And God is against you. He is against your so-called liberal agenda. He is against gay marriage and all the LGBTQ whatever. Like it or not. God has always been against it and has warned that it will bring judgment.

America has become a stench in the nostrils of God. Ukraine can happen to you America. With enemies like Russia and China, our country could very well look like Ukraine in just months.

Our “great” military may not be as great as you think it is, and may be put to shame just like Russia was. If you’re trusting in the so-called great military of America, you are playing a fool’s game.

America’s only hope is repentance. Or will you just take your chances?

The Mount Airy News’ Tom Joyce nailed it in July 5 edition of the paper. He states “Despite what’s occurring elsewhere in the country, no signs of a divided country were visible Monday when crowds descended on downtown Mount Airy for July 4th festivities, including a parade and the reading of the Declaration Of Independence, ” (Fourth festivities draw crowds to city).

I moved to Mount Airy six years ago, as I was a huge fan of The Andy Griffith Show, the Mayberry theme that the Surry Arts Council has done so well in portraying, as well as the citizens of this community being so neighborly and friendly. It is no wonder that the celebrations here in Mount Airy are loaded with patriotism and love for our fellow townsfolk. I love them all—-the Christmas Season, Easter, Memorial Day, Budbreak, July 4, Mayberry Days, Autumn Leaves Festival, Halloween downtown for the children (and some adults) and all the in-betweens.

May God continue to bless our beloved town and its leaders, which includes our men and women in blue, along with all emergency first responders.

• A Mount Airy man was jailed Wednesday after allegedly “causing a problem” at a demolition area downtown, according to city police reports.

Donald William Branson, 28, a Willow Street resident whose exact address was not listed, was encountered by police upon crossing a marked line in violation of street-closing restrictions implemented after the collapse of the Main-Oak Building on the corner of North Main and East Oak streets earlier in the week.

Branson was advised to leave the demolition area and responded by cursing and otherwise hindering the situation, arrest records state. He subsequently was taken into custody at the North Main-Virginia Street intersection nearby and charged with disorderly conduct.

The man was held in the Surry County Jail under a $300 secured bond and slated for an appearance in District Court on Monday.

• Property damage was discovered last Sunday at Grand Pup Resort Hotel and Spa on North Main Street, where a Mediterranean four-tier decorative water fountain was targeted by an unknown suspect. The damage was put at $1,600.

• Patrick Marquis Allen, 31, of 515 Linville Road, was jailed on three charges Sunday stemming from an incident at Dollar General on North Renfro Street: larceny; possession of stolen goods; and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer.

He is accused of stealing a four-pack of men’s white T-shirts from the store, which were recovered with the arrest of Allen, who allegedly fled on foot from an officer arriving at that location.

The Linville Road resident was jailed under a $200 secured bond, with the case scheduled for the July 18 session of Surry District Court.

A whirlwind week of activity in downtown Mount Airy is reaching its close having started with celebrations of July 4th that gave way to the partial collapse of the Main Oak Building on Main Street.

When area residents woke up Tuesday morning, they could not have known what happened in the wee hours of Tuesday. Even those who had been downtown at the time said they had no clue anything was amiss until emergency crews arrived en masse.

It all began as bricks started falling off the Main Oak Building in downtown Mount Airy onto the roadway below. Surry County Emergency Management Director Eric Southern reported that the fire department got the call at 4:26 a.m. Tuesday. Emergency personnel received a report of debris falling from the building located at 248 N. Main Street.

Mount Airy Fire Marshal Chris Fallaw reported that the first responders on scene were met with “weird noises, creaking, and cracking” all in advance of the collapse of the building that is over a century old.

The marshal explained, “While emergency personnel were on scene the building experienced a partial collapse involving the roof and Oak Street side of the structure. Emergency personnel on scene quickly established a safety perimeter involving multiple businesses and streets in downtown.”

Crews worked Tuesday evening to tear down part of the Main Oak Building which had partially collapsed in the morning hours. D. H. Griffin was brought in to assist with the demolition of the building’s facade. Heavy equipment was in use Tuesday night knocking down debris from the partially collapsed third floor as onlookers watched from behind barriers on the streets below.

Mount Airy Downtown, Inc. said in a statement Thursday, “We have received word that demolition is done for now. There is hope that most of the remaining parts of the building can be saved. Mount Airy Downtown, Inc. and the City of Mount Airy met with the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center and the State Historic Preservation Office who all share our desire to see the Main Oak Building saved.”

While power was restored to the buildings and businesses on Main Street, and much of the normal activity has resumed, for The Loaded Goat, the road back is going to be longer. Their building, the Main Oak Emporium, is attached to the Main Oak Building which is a cause for concern for owner Scott Freeman.

“Main Oak and Emporium buildings are connected via a walkway. Did the collapse “shift” or transfer any energy through the walkway into the Emporium causing a loss of structural integrity?” he asked.

While his business remains closed, he is worried about the wellbeing of his staff, “They rely on having a place to work, have families, bills, etc. and would like to get back to work as soon safely possible.”

He also noted with a tinge of sadness his dismay at losing the food inside of the building. At the time of the collapse, “The restaurant’s kitchen was stocked with food product. While being closed is in itself okay – we could have donated the food to shelters/kitchen. We aren’t allowed into the building to get the food, so it will spoil and have to all be thrown out once we return, replaced, and prep for dinning will start all over.”

The food items can be replaced and Freeman, along with the rest of Mount Airy, are happy that the collapse was not worse and did not cause any injury. “We are devastated by what has happened to such an historic building. “

Another unfortunate victim of the collapse is the next scheduled downtown cruise in. Organizers released the following statement, “Unfortunately we have to cancel the Cruise In scheduled for July 17th in Downtown Mount Airy. The Main Oak building experienced a partial collapse in the early morning hours of July 5th”

“Crews have been working around the clock to secure the building and clean up. There will fencing put up around the building once they are able to do so. We feel it is best to cancel the cruise in scheduled for Sunday, July 17th and hope to be able to return to normal in August.”

Residents have been chiming in all week on the collapse of a historic building, its significance, and what saving the building could look like. “Recent damage to this vitally important historic downtown landmark is certainly a huge loss to the downtown landscape,” Robbie Curlee said Friday, “but I’m very hopeful and confident that it can be rebuilt and restored safely and serve its intended purpose as a great location for visitors to be able to stay in the heart of downtown.”

The referred lodging for visitors was to have been part of the plan for the Main Oak Building, which was sold in 2021 to a group called Mt. Airy One, LLC. Their goal had been to convert part of the building into short stay Airbnb units.

Local historian Marion Venable said of the building, “It looks awfully bad, but I hope they can salvage it. I hope it will be returned to some semblance of what it was, and there not be some knee jerk reaction. I know it can come back; it takes someone who cares to get it done.”

She noted the state has preservation experts who could come in and protect what she said is now an endangered historical site. “The state has a staff that this is their job to help with restoration and preservation projects. I would talk to Preservation NC as well; they have taken over historic properties that are in danger in the past.”

“I don’t want to lose this anchor of the industrial period of Mount Airy; it’s an important piece of the puzzle and its one of the best facades in the city.”

She hopes the city and its citizens will rally around preserving the Main Oak Building and pay closer attention to the historic beauty of architecture in Surry County before it is too late.

With the 2021-22 school year complete, The News is recognizing the local student-athletes that were presented with All-Conference Honors for their respective sports during the spring.

Mount Airy competes in the Northwest 1A Conference (NW1A), Millennium Charter Academy competes in the Northwest Piedmont 1A Conference (NWPC), and East Surry, North Surry and Surry Central all compete in the Foothills 2A Conference (FH2A).

No All-Conference Honorable Mentions were named in Outdoor Track and Field.

Student-athletes that earned All-Conference Honors in multiple events have the corresponding number listed after their name in parentheses

Boys Track and Field All-Conference

East Surry – Layton Allen, Lindann Fleming, Colby Johnson, Cooper Motsinger, Isaac Vaden (2), Kyle Zinn

Millennium Charter – no male All-Conference selections

Mount Airy – Connor Burrell (2), Declan Conner (2), Deric Dandy (2), Blake Hawks, Mason Hill, Tyler Mason, Caden Ratcliff (3), Caleb Reid (2), Mario Revels (2), Anthony Valadez, Ware Viers

Surry Central – Isaac Eller, Allen Huffman (2), Ignacio Morales (3), Chris Nava, Josue Rodriguez

East Surry finished fifth out of seven teams in the FH2A team standings, No. 11 of 26 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship, and tied for No. 17 of 60 teams at the 2A State Championship.

Isaac Vaden swept the throwing events at the FH2A Championship by winning discus throw and shot put, Cooper Motsinger added a silver medal in the 3,200-meter run, and the relay team of Layton Allen, Kyle Zinn, Colby Johnson and Lindann Fleming finished second in the 4×100-meter relay.

Motsinger and Vaden went on to qualify for the state championship. Vaden won the 2A Midwest Regional Championship in discus throw while meeting the MileSplit US Second Team standard, and Motsinger finished fourth at regionals in the 3,200 meters. Vaden went on to win the 2A State Discus Championship, becoming East’s first-ever male track state champion, and Motsinger was No. 6 in the 3,200.

Millennium Charter finished sixth out of six teams in the NWPC team standings and No. 15 of 16 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship.

Brody Krakenberg and Calvin Devore qualified for regionals as individuals, with Krakenberg competing in the 3,200 meters and Devore in the 800 meters. The pair also teamed with Hartley Devore and Isaac Shipley to compete in the 4×800 relay. The Lions did not send any male runners to the 1A State Championship.

Mount Airy finished third out of seven teams in the NW1A team standings and tied for No. 20 of 48 teams at the 1A State Championship. Team scores for the 1A West Regional Championship are not available on MileSplit.

Individually, four Granite Bears won conference titles: Caden Ratcliff in the 800 meters, Mario Revels in high jump, Deric Dandy in discus throw and Mason Hill in shot put. Blake Hawks and Declan Conner added individual silver medals: Hawks in the 200 meters and Conner in the 3,200 meters. Three Mount Airy relay teams finished second in their respective races: Connor Burrell, Tyler Mason, Caleb Reid and Dandy in the 4×100; Burrell, Reid, Ratcliff and Revels; Conner, Ratcliff, Ware Viers and Anthony Valadez in the 4×800.

Ratcliff and Hawks had second-place finishes at the 1A West Regional Championship; Ratcliff took silver in the 800 meters, and Hawks did so in triple jump. Dandy finished third in discus, and the 4×100 team of Revels, Burrell, Reid and Mason finished fourth.

The Bears’ 4×100 team wasn’t able to compete at the 1A State Championship due to an injury, but the three individuals did. Dandy finished fifth in discus, Hawks finished fifth in triple jump and Ratcliff finished fifth in the 800.

North Surry finished sixth out of seven teams in the FH2A team standings, No. 13 of 26 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship, and tied for No. 15 of 60 teams at the 2A State Championship.

Jared Hiatt won all three of North Surry’s medals at the conference championship. Hiatt won the individual titles in long jump and triple jump, while finishing second in high jump. His mark in long jump met the MileSplit US Second Team Standard. Hiatt went on to win the 2A Midwest Regional high jump title and finish second in long jump, once against meeting the US Second Team standard. Hiatt won the 2A State Championship in long jump, and won a bronze medal in high jump.

Surry Central finished third out of seven teams in the FH2A team standings, No. 14 of 26 teams at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship, and tied for No. 31 of 60 teams at the 2A State Championship.

Ignacio Morales won the FH2A titles for the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, while also finishing second in the 800 meters. Allen Huffman won gold in the 300 hurdles, and joined Isaac Eller, Josue Rodriguez and Chris Nava on the Eagles’ 4×400 relay team that finished second. Morales and Huffman both qualified for the 2A State Championship, Morales by winning the 3,200 meters and Huffman for finishing third in the 300 hurdles at the 2A Midwest Regional Championship.

Morales went on to finish third in the 3,200 meters at the 2A State Championship, and Huffman was No. 15 in 300 hurdles.

DOBSON — A small business owner who lives in Dobson is among the latest candidates to toss their hats into the ring for elected offices there and elsewhere across Surry County, including both fresh and familiar faces.

Newcomer John Jonczak filed Thursday to run for a seat on the Dobson Board of Commissioners, with incumbent board member J. Wayne Atkins doing so Friday.

And on Wednesday, incumbent Commissioner William Gwyn filed for re-election to the Elkin town board, joined by another sitting commissioner, Jeffrey C. Eidson, on Friday.

As of Friday afternoon, eight candidates had officially declared their intentions to run for municipal seats in Dobson, Elkin and Pilot Mountain, where nine elected offices altogether — all non-partisan — are at stake in a general election on Nov. 8.

The deadline for others to do so is next Friday at noon at the Surry County Board of Elections in Dobson.

Jonczak said Friday that a motivation to help businesses in Dobson and otherwise aid the town’s growth fueled his decision to seek a spot on its governing board.

“My wife Jessica and I and our family have lived in Dobson for five years,” he said, with ancestral ties going back much farther.

For six years, the Jonczaks have owned and operated The Barn at Heritage Farm, a family farm and event center just outside town.

The candidate says they are “heavily invested” in the Dobson community and he also wants to help other small businesses thrive in Dobson by sharing information and basically working for the betterment of all.

Pointing out that the town has good schools and other attributes, Jonczak, 37, of Saddle Brook Drive, seeks to play a role in taking Dobson to the next level and meeting needs of citizens overall.

“I think the main thing is just listening,” the candidate said of what he would bring to the table if elected as a commissioner.

Two seats on the Dobson town board, now held by Atkins and John Lawson, are up for grabs this year altogether.

Dobson Mayor Ricky Draughn signed up to seek his sixth four-year term on July 1, the opening day of the filing period.

Along with Draughn, Atkins and Jonczak in Dobson, all three incumbents in Pilot Mountain whose seats are affected in 2022 have filed to seek re-election: Mayor Evan Cockerham and commissioners Donna Kiger and Scott Needham.

As of Friday morning, no one had filed to challenge any of the three, who all are seeking their second four-year terms.

In Elkin, where three slots on the town council are involved, only Gwyn and Eidson had filed as of Friday afternoon, with the other seat affected held by Cicely McCulloch.

Gwyn is 58 and resides on West Main Street, while Eidson, 60, lives on Ivy Circle.

Organizers of two open house events this weekend hope area residents will take advantage of the opportunity to explore an important piece of local history.

This will involve the 1799 Edwards-Franklin House being open to the public today and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free.

The weekend events are part of a monthly Saturday-Sunday open house series that resumed in May after a two-year shutdown prompted by the coronavirus.

Attendance has been good for this year’s sessions, according to Dr. Annette Ayers of the Surry County Historical Society, which owns the house and conducts various events there.

“We are so pleased,” Ayers advised. “We have had visitors each of the days we have been open — we had about 25 one day.”

The Edwards-Franklin House is considered the finest example of its architectural type in the Piedmont region.

The house was built by Gideon Edwards and later occupied by his son-in-law, Meshack Franklin, a member of Congress and brother of North Carolina Gov. Jesse Franklin, who served in the 1820s.

In 1972, the Edwards-Franklin House was bought by the Surry County Historical Society and restored to its former grandeur. The structure features many unique architectural components.

Concerning those who have stopped by the house during the events in recent months, it has tended to be their first visit, according to Ayers. “We are pleased the visitors range from children to adults.”

In addition to the house, they can view the log water pipes, slave cemetery and family cemetery on the grounds.

Ayers also encourages people who’ve been there before to come by again during the open house hours and catch up on lost time posed by the pandemic.

“It will be a wonderful tour for those who have visited the house previously,” she assured. “It is a chance to become reacquainted with the house, it’s history and our efforts at preserving this historic structure.”

Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care is holding its annual grief camp for young people who have experienced a significant loss in their life.

The camp, set for July 22 and July 23, is an extension of Mountain Valley Hospice’s Kids Path program. The two-day event is offered to children and teens, ages 5-18.

It uses a variety of games and activities to teach young people ways to cope with grief and build confidence.

“Grief Camp is important, because it provides a relaxed, fun-filled environment where a child can express their sorrow while making connections with other children who have experienced similar loss,” said Katie Moser, Kids Path counselor.

This summer camp will be located at First Baptist Church in Dobson, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. both days.

On the final day of camp, parents and families are invited to an evening memorial after camp. This program is free to all families with children and teens who have/are experiencing grief. Due to COVID-19, upon arrival to camp, parents and children will be briefed for COVID-19 exposure and symptoms. Temperature checks will be required prior to entry and each camp member will be required to wear a face covering for each other’s safety.

Camp registration is open until July 16 on the Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care website at https://www.mtnvalleyhospice.org/support/kids-path

In the meantime, the Kids Path program still offers support for young individuals who are grieving over the loss of a loved one. For more information on Kids Path, contact Moser at 1-888-789-2922

Teresa Lewis lost a bid to become mayor of Mount Airy in a May 17 primary, but is still a player regarding the general election — for which she is swinging her support to Jon Cawley.

“I like both of them and I think they’ve done a good job,” Lewis said this week of Cawley, who is now a North Ward commissioner, and his opponent, Mayor Ron Niland. Niland was appointed to that position last year and is seeking his first four-year term.

Lewis finished third in a three-person race in the mayoral primary and thus was eliminated — although the votes she received exceed the winning margin captured by Niland against second-place finisher Cawley.

When three or more candidates file for a particular office, Mount Airy’s non-partisan system requires a primary — after which only the two top vote-getters advance to the general election in a head-to-head matchup.

Lewis explained that her reasons for supporting Cawley are personal in nature — including ties to her family — rather than factors related to city government policy or job performance.

“I like Ron a lot,” she said. “But Jon Cawley was our minister and also performed my marriage ceremony.” Lewis added that Cawley further is scheduled to deliver a eulogy for her, which she hopes is a long time in the future.

Cawley also is well-liked by her children and was by her late father, Monroe Donathan, said the former mayoral candidate, a retired local businesswoman long associated with the WorkForce Unlimited staffing agency. In addition, Lewis is a former at-large commissioner in Mount Airy.

“I’m not sure what Jim’s going to do,” she said of husband Jim Lewis. “He and Ron are good friends.”

Based on updated totals from the May 17 primary compiled by the Surry County Board of Elections, Niland received 816 votes, while Cawley garnered an even 700 and Lewis, 289.

(Those figures include both Niland and Cawley each being credited with five more votes than they were initially, while Lewis’ final total is two votes fewer than earlier reported.)

“I just appreciate all the people who did support me,” she said of the primary.

The votes Lewis received would be more than enough to shift the election outcome in the two-man race unfolding between now and the fall, based on their primary showings. However, the dynamics can prove to be much different in a general election due to turnout and other factors.

The two remaining candidates for mayor are aware of Cawley’s endorsement by Lewis.

“I told Jon I would (support him),” she said, “for the reasons I listed,” such as the church involvements.

“And I think Ron understands.”

If not for Cawley’s presence on the ticket, Lewis says she would be firmly in the corner of Niland.

The upcoming general election also features a former mayor and commissioner, Deborah Cochran, squaring off against Commissioner Steve Yokeley for the at-large seat on the city council. Also, Gene Clark is facing Phil Thacker for a South Ward spot and it’s Chad Hutchens vs. John Pritchard in the North Ward in a race to replace Cawley.

Yokeley now holds the South Ward post involved, but opted to seek the at-large seat in the 2022 municipal election.

The Foothills Post 123 Senior Legion team concluded its regular season with a home game against Eastern Randolph Post 81 on July 7.

Despite the scoreboard tilting in Randolph’s favor at the conclusion of Thursday’s game, the Foothills Senior Legion team came away with the victory due to an ineligible player on Post 81’s roster. The victory gave Post 123 win No. 13 on the season.

The Seniors finish the year 13-4 overall and 6-4 in conference competition, which is a vast improvement for the Mount Airy team compared to the past two seasons. The Post 123 Senior team went 0-17 in 2020 and 5-10 in 2021.

“The merging of West Stokes Seniors and Mount Airy Seniors to form the Foothills Seniors for 2022 has proved to be a great combination of talent and coaching that has helped us become more successful this season,” said coach Brian Hawks.

The 2022 Foothills team includes players from 10 different high schools in N.C. and Virginia: Mount Airy, East Surry, North Surry, Surry Central, Elkin, West Stokes, Carlisle School (Va.), Carroll County (Va.), Grayson County (Va.) and Patrick County (Va.).

The Seniors started the year 9-0. Eight of the team’s first nine wins came by multiple runs, with a 7-6 road victory over Greensboro being the team’s only one-run margin during that time.

Post 123 was 12-1 after its first month of competition. The team dropped its next three games in a five-day span, including back-to-back losses to the top-ranked team in Area III, Rowan County.

“Early on, our pitching and offense got the job done,” Hawks said. “But, as of late, that has been our Achilles’ heel, and is something we definitely have to turn around to win in the playoffs.”

The Post 123 Seniors begin the conference tournament against Mocksville-Davie. The first round is a best 2-of-3 series and is scheduled to run July 8-11 weather permitting. The winner of that series will take on the top-seeded Rowan team.

In addition to the Senior Legion team, Foothills Post 123 was able to field two junior squads in 2022. The Foothills Juniors are made up of all rising high school sophomores and juniors as well as a few rising seniors. Surry Pride primarily consists of rising high school freshman, with a few sophomores and juniors also on the team.

“Our future looks bright now that we have three teams and will possibly add a third Junior Team in 2023,” Hawks said. “The Foothills Juniors finished second in conference and made the playoffs, and our Surry Pride Team competed very well this season as a developmental team. The Stokes Juniors will also feed our senior team next year for what should be another great season for Post 123 baseball.”

“Special thanks to Mount Airy High School, East Surry High School and Surry Central High School and all of the coaches for their help making this season successful and for use of the facilities.”

Concern over a proposed new Dollar General location at 2953 Westfield Road and the intersection of Quaker Road has gotten the attention of residents in Sheltontown who are worried about what the addition of one of the seemingly ubiquitous stores may mean to their community.

A sign sits on the corner of Quaker and Westfield announcing an upcoming rezoning hearing, but those opposed to the plan have said the sign is often obscured by a bush or facing the wrong way. They wonder if residents can see the sign and if they are even aware that a rezoning may be forthcoming.

Therefore, a community meeting has been organized to coordinate a response when they speak to the planning board Monday. They are meeting at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 10, at the Shelton Church of the Brethren, 1065 Quaker Road, Mount Airy, to discuss their plans.

Organizers say Sunday’s meeting has been moved inside due to the weather.

“Sunday’s meeting will give us an opportunity to pool important information and develop a list of citizens willing to speak during the planning meeting,” local resident Melissa Hiatt said of the meeting she and Heather Moore are planning.

Moore and her husband Heath Moore are the proprietors of Moore’s General Store who operate their family-owned market just four tenths of a mile from the proposed new location. Within four miles from the planned location are also the Flat Rock, Main Street, and Airport Road locations of Dollar General.

In Surry County Dollar General is a retail force to be reckoned with, already boasting over a dozen stores within the county lines. The Surry County Board of County Commissioners have been told that there is an ongoing plan to grow the footprint of Dollar Generals in the county even further.

“We built three new ones in the last three years, Beulah, Cook School Road, and the one at Zephyr, with (Mount View Drive) being the fourth,” Joe Strickland of Teramore Development told the board of commissioners on June 6. He mentioned new store designs are now the norm with larger footprints that carry more variety of items.

Commissioner Larry Johnson remarked about the number of Dollar Generals in the county saying that he seems them all the time as he drives around, “I don’t have much else to do,” he quipped. More seriously though he noted that the stores appear to be doing a brisk business, “They seem to be doing well.”

It may be the convenience factor of a quick pop in for bread, milk, and shampoo that makes the yellow sign of DG on the horizon a welcome sight to some. That bright yellow signage however makes others see red, and residents have signed a petition that Moore said as of Friday morning had over 850 signatures.

Opposition to land rezone requests are rare. Often when the planning board’s recommendation reached the county commissioners the board will ask if there was any opposition; rarely has there been any.

The last Dollar General to come before the planning committee and reach the commissioners sailed through the approval process. Vice Chairman Eddie Harris asked development services director Marty Needham is the rezoning request for 120 Mount View Drive had met with any pushback. Rather than finding opposition to the new store, Needham informed the residents of the area were looking forward to having the additional options.

This is where Sheltontown differs from the past proposed locations.

Preserving the quality of life for the residents of Sheltontown is their number one concern, so too is protecting the land for the future. “If we sell off rural America, what will be left for generations to come?” Moore asked thinking about her four-year-old son. “He’ll grow up here. Even if we weren’t business owners we would be against this plan.”

Moore’s General Store is their family business, she said. After time being horse trainers and cattle farmers, they settled in to running the store and making it an essential part of the community they serve.

She has stories aplenty of the difference having a small independent store like theirs can make, and how much their customer appreciate it. Being open 364 days a year for seven years, closed only on Christmas day, has established their general store as a place people can count on. Moore wonders if any box store can offer the same.

“In winter of 2017 a snowstorm crippled our community, the roads hadn’t been plowed. Heath drove our 4-wheel drive tractor from our farm to the store. We were the only store open in a 5-mile radius, the DOT drivers appreciated a warm coffee and snacks to keep them going.”

The Sheltontown opposition group is not opposed Dollar General specifically but rather the growth of larger retailers in their rural community. The Moore’s have had offers to sell their store, but they have no interest in that, “We refuse to put a price on it because it is a part of this community. We didn’t’ buy this to flip it.”

A grander sense of community is what is driving the opposition and they are looking at increased traffic flow, property values, eyesore blight, and the possibility of increases in crime that may follow. Calls have been made to the Mount Airy Police Department and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office to obtain crime stats for areas around DG locations.

BJ Elmore also has direct concerns involving the wildlife of the area, “The bright lights will confuse nocturnal animals, therefore, disrupting their natural instincts. The paved parking lot will increase chances of pollution and runoff from so many vehicles.”

Others wonder if the store is even needed with Hiatt suggesting a lack of need in that area, “We have two very well rooted family run stores in the community, both stores are more than a gas station or a place to grab a snack. They are run by our own people who are part of our community family. They are always open and have yet to close one day due to lack of staff – that’s impressive.”

Moore concurs, “We are the community store that has served the Sheltontown area for over 50 years. A store that many houses in the community have been built around. A store that takes a step back in time while providing modern day amenities.”

For the 800+ residents of the area who signed on to the petition, the concerns outweigh the possible benefits of adding another Dollar General. Only time will tell if their pushback will be enough, but theirs is an example of a community deciding to coalesce to save the rural way of life so many of them desire.

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What is the gospel? I would say if you made a survey you would get more definitions of that question than you ever thought were possible. We live in a time when the gospel has been twisted, taken away from, added to, and changed to fit a secular society. So, if you were to take a survey you would get definitions just like those in Paul’s day and then some.

What is the gospel? The meaning of the gospel is “good news.” Well, what is the good news? Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:3 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

You have never preached the gospel unless you have stated these facts. These are the historical facts of the gospel which cannot be changed. How do we know they are facts? Because there were more than 500 people at once who saw our Lord Jesus after His resurrection. Also, you notice that Paul said 1 Corinthians 15:3 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received.”

Paul received the gospel firsthand from Jesus Himself on the road to Damascus. The gospel is that of grace. That’s what the book of Galatians is all about. Grace from God through Jesus equals salvation. The Judaizers were bringing the churches into bondage through the law. This still goes on today. The very same false teaching that Paul saw in such a very short time of the gospel in his day. They were saying you must also keep all the commandments.

Those leaders of the Mosaic Law were following Paul into Galatians country. They couldn’t deny Christ’s death, burial and resurrection because there were too many witnesses but, they could say, “Yes Paul is right about those things but, you must keep the Law of Moses also to be saved.” This is the oldest of false teaching since Jesus ascended. It is adding something to the gospel of grace. It is doing something rather than simply believing something.

It is faith plus something rather than faith plus nothing. Every cult has something for you to do in order to be saved. You must do this or you must say that or you must pray this way or pray that way. In our religious society if we could go back in time and hear the testimonies of some who God says were saved many would question it. It is interesting that Paul said to the Philippian jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” in Acts 16:31 and Peter said in Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

When you believe, the Holy Spirit indwells you and makes it real. Then here is what happens. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” God moves in, changes your life, and gives you a new destination. Trust Him today as your Saviour because listen, if you should die without making that decision, tomorrow will be too late. Hebrews 9:27

Evangelist Ronnie Miller who is in charge of www.themillersbiblestudy.com

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