River lovers will have new access option – Mount Airy News

Residents are seen enjoying the Yadkin River near Elkin. A new river access to the Ararat River will be established off of Park Drive in Mount Airy and the Burch River Access has been converted from a lease to a perpetual easement, signifying access will be available for years to come.
The scenic beauty of Surry County is hard to ignore. County Parks and Recreation Director Daniel White has said that the unique location of Surry County and its proximity to four rivers makes the community an ideal place to live and enjoy nature.
A change is in the works that is going to allow greater river access to the residents of the county and tourists alike.
County Manager Chris Knopf told the county board of commissioners that a 23-year lease agreement exists with the Colwell family for river access at Burch Station where the Yadkin and Mitchell rivers meet. The county asked the landowners to convert that lease into a perpetual easement so that future residents and guests can enjoy the rivers and they have agreed to do so.
“I would like to thank Clyde and Pat Colwell, they are the reason that access that is so heavily used is there. They had the foresight to acquire that, and they have been so good to work with. They are very good community-minded citizens,” Commissioner Eddie Harris added.
Secondly, there will be a new river access to the Ararat River courtesy of Luck Stone, the new owners of Ararat Rock, and the efforts of Commissioner Larry Johnson. Funding for this project will come from existing Invest in Surry funds that were previously set aside for river access improvement with the board’s approval.
Having met with Charlie and Richard Luck of Luck Stone, Johnson said collaborating with them had been a breeze. “It would be an honor for me to make a motion that we accept the memo of understanding pertaining to Luck Stone with access being at the corner of Sheep Farm Road and Park Drive,” Johnson moved, and the board accepted his resolution unanimously to create the Luck Stone River Access.
Knopf informed the board the Bill Hall bridge across the Mitchell River on Zephyr Mountain Park Road is scheduled to be replaced. The new bridge will take up more space and the NCDOT offered the county $6,000 to purchase the additional land needed to complete the bridge work.
Commissioner Eddie Harris felt this was a low-ball offer and having had some experience with these negotiations he advised the county to seek $10,000 instead which Knopf notified the board this week was accepted by the state. “A guy told me one time; I told him I was negotiating for the county, and I asked him why did he think the property was worth so much? He said: because I have it and you want it,” he recalled.
“We have had more interest in river access than we have in many, many years,” Commissioner Van Tucker said while acknowledging he has been trying to work on a new river access project too. He said these accesses can be hard to get as landowners may be hesitant to give up their land, so he offered hearty congratulations to his colleagues on their success.
In other board of commissioner’s news:
– The commissioners approved a budget amendment. Additional funds were requested and approved for the Surry County Sheriff’s Office building in the amount of $78,000 to replace a chiller.
– Funds were also requested to be added to the EMS budget for a new Ford E-450 Type III chassis and a remount of the ambulance box onto said chassis. The amount to cover these costs is projected at $116,598 and was approved.
– Jessica Montgomery of Public Works had three items for the board. She informed that the skid-steer her team uses at the recycling shed at the county landfill needs new grapples. The board approved the purchase of the grapple and the delivery fee totaling $4,095.
She also sent through two sets of bid proposals for the board to consider. The first was for roof repair at the county’s Resource Center on State Street in Mount Airy. There are several leaks in the building that are causing damage and Gallaher Management Group Inc. was approved to do the repair work estimated at $172,900. This total includes unexpected repairs to foam closures that were found during inspection in need of needed replacing.
The Judicial Center in Dobson needs weatherproofing and $80,000 was budgeted for the repair. Montgomery recommended Foxhill Construction do the work as well as make repairs to a wall in the front of the building for an estimated total of $68,627.
Both approved bids are estimated to come in under the amounts previously budgeted for these repairs.
– Mark Willis of the office of substance abuse recovery has requested converting a temporary part-time position with the Community Transport Program into a full-time position. He noted the program transported more than 1,200 patients in its first year of operation and the reclassification to full-time is needed to meet demand. Funding for the position would be paid for from Partner’s Health Management fund and opioid settlement monies after current federal funding ends in 2024.
– County tax administrator sent word to the commissioners that in just two months of collecting property taxes the residents of Surry County have already paid approximately 60% of what is due. Commissioner Larry Johnson has previously, and again on this occasion, thanked the taxpayers for their diligence in on-time payment.
– The Office of State Budget and Management sent notification that House Bill 103 passed that contained $75,000 earmarked for the YESurry Entrepreneurial Competition. The competition is held annually among local high school students who design a small business and then compete at their local schools, with the winners at each school moving on to countywide competition. This year’s winner was Grace Phillips of North Surry High for Grace Got Cakes.
– Finally, the board opted to not act on a bill totaling $23,410.70 for 32 transports of COVID-19 patients. The costs for these transports had been assumed by the federal government but the fund for Surry County to pay out from has been depleted. The commissioners had several questions about these charges and asked the item to be removed from the Consent agenda for future consideration.
Marriages
Real Estate Transfers
October 05, 2022
North Surry completed a season sweep of West Wilkes Tuesday with a 3-1 comeback victory.
The visiting Blackhawks capitalized on Greyhound mistakes in the opening set to take a 1-0 set lead. North Surry responded by taking each of the next two sets without trailing, then the Hounds used their biggest run of the evening to come back and win the decisive fourth set.
The Oct. 5 win keeps North Surry in the hunt for the Foothills 2A Conference’s second place automatic playoff bid.
East Surry owns the top spot in the FH2A Conference with a 9-0 record. While Surry Central is still technically in the running for the conference title at 6-3, the Eagles will be eliminated from contention if East wins any of its final three matches. That would leave four teams fighting for second in the conference: Surry Central (6-3), North Surry (5-5), Forbush (4-5) and North Wilkes (4-5).
The Greyhounds needed a win against West Wilkes to stay in the race for second place. North Surry looks to make its first postseason appearance since 2018. The Hounds would’ve made the playoffs in 2020-21 if it had been a normal season as they finished 10-4, but because of the coronavirus pandemic playoff selections were cut from 64 to 32.
The start of Tuesday’s match was less than ideal for North Surry as the Hounds took went down 1-0 out of the gate. The teams were tied at 21-21 in the first set when the Greyhounds gave up three points due to a net violation and two attack errors, paving the way for West Wilkes to win the set 25-22.
North Surry, who improves to 9-9 overall with the win over West Wilkes, regrouped in the second set and took a 12-3 lead. The Greyhounds minimized their own errors and took West Wilkes out of rotation with well-placed attacks. Setter Ella Riggs went all over the floor to set up proper attacks, and multiple Greyhound hitters showed off their accuracy by hitting spots of empty court.
North led 24-13 when West Wilkes stormed back with five consecutive points, but the Hounds were able to put the set away to win 25-18.
West Wilkes’ only lead of the middle two sets came at the start of the third. The 2-1 advantage was short-lived as Reece Niston took over the serve for North and quickly made it 5-2 in the Hounds’ favor. After West Wilkes interrupted the run with a kill, North Surry’s Haylee Smith and Callie Robertson showed off their attacking prowess to increase the lead to 10-3.
North Surry had its best serving set of the night in the third, which made West Wilkes’ returns less effective to allow North the opportunity to set up an ideal play. Zarah Love was a force at middle hitter and helped the Hounds increase their lead to 11 at 20-9.
The Greyhounds finished the set off with a strong statement. An attack from Robertson was blocked straight up, which allowed Sadie Badgett to swoop in and crush a kill down the line.
Kills from Riggs and Badgett gave North another strong start in the fourth set, putting the home team up 6-1. A run from West Wilkes forced ties at 8, 9 and 13 before the Blackhawks finally took the lead at 14-13. West went up 15-13 for the visitors’ first multiple-point lead since the first set.
An attack error gave the serve back to North Surry’s Riggs at 16-15. A Robertson kill tied the game at 16, then Blackhawk attack errors forced the final lead change of the match.
Similar to the third set, the Greyhounds set the pace with their serving. Riggs came out of a timeout at 20-16 and hit an ace, then West failed to return her next two serves.
North went on a 10-0 run to lead 24-16 before giving up a point to an attack error. Robertson fired back the next point with a kill to end the match.
North Surry begins the final week of regular season play with its Senior Night match against Surry Central on Oct. 11. The Greyhounds finish the season two days later at North Wilkes.
Scoring
West Wilkes – 25, 18, 16, 17 – 1
North Surry – 22, 25, 25, 25 – 3
October 05, 2022
The recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II was a big blow to British royalty, but Mount Airy still has its own “monarch” who was celebrated during a recent event that included an appropriate beverage.
This involved the Fit For a Queen Afternoon Tea at a local residence, where the guest of honor was Betty Wright — known locally as the Queen of Preservation for her efforts to safeguard historically valuable properties.
Norm and Jeanmarie Schultz had heard about Wright’s reputation in that regard and decided that a Queen’s Tea would be appropriate for her.
The occasion unfolded at the South Main Street home of the Schultz couple. They moved to Mount Airy about a year ago and have fallen in love with the community, according to Ann Vaughn, one of those attending the afternoon tea who provided a recap of the gathering.
It was held at a house that Norm and Jeanmarie Schultz bought and renovated while maintaining the historical integrity associated with the structure, Vaughn added, so it was appropriate to recognize Betty Wright.
Twelve ladies attended the event.
“It was absolutely a wonderful occasion, dedicated to times when we used to dress up for church and found time to stop and smell the roses along the way,” Vaughn reported. This included wearing gloves and hats for an event fitting for someone known as Mount Airy’s own Queen Mother.
After signing a guest register in the foyer, those attending picked up porcelain name cards and headed toward the dining room that was elegantly decorated with a number of floral and other arrangements.
“The room and the appropriately decorated table would have rivaled anything that Alice in Wonderland or the Mad Hatter might have imagined many years ago,” in Vaughn’s view. “As a matter of fact, they would have been so envious — the Cheshire Cat would have been grinning from ear to ear hoping to catch all of the chatter in the room.”
Wright’s daughter, Tamra Thomas, brought her to the tea.
Its sandwich menu included cucumber and cream cheese along with egg salad, chicken with cranberries and bacon quiche, with the dessert list featuring scones with marmalade and butter, white chocolate and buttercream petit fours, raspberry petit fours, fruit tart, chocolate peanut butter nibbles, mini-lemon tarts, Russian tea cookies, oat lace cookies, Belgian butter thins and wedding cookies.
“Many thanks to Norm and Jeanmarie Schultz for opening up their beautiful home and sharing a delightful afternoon that was superlative in every way,” Vaughn concluded.
Recipes from event
In conjunction with the Fit For a Queen Afternoon Tea, details on foods served there have emerged.
This includes a recipe for cucumber sandwiches, which are easy to prepare and are a great treat for any occasion:
Ingredients needed are one cucumber, peeled and sliced extremely thin; eight-ounce cream cheese, softened; fresh dill, chopped; a pinch of salt; white bread.
Mix the cream cheese, dill and salt. The cucumber can be sliced ahead of time and stored in a container of water in the refrigerator.
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on both sides of the bread. Layer the cucumber and make the sandwich. Cut off the crusts. Cut into squares or triangles. The sandwiches are best served chilled. The extra cream cheese mix can be stored in an airtight container.
Wedding cookies
Ingredients needed: one cup of butter, softened; 3/4-cup powdered sugar; two cups of flour; one tsp. of vanilla; one cup of finely chopped pecans; extra powdered sugar for coating.
Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Shape the dough into one-inch balls. Bake at 325 degrees for 14 to 18 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. The cookies are done when the bottoms are lightly brown. Cool completely on wire racks.
Place about two cups of powdered sugar in a large bowl with a lid (or freezer-sized Ziploc bag). Add the cooled cookies and shake to coat. Larger cookies might take up to 21 minutes to bake — so don’t get worried. If the bottoms are brown, they are cooked.
October 05, 2022
Copeland Elementary School recognized September’s “Leaders of the Month.” These students exhibited the leadership attribute self-awareness exceptionally well throughout the month.
October 05, 2022
Second graders at Shoals Elementary have been learning about the different States of Matter. They have discovered that some unique substances can be both solid and liquid while they played in Oobleck! They finished up their unit in States of Matter by making ice cream in a bag. It was both educational and delicious!
October 05, 2022
Meadowview Magnet Middle sixth grade students celebrated International Dot Day, which is held on Sept. 15. Media Coordinator, Alicia Ray planned a day filled with “dot” themed activities. Students designed their own paper dot, which was later able to be viewed in 3D. Students were human “dots” on a life-sized coordinate grid in math, and created a dot by listing their favorite things they have learned this year in science. Finally, Mustangs were able to attend a virtual live session with the author of The Dot, Peter H. Reynolds. The theme of Dot Day was, “Just make your mark and see where it takes you” and our Mustangs made their marks!
October 05, 2022
There are many noticeable changes to everyday life as calendars are flipped to October every year.
The weather usually gets a little colder, leaves begin to change color and seemingly every food and beverage suddenly has a pumpkin spice variety.
A more significant October change is the flood of pink as different schools and organizations recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Mount Airy High School did its part in raising awareness of the disease with Monday’s “Dig Pink” Volleyball Game. Sponsored by the MAHS Interact Club, the JV-Varsity double header against East Surry helped raise funds to benefit the battle against breast cancer.
Mount Airy wore special pink jerseys to commemorate the occasion on Oct. 3, and shirts were sold with all proceeds benefiting breast cancer awareness.
Mount Airy and East Surry, both undefeated in their respective conferences, took a break from league play to compete in the nonconference benefit match. The visiting Cardinals won the match 3-0 as the school extended its winning streak to nine matches.
The Granite Bears competed in the opening set before falling 25-17, then the Cardinals went into another gear and won the next two sets while only giving up 21 combined points – 25-8 and 25-13.
East Surry (15-3) took control of the match with a big run in the second set. Merry Parker Boaz took the service line with the Cards up 10-3 then served the next 12 points for East. The Cardinals led by as many as 19 on two occasions – 22-3 and 24-5 – but a late trio of points brought the Bears up to eight points before the set ended.
The Cardinals continued to groove into the third set by starting with a 13-2 run. Abby Epperson and Alissa Clabo had blocks for Mount Airy during the run, but as a whole East Surry’s offense couldn’t be slowed down. Boaz, Bella Hutchens and Mckenzie Davis had kills during the strong start to the set, and Lily Watson showed the Cards’ defensive capabilities with a big block.
Clabo ended East’s run with a kill, then an Epperson block of Hutchens brought the Bears back to life. Mount Airy used a 5-2 run to get back into the game before East’s Maggy Sechrist got the Cards going again with a kill. From this point, East led by at least eight points for the remainder of the set.
Following Monday’s match, Mount Airy returned home the following night to defeat North Stokes in Northwest 1A Conference action. The victory put the Granite Bears at 11-6 overall and 9-0 in conference play.
The NW1A Conference race is down to three teams: Mount Airy, in first place at 9-0; Alleghany, who sits at 7-1 with its only loss coming against Mount Airy; and Starmount, who is 4-3. A Mount Airy win in the next two weeks eliminates Starmount from title contention.
East Surry holds a three-match advantage over the rest of the Foothills 2A Conference and is already guaranteed a share of the conference championship. Surry Central is second at 6-3, but will be eliminated from title contention if East Surry wins one of its final three conference matches.
Scoring
East Surry – 25, 25, 25 – 3
Mount Airy – 17, 8, 13 – 0
October 05, 2022
Colby “Branch” Benton had a birthday Monday that he neither observed nor celebrated; for him, there was no birthday cake to mark twenty-seven years. Today he is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life following a violent incident last weekend at the very party meant to celebrate his birth.
Benton is a former United States Marine who with four others was stabbed Sunday after an altercation at 153 Old Wagon Trail, Dobson.
According to a release from Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt authorities arrived at the scene at 12:42 a.m., responding to a call of a cutting or stabbing incident with multiple victims.
Cortlan Damaryce Clark, 21, of 289 Happy Oaks Lane, Boomer, was arrested in Wilkes County Sunday and jailed under a secured $125,000 bond, according to a release sent by Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt.
He faces one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and four charges of assault with a deadly weapon. He will make his first appearance in Surry County District Court on November 9.
Sheriff Hiatt said this was considered to be an “isolated incident which started with a physical altercation between Mr. Clark and several of the victims,” the sheriff said.
“When patrol deputies arrived on the scene, they found three victims with multiple stab wounds ranging in the areas of the chest, neck and/or upper extremities.” the sheriff said.
Two of the victims had already left to seek medical care, suffering from similar wounds.
“All five victims were transported and/or seen by a medical facility: Northern Regional Hospital, Hugh Chatham Hospital and/or Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital,” the sheriff said, adding that three were males and two females.
Further details on the incident have come in part from the GoFundMe page set up by Benton’s fellow Marine Joshua Reid-Dixon where the incident was described thusly, “On the evening of October 1, Branch and a group of close friends and family were celebrating his birthday when an uninvited guest (Clark) showed up. After being asked to leave, the individual refused to comply before drawing a deadly weapon, which he used to then stab Branch and four others.”
The statement goes on to say that Benton is “currently in the hospital, in a coma. He suffered a severe stroke from a blood clot that formed after the stabbing. His brain has swollen to the degree they needed to remove a piece of the skull just to provide relief and to prevent even more damage.”
His family said Wednesday morning they were heading to the hospital to get an update on Branch’s condition, “Right now we’re headed to the hospital. They are bringing him off sedation to do neuro tests to test his responses.”
Reid-Dixon said Wednesday that he was not at liberty to disclose what hospital was treating Benton, saying there may be some ongoing security concerns and that information is being withheld from non-family members.
“His life, as we know it, will never be the same,” Reid-Dixon writes of his comrade in arms who he called “the life of the party, a man of good morals and ethics, a loving soul, a kind soul, a man with patience and love for anyone he encountered.”
Brianna Kelly was an invited guest to the party and was also injured during the attack. She suffered a deep cut to her left arm which is now in a splint. “I may never get feeling back in it again,” she said Wednesday. She is cousin of the suspect but that did not stop her from calling the police and trying to turn Clark in herself.
“He (Clark) jumped in my car and try to force me to take him to his car and I refused. I went straight to the hospital and attempted to turn him into the police but he was already gone,” she said.
Some in the Benton family are finding the smallest silver lining amongst a tragic occurrence, “He should have bled out before making it to the hospital,” Luke and Eliza Benton wrote on Facebook, “But God placed a nurse at the party who knew where to put her fingers to slow down the tremendous blood loss.”
Reid-Dixon spoke about his friend with the level of respect that Branch earned during their time in the Corps and as the person out of the uniform, “He’s a patriot that loves America, and that was demonstrated in his four years of selfless service. He loves his family, his friends, the outdoors, horseback riding, working on his family ranch, and just being the sunshine on anyone’s cloudy day,” he wrote.
“As you read this post, He is fighting for his life right now and he needs our help,” he said on the GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the expenses that are to follow.
He established the GoFundMe so Branch’s friends, loved ones, fellow Marines, and veterans of all branches can send financial support and words of encouragement for his family during this trying time. A goal for donations of $10,000 was set and has already been exceeded with the tally continuing to grow higher still. Find the GoFundMe page at: https://gofund.me/03af9a6b
There are other victims and families suffering as well and Sheila Benton said she is keeping the other victims in her prayers, “I also would like to pray for the other four victims. They have families, friends, loved ones. I pray God will rescue all these families from evil and give them all comfort and miraculous healing.”
Reid-Dixon said that Benton is an incredible human being who, “Will now have to live the rest of his life with medical complications and limitations.”
The family requests prayers for Branch as well as all the other involved and have asked for privacy.
October 05, 2022
North Surry’s final home tennis match of the 2022 season went down to the wire on Oct. 3.
After a 3-3 split in singles, North Surry and Surry Central competed in a best 2-of-3 in doubles. The Greyhounds not only looked to avenge a loss to Surry Central earlier in the season, but wanted to honor their two seniors by forcing coach Jon Lattimore to recreate his iconic Senior Night pose – which was promised by the coach if the Hounds pulled out a victory.
Victories in No. 1 and No. 3 doubles helped North Surry to a 5-4 win over Surry Central. Monday’s Greyhound victory marked North’s second win over Central in the past decade.
The senior duo of Whitley Hege and Katie Butler led the Hounds to the victory. The duo played No. 1 and No. 2 singles – just as they had for most of their high school careers – then joined forces for No. 1 doubles. Hege and Butler both went undefeated on the day and accounted for three of North’s five wins against Central.
“Today’s match was very special as we celebrated Katie and Whitley,” Lattimore said. “My first year as coach was their freshmen year, and it’s hard to believe it’s been four years. I can’t say enough about the hard work and dedication these two ladies have shown every year I’ve coached them. Today’s match was a testament to that as they both really stepped up in singles and doubles.”
All three of North Surry’s singles victories came in straight sets. Butler was the first to finish in No. 2 singles by defeating Surry Central’s Karlie Robertson 6-0, 6-2 in what Lattimore called, “perhaps her best singles performance I’ve ever seen.”
Hege took down Surry Central’s McKenna Merritt 6-4, 6-1 in No. 1 singles, and North’s Sparrow Krantz defeated Mitzy Vasquez 6-1, 6-1 in No. 6 singles.
North Surry won the first set of all six singles matches. All three of Central’s singles wins came after players rallied to win the second set before taking the match overall with a third-set tiebreaker.
“We knew the match was going to be close and all of our players came out with a sense of urgency,” Lattimore said. “You could tell they were determined to give their very best on Senior Night.
“I’ve got to hand it to Surry Central’s players for being resilient and forcing three matches to third-set tiebreakers and actually coming out on top in all three.”
Golden Eagle No. 4 seed Emma Bryant had Central’s first win of the day. Bryant dropped the first set of her singles match 6-1 to Molly Reeves, but won the second 6-2. The pair were neck and neck in the tiebreaker before Bryant came away with the 10-8 win.
The No. 5 singles match was the only one with multiple tiebreakers. North’s Mattie Bare won the first set 7-6 by winning the set tiebreaker 7-3, then Central’s Madelyn Wilmoth fired back with a 6-2 second-set win. Wilmoth went on to take the third-set tiebreaker 10-5.
Long rallies on court No. 3 made the matchup of North’s Clara Burke and Central’s Priscilla Gentry the final singles bout to finish. Burke pulled out the first set win 7-5, but then Gentry took the second set 6-2 and the third-set tiebreaker 10-8.
After both girls won in singles, Central’s Gentry and Bryant teamed together in No. 2 doubles to defeat Reeves and Bare 8-6.
Burke and Krantz evened the overall score at 4-4 by defeating Wilmoth and Kaesi Blythe 8-6 in No. 3 doubles, and the senior duo of Hege and Butler capped off the team victory with an 8-4 win over Merritt and Robertson in No. 1 doubles.
“I’m extremely proud of how hard everyone played and it’s always great to get a win on Senior Night,” Lattimore said.
October 05, 2022
Food Lion Manager, Terry Easter along with other Store Managers and Assistant Store Managers from around the region stopped by to drop off 60 bags of food for our backpack program. The bags included, capri suns, puddings, apple sauce, mac & cheese, fruit bars, beans and wieners, ramen noodles and honey nut cheerio cereal cups. Food Lion Feeds’ mission is to put food and hope on the table of our neighbors. We are so thankful here at Shoals to have benefited from this program.
October 05, 2022
An annual Harvest Festival Saturday at Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard also will have a Halloween twist, with a portion of the proceeds going to an organization that helps pre-teen girls get the tools they need to succeed.
The event, now in its sixth year, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Traditionally it has involved kids’ activities, chicken stew, pick-your-own pumpkins and other attractions, but this year the format will have an added dimension.
Organizers decided to celebrate Halloween early at Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard, including the chance for both children and adults to compete in costume contests.
Attendees also can go trick-or-treating with vendors, carve and decorate pumpkins and play games inspired by the spooky season.
In addition to pick-your-own items, pre-picked pumpkins, apples and corn stalks to enhance one’s porch or yard Halloween decorations will be for sale. Those attending also are welcome to pick any of remaining wildflowers on the grounds free of charge.
Fresh-baked goods including various pies will be available for sale along with homemade apple butter, pumpkin butter, hot chocolate, local craft beer, wine, sangria and fresh-pressed apple cider from Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard.
Admission will cost $10 per person, but is free for children 3 and under.
Giving girls a start
Saturday’s event will benefit LEAD Girls of North Carolina, a non-profit organization based in Winston-Salem, through a donation from part of the proceeds.
LEAD Girls of North Carolina is dedicated to providing the tools and resources that low-income/at-risk preteen girls need to become productive citizens and active leaders in their communities.
The idea of encouraging people to come out and support girls and young women in the state was a natural tie-in for Saturday’s event, since Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies is woman-owned and operated.
Meanwhile, the farm and orchard operation provides many young local women opportunities to get hands-on learning in agriculture and also is a staple of Cobblestone Farmers Market, a sustainable, producer-only farmers market in Winston-Salem.
Organizers of Saturday’s Harvest/Halloween Festival see it as a wonderful way to support LEAD Girls and connect families in Northwest North Carolina to its mission and program.
Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard is located at 252 Heart Lane (formerly Quarter Horse Lane), which is west of Mount Airy near Interstate 77, off N.C. 89.
October 05, 2022
Momentum has been building for a event scheduled Sunday afternoon in downtown Mount Airy which will involve a walk to “save” Main Street.
“We’re trying to put this thing together and get as much support as we can,” said one of its organizers, Martha Truskolaski, owner of the Spotted Moon gift shop downtown.
Sunday’s event, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m., has been described as a “friendly walk” — but one with a firm purpose of demonstrating business owners’ and other citizens’ opposition to a downtown master plan update.
It was approved by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners in a 3-2 vote on Sept. 1, despite a large audience being on hand to oppose that measure.
Concern has been raised about parts of the master plan, an update of one completed in 2004, which opponents fear would harm the existing character of the central business district.
The general concept for North Main Street includes providing what are called “flex spaces” to create more areas for outdoor dining, tree plantings and other tweaks. Flex spaces 20 feet wide are envisioned on each side of North Main Street, including sidewalks 12 to 20 feet wide, with a movable bollard system and options for parking along the way.
The plan further prescribes large flexible outdoor spaces at street corners and the burial of above-ground utility lines along with street trees, new decorative street lights and strategically placed loading zones.
Traffic along North Main would remain two lanes going one way, but there are concerns among merchants and others that the changes would eliminate parking spaces and result in other detrimental effects.
Opponents’ underlying argument is that while supporters see the proposed changes as improvements, why do anything to risk messing up what already is widely considered a Main Street appreciated by locals and tourists alike.
Goal of walk
Those not favoring the plan have the chance to make their opinions known en masse during Sunday’s walk, which in addition to Truskolaski has been organized by others including Gail Hiatt, longtime owner of Mount Airy Tractor Co. Toyland downtown.
Participants are asked to assemble between 1 and 1:30 p.m. in the Truist (BB&T) bank parking lot at the upper end of North Main Street. They will walk through the downtown area to the Municipal Building, where speakers are expected to address those assembled.
“Our permit allows us two o’clock to four o’clock,” Truskolaski said.
Arrangements have been made to provide vehicle transports for persons who don’t think they can walk that entire distance.
“I can’t tell you exactly how many people are going to be there,” Truskolaski said late Tuesday afternoon regarding the event. “Until it actually happens and people show up, you don’t really know.”
However, one thing is clear at this point about what opponents of the master plan implications for Main Street desire.
Truskolaski says they want city officials who support the plan to reconsider possible changes that could prove harmful to the main drag through the downtown area.
They want to keep North Main Street the “charming place” it is now, she explained.
Many people share that desire, as evidenced by the heavy response to petitions being circulated on the matter and that for a recently created Facebook page to promote the “Save Main Street” movement.
It had attracted between 400 and 500 followers as of Tuesday afternoon. T-shirts bearing the message “Keep Our Downtown Charm” and “Save Our Downtown Main Street” also are being bought by organizers to help promote their cause.
“It’s just amazing the outpouring,” Truskolaski said.
The shop owner wanted to make it known that she and others aren’t opposing the entire master plan update. It’s just the parts targeting North Main Street which critics say would give it the “cookie-cutter” look of places such as Asheville and West Palm Beach, Florida.
Truskolaski indicated that it is good to have diversity downtown, as evidenced by a revamping of Market Street to create an arts and entertainment district and changes eyed for the former Spencer’s textile mill site, both nearby.
But the tradition of North Main Street should be left alone, plan opponents believe.
“Why do we need to change Main Street, is basically what we are saying,” Truskolaski advised.
Not political
Another thing Truskolaski wants to stress involves a desire to prevent Sunday’s walk, and the movement itself, from being politicized.
This year’s municipal election in Mount Airy includes three races for commissioner and one involving a sitting commissioner running against an incumbent mayor.
Some of those candidates are expected to be among the speakers Sunday at the Municipal Building, but Truskolaski doesn’t view the downtown master plan update as a campaign issue.
“This has nothing to do with politics, in my opinion.”
October 04, 2022
When The Masters Golf Tournament comes along each year you can bet dollars to donuts television commentator Jim Nantz is going to call the event, “A tradition unlike any other.”
While Augusta National may have the stature and acclaim of being one of the crown jewels on the PGA tour, much closer to home it was the tradition of the 10th Annual Garry Scearce Memorial Golf Tournament at Cedarbrook Country Club to benefit Surry County Special Olympics that brought local golfers out for eighteen holes of good-natured competition to benefit a worthy cause and some of Surry County’s most acclaimed athletes.
As is tradition, all proceeds from the annual tournament held September 22 were used for funding of Special Olympics programming and events in Surry County. The monies raised are used to offer year-round sports such as bocce, softball, golf, bowling, and many more.
The golf tournament is the single largest fundraising event for Special Olympics Surry County, and it allows the athletes to have the opportunity to travel to the state games that are hosted each year. The state games this year are being held in Charlotte from November 10 -12.
Funds raised in support of Surry County Special Olympics go toward all manner of events like a prom and the Spring Games for all Special Olympians athletes from all the schools in the county and participants of all ages.
Again, this year there will be a Halloween Party for athletes Saturday, October 15, at Fisher River Park. Proceeds from the golf tournament are used in part for this event that will feature dancing, games, food, hayrides, and a best dressed contest for the Olympians, friends, and families.
Surry County Parks and Recreation Andrew Romine, Assistant Program Coordinator for Surry County Parks and Recreation recounted, “This year’s tournament festivities started out with athlete Jared Watts singing a beautiful song to get the morning started and Special Olympics North Carolina medal winner Neal Joyner opening them up in prayer.”
Joyner is known both locally in Surry County and beyond for his winning ways having racked up over one hundred medals in competition. He was inducted into the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and has continued to excel in competition since being honored in the Hall.
Ar Cedarbrook it was time to hit the links for the tournament and it began with 22 teams teeing off in the morning round and 17 teams in the afternoon round. While on the course, golfers were treated to drinks and snacks being delivered to them by volunteers and athletes on golf carts.
For those who did not want to brave the competition on the course, there were other battles afoot at Cedarbrook Country Club. A silent auction was taking place throughout the tournament with many great prizes for the golfers and volunteers to bid on. Winning raffle names were drawn to see who won from the bevy of prizes including a Blackstone Grill, Milwaukee Packout Modular Storage System, 50” Vizio TV, and a granite fire pit.
On the course the golfers had the opportunity to win a Toyota Camry, a brand-new golf cart, steaks for a year, and many other great prizes if they hit a hole in one. There was no hole in one winner but nonetheless the golfers were winners all the same and were treated to lunch in the clubhouse upon their return.
Surry County Parks and Recreation said it took the support of many local businesses to pull off the event including Johnson Granite, PVH, Bottomley Enterprises, Morgan Design, and Foothills Hardware and Builder Supply.
“These businesses and volunteers came together to make this year’s annual golf tournament a great success to help benefit such a great cause,” Romine said
October 04, 2022
PINNACLE — Unlike last weekend when the remnants of Hurricane Ian put a damper on outdoor events locally, sunny skies are forecast Saturday for the return of Horne Creek Living Historical Farm’s corn shucking frolic.
For the last two years, a variable other than the weather has prevented the typically well-attended fall event from occurring.
“Yeah, COVID got us,” Horne Creek Site Manager Lisa Turney said Monday of the scenario unfolding since the last corn shucking frolic was held in 2019 — which curtailed it and other large public gatherings.
With that threat now out of the picture, excitement is running high for the 29th-annual frolic scheduled Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Horne Creek Living Historical Farm, where the centerpiece is the 1900-era Hauser family farmhouse.
It and the adjoining buildings and grounds have been preserved as a North Carolina State Historic Site to give the public an idea of what agriculture was like in the early days.
This will be in full display Saturday with activities to showcase what event organizers describe as a traditional rural frolic featuring the harvesting, shucking, shelling and grinding of corn — recreating community corn shuckings of the distant past.
Cider making, a quilt exhibit by the Surry County Quilters Guild, cooking, woodworking, spinning wool and flax, the making of apple butter and molasses, antiques, cooking demonstrations in the farmhouse, chair bottoms made with corn shucks, tobacco curing, natural dyeing, crocheting/knitting and numerous other craft demonstrations and exhibits are among attractions planned.
The list further includes a gristmill demonstration, log hewing and crosscut sawing and blacksmithing, along with others.
Old-time, bluegrass and gospel music performed by six different groups will add further spice to the gathering. The list of performers includes Candelfirth, Travis Frye and Blue Mountain, Chords of Faith, Gap Civil, Harrison’s Ridge and New River Line.
Areas of the farm to be involved other than the farmhouse include a tobacco barn, orchard, feed barn, dry house, garden and visitors center.
Various organizations will have a presence at the corn shucking frolic such as the Surry County Extension Master Gardeners, Four-H, Boy Scouts and the Surry County Beekeepers Association.
Old farm comes to live
The usual scene at the corn shucking frolic includes folks sitting on lawn chairs, which they are encouraged to bring, and bales of hay on the lawn of the farmhouse listening to music performed from a porch. And the other locations on the grounds where various demonstrations are taking place also are beehives of activity, including a well-filled corn crib.
Meanwhile, vehicles tend to line the roadway leading into the farm and fill its lot.
“I think there’s several reasons,” Turney said of the corn shucking frolic’s popularity.
One involves a sense of nostalgia and the desire to keep traditions alive.
“I think it’s because a lot of older people have done a lot of things that are highlighted,” Turney added of the various activities taking place along with shucking corn, “and they want to bring their families and show them.”
On the other end of the spectrum are attendees from urban environments who are totally unfamiliar with agricultural life and want to experience that, the site manager mentioned.
When there’s good music, food and heritage demonstrations, “I think you’ve got a winning combination,” she said.
Turney lamented the fact that another popular part of the festival, hayrides, has been discontinued for insurance reasons.
Admission to the event will cost $8 per adult and $5 for children ages 6-12, but is free for kids 5 and under.
There also will be a charge for food, drinks and some craft activities. Chicken stew, pintos, fried pies, apple cider and other items will be offered, with products and gifts available for sale at a country store on the site.
Additionally, apple trees grafted from those in the Southern Heritage Apple Orchard on the farm can be purchased.
No outside food or pets (other than service animals) will be allowed on the grounds.
Horne Creek Living Historical Farm can reached by taking the Pinnacle exit off U.S. 52, with state historic site signs leading the way from there.
October 04, 2022
North Surry Senior Ashley Flores, left, was named Homecoming Queen during halftime of Friday’s football game against Forbush. Aniya Joyce was named Maid of Honor. (Photo credit: Jeff Linville | Special to the News)
Back row: (L-R): Katlin Hice, Haley Hawks, Josie Watson, Madelyn Niston, Ila Edwards, Marisa Hicks, Airam Casas Front row: (L-R): Stephanie Cortes, Aniya Joyce, Samantha Morgan, Hannah Hall, Kennah Scott, Ashley Flores, Sarah Sutphin
(L-R) Seniors: Aniya Joyce, Samantha Morgan, Hannah Hall, Kennah Scott and Ashley Flores
(L-R) Sophomores: Marisa Hicks, Airam Casas and Sarah Sutphin
(L-R) Juniors: Haley Hawks, Katlin Hice and Stephanie Cortes
(L-R) Freshmans: Ila Edwards, Madelyn Niston and Josie Watson
October 03, 2022
DOBSON — With voting machines becoming a hot-button issue across the country in the wake of the 2020 election, efforts have been undertaken locally and statewide aimed at ensuring the integrity of those devices.
This included logic and accuracy (L&A) testing being conducted last week at the Surry County Service Center in Dobson to ensure machines will correctly read each ballot type and accurately count votes for the upcoming general election. It took place in a large meeting room beside the Surry Board of Elections office.
Three bipartisan teams of precinct officials from different areas of the county performed the testing during a planned day-long process leading to a reassuring outcome where accuracy in the voting equipment used at local precincts is concerned.
“The machines correctly read each ballot style for the upcoming general election as a result,” Surry Director of Elections Michella Huff reported.
“This is one more step in the process to reflect the machines are election-ready.”
The general election will be held on Nov. 8, but devices will be pressed into service before then when one-stop, no-excuse early voting begins at two locations, in Mount Airy and Dobson, on Oct. 20.
In anticipation of the election, the logic and accuracy testing targeted every machine used in all 100 North Carolina counties.
Under a procedure prescribed by the N.C. State Board of Elections, test ballots are marked by hand and by ballot-marking devices before being counted by a tabulator. These ballots are filled out according to a test script, which is designed to simulate the various combinations of selections citizens could make on their ballots during actual voting.
Huff advised that the machines tested in Surry were DS200 tabulators (all 33 in the county were checked) and the ExpressVote type (all 28 were tested). ExpressVote is a ballot-marking machine that can be used as an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) device for any voter who wishes or needs to mark a ballot independently.
Federal law requires each precinct to have at least one Americans with Disabilities Act-approved voting device.
Security tight
After the test ballots are run through the machines and results are printed and read, the machines are then reset to ensure no testing information remains in the devices, the local elections official explained.
And the security procedures do not end there.
“All equipment is sealed and recorded for chain of custody for opening on election morning at the polls, or on the opening of one-stop (voting) for two of the DS200s and two ExpressVotes,” Huff mentioned regarding the early balloting devices.
In addition to being sealed, the state requires voting equipment to be locked in a secure area until transported to the voting places.
Tamper-evident seals are placed on media ports, voting machines are never connected to the Internet and they also lack modems, officials say. A person would need physical access to a machine to install any type of virus or malware, they assure.
County election boards document the chain of custody of voting equipment when it is moved from its secure storage location, under state-required procedures.
Additionally, even assuming unauthorized access were possible, the tabulators recognize only approved and verified media/USB (Universal Serial Bus) interfaces and will ignore any unverified media.
Among other precautions, the coding for a particular election is encrypted and, when loaded on a machine, requires the validation of a digital signature to confirm that the data is from a trusted source.
October 03, 2022
People in Mount Airy are still counting their lucky stars when it comes to the near miss incident involving the Main Oak Building.
The partial collapse of the historic downtown building occurred in the early morning hours of July 5 after the Fourth of July parade had made its way past the Main Oak Building just the day before the collapse.
Since that time Mount Airy residents have been hungry for information, but it has been hard to come by since the building’s collapse. Mount Airy City Manager Stan Farmer was excited Monday to offer some good news and a progress update.
He said after a conference call on the Main Oak Building that the news, “Seems really positive. The insurance issues appear to have been settled and a plan is in place” to repair and restore the building.
Farmer said that for about the next three months the plan is to work out the design of the repair work. He noted that the third floor has been shored up and the plans are “not starting from scratch.” A major focus of the project will be the restoration of the historic façade of the building.
After the planning stages, Farmer said for the next three to six months construction and repair will be occurring. Concurrently, the owners will be applying for historic tax credits to offset the costs of repair to a building that is included in the Mount Airy Historical District.
He noted that the support beams would need to remain in place, but the barricades have been moved as much as possible to allow for pedestrians to move more easily downtown once again.
The free flow of foot traffic was a concern to organizers and vendors of the upcoming Autumn Leaves Festival in downtown Mount Airy. Farmer said the situation in regard to ALF has improved as much as possible noting the city has done all they can do.
While the public had been waiting for news, Farmer said his interactions with the building’s owner and the companies contracted to do the demo work and removal had been very positive. “They have done what they said they were going to do,” he said.
Any time you have an incident such as this and there are multiple parties involved it can be challenging, Farmer said. Trying to navigate the varying interests of the building owner, the insurance company, and the city itself can be tricky.
Farmer though reiterated that the parties are moving forwards and are committed to the repair of the Main Oak Building.
The three-story structure, at the corner of Main and Oak Streets had changed hands last year, when long-time owner Burke Robertson sold the building to a Durham business known as Mt. Airy Once, LLC. The new owners were planning to convert at least part of the building into Airbnb units supplying short-term rentals to tourists in town like the project they did in Elkin called Three Trails.
While the initial planning had been for short term rentals, Airbnb rentals tend to be for a week or less when someone is on vacation, he noted the Elkin plans had evolved. Farmer said the Elkin project has been marketed with some success by Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital to travelling nurses and doctors.
Therefore, the Main Oak project will also seek flexibility, Farmer said, to allow for some instances of long-term rentals similar to Three Trails in Elkin.
The Main Oak Building was constructed between 1905 and 1910 as the Midkiff Hardware Store. Lizzie Morrison, downtown coordinator for Mount Airy Downtown Inc., said at the time of the collapse they were, “Shocked and saddened by the sudden partial loss of a pivotal historic building in the Mount Airy National Register Historic District.
“It is an invaluable and irreplaceable part of our history here in Mount Airy. The community and visitors alike will be mourning a monumental loss if the front facade cannot be saved.”
October 03, 2022
• An Elkin man is facing a charge of assault on emergency personnel, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.
Dee J. Wiles, 53, of 155 Apple Blossom Lane, was encountered by city officers at Northern Regional Hospital on Sept. 21, who served him with a warrant on that charge. It had been issued the day before after an incident at the hospital, where Wiles allegedly struck an employee there, Ashley Nicole Bottoms of Ararat, in the left arm with a closed fist.
Wiles was held in the Surry County Jail under a $300 secured bond and was scheduled to be in District Court Monday.
• Andrew Milton Johnson, 37, of 122 Summit Ave., was served by police with a criminal summons for a charge of assault by pointing a gun on Sept. 22.
It had been issued on July 22 with Clinton Thomas Quesinberry of Crotts Road as the complainant. Johnson is facing an appearance in Surry District Court this Friday.
• A blue recycling container owned by the city of Mount Airy was set afire by an unknown suspect on Sept. 23 at a residence on Creed Street.
Trash inside the container was ignited, resulting in damage put at $200.
October 03, 2022
The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History is once again offering it’s Día De Los Muertos Bootcamp. During this dance bootcamp, participants will have the opportunity to learn traditional Mexican folk dances and all skill and ability levels are encouraged to join in.
This workshop begins on October 4th, and will have classes two nights a week, on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. There will be four weeks of classes and activities, with the final day class being on October 27.
This bootcamp is open to anyone ten years of age and older, and promises to continue to be a lot of fun and great exercise.
Instructors, Carmen Mungia and Luz Maria Alvarez, will teach beginner level dances, alongside other dancers with Ballet Folklorico Del Museo De Mount Airy, and on November 5 bootcamp dancers get to perform with the group in a recital during the Día De Muertos Celebration!
Ticket prices for the dance bootcamp per individual are $50 for members and $75 for non-members. This price includes the month of classes and the rentals for the dresses and headpieces that will be worn during the recital.
Registrations are still being accepted so call to register, or if you have any questions about the bootcamp, please contact The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History at

ma***@no*****************.org











or call 3336-786-4478.
October 03, 2022
PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry took a step closer to repeating as Foothills 2A Conference Champions by defeating Wilkes Central on Sept. 30.
Wilkes Central used an early trick play to go up 6-0 in the first quarter, joining Starmount and North Wilkes as the only teams to take a lead over East this season. Like both the previous instances, Wilkes Central’s advantage was short-lived as East scored two touchdowns less than 70 seconds after the Eagles’ initial score.
The Cardinals led by as many as 29 before going on to win 41-19.
East Surry’s defense locked Wilkes Central down for most of the game, with the outliers coming on Wilkes’ first and last drives of the game. The Eagles opened with an 88-yard touchdown pass, then went 84 yards on their final offensive possession in the fourth quarter.
These two drives accounted for 172 of Wilkes Central’s 219 total yards. The Eagles completed 10-of-17 passes for 154 yards and rushed 32 times for 65 yards.
East Surry, now 7-0 overall, had its third game of the season with double-digit tackles for a loss with 11.0 against Wilkes Central. Hatcher Hamm led the way with three TFLs, and Brett Clayton, Anderson Badgett, Daniel Villasenor and Kyle Zinn each had two.
Clayton and Badgett each had one sack and one QB hurry, while Lindann Fleming and Will Jones each had pass deflections. Clayton also forced a fumble that was recovered by Jones.
Wilkes Central, who falls to 4-3 overall, only led for 49 seconds in Friday’s game. Following the Eagles’ opening touchdown, the Cards scored quickly on a run from quarterback Folger Boaz. Central muffed the ensuing kickoff to put the ball back into East’s hands, and Boaz immediately found Colby Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown pass.
The Cardinal offense recorded a season-high 352 yards passing against the Eagles.. One week after Boaz became the all-time leading passer in East Surry history, he passed North Surry’s Chase Swartz (Class of 2020) to become the all-time leader in yards passing in Surry County history.
Folger Boaz now sits at 7,257 career passing yards with 348 yards against Wilkes Central. Swartz drops to second in county history with 7,059, and Jefferson Boaz (East Surry Class of 2020) is third with 6,738.
Against the Eagles, Boaz’s 348 yards and five passing touchdowns came on 29-of-41 completions (70.7%). Sophomore Luke Bruner added one completion for four yards.
Boaz would connect for four more passing touchdowns before halftime.
Johnson paced East Surry’s receivers with 135 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 10 receptions. Eight different Cardinals had receptions, and four had receiving touchdowns.
Matthew Keener followed Johnson with 81 yards and a touchdown on four catches, followed by Luke Brown with 50 yards and a touchdown on three catches, Zinn with 40 yards and a touchdown on five catches, Matthew Edwards with 17 yards on two catches, Stephen Brantley with 15 yards on three catches, Clayton with 8 yards on one catch, Hayden Sammons with four yards on one catch and Gabriel Harpe with one catch for no gain.
The Cardinals added 144 yards rushing on 22 carries to finish with 496 total yards. East Surry has finished with at least 420 yards in 6-of-7 games in 2022.
Boaz led the Cardinal rushers with 88 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Edwards added 31 yards on five carries, followed by Zinn with 14 yards on four carries, Fleming with 7 yards on one carry, Clayton with 5 yards on two carries, Sammons with 3 yards on one carry, Bruner with one carry for -1 yard and Johnson with one carry for -3 yards.
East Surry takes a BYE week on Oct. 7 before hosting Forbush on Oct. 14. Forbush sits at second in the conference at 2-0 and will face 1-1 Surry Central this week.
Behind Forbush: Wilkes Central is 2-1, Surry Central and North Wilkes are 1-1, and West Wilkes and North Surry are 0-3.
Scoring
Wilkes Central – 6, 6, 0, 7 = 19
East Surry – 21, 20, 0, 0 = 41
October 03, 2022
On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Mayor Ron Niland visited Surry County Dance Center and participated in the pre-school Ballet & Tap class.
Surry County Dance Center located on South Main Street, recently kicked off its second season with more than 90 students enrolled from ages 3-18, along with a special student during its first class — Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland.
His visit came just weeks after a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, marking the business’ membership in the chamber, and the center was recently names the “Best of” for dance studios by Mount Airy News readers.
Niland stopped in to watch the pre-school dancers work on skills such as patterns, coordination, teamwork, and creativity, and even joined the dancers as they practiced their chaîne turns down the barre, to the applause of the dancers, Artistic Director and Lead Instructor Brittany Chaney, and Assistant Instructor Kaylee Edwards.
Surry County Dance Center is a franchise with the second studio located in Hillsville, Virginia, where the Carroll County Dance Center is celebrating its 26th season. The studio franchise is owned and directed by Kelly Gray Krantz with six accredited dance educational professionals on staff. For more information on the studio, visit www.surrycountydance.com or www.carrollcountydance.com
October 03, 2022
In a game where North Surry and Forbush combined for more than 800 yards of offense, a play on defense turned out to be the difference in a 42-41 Falcon victory on homecoming Thursday night at Atkins Stadium.
That play came courtesy of a fumble recovery from Forbush’s Dylan Spillman with 1:25 to play in the game, which preserved the one-point lead.
“That was huge,” said Forbush head coach Jeremy Funderburk of the play. “With a special athlete like they have, and they’ve got plenty of them, but a special athlete like Jahreece (Lynch), anytime that he touches the ball, it’s scary; it could go a long way and we were fortunate to make one play there at the end.”
But the Greyhounds, who dropped to 0-3 in Foothills 2A Conference action, had things going their way late in the third quarter.
Jake Simmons, who finished with 164 yards rushing and three touchdowns, put North Surry up 27-20 with a 49-yard rushing score.
Forbush (2-4, 2-0) had a chance to tie the game after an eight-yard gain from Bryson Taylor, put his team in the red zone.
Lynch sacked Taylor on the next play and the Falcons were pushed back to fourth-and-nine from the Greyhound 24. Forbush tried a little trickery as Cristofur Martinez took the pitch from Taylor, looking for McKinley Reavis in the end zone.
But Talan Vernon broke up the pass for a turnover on downs.
North Surry (1-5) used a 68-yard rush from Simmons and Colton Allen found Lynch on a 22-yard touchdown to make it a two-possession game.
Then the Falcons battled back behind the play of Regan Ramey.
The senior, who took over under center after Taylor left the game early in the third with an injury (and did not return), had a hand in all but three of Forbush’s offensive plays over the final 16 minutes of the game.
Ramey finished with a game-high 219 rushing yards and four touchdowns and scored on a 7-yard run to make it a one-possession game. On the ensuing onside kick, Austin Choplin recovered the ball to put Forbush on the North Surry 43.
The senior followed up with a 1-yard touchdown to put the Falcons ahead 34-33 after missing the conversion — leaving the door open for North Surry.
The Greyhounds would capitalize with Lynch’s third touchdown of the night — a 45-yard reception from Allen. Fisher Leftwich added the conversion run to regain the advantage with 9:32 to play.
Forbush once again responded the play of Ramey as the team chewed up seven minutes of clock.
Set up with first-and-goal from the five after an eight-yard gain from Cristofur Martinez, the junior pushed the ball to the one.
On the next play, Ramey plunged into the end zone from a yard out and then added the two-point conversion for the one-point lead.
Lynch set up North Surry in an ideal spot after a 55-yard return on David Guadarrama’s kickoff, all the way to Forbush’s 44 with just a little more than two minutes left, setting up the final defensive sequence.
The senior put North Surry on the board on the game’s second offensive play, but with his arm. Lynch took the handoff from Allen and a found wide-open Leftwich for a 48-yard touchdown pass.
The Greyhounds, who led 21-20 at halftime, will look for its first conference win when it travels to West Wilkes on Friday night.
The Falcons, who have now won two-straight homecoming games on the road, will return home for their own homecoming this coming Friday against Surry Central.
Forbush 42, North Surry 41
Forbush 7, 13, 8, 14 — 42
North Surry 14, 7, 12, 8 — 41
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
NSU—Fisher Leftwich 48-yard pass from Jahreece Lynch (run fail) 11:14
FB — Regan Ramey 4-yard run (David Guadarrama kick) 6:58
NSU — Jake Simmons 24-yard run (Colton Allen run) 3:48
Second Quarter
FB — Bryson Taylor 1-yard run (Guadarrama kick) 10:20
NSU — Simmons 2-yard run (Jimmy Burnett kick) 4:30
FB — Taylor 5-yard run (kick failed) 0:29
Third Quarter
NSU — Simmons 49-yard run (kick blocked) 7:16
NSU — Lynch 22-yard pass from Allen (run fail) 4:35
FB — Ramey 7-yard run (Ramey kick) 1:55
Fourth Quarter
FB — Ramey 1-yard run (run fail) 11:32
NSU — Lynch 45-yard pass from Allen (Leftwich run) 9:32
FB — Ramey 1-yard run (Ramey run) 2:11
Individual Offensive Statistics:
Forbush
Rushing: Regan Ramey 40-219 and 4 TD; Bryson Taylor 11-85 and 2 TD; Jesse Wooten 8-30; Cristofur Martinez 3-18.
Passing: Bryson Taylor 3-3-0 for 61 yards; Cristofur Martinez 0-1-0 for 0 yards.
Receiving: Mckinley Reavis 1-31; Cristofur Martinez 1-24; Regan Ramey 1-6.
North Surry
Rushing: Jake Simmons 12-164 and 3 TD; Jahreece Lynch 7-79; Makiyon Woodbury 1-7; Colton Allen 2-(-16).
Passing: Colton Allen 6-7-0 for 122 yards and 2 TD; Jahreece Lynch 1-1-0 for 48 yards and 1 TD.
Receiving: Jahreece Lynch 2-67 and 2 TD; Makiyon Woodbury 4-55; Fisher Leftwich 1-48 and 1 TD.
October 03, 2022
Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:
Fiction
The Ravaged – Norman Reedus
Large Print Fiction
Fairy Tale – Stephen King
Biography
A Face for Picasso – Ariel Henley
Violet and Daisy – Sarah Miller
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Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.
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Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 — 5 p.m.. Come explore literature through science, history, math, art and technology. For youth in grades 4 through 6. This week we will be learning about and building volcanoes.
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Hooked – 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.
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Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion, 10 a.m. every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.
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The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.
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Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Discussion questions will be posted on Facebook.
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Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.
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It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.
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Pumpkin Decorating Contest – Our annual pumpkin decorating contest will be the week of Oct. 24 – 29. Bring your decorated (not carved) pumpkin to the library on Monday, Oct. 24. Patrons will vote throughout the week and the winner will be announced on Saturday Oct. 29.
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Fright Night at the Library – Looking for a good scare, then come join us Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. for some scary stories and treats. Ages 10 and older.
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Witches Brew with Witchy Poo – Oct. 29th at 10 a.m. Put on your costume and jump on your broomstick and fly on in to storytime with Witchy Poo. We will have candy, cookies, juice and Halloween stories.
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The library is in need of a programming assistant. This is a 32-hour full time position with benefits. You will be working with school aged children and teenagers. You must have knowledge of STEAM, computers, robotics, Makerspaces, VR, etc. Knowing how to use social media is a must as we do a lot of our advertising through this medium. Some nights and Saturdays are required as these activities would need to be done after school hours. For more details visit https://nwrlibrary.org/job-openings/
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/
October 02, 2022
The NoneSuch Playmakers theater company is offering up an early Halloween treat as they transport their audiences back to Victorian England for their new original mystery, “The Golden Dawn Murders.”
The year is 1890. During a lavish dinner at Calderwood House, a remote family manor, prominent financier Lord Peter Alston (Brack Llewellyn) is shot dead on his own doorstep. Chief Constable Alarbus Jones (Scott Carpenter) is summoned to the scene, where he encounters an elite group of dinner guests and an odd symbol on the drawing room wall. It’s the emblem of The Order of the Golden Dawn, one of several secret societies that existed in the United Kingdom during Victorian times. Jones learns that most of those attending the dinner are members of this enigmatic group, but there seems to be no connection to the murder.
In the course of his investigation, Constable Jones encounters a young woman who was not on the guest list—Katherine Hadleigh (Rachel Macie), a former maid at Calderwood House. She tells Jones that the members of the Golden Dawn have a dangerous secret hidden behind their affluent exteriors—a secret that could bring down the British Empire. As the constable learns more about the mysterious order, he discovers that Miss Hadleigh has some shocking secrets of her own.
“Miss Hadleigh’s presence brings an element of the paranormal to our story,” said Brack Llewellyn, who wrote and directed the play. “No spoilers, though. We want the audience to make the discoveries along with Constable Jones.”
“The Golden Dawn Murders,” Llewellyn said, is a bit of a throwback to theatrical melodramas of the past.
“Most of the action takes place in one room. It’s an ensemble cast that includes some unsavory characters, a red herring or two and an unexpected ending,” Llewellyn said. “At its core the play is a whodunit, but there are larger implications for Jones as he delves into Miss Hadleigh’s allegations about the order. He’s a small town cop who finds himself in uncharted territory. We hope the audience will want to hiss at the villains and cheer for our intrepid constable.”
Besides Carpenter and Macie, the cast includes David Nielsen as textile millionaire Victor Baldridge; Christine Werner Booher as author Ann Scott Perry; NoneSuch newcomer Thomas Smith as prominent London surgeon Benjamin Stockton; Olivia Jessup as railroad heiress Melisande Portman; Brian Greene as American exporter Douglas Daughtry; Janelle Metzdorf as Lady Margaret, the murder victim’s icy widow; Branden Macie as engineering genius Hamish Upton; Jonathan Carpenter as musical prodigy Owen Anderton; Meredith Dowdy as Millicent Atwater, the cook at the manor; and Toby Bunton as Merrick, the butler.
Performances of “The Golden Dawn Murders” are Friday Oct. 7 and Saturday Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., and Sunday Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at the L.H. Jones Auditorium, 215 Jones School Road, in Mount Airy.
These are “pay what you can” performances. There is no set ticket price. Patrons are asked to pay only what fits their budgets. The Playmakers adopted “pay what you can” following the pandemic shutdown to make their shows accessible to more people, whatever their means. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Jones Family Resource Center.
October 02, 2022
As the calendar flips to October, many in the region are thinking about cool autumn days, Halloween decorations and the late-season harvest time.
But for some hoping to ensure area children and teens have a happy Christmas, this is the time to start working for the holiday season.
The annual Give A Kid A Christmas program, started by former Sheriff Graham Atkinson more than three decades ago, will be gearing up for the fundraising portion of its activities over the next week.
“The foundation board met last week,” said Dr. Travis Reeves, Surry County School superintendent. “We have letters ready, we’re getting those printed and mail merged to go out…Those will be going out in the next few days. That’s really the kickoff to our fundraiser.”
The event, begun roughly 30 years ago when Atkinson, then a deputy serving as a DARE officer in the local school system, is a massive effort joining the county school system, the Give A Kid A Christmas foundation, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, and local businesses and volunteers.
Through various fundraising efforts, the foundation will collect money to help buy needed goods — chiefly food and clothes for underprivileged families — along with a few fun Christmas presents for the kids and teens. While they’re doing the fundraising, school counselors are working with the Salvation Army to identify kids from families who might have holiday needs, and then the program culminates near Christmas, when an army of volunteers puts together large food boxes for the families, while other volunteers use the raised funds to shop for clothes and toys for the kids.
Then, more volunteers deliver them all to households in the community.
“For over 30 years, the Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation has been a staple here in Surry County Schools to help our students with food, with clothing, the bare necessitates, and with toys,” Reeves said.
The program wasn’t always so elaborate.
Simple Beginnings
Atkinson, who has served in Raleigh on the governor’s Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission since he retired from the sheriff’s office in 2015, said he had no idea of starting a county-wide movement that would last beyond his time with the sheriff’s office.
He has many times told the story of how the program began, when he noticed a child in a local elementary school in need.
“I noticed the young man was wearing the same clothes each time I was there,” he said in 2019 during the fundraising kick-off that year. “They were obscenely small clothes. I started asking some of his teachers, and they told me he’d worn the same set of clothes to school every day. Since he was in third grade.”
He reached out for some help, finding it at Walmart, who helped the deputy provide enough clothing for that young man to provide him with a modest new wardrobe.
“If you had handed him a bar of gold, it wouldn’t have meant any more to him. For the rest of the year, his clothes may not have always been clean, but he wore those (new) clothes, and he was proud of them.”
From that beginning, and the desire to help more and more children each year, grew Atkinson’s Give A Kid A Christmas program.
This week, Atkinson said he never knew what eventually became of that child, but he recounted a few other heart-tugging incidents along the way.
“In one of our very first years, we used to get the guidance counselors to help us get the names (of kids to help). I got a request from a 17-year-old-female, when she put down what she wanted for Christmas, she put down she wanted an ax.
“Now, the law enforcement officer in me started to get worried. But…I learned this little girl’s daddy was disabled. Some well-meaning neighbors had gotten together and cut a load of wood, but they had cut it fireplace length, and all they had for heat was a wood stove. She wanted an ax so she could split the wood.
“I delivered that one in person. She got the ax, though we didn’t do that one at school,” he was quick to add. “She got an ax, but she also got some other things a 17-year-old girl should have for Christmas.”
Another story he shared brought some raw emotion to the surface, as the former sheriff said he always gets choked up relating this memory.
“I was looking through the requests when I came across a third-grade boy,” he said. “I don’t need anything,” the child had written. “But my little sister is 3 and she would really like a baby doll.
“There again, the little girl got a baby doll, but the boy also got Christmas presents. That was very early when we started doing this, but that set the tone for what we are doing today. That’s when we realized we should include siblings that are not of school age.”
Now, he said, when they identify a home in need, they try to provide gifts for all the children and teens in the household, and enough food to the family so they can make it through the Christmas break from school. Atkinson explained that for many children in Surry County, the only food they have each day is the school-supplied breakfast and lunch, with no dinner at home available some nights.
“You can imagine how hard that is for a two-week Christmas break.”
How to Help
Reeves said there are many opportunities for people to help. Many groups in the schools — from student clubs collecting change to faculty and staff organizing donation drives — are working to give to the project.
A number of area residents and businesses make donations as well.
The single biggest fundraiser is what they call an annual “telethon,” which is a live-streamed event similar to television shows that raise money for various causes. Reeves said the event, to be hosted by former television weather forecaster and current local pastor Austin Caviness, along with former television anchor Cameron Kent, is set for Nov. 28. It will be live-streamed on Facebook, and possibly some other outlets.
“We’ve raised $30,000, $40,000 in one night,” he said of the telethon. “A lot of folks look to that date to give.”
While that seems like a hefty figure, the effort will use every dollar, and then some.
“Last year, we raised money for food and clothing for about 700 children,” he said. “We provided over 350 food boxes…and the food boxes weight 50-60 pounds. It’s quite a lot of food.”
On average, he said they spent about $140 per child on clothing and toys.
For those wishing to donate to the effort, there are several ways:
– Send a check to Sheriff Atkins’s Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation, PO Box 827 Dobson, NC 27017
– Send a donation via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/giveakidachristmas
– Sent a donation via Venmo using the email

sh************************@gm***.com












For more information, visit the foundation’s Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/giveakidachristmas
October 02, 2022
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:
– Cecelia A. Pritchard to Bethany Rodriguez; 1.595 acres and 0.057 acres PB 38 167 Westfield; $48.
– Charles Edward Gammons Sr. to Dennis Joe Gammons; 1 acre Westfield; $9.
– Thomas Franklin Woodruff and Jayne Denise Bledsoe to Thomas Franklin Woodruff; tract one 22.937 acres PB 19 85 and tract two 30 and 96/100 acres and tract three tract Dobson; $0.
– Jerry Dean Tilley and Elizabeth S. Tilley to Joseph Wayne Ferguson and Katie Elizabeth Ferguson; tract; $250.
– Shackleford Family Trust and Carol Ann Shackleford to Loran N. Schubarg; tract one 1.31 acres and tract two tract along White Dirt Road and Fleeman Trail; $1,070.
– Tyler Pardue, Jennifer Pardue and Jennifer Renee Sawyers to Kelley J. Tindall; unit 206 Lakeview Condominium bk 1 189-192; $276.
– Jeremy Rodriguez to Benjamin Cory Ernest; tract one lot 6 section 4 PB 7 73 and tract two lot 6 section 7 Town and Country Woods PB 8 100 Mount Airy; $470.
– Robert J. Lovill III, Elizabeth J. Lovill, Robert J. Lovill IV and Allen J. Lovill to Brandi Michelle Burkhart and Kennis Sidney Burkhart III; lot 18 section 1 Woodridge subdivision PB 14 55 Mount Airy; $34.
– Robert Bruce Bowman and Linda McMillian to Deidre McWilliams Edmiston and Troy Douglas Edmiston; lot 36 Orchard Mountain development phase 1 section 4 PB 10 86; $38.
– Brittany N. Cox and James A. Cox to Delarco, Inc.; 0.345 acres Marsh; $154.
– Kenneth Edward Wall and Gayle Wall to Rachel Wall and Kenneth Dale Wall; 3.37 acres tract one PB 41 118 Siloam; $0.
– Julie Young Senter to William George Robert Rex and Summer Nicole Rex; tract one 1 acre and tract two 2.10 acres and tract three 1.15 acres and tract four 4.75 acres; $470.
– Stanley Mulcock and Claudia K. Sand to WRG & CDO, LLC; 1.54 acres lots 3-4 PB 16 59 Bryan; $823.
– Estate of Suzanne Sears Bledsoe, John C. Bledsoe, Cornelia Johnson Bledsoe, Suzanne B. Stafford, Jay Andrew Stafford, Elizabeth B. Pickett, James Kelly Bledsoe, Diana Lynne Bledsoe, Billy Junior Bledsoe II, Donna Lawson Bledsoe, Harold W. Bledsoe and Carol A. Bledsoe to Green Rabbit Farm, LLC; tracts Rockford estate of Suzanne Sears Bledsoe 22 E 669; $760.
– Carol Vaughn to Beverly Perez Hermenegildo and Benito Perez Cruz; 10.010 acres PB 29 144 Mount Airy; $150.
– Sandy Hardy Moody, Brian Kenneth Moody, Mitzi O. Moody and Benny Ray Moody to Lamech Walker Trexler and Lisa Eve Trexler; 25 acres Bryan; $0.
– Kimberly Kirkman Beeson to Diana S. Haynes; tract Mount Airy; $580.
– Jeffrey Cabot Clevenger to Tanner Austin Lineberry and Brooke Diane Burnette; lot 5 Mount Airy townehome PB 37 185 Mount Airy; $340.
– Lamech Walker Trexler, Erica Minton Trexler, Lisa Eve Trexler and Lesa Eve Trexler to Cheek’s Water Works, INC; 25 acres Bryan; $160.
– Maxim Stark to Samuel Stark and Oksona Weber Stark; 0.480 acres lot 4 Oakview subdivision PB 14 8 Elkin (Surry) and PB 9 159 Edwards (Wilkes); $0.
– Jonathan Whitaker Gentry and Sally Bryant Whitaker to Whit Acre Farm, L.L.C.; PB 12 181 Dobson; $0.
– Sommer Leigh Whitaker to Whit Acre Farm, L.L.C.; tract PB 12 81 Dobson; $0.
– Kerri Ferrari Marchese to Triad Casa, LLC; tract one 0.272 acres lot 5 and portion of lot 4 block 23 PB 1 185 and tract two 0.060 acres Elkin; $128.
– Samuel E. Marion, Linda A. Marion, Mark S. Marion and Sybil P. Marion to Michael V. Marion and Tanda S. Marion; 2.83 acres PB 13 176 Shoals; $57.
– Judy Simmons Holt and Joseph Timothy Holt to Kim D. Aylor and Wade S. Aylor; 0.75 acres Pilot; $470.
– Lawrence Allen Whitaker to Lawrence Allen Whitaker and Peggy L. Whitaker; lot 17 and portion of lot 16 block A Mitchell Bluff Estates PB 7 35 Elkin; $0.
– Estate of Kathy Sue Gery, Estate of John M. Gery Jr., Estate of John M. Gery, Cynthia Diane Allen, Kathy Sue Gery, John M. Gery Jr. and John M. Gery to Virginia Shelby Hodges; tract estate of Cynthia Diane Allen 22 E 312 and estate of John M. Gery Jr. 21 E 988; $250.
-.Burger King Corporation to Burger King Company, LLC; 1.516 acres PB 10 63 and 97 Mount Airy; $0.
-.Suzann C. German to Kevin R. Sidden; lot 70 section 4 Crosswinds subdivision PB 12 183; $110.
-.Taylor Alouf Utt, Taylor Marie Alouf and Anthony Steven Utt Jr. to Patrick Z. East and Alexis M. Kinnan; lot 21 Hillcrest subdivision PB 9 55 Mount Airy; $420.
-.Ethel Smith, Robert Edgar Smith Jr. and Annette H. Smith to Ethel Smith and and Annette Smith; four tracts Stewarts Creek; $2.
– Carl Thomas Martin and Rene Jessup Martin to Megan Michelle Turney and Daniel Austin Turney; 1 acres Westfield; $220.
– Anthony John Raymond, Jamie Scott Raymond and Jamie Scott McCreary to William Manley and Brandi Manley; lot 4 Dearon development section 2 PB 15 62; $770.
– Lee Mills Construction Company, Inc. to Nicholas Michael Keen and Jesse Marie Keen; 0.90 acres lot 6 Stonecroft subdivision section 1 PB 19 95 Stewarts Creek; $1,087.
– Mills Ridge Properties, L.L.C. to Nicholas Michael Keen and Jesse Marie Keen; 0.86 acres lot 4 and 0.86 acres lot 5 Stonecroft subdivision section 1 PB 19 95 Stewarts Creek; $136.
– Tammy B. Gilley to Earlie Gaston Gilley III and Ashley C. Gilley; 7.127 acres; $774.
– Jo Ann Jones to Salpietra Family Trust; 8.707 acres; $420.
– Tony G. Marion and Suzette S. Marion to Casey Dale Marion and Stephanie Lynn Marion; 5.089 acres PB 41 138 Shoals; $0.
– Tony G. Marion and Suzette S. Marion to Anthony Dale Marion and Lindsey Sarah Marion; tract Shoals; $0.
– PET, LLC to Jeffrey C. Eidson; 0.574 acres Elkin; $0.
October 02, 2022
The following marriage licenses were issued in Surry County:
– Brett Alexander Mahan, 28, of Wilkes County to Makenzi Lane Sasser, 24, of Surry County.
– Nicholas Easton Rauner, 31, of Olmsted County, Minnesota, to Kayla Victoria Stuber, 28, of McLeod County, Minnesota.
– David James Anderson, 56, of Wilkes County to Julia Eugenia Gambill, 57, of Wilkes County.
– Shane Michael Poindexter, 24, of Yadkin County to Velvet Dawn Selba, 36, of Surry County.
– Brett Taylor Smith, 31, of Surry County to Taylor Madison Mills, 30, of Surry County.
– Logan Mackenzie Jones, 28, of Carroll County, Virginia, to Courtney Anastasia Ramey, 27, of Surry County.
– Hunter Ray Dyer, 23, of Surry County to Sarah Cheyenne Fletcher, 23, of Wilkes County.
– Kobe Allen Rachels, 24, of Surry County to Candice Renae Griffith, 24, of Surry County.
– Ryan Tyler Key, 24, of Surry County to Montana Leeann Handy, 21, of Surry County.
– Adam Perez Butcher, 24, of Johnston County to Destiny Nicole Martin, 22, of Johnston County.
– Luke Mackinley Ramey, 20, of Surry County to Taylor Gray Snow, 20, of Surry County.
– Nicholas Elliott Huff, 24, of Surry County to Brittany Grace Johnson, 23, of Surry County.
– Zion-Justice Antonio Robinson, 23, of Surry County to Quania Denay Long, 34, of Surry County.
– Eddie Darryl Scott Jr, 24, of Surry County to Autumn Mary Mason, 25, of Surry County.
– Mark Walter Miller, 63, of Surry County to Teresa Louise Oke, 55, of Surry County.
October 02, 2022
October signals the abundance of pumpkins. They cover the entrance of produce markets in a sea of bright orange. They are also featured sprawled out on church lawns where they can be purchased at fund-raisers. As we begin October, take the kids and grandkids on a search for their own jack o’lantem by visiting a pick your own pumpkin patch.
There are two kinds of pumpkin patches; the first kind is a man-made patch where there are hundreds of pumpkins in rows and you walk through the rows and choose the one you want. The other type of pumpkin patch is pumpkins growing in the field. Kids actually visit the patch and harvest their pumpkin. Many of these farms have a hayride, playgrounds and refreshments. Many old fashioned country stores feature plenty of pumpkins, apples and Halloween candies, Indian corn and other decor.
Checking out a row or bed of purple turnips
The turnips sown earlier in September are sprouting and have two leaves. If the turnip sprouts are too thick, thin them out so they will have space to develop large turnips. Feed the turnips with Plant-Tone organic vegetable food once a month and keep soil hilled up to cover the vegetable food on each side of the row. As we move further into October, place a layer of crushed leaves between the rows for added protection.
The furnace and air conditioner get a break
These Indian Summer days of October are comfortable and are giving our furnace and air conditioner a break in the season. These October days are pleasant because the humidity is lower and provides us with a bit of natural air conditioning. A crisp breeze also brings some comfort. These are opportune days to finish all lawn and garden chores and also relax on the front porch.
Indian Summer paves the way for Jack Frost
It’s hard to believe with the pleasant days of Indian Summer temperatures that frost is only a few weeks away. We can expect some frost after the middle of the month, but not much of a killing frost until the end of the month. The light frosts will benefit the cool weather vegetables and harden them off for the heavy frosts and hard freezes that will arrive in November.
Making a plate of sweet pumpkin puffs
This is a great pumpkin recipe that is simple to prepare for an autumn dessert. You will need two and a half cups of Bisquick, one and a half cups of sugar, half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices, two cups canned pumpkin, half cup milk, two beaten eggs, four tablespoons Crisco oil, four table spoons light margarine, and one teaspoon vanilla flavoring. Combine the Bisquick, one cup of sugar and the pumpkin pie spices. Mix in the two cups of pumpkin, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring, half cup of milk, two beaten eggs and four tablespoons Crisco oil. Mix all ingredients well for sixty seconds. Grease the muffin tins and fill the muffin cups two thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for twelve minutes or until done. Cool slightly, remove from pans. Mix half cup sugar half teaspoon pumpkin pie spices, and four tablespoons of light melted margarine. Dip the puffs in the sugar. spice mixture. Makes at least 24 puffs. It can be made without the sugar-spice topping.
The four o’clocks have had a wonderful season
The four o’clocks have had a productive season. They have bloomed since the last of May and we still have several blooming on the front of the porch. They open earlier each evening because the end of Daylight Saving is drawing nearer. At this time late in the season, they are still in bloom at noon each day. We think it will take a hard freeze in November to finish their long season. They have became perennial and return each year. Four o’clocks are a great investment in foliage and flowers for three of the year’s four seasons.
Checking out the season’s crop of acorns
The forest floor has lots of acorns even though the squirrels have harvested their fair share of them. When there is a huge layer of acorns lying on the ground in mid-October they are sending a subtle message that they are waiting around for some snow before the year ends.
Red berries cover the limbs of dogwoods
There have been plenty of red berries on the dogwoods in spite of the fact that many have been eaten by birds. There are still a lot remaining on the limbs. We don’t know if an abundance of berries is any sign of a harsh winter or not. You can gather some of these red berries to decorate the dining room or coffee table for Christmas.
You can still set out a row or bed of onion sets
It may be close to mid-October but it is still Indian Summer. You can still set out a bed of onion sets. They are still available at most hardware’s and garden centers. You can choose from white, red, or yellow sets. The first hard freeze usually occurs in November and that’s how much time you have to set out those onion sets. At this time of season, you can go ahead and apply a layer of crushed leaves on the sets between the rows when you set them out.
The Christmas cactus ready to move inside
All the Christmas cactus have been outside on the porch in a semi-sunny location since mid-May. The time is now approaching to move them inside to the sunny living room before the arrival of the first frost later this month. They will need to be trimmed back a little and fed with Flower-Tone organic flower food and some cactus medium needed at top of the container. In the living room where they winter over, they will need to be in a semi-sunny location away from direct sunlight to prevent foliage from turning reddish. They will need a drink of water once a week but don’t over water them.
Preserving autumn leaves for harvest displays
To preserve autumn leaves in all their color and glory, use a can of beeswax and melt it in a small pan and dip each leaf in the wax, remove and place on a paper plate to dry. They can be used on the dining room or coffee table or mantel for harvest decorations with jack-be-little pumpkins and Hershey’s autumn Kisses, candy corn or creme pumpkins.
Making a jack o’ lantern and pie
You can make a jack o’ lantern and have a pumpkin pie with it later on by painting a face on the pumpkin with acrylic paints and place it on the front porch. Use acrylic paints in colors of orange, yellow black and white to highlight and color the face of the pumpkin. After Halloween, you can cut the pumpkin, peel it cut into chunks, boil until tender and mash with a potato masher or run through the blender in grate mode, and make into pumpkin pies.
The almanac for October
The moon will reach its first quarter on Sunday, Oct. 2. Yom Kipper will begin at sundown on Tuesday, Oct. 4. There will be a full moon on Sunday, Oct. 9. This full moon of October will be named “Full Hunter’s Moon.” Columbus Day will be observed on Monday, Oct. 10. The moon will reach its last quarter on Monday, Oct. 17. The new moon of October will occur on the evening of Oct. 25. Halloween will be Monday, Oct. 31.
Decorating with Jack-be-little pumpkins
These tiny pumpkins are about the size of your fist and they make colorful displays for the dining room or coffee table. You can paint faces on them or use them as they are. Use Hershey’s autumn Kisses or creme pumpkins around base of pumpkins for centerpieces. The kids will love these decorations. Replenish the candy often.
Pumpkin carving kit is a good investment
The best and safest way to carve out a jack o’ lantern is with a durable and long lasting pumpkin carving kit. A quality kit with plenty of blades and attachments costs around $12 and will last for many years. They can also be used to carve melon baskets and cantaloupes. A kit includes attachable blades, a scraper, and a scooper and saw blades of all sizes.
Still time to plant pansies
Pansies are the annuals of autumn that will carry over into winter and early spring. As October arrives, there is still plenty of time to start containers of pansies. You can still purchase six and nine packs of pansies in full bloom at hardware’s, nurseries garden centers, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Ace Hardware.
Hoe hoe hoedown
“Checking out the tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s a horrible gash on your forehead, what happened?” Child: “My sister hit me with some tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s amazing. I’ve never seen a tomato cut like that before.” Child: “Well, these tomatoes were canned tomatoes.”
“Silent treatment.” Father: “Your boyfriend stayed last night.” Daughter: “And did the noise bother you, Dad?” Father: “No, but the long periods of silence did.”
October 02, 2022
The following divorces were granted in Surry County:
– Jason Sheets and Paula Durgin Sheets; granted on Sept. 6.
– Richard S. Bowman and Sherill H. Bowman; granted Sept. 6.
– Laura Leigh Phillips and Thomas Joshua Phillips; granted on Sept. 6.
– Craig Steven Hawks and Ladonna Dawn Hawks; granted on Sept. 6.
– Peggy Ann Petrocy and Ronald Nelson Gilmore; granted on Sept. 6.
– Johnathan Edmonds and Kayla Edmonds; granted on Sept. 12.
– Ann McCall and Jerry Wayne McCall; granted on Sept. 12.
– Tanner Hodgin and Abigale Harold Hodgin; granted on Sept. 12.
– Savannah Utt and Andrew Utt; granted on Sept. 12.
– Dazanica Lashay Rodriguez and Melvin Joel Rodriguez Cardona; granted on Sept. 22.
– Alicia Draughn and James M. Draughn; granted on Sept. 22.
– Carla Woodring and Matthew Monday; granted on Sept. 22.
– Morgan Anna Greene and Kasey Marion Greene; granted on Sept. 22.
– Brittany Gibbons and Jacob Gibbons; granted on Sept. 22.
– Lisa Selvey and Grover Selvey II; granted on Sept. 22.
– Paulina Gunnell and Jonathan Ryan Gunnell; granted on Sept. 22.
– Karen Lane Chrisley and Anthony Scott Chrisley; granted on Sept. 22.
– Wendy Jo Childress and Randy George Childress; granted on Sept. 22.
– Vincent Kirkman and Kimberly Dawn Kirkman; granted on Sept. 22.
– William Ray Speer and Barbara Burgess Speer; granted on Sept. 22.
– Paul Taylor and Sparrah Taylor; granted on Sept. 22.
October 02, 2022
Editor’s Note: Reader Diary is a periodic column written by local residents, Surry County natives, and readers of The Mount Airy News. If you have a submission for Reader Diary, email it to John Peters at

jp*****@mt********.com












Back in 2014, I got to play the part of Dr. Herman Einstein in a stage production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Peter Lorre played that part in the 1944 movie of the same name. Always an admirer of Lorre, I finally got to “be” Peter Lorre, utilizing my impression of his voice.
I have always admired the singing voice of the actor/singer Jack Prince, who played Rafe Hollister on “The Andy Griffith Show,” so, this year, utilizing my natural singing voice, I got to “be” Rafe Hollister in the Mount Airy Mayberry Days Parade.
Paying tribute to a character on stage involves “stage right” and “stage left;” while doing the same in a parade involves “stage straight ahead, rolling along underneath!”
My daughter Rachel, and her husband, Richard, had been attending the Mount Airy Mayberry Days for the past few years; and Rachel said I should portray Rafe Hollister in the Mayberry Days parade. So, on Sept. 24, Rachel, Richard, my son, Jeremy, and I met up in Mount Airy.
I began a week before by ceasing my shaving. This was an attempt to match up with what TV’s Mayberry Mayor Roy Stoner said about Rafe Hollister not being worthy of representing Mayberry at a choral festival: “He’s unpresentable!” “He’s seedy!” After not shaving for a week, I looked unpresentable and seedy! People think male actors in movies are hot when they have stubble on their faces; but in the case of a 71-year-old man, it’s just an old man who evidently forgot to shave.
To further look the part, I wore bib overhauls, a plaid shirt, and a fedora to which I had given a slightly crumpled look. Since Rafe did some moonshinin’, I carried a quart Ball Mason jar filled about one-third of water to resemble moonshine. Regarding the “Glass half full or glass half empty phrase,” I bet that with moonshine aficionados, a 1/3 quart of moonshine is always dishearteningly seen in the negative: being unfortunately, two-thirds empty instead of “one-third full.
Just so none of the parade-goers would wrongly assume my jar contained the real thing, I taped a homemade label to it, reading “190 PROOF H2O,” captioned with 3 Xs.
In the parade formation’s Truist Bank parking lot, I was welcomed heartily by veteran character portrayers from past Mayberry Days Parades, some with 30 years of experince! There was not one bit of snobbery towards the new kid on the block (or in the lot). I told “Mayor Stoner” I hadn’t shaved for a week in order to present myself as “unpresentable.” He said “And you’re seedy looking,” followed by a big laugh. I told him that coming from him, it was a great compliment — we both had a good laugh.
Briscoe Darling, Andy, Barney, Floyd, Howard, Otis, Colonel Harvey, Ellie, Mayor Stoner, Asa, The Man in a Hurry, The Fun Girls, etc. were all like long-lost family reunited.
I was overwhelmed by the response of the parade goers When I sang “The Lonesome Road” or “Ridin’ on that New River Train,” I was greeted by one of the greatest numbers of smiling teeth I’ve seen, smiles “Busting out all over!” Some people hollered: “Hey Rafe! Can I have some of what’s in your jar?” And some had me pause for pictures with them.
At one point in the parade, a gap was developing. So, a police officer (real, not Barney) motioned to me and asked me to move up a bit to help fill in the gap. I thought: “Gosh! I’m a float in the Mayberry Days Parade (as was each of the Mayberry tribute characters).
Partway through the parade, I realized something. It occurred to me that since a goodly number of those greatly smiling parade goers were of the Mayberry generation; they were reacting to someone bringing back a beloved TV character from their childhood There are many of us from that generation who can recite “The Andy Griffith Show” episodes (and we’re also getting a regular refresher course from ME-TV). In a way, all of those characters from Mayberry were formative for us. And thanks to ME-TV, newer generations are being “so formed!”
After the parade, we toured the Andy Griffith Museum and shopped. Due to my sciatica acting up while just standing, I had to periodically find an outside storefront chair. Upon striking up conversation with those around me (also sitting), I learned their reasons for sitting was sciatica. During one of my pauses, I received a ticket for “loitering” from Barney Fife. I thanked him and told him I would treasure it.
In the last store where we shopped, I saw some jars of Aunt Bee’s Pickles for sale. I passed them up, thinking they might contain her pickles with that kerosene taste; and that with all of the hubbub going on in Mayberry, Andy and Barney might not yet have had a chance to replace them with the store-bought pickles.
I suddenly realized that Mount Airy’s Mayberry Days had achieved for me that supreme goal of the stage: The suspension of disbelief.
October 02, 2022
Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.
Our theme for the 2022-2023 school year is “Don’t Give Up. Don’t Ever Give Up.” We all know we can be 1% better every day supporting students. We know that students can be 1% better every day reaching and growing toward their goals. We don’t want to ever give up on a student and we don’t want them to give up on themselves.
Athletics has a long tradition of working toward winning for the team. This year, we have taken these lessons and translated strategies for a winning team to our school culture. Creating a winning culture where the team wins is what we strive to do. Leader in Me teaches this strategy to children but we can all benefit from it — Habit 4: Think Win-Win means, “I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want.”
We can all benefit from learning to create win-win situations instead of “I win” and “you lose” situations. Winning athletic teams outline communication and team building as their top strategies for success. More than 90% of our staff report on the recent working conditions that they are happy to be in our school system because they know that we keep children in the center of all we do. They contribute feedback through many teams at their school, surveys, and focus groups.
This feedback from our staff helps us to continually improve processes and builds healthy teams. Our district started the school year with all teaching positions filled which showcases a mixture of low turnover rates and others wanting to join our team. As our enrollment numbers have continued to increase over the past six years, we have added new positions to best support our students and staff. We have a small list of current openings at this time and anyone wishing to join our team can visit https://bit.ly/MACSjobs to learn more and apply.
These communication feedback loops allow us to hear information from multiple sources and perspectives. We have feedback loops available for school staff members with teams such as the Multi-Tiered System of Support team and School Improvement Team. We have opportunities at the district level such as the Staff Superintendent Advisory Team and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund staff feedback sessions. We gather survey data each year regarding working conditions and provide staff opportunities to share with district staff how we can improve along with ideas from the classroom. This is similar to the game field where adjustments are constantly made for improvement.
Our community, parents, and students are important team players and are also powerful voices for us to listen and learn from. We have a Superintendent’s Business Advisory group, a Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Group, and two Superintendent’s Student Advisory groups. We also have students who sit as representatives during our Board of Education business meetings. We have scheduled public meetings this year for input on the Portrait of a Graduate, where you can discuss your ideas about what traits students should graduate. The dates are Oct. 6, Jan. 19, and March 2. If you are interested in joining this work email Carrie Venable at

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Just as athletes are on winning teams our schools are also working hard to create winning teams. These high expectations and standards are critical to student success. Students can do the work, if they have educators and parents going hand-in-hand daily to move them toward their goals of being a teacher, doctor, technology leader, welder, health care worker, or any other aspiration. We hope to work with students to envision a successful future for each of them and then, by design, move them toward that success. We expect to have high standards in our classrooms and high expectations on our campuses. Students will rise to the level of expectation that we set just as they do when they are coached and encouraged along the way.
Winning coaches outline that teams must have high expectations and standards and make sure that every athlete reaches those standards and expectations. But, most importantly they need to understand why they are part of the team and why it matters. The team has a goal of winning every game and taking the championship. We know this translates into the classroom as well.
Why do staff members come to school every day, why are students part of the team of Mount Airy City Schools, and how can we empower students and staff to live in their “why”? Mount Airy City Schools believes every child deserves to graduate with a plan and tools to make them successful such as strong mathematical skills, strong reading skills, arts education, language acquisition, career and technical skills, and much more. Every year, we equip them, share tools with them, encourage them, and grow them to the next level. We have 1,800 reasons why walking through our doors every day. We must work together, communicate well, improve our practices, and empower students to win the game of life. We will never give up on any student and we want students to also work hard, gain skills, learn trades, and design their dreams with skills to achieve them.
Derek Jeter said, “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” Bill Belichick tells his team, “Do your job.” If we all do our job better than anyone else in the state, the team will win. If we are all giving 100%, going the extra mile, being positive, building up our teammates and our administrators, encouraging children, and setting goals showcasing we believe in all of our students, we will win this year. We need everyone’s help to sustain a winning culture.
We know that to lead, innovate, and serve we also must embrace this year’s theme of “Don’t Give Up. Don’t Ever Give Up.” We hope the community will continue to work with us through the many opportunities and ways to engage. Please check out our website for more information on how you can contribute and be part of our winning culture. www.mtairy.k12.nc.us
For families wishing to better understand what Mount Airy City Schools has to offer them and for current families wishing to see what is found at the next school, visit https://bit.ly/AboutMACS21-22 There you will find a brochure highlighting many opportunities found in our system. Anyone wishing to schedule a tour can visit http://bit.ly/MACStour.
October 02, 2022
Five stabbing victims were sent to area hospitals — three in serious condition — and a Boomer, North Carolina man has been arrested and jailed in connection with the early Sunday morning incident.
Cortlan Damaryce Clark, 21, of 289 Happy Oaks Lane, Boomer, was arrested in Wilkes County Sunday and jailed under a secured $125,000 bond, according to a release sent by Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt. Clark has been charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill.
The charges come after an altercation became violent during a birthday party at 153 Old Wagon Trail, Dobson. The sheriff said the violence was an “isolated incident which started with a physical altercation between Mr. Clark and several of the victims,” the sheriff said,
After the altercation, the sheriff’s statement said deputies arrived at the scene at 12:42 a.m., responding to a call of a cutting or stabbing incident with multiple victims.
“When patrol deputies arrived on the scene, they found three victims with multiple stab wounds ranging in the areas of the chest, neck and/or upper extremities.” the sheriff said.
Two of the victims had already left to seek medical care, suffering from similar wounds.
”All five victims were transported and/or seen by a medical facility: Northern Regional Hospital, Hugh Chatham Hospital and/or Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital,” the sheriff said, adding that three were males and two females, ranging from age 19 to age 25.
The investigation is ongoing, and Clark is scheduled to appear in Surry County District Court on Nov. 9, 2022. Other agencies involved with the case include Surry County Emergency Medical Services, South Surry Volunteer Fire Department, and the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office.
October 02, 2022
The blast tore through the chilled morning air, glass shards from shattered windows raining down on Mount Airy citizens as they ran to investigate. The scene of destruction must have been jarring.
A heavy fog shrouded the carnage, clinging to trees and adding to the surreal affect. Twisted metal, fluttering pieces of paper, and the mangled remains of a Ford pickup truck littered Franklin Street and the neatly kept lawns that lined it. The acrid scent of burning fuel filled the air as people tried to make sense of the wreckage.
Twenty feet from the truck lay the body of their neighbor William Cochrane. Someone brought a blanket to cover the young man out of respect as others called for emergency services.
It must have been a shock when Bill pushed the fabric from his face. “Don’t cover me. I’m not dead.”
It was 8:05 am, Monday, Dec. 31, 1951. Bill was headed to White Plains High School where he was an agriculture teacher who worked with the Future Farmers of America and also GIs returning to family farms after their tour of duty was done.
At 23, he wasn’t much older than many of his students. Athletic and affable, he was popular with students and staff at the school where he’d been teaching since he graduated from NC State in 1949. The Franklin native had deep roots in the far-western counties of Macon and Buncombe where his ancestors had lived since at least 1800.
He met Imogene Moses, a graduate of Appalachian State and Surry’s assistant home demonstration officer, here. Imogene grew up near Pittsboro, Chatham County, near Raleigh. The couple married August 25, 1951. They were looking for a home in White Plains where they regularly attended services at the Friends’ Meeting House.
The blast put an end to all of that.
The bomb was under the driver’s seat. It ejected Bill through the roof of the cab and amputated both legs. Police, recognizing the severity of Bill’s injuries, asked if he knew who could have done this.
“I don’t have an enemy in the world,” was the confused reply before he was taken to Martin Memorial Hospital on Cherry Street.
His students flocked to the hospital to donate blood but, despite extraordinary efforts by the medical staff, the trauma and shock were beyond them. William Homer Cochrane Jr. died 13 hours later. More than 3,000 mourners attended the funeral.
Rumors flew as the investigation got underway. Mount Airy Police Chief Monte W. Boone met with James Powell, director of the State Bureau of Investigation. Mount Airy Police Captain W. H. Sumner worked with SBI Agent Willis Jessup, former Mount Airy Police Chief.
City leaders posted a $2,100 reward for information leading to an arrest. The state added $400 and Bill’s hometown of Franklin where his own father was chief of police, added $1,300.
People were incensed.
Governor W. Kerr Scott decried the indiscriminate nature of the murder that could have killed anyone. “The flames of righteous anger continue to run high in Mount Airy… every citizen should cooperate to the fullest with the Mount Airy police officers.”
Sumner and John Edwards and Guy Scott, SBI agents based in Elkin, tracked down Imogene’s former beaus here, at App State, and in Chatham County where she grew up.
They sent what they could find of the bomb to the FBI’s Crime Laboratories in Washington, D.C., where it was determined dynamite or nitroglycerine had been used. So, they tracked down dynamite sales.
The process was made more difficult by a dry season where many local wells dried up causing a spike in dynamite sales. Ed Draughn, a worker at the W. E. Merritt Hardware Store on Main Street, remembered selling two sticks and five blasting caps to a stranger the week before Christmas.
But there the trail ran cold — until April 1954.
Imogene moved back east to Edenton to be closer to family and to escape painful memories. There she met George Byrum, a city councilman. Two weeks before they were due to wed a bomb was found in her car. Not as powerful or sophisticated, when this bomb exploded it didn’t kill anyone, just put Edenton Police Chief George Dail in the hospital with burns.
SBI agents John Edwards and Guy Scott headed to Edenton to talk with a man they suspected from the start but couldn’t find enough evidence for arrest.
George Henry Smith, a childhood friend of Imogene’s, had asked her out a few times over the years. She never accepted. After being questioned he drove to the family farm where he lived with his parents, ran into the woods and committed suicide before they could charge him.
Imogene and George Byrum married and raised a family in Edenton. She and George both died in 2008.
There are those who believe young Cochrane’s spirit haunts the apartments and homes along Franklin Street where he lived and died. His story is recounted on the museum’s ghost tour each Friday and Saturday night. The tragic emotions of a life cut short ripple through time as he continues to wonder, “Who could have done this? I don’t have an enemy in the world.”
Kate Rauhauser-Smith is a volunteer for the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History with 22 years in journalism before joining the museum. She and her family moved to Mount Airy in 2005 from Pennsylvania where she was also involved with museums and history tours.
October 01, 2022
DOBSON — For more than 30 years, Bryan Cave has been a go-to guy for local farmers in helping their operations succeed and now he is moving on to a new chapter in life.
Cave has retired as county extension director for the N.C. Cooperative Extension’s Surry Center. His last day on the job was Friday, capping a 34-year career that began in 1988 when he was hired as an assistant agricultural extension agent.
In 2007, Cave was promoted to extension director.
Through that role, Cave continued his efforts begun earlier to support and advise livestock and forage producers along with providing leadership for the county Cooperative Extension staff. It now has nine people, including the director position.
The impact Bryan Cave has made on the Surry County landscape was highlighted Tuesday when a retirement party was held at the Surry County Government Service Center in Dobson in honor of his contributions.
This included a “floating” period when well-wishers could stop by to help celebrate the milestone, along with dinner and speeches.
It is estimated that at least 200 people came through as part of the occasion involving “Bryan being put out to pasture,” as an announcement for the party stated.
The event included Cave receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, which is considered the highest civilian honor given in North Carolina. Making the presentation was Dr. Rich Bonanno, an associate dean and director at N.C. State Extension.
Cave also was presented with a personalized belt buckle from his son Joshua as a retirement gift.
Career touched many
Before launching his N.C. Cooperative Extension career, in 1987 Cave received a B.S. degree in animal science from N.C. State University, where he later earned a master’s degree in that field, according to information from Nicole Vernon, a staff member at the Surry Center.
He began work in Surry County with responsibilities that included providing educational opportunities and leadership to livestock and forage producers.
Within seven years, Cave had excelled in leading local producers to the point that an estimated increase in farm income exceeding $10 million had occurred and he was promoted to a full extension agent.
Over the years, Cave became known for his networking abilities, which have enabled invaluable partnerships to be formed. As county extension director, he organized and allocated resources to ensure his local staff had what has been needed to be successful, the information provided by Vernon further states.
His presence also has made a difference in places other than Surry.
For more than 10 years, N.C. Cooperative Extension utilized Cave’s skills to assist other counties where there was a vacant extension director position and he served on an interim basis in Yadkin, Wilkes, Alleghany and Stokes counties. During that time, he helped rebuild, restructure and strengthen county offices.
Cave also is credited with creating bridges that linked N.C. State University to local county government and led to greater understanding of each partner creating a more productive work environment.
During his tenure, Cave also was an advocate for farming, playing a critical role in the education of non-farm citizens of Surry County to the importance of agriculture in their lives and the economic well-being of the county, region and state.
This has included developing annual Farm Animal Day programs in local schools to connect with younger students.
Cave frequently has been invited to speak at regional economic-development training programs for business professionals in the Piedmont region, along with addressing Rotary, Ruritan and other civic groups.
His reputation for knowing the facts — which he can readily recite off the top of his head — and having an intimate knowledge of topical farm issues have been pluses in this regard.
He has served as a member of numerous economic-development and other boards and organizations such as the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association.
Cave’s imprint is expected to have a lasting impression for years to come.
The retiree, a resident of Dobson, now plans to be involved in an unspecified part-time endeavor in addition to spending more time with his family.
It includes his wife of 35 years, Angie; their children, Joshua and Sarah; and five grandchildren.
October 01, 2022
Relief efforts for residents of Florida who were impacted by Hurricane Ian are already underway locally.
In Mount Airy donations are being accepted at Creative Designs located at 1351 S. Main Street where a trailer is parked and is ready to receive donations.
The trailer donated by William “Crab” Smith Trucking will be on the road this week to deliver supplies including trash bags, contractor trash bags, cases of water, toilet paper, paper towels and wipes for personal hygiene.
Cleaning supplies are being requested as are tarps, bungee cords, shovels, and rakes.
In times of need pets need assistance as well and organizers listed dry food for cats and dogs, as well as cat litter.
Dianne Johnson of Johnson’s Xtreme Softwash has been helping spread the word on social media to draw attention to the collection efforts, “Let’s fill this trailer, we want to get this on its way this week.”
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The North Surry High School Student Council has announced a similar drive to, “Collect necessary supplies for residents impacted by Hurricane lan on Sanibel Island and the Fort Myers, Florida area.”
Over the weekend students wishing to participate as asked to pick up requested items and bring them to school on Monday.
“The time is now, and the need is great! Let’s go Greyhounds!” the announcement said.
The requested items list matches the list found above and items are to be put in the lobby at North Surry on Monday.
September 30, 2022
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction is seeking information on the whereabouts of the following individuals:
• Abraham Gilbert Burns, 42, a white male is wanted on a post-release warrant and is on supervision for felony assault with deadly weapon on government employee, two counts felony larceny of motor vehicle, felony flee to elude arrest, two counts resisting a public officer, larceny and reckless driving;
• Sydney Nicole Rakes, 23, a white female is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for felony possess of methamphetamine and use/possession of drug paraphernalia;
• Mark Anthony Pacheco, 26, a white male is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for felony possession of heroin, felony larceny and felony breaking & entering;
• Roger Kevin Collins, 50, a white male is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for two counts felony possession of methamphetamine and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
View all probation absconders on the internet at http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi and click on absconders. Anyone with information on any probation absconders should contact Crime Stoppers at 786-4000, county probation at 719-2705, or the Mount Airy Police Department at 786-3535.
September 30, 2022
In anticipation of the upcoming flu season, Surry County Health and Nutrition Center is now offering flu vaccines to anyone aged 6 months and older. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.
Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce flu related illnesses and the risk of serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death. It is best to get vaccinated before the flu begins to spread in your community. Ideally, it is recommended to get your flu vaccine by the end of October. It is important to know that vaccination after October can still provide protection during the peak of flu season. Flu most commonly peaks in February, but significant flu activity can continue into May.
In addition to the getting the flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends everyday preventative actions like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands frequently.
Surry County Health and Nutrition Center will be offering the regular flu vaccine as well as the high dose for people ages 65 and older. The regular flu vaccine cost is $40, and the high dose is $82. Insurance may be billed to offset the cost.
Flu vaccines will be available Monday thru Thursday, from 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m.
It is also important to note that studies conducted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that it is safe to get both a COVID-19 vaccine and a flu vaccine at the same visit.
For more information, please call us at (336) 401-8400 or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SurryCountyHealthandNutritionCenter/ for the latest updates.
September 30, 2022
The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery will be observing Prevention Month in October with a series of presentations to local schools on suicide prevention, vape awareness, mental health, and ending the month with Red Ribbon Week
Benjamin Franklin said an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and in Surry County, that concept is going to be acted upon with help from millions of dollars in opioid settlement money.
The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery has created the Prevention Plan 2022-2024 and posted it on SurryCountyCares.org/blog for review.
Outreach Coordinator Charlotte Reeves and county data analyst Jaime Edwards worked for more than 18 months and used evidenced-based theory along with input from community members to create a needs assessment with a unique prevention lens.
Trying to attack the county’s substance abuse problem on the front end with education and prevention can be a much more cost-effective technique than funding and supporting treatment and recovery plans on the backend. The number the Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery gives is that $1 of prevention equals $10 of savings.
During prevention month the local agency is going to emphasize what works and what does not — such as the scare tactics which they say are leftovers from prevention techniques of the Eisenhower Administration.
Constantly being told to ‘Just Say No’ or seeing a wrecked car in a field to send a message about drunk driving may be effective to a point. However, Jaime Edwards said kids can get desensitized to the message, if that message can reach them through all the noise and distraction of modern digital life.
“One of the lessons learned in prevention and coalition work is that it often takes a combination of comprehensive, complimentary, and evidence-based strategies,” Reeves said.
“There is a strong consensus in the field of prevention that it takes a comprehensive response utilizing multiple complimentary strategies to reduce it. The response can be all over the place, that’s why I get tired sometimes, it’s a lot of stuff. But that’s the way you have to do it, from all sides.”
The Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery can attack the problem from many angles because of the breadth of experience on the team, “The reason I love this agency so much is because everyone who works here are all dedicated and knowledgeable. We can call out other places or processes that may not work because we have perspectives that others do not,” she said.
Her psychology background, Edwards clinical experience, Willis with 25 years of law enforcement, and the All Stars who are living in active recovery can all bring something to the table.
The group’s leadership team and the All-Stars Prevention Group took two months and worked on a list of thirteen risk factors in the community. Items were then ranked by the Surry County team that is comprised of professional members of the county staff and those with hands on experience in recovery.
It is beneficial to the group and its planning to have input from those who are in recovery. “There are a lot of times that people that make decisions – they just don’t know that world. It’s not their fault, but that’s why it is so beneficial having the peers.”
Guiding the county’s prevention planning and response will be feedback from the All-Stars groups as well as the surveys from the public, along with more than 50 in-person interviews. “This plan came from this community,” Reeves said. “A lot of prevention plans you just sort of buy off the shelf and it’s a one and done kind of thing that wasn’t made for Surry County. Here we are writing it and we’re only taking into account what the community has told us.”
Cookie cutter solutions made in another state a decade ago may not be the right fit for the unique situation that faces Surry County even though they were designed with the best of intentions. “Good intentions run out, everyone can think of an idea about how to approach prevention, but this is actually science. We went through and did the work, did the research, we did the focus groups, and then we ranked them.”
The All Stars reviewed, and prioritized, community consequences, problems and root causes related to substance use in the community.
In their ranking they determined the number one contributing factor to drug use in this community is social norms. “Our perceptions of our peers’ attitudes and behaviors have a great influence on our own attitudes and behaviors. Unfortunately, our perceptions are often inaccurate. We tend to over-estimate the number of our peers who make unhealthy choices, and therefore underestimate the number who make healthy choices.”
If young Jon thinks the norm is for 14-year-old boys to vape, sneak a beer, or try a joint because that is what all his peers are doing then he is much more likely to engage in that behavior, even if his perception is totally off base.
In fighting back against these norms, the county’s plan says scare tactics are not the way to go nor should there be attempts to stigmatize an unhealthy behavior. Avoiding moralistic messages from authorities on how people “should” behave will help to not turn away young listeners from the necessary message on prevention.
After social norms, the next highest ranking risk factors are the influence of peers, social availability of substances, and the perception of harm. For peer influence, think of the concept of peer pressure. “Adolescents are susceptible to peer influence in that they are more likely to engage in risk taking in groups than alone and with their limited degree of self-reliance, may be more easily swayed towards engaging in risky behavior.”
Social availability means having the perception that prescription and other drugs are readily available, which is associated with increased levels of substance misuse among youth. Youth often report that the means they use to get substances are from family members, neighbors, and/or friends due to proximity and ease of access. The medicine cabinet can be a dangerous place for an angsty adolescent who may really have just needed an ear to listen.
The perception of harm is lacking in adolescents and their decision-making processes when it comes to substances. “Youth who perceive high risk or harm are less likely to use drugs than youths who perceive low risk. Providing credible, accurate, and age-appropriate information about the harm associated with substance abuse is a key component to prevention.”
Reeves said this is the “it can’t happen to me” notion so many kids, and even adults, carry with them. “They don’t realize it can happen to them, or it’s going to happen to them if they do it (use drugs).”
“A significant part of a prevention program is telling the community what we are trying to do,” Mark Willis said. With the opioid settlement money, he would like to create a protective dome around Surry County of prevention messaging. Eighteen years of funding is coming from settlements, so the county is in its best ever position to design, fund, and implement a long term cohesive multi-faceted education campaign focused on prevention of substance abuse before it starts.
September 30, 2022
https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MTA092922V.pdf
September 30, 2022
• A truck has been reported stolen in Mount Airy, according to city police reports.
The theft of the Jeep Comanche, owned by Terry Nelson Hill of Aims Avenue and valued at $10,000, was discovered on Sept. 22. The truck was taken from an unidentified business location at 1276 N. South St., where it had been parked the day before.
Police records describe the vehicle as black with a white stripe, but do not include a license tag number.
• Multiple vehicles were broken into at the Enterprise rental car location on Sept. 22, where an attempt also was made to steal one.
Those targeted include a 2022 Chevrolet Traverse and a 2019 Subaru Outback that police records indicate are owned by the Rockford Street business, along with the 1997 Ford F-350 flatbed truck of Jackson Trevor Hutchens, Pipers Gap Road, Galax, Virginia.
An ignition interlock device valued at $50 was listed as stolen.
• Linda Speas Duncan, 53, who is homeless, was jailed on charges of resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer and second-degree trespassing on Sept. 20 after police responded to a disturbance call at Northern Regional Hospital.
Security personnel there had banned Speas from the premises earlier that day, but she returned. And after being taken to a magistrate’s office, the woman allegedly resisted arrest by refusing to sit down and pulling away.
Speas was held in the Surry County Jail under a $1,000 secured bond and slated for an Oct. 17 appearance in District Court.
• A book bag was stolen from the parking lot of the West Lebanon Street Food Lion on Sept. 19, representing a $340 loss.
The owner of the black Reebok book bag was identified as Anthony Dalton Stanley of Gaynelle’s Way in Lowgap. It contained personal property including Sony earbuds, miscellaneous clothing, pre-workout supplements, hair fiber and notebooks.
• Cody Matthew John Bowman, 27, of 707 Willow St., was served with a criminal summons for a larceny charge on Sept. 15, which had been issued on Sept. 12 with no other details listed.
Bowman was scheduled to be in Surry District Court on Thursday of this week.
September 30, 2022
STUART, Va. — Three Mount Airy-area residents have been arrested on charges filed by the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office in separate cases involving alleged drug, credit card fraud and break-in/larceny crimes.
The arrests were announced Thursday and include:
• Maynard Reece Green, 61, of 369 Greentown Road, Ararat, just outside Mount Airy, being accused through a six-count indictment of manufacturing/distributing a Schedule I/II controlled substance.
Green, who was arrested on Sept. 22, further was indicted on another felony charge, manufacturing/distributing an imitation Schedule I/II drug.
• Johnny Ray Gwyn, 54, of 1685 Old Highway 601, Mount Airy, is charged with breaking and entering of a building with intent to commit assault and battery; larceny; and grand larceny involving a monetary loss of more than $1,000.
All are felonies. Gwyn was arrested Wednesday.
• Kenny Gray McCreary, 42, of 2121 Asbury Road, Westfield, was arrested Wednesday on three misdemeanor counts of credit card fraud involving a value of less than $1,000.
Bond and court date information was unavailable for the three persons charged.
September 30, 2022
Hurricane Ian has made another landfall, this time in South Carolina. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian’s center came ashore Friday afternoon just after 2 p.m. near Georgetown, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.
Ian previously hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds Wednesday, flooding homes and leaving nearly 2.7 million people without power.
A hurricane warning was in effect from the Savannah River along the Georgia – South Carolina state line up to Cape Fear.
Tropical storm force winds were ongoing along much of the coast and Tropical Storm Warnings are in place across parts of the North Carolina coast from Cape Fear to Duck late Friday.
“Ian is forecast to move more quickly toward the north today followed by a turn toward the north-northwest by tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Ian will reach the coast of South Carolina today, and then move farther inland across eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina tonight and Saturday,” according to Friday’s National Weather Service statement on the storm.
In their statement the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, issued both a wind advisory and flood watch for Surry County.
“Hurricane Ian is expected to bring widespread 2 – 4 inches of rain to parts of the area through early afternoon Saturday. Locally higher amounts up to 6 inches are also possible, especially along the Blue Ridge, and any areas where bands of heavy rain remain situated for extended periods of time,” the advisory said.
Ian was expected to maintain about the same strength before landfall late Friday, then weaken and rapidly transition into a post-tropical cyclone overnight leading into Saturday. Ian should dissipate over western North Carolina or Virginia late Saturday, the advisory notice said.
The Weather Service warns to be alert for flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall from the remnants of Ian. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, the notice states.
“Locally considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding is possible today into early Saturday across portions of northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia,” the Weather Service advised late Friday.
The National Weather Service says to monitor later forecasts and be alert as watches can become warnings in a matter of minutes. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to act should flash flooding occur.
Residents of the area are also being warned about the potential for high winds. A wind advisory period began at 10 a.m. Friday and will continue through noon Saturday. The Weather Service predicts that winds of 20 to 30 mph will come from the northeast with gusts reaching up to 40 mph expected. Gusts of up to 50 mph are possible in higher elevations and along ridgetops.
Surry County Emergency Management Director Eric Southern sounded confident in the county’s preparations. He said the fact that Ian looks to be a slow rainmaker does not change the county’s preparation or alert status.
“We are monitoring the situation electronically,” he said Friday afternoon. “Our crews have been notified who is on call, they are at home waiting for the call and have equipment ready.”
He said there has been no special guidance offered from Raleigh on statewide preparation, so Surry County is ready now for the rain and wind that are expected this weekend. Southern expected the weather to have arrived by late Friday afternoon.
“People should expect wind and rain any time now,” he said as the skies got ever darker over Mount Airy.
Southern recommended residents use the Hyper-Reach system which is a state-of-the-art mass emergency notification system designed specifically for public safety. The system provides rapid notification of severe weather, amber alerts, silver alerts and safety situations using a mix of telephone calls, text and email messages, and services designed for the hearing impaired.
Citizens can download the Hyper-Reach Anywhere app on their smartphone. Hyper-Reach Anywhere is a free smartphone app that allows individual citizens to manage and monitor the alerts they receive, for their home and office addresses, as well as addresses for friends and family.
Sign at: https://signup.hyper-reach.com/hyper_reach/sign_up_page_2/?id=88382
President Joe Biden has already issued disaster declarations for the states of Florida and South Carolina, “Last night I received a request for an emergency declaration from Gov. Henry McMaster, which I approved right away just as I did for Florida,” he said. “This allows for immediate federal funding for the state to shelter people and provide other essential support.”
Closer to home, residents have been scrambling to modify and change plans due to the fickle nature of forecasting hurricanes. Surry County Public Schools released students early, canceled field trips for Friday, and moved Friday night football games to Thursday as a precaution. The Sonker Festival, Music at the Market, Mayberry Food Truck Fest, and Civil War reenactment in Ararat, Virginia were all also moved or postponed.
September 30, 2022
Early this week as the threat of Hurricane Ian was still days away, several weekend gatherings acted in advance and moved their events indoors or rescheduled them. The Mayberry Food Truck fest has joined the list of events whose organizers have decided not to compete against the unpredictability of Hurricane Ian and has been rescheduled for a pre-Thanksgiving bash instead.
Lizzie Morrison, downtown coordinator for Mount Airy Downtown Inc. had been holding her breath throughout the week to see if the Mayberry Food Truck Fest might be able to be held this weekend despite the icky weather. “Safety is our top priority,” she said earlier this week when mulling the possibilities. “While this event is normally rain or shine, if the weather forecast hasn’t improved, we will reschedule.”
Friday morning the announcement was made that exercising an abundance of caution was better than asking diners and tourists to walk between the raindrops whilst enjoying food truck offerings. The only time folks want soggy food is when it was intended to be soggy, no offense to Mother Nature or Hurricane Ian and their suggested secret ingredient – water.
“We hate to do it, but we’ll have to postpone the Mayberry Food Truck Fest due to Hurricane Ian,” Morrison wrote Friday morning. “We have been monitoring the forecast and while this event is normally rain or shine, we will need to err on the side of caution for your safety.”
She had joked the event may seem starcrossed and has had some lousy luck with the weather, “The festival has a notorious reputation for extreme weather. We’ve had heavy rains, six inches of snow, a tornado warning mid-festival, and now a possible hurricane. It’s almost funny at this point. Nevertheless, people show up for the food trucks – it’s still a fan favorite event.”
Morrison invites everyone to try it again before the holidays, “Please plan on joining us for a big pre-Thanksgiving Food Truck feast on Sunday, Nov. 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in #downtownmountairy.”
Consider the rescheduled food truck fest to be among the final warmups before Thanksgiving excess. Yet somehow also not fully outside the Atlantic hurricane season that runs to the end of November. NOAA predicts up to 21 named storms this season with six to ten expected to become major hurricanes.
If Tobias, Virginie, or Walter (all late season storm names) try to show up for that new date then Morrison may want to consider a rain dance before the 2023 Mayberry Food Truck Fest to break the bad luck.
September 30, 2022
Mount Airy took sole possession of the Northwest 1A Conference’s top spot with a 43-7 victory over Starmount on Sept. 29.
Moved up a night to avoid the impact of Hurricane Ian, Thursday’s game seemed to have all the ingredients of a defensive battle through the first half. Two teams that averaged more than 33 points per game heading into Thursday – the Granite Bears 46.5 and the Rams 33.4 – combined for just three touchdowns in an opening half that featured two turnovers-on-downs and six punts.
A few touchdowns that were called back due to penalty flags kept the home Bears from running away with a lead in the third quarter, but Mount Airy’s offense was too much to contain in the fourth. A 21-point final quarter lifted Mount Airy to its third NW1A victory.
Neither side was particularly thrilled with the number of offensive penalties called in the game. Each team was flagged nine times total, and seven of those for each team were called on the offense.
Mount Airy had three touchdowns and more than 150 yards called back due to penalties.
The Granite Bears still managed to find the end zone six times and make one field goal in Thursday’s win. Tyler Mason accounted three of those touchdowns to go with his 214 yards rushing.
The junior running back, who surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season on Thursday, recorded his third game of the season of at least 200 yards rushing and his seventh scoring multiple touchdowns.
The Rams and Bears each relied on their ground game in the NW1A battle. Starmount finished with 172 total yards, and 170 were rushing. Mount Airy, meanwhile, rushed for 311 of its 425 total yards.
Neither side could break through the opposing defense in the early going. Through the first 11 minutes of the first quarter, the only play of more than 4 yards from scrimmage – for either team – was an 11-yard Ian Gallimore pass to Walker Stroup. Mount Airy’s Third Floyd and Cam’Ron Webster made big stops for the Bears’ defensive line, while Starmount’s Cole Longworth and Caden Abernethy did the same for the Rams.
Mason broke free for the first big play of the game when he scored a 47-yard touchdown with 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Starmount’s Zack Dezern, who led the Rams with 104 yards rushing on 16 carries, retaliated by scoring an 80-yard touchdown run before the end of the first quarter.
Neither offense could make it to the red zone again until the final seconds of the second quarter. Starmount went for a fourth-and-2 on Mount Airy’s 40-yard line, but Dezern was stopped by the Bears’ Connor Burrell at the line of scrimmage. Gallimore made two big completions to Walker Stroup – the latter of which was made in double coverage – to put Mount Airy on the Ram 2-yard line with 21 seconds remaining in the half.
Mason plugged in the 2-yard run, but it was called back due to a hold. Gallimore then found Mario Revels for a 10-yard gain and the Bears called timeout with two seconds on the clock. Gallimore and Revels worked their magic again on the next play to give the home team a 16-7 lead at the half.
Gallimore’s mark of 114 yards passing against Starmount is his highest of the 2022 season.
AJ Pardue recovered a Mason fumble on Mount Airy’s opening drive of the second half, but the Rams weren’t able to move the chains. In fact, Starmount started the second half with five three-and-outs. The Bears’ Caleb Reid, Deric Dandy and Caden Joyce all picked up sacks in the half, while Webster and Landon Cox added tackles for a loss.
After the fumble, Mount Airy punted on its next offensive possession after a 60-yard Mason touchdown run was called back. The Bears made another defensive stop and scored on a 39-yard Mason run, which was the first of four-consecutive scoring drives for Mount Airy.
Starmount finally got its initial first down of the second half on the game’s final drive, which came with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
In addition to Dezern’s 104 yards rushing, Pardue carried 11 times for 25 yards and Preston Williams rushed eight times for 43 yards. Luke Kimmer completed the Rams’ only pass, a 2-yard gain, to Ryan Kimmer.
Gallimore completed 7-of-14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Stroup had three catches for 78 yards, and Revels made four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Mason led all rushers with 16 carries for 214 yards and three touchdowns. Gallimore added 10 carries for 15 yards, Reid had five carries for 30 yards and a touchdown, Traven Thompson rushed twice for 43 yards, Taeshon Martin ran once for 7 yards, Landon Gallimore had one carry for 4 yards and Nas Lemon rushed once for -2 yards.
Mount Airy (6-1 overall) sits atop the NW1A standings with a 3-0 record. East Wilkes is 2-1, with its only loss coming against the Bears during Week 5. Elkin, Starmount and Alleghany are next at 1-1, followed by South Stokes 1-2 and North Stokes at 0-3.
Mount Airy travels to North Stokes on Oct. 7, while Starmount will host Elkin. Mount Airy’s game will be held at West Stokes High School due to construction at North Stokes.
Scoring
Starmount – 7, 0, 0, 0 = 7
Mount Airy – 10, 6, 7, 21 = 43
1Q
5:52 MAHS 3-0 – Walker Stroup 26-yard field goal
0:16 MAHS 10-0 – Tyler Mason 47-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
0:00 STAR 10-7 –Zack Dezern 80-yard rushing TD, Alex Mora PAT
2Q
0:00 MAHS 16-7 – Mario Revels 5-yard TD reception on Ian Gallimore pass, 2-point conversion no good
3Q
3:50 MAHS 22-7 – Tyler Mason 39-yard rushing TD, 2-point conversion no good
4Q
11:25 MAHS 29-7 – Caleb Reid 8-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
8:54 MAHS 36-7 – Tyler Mason 36-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
4:59 MAHS 43-7 – Tyler Mason 36-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
September 30, 2022
Recently Shoals Elementary School students and staff took 30 minutes to drop everything and read as part of the school’s efforts to increase reading skills. Everyone found a comfy place to curl up and read their favorite book.
“Shoals is committed to making reading fun for all,” school staff said of the effort.
September 30, 2022
A good number of people in Mount Airy are interested in learning more about city government, judging by the interest shown in a new Mayberry Citizens Academy that will accommodate more people than first planned.
Municipal officials announced the program on Sept. 10, saying it would be limited to 15 applicants.
“We got over 20 people,” City Manager Stan Farmer said Thursday.
“And we have got room for more,” he added regarding the series of classes involved which starts next week. “So more is merrier.”
The goal of the Citizens Academy is to help Mount Airy residents better understand how local government operates while benefiting the community overall.
Such academies, also known as leadership institutes, seek to educate residents through direct contact with public officials, site visits and hands-on activities, and are fairly common throughout the nation, officials say. These programs address what is considered a knowledge gap between citizens and government.
Classes locally will include a range of topics such as city and state government relations, firefighting, police and code enforcement, public works/utilities, finance, parks and recreation and planning.
Program format
Including the first Citizens Academy session on Tuesday, a total of eight is planned each Tuesday evening over nine weeks until Nov. 29, skipping the week of Thanksgiving.
On those Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m., different subject matter pertaining to local government will be covered by the city manager or department heads. The first class will be a general introduction featuring Farmer along with City Attorney Hugh Campbell and City Clerk Nicki Brame.
Speakers will be involved in seven of the classes, with the eighth to serve as a graduation ceremony.
Farmer is pleased by the interest shown in the Citizens Academy.
“It’s encouraging that people want to learn about their local government more,” he said Thursday.
Once the number of applicants exceeded what Farmer called the “15 self-imposed limit,” organizers decided to open the program up to more people, agreeing that they can handle the greater number. There is now no specified limit, according to the manager.
However, those interested must complete a short application form available on the city website and submit it by the close of business on Monday. The form can be accessed at https://www.mountairy.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=427
Completed applications may be forwarded to

sf*****@mo*******.org











or dropped off at City Hall.
Officials have said that applicants must be city residents, but non-Mount Airy residents might be considered if space is available. There is an emphasis on creating a diverse class from many different neighborhoods within Mount Airy.
Farmer said Thursday he thinks this has been accomplished based on the more than 20 people signed up so far.
“Demographically it appears to be pretty diverse.” This includes a balance of folks in different parts of town and also from a gender standpoint.
September 30, 2022
The National Hurricane Center reported in their 8 a.m. advisory that Hurricane Ian is located 105 miles to the south-southeast of Charleston, S.C. and is moving north at approximately 9 miles per hour. The reported the maximum sustained winds of the Category 1 hurricane at 85 mph.
A Hurricane Warning in effect from the Savannah River along the Georgia – South Carolina state line up to Cape Fear.
Tropical storm force winds were ongoing along much of the coast and Tropical Storm Warnings are in place across parts of the North Carolina coast from Cape Fear to Duck.
“This general motion northward with an increase in forward speed is expected this morning, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest by tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Ian will approach and reach the coast of South Carolina today, and then move farther inland across eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina tonight and Saturday.”
In their statement the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va. issued both a Wind Advisory and Flood Watch for Surry County.
“Hurricane Ian is expected to bring widespread 2 – 4 inches of rain to parts of the area through early afternoon Saturday. Locally higher amounts up to 6 inches are also possible, especially along the Blue Ridge, and any areas where bands of heavy rain remain situated for extended periods of time,” the advisory said.
Rain chances are forecasted to remain at or above 70% through late Friday morning and then are expected to pick up into Friday afternoon remaining a steady factor through Saturday afternoon.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Friday through afternoon Saturday, the Weather Service warns to be alert for flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall from the remnants of Ian. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, the notice states.
The National Weather Service says to monitor later forecasts and be alert for an evolving situation depending on the path of the storm. Flood Watches can become Flood Warnings in a matter of minutes. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to act should flash flooding occur.
Residents of the area are also being warned about the potential for high winds with gusty conditions in higher elevations.
Wind advisory period has been set from 10 a.m. Friday until noon Saturday. The Weather Service predicts that winds of 20 to 30 mph will come from the Northeast with gusts reaching up to 40 mph expected. Gusts of up to 50 mph are possible in higher elevations and along ridgetops.
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, furniture, and tree limbs could be blown down causing power outages as a result.
Drivers are being asked to use extra caution, especially if operating a high-profile vehicle.
September 30, 2022
In day to day life, we are hit with good days. Bills are paid on time. Debt has been reduced. Jobs are good. Life does have a way of turning for the worse. Someone that we love had been diagnosed with cancer. A friend had died unexpectedly. Suddenly, life had turned most unpleasant. The night season had begun and we become desperate for a brighter tomorrow.
Psalms 77 and 78 are called “Psalms of Asaph.” Asaph was a close friend to King David and probably had witnessed the anxieties and dangers that David had faced while hiding from a jealous King Saul. Asaph, who was a musician in David’s court, also felt anxiety for his own reasons. These psalms were written to give hope for him, and also for us today to know how to remember God’s goodness during our own times of anxiety.
Beginning in verse one, he writes, “I cried out to God with my voice – to God with my voice; and He gave ear to me.” Asaph directed his prayers to God. He cried. He cried out meaning Asaph was very loud with his praying. Being human, Asaph evidently had such a trial that his own soul felt wounded to the point that crying out loud was all that he could do in his prayers.
Notice the phrase, “and he gave ear to me.” God was listening to Asaph because Asaph was his creation. God was concerned about the situation as much as Asaph. Remember the scripture from Hebrews 4:15, “God is touched with our infirmities.” God has always been compassionate toward our weaknesses.
In verse 3 of Psalm 77, Asaph wrote, “I remembered God…” What did Asaph remember? A reading of verses 10-20, Asaph reminded himself of the great and mighty deeds that God had done in the past. He wrote in verse 11, “I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work.” Asaph called to his memory the miracles that God had performed for his nation. He remembered that God was a great God and no other earthly god could be compared with the great God Almighty.
Then, Asaph meditated. In the old Hebrew dictionary, the word “meditate” means to “mutter to one’s self, to chew on a thought over and over.” Asaph meditated on how God delivered the Hebrews out from slavery in Egypt. God parted the Red Sea and redeemed them from bondage. Asaph continued his meditation in Psalm 78 beginning with verse 12, “Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers…He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap.” Throughout Psalm 78, Asaph remembered and meditated on the deeds of God.
Throughout those two psalms, Asaph remembered the faithfulness of God. God remembered His covenant with Abraham and his descendants even though His people failed to remember God. In Psalm 77:7-9, Asaph wrote, “Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more?” Has His mercy ceased forever?” The answer is NO.
Many times in scripture, Biblical characters cried out to God in prayer and God answered. In Jeremiah 33:11, the prophet Jeremiah described God as being merciful. “Praise the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for His mercy endures forever.” Jeremiah 33:3 added, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah called God good, merciful and compassionate.
When we pray and sometimes pray to the point that all we can do is cry out from the depth of our souls, cry out to God. Meditate on what God has done for us in the past. Remember how He cared for us, gave us healing, victories from battles, and answers to our prayers. In our own distresses, we can remember God, a mighty and merciful God.
September 29, 2022
DOBSON — Four goals from Luke Creed combined with a late scoring push lifted Surry Central over visiting North Surry on Sept. 28.
The Golden Eagles never trailed in Wednesday’s match, but the Greyhounds cut it to a one-score game twice in the second half. A North Surry goal made it 3-2 with 13 minutes left to play.
After the goal, North didn’t take another shot for the rest of regulation. Surry Central kept its offense at full force and finally added a pair of goals in the final 120 seconds to win 5-2.
The rejuvenated Surry Central squad is on the rise after winning three consecutive matches for the first time this season.
The Golden Eagles sat at 3-6-2 on the season coming into this past week. Central had lost three straight and tied once while failing to score in all four matches, prompting a team meeting to discuss the team’s mental toughness.
“Our guys can play; if they couldn’t I’d understand our results, but the fact that they can play and aren’t showing it enraged me,” said Eagles coach Adan Garcia. “I asked them yesterday that for that practice and every day after to come out here hungry. They have to. Because some of these teams can punish you if we keep playing the way we have.
“North Surry is a perfect example of it because they had two quality chances and they took advantage of them because they were hungry. Luckily, our team was just as hungry if not a little bit more. Both teams just played great, and that forced our team to push it up a notch.”
Surry Central, now 6-6-1 overall and 4-1 in the Foothills 2A Conference, scored 11 goals in three matches between Sept. 26 and 29. This came after the Eagles only scored a total of 12 goals in their opening 11 matches from Aug. 17 to Sept. 22.
In addition to the increased strength in mental toughness, Central has been able to create offense more efficently thanks to a new mindset during games. This sprouted from a conversation Garcia had with former Surry Central head coach Blake Roth, who led the program to 247 wins between 2003 and 2018.
“We have a great mentor in Blake Roth,” Garcia said. “He brought it to our attention that we’ve been playing on the defensive all season because of our nonconference opponents even though nonconference is over. We played 3A and 4A teams – Glenn, Davie, Reagan, Statesville, etc – because those are teams that are bigger, faster and stronger than us. We played them to test ourselves and get better, but that pushed our mindset to be almost entirely defensive minded.
“Once we started playing similar programs, that mindset hurt our chances in a lot of those games and we needed to change.”
Part of those changes was an altered formation, which the Eagles used against the Greyhounds. It paid dividends as Central’s Creed struck first in the 25th minute to go put the Eagles up 1-0. Surry Central could tell the difference in their game through just the first half.
Creed found the back of the net again in the 47th minutes, this time using a through ball from Jonathan Avila to beat the Greyhounds’ back line.
North Surry (5-7, 2-3 FH2A) kept up the fight and used the sidelines to spread the field. Edgar Vazquez served as a distributing attacking center midfield and had weapons such as Bryan Martinez, Bali Raya and Oliver Fajardo at his disposal.
Vazquez sent a ball to the left corner for Emiliano Calderon to chase down in the 54th minute. Calderon saw Martinez crashing at the top of the 18-yard box and assisted his teammate’s goal.
It was eight minutes later when Creed completed his hat trick. Just five minutes after Creed’s third goal, Raya scored for North Surry to close the gap to 3-2.
Earlier in the season, Garcia said the Eagles likely would’ve moved to a defensive formation late in the game to keep the 3-2 lead alive. Instead of doing that against the Greyhounds, the Golden Eagles stayed on the attack and cointinued to fire shots on goal. This worked to keep North Surry in its own defensive third, and Raya’s goal was the Hounds’ final shot of the game.
Greyhound keeper Josh Garcia fended off multiple attacks in the final minutes. It was another through ball from Avila to Creed, this time with just 1:51 left to play, that gave the Eagles some breathing room.
Instead of falling back to defend, Central added another goal with less than 60 seconds left on the clock. Cristofer Tello took a free kick 45 yards out and it was finished by Tino Martinez.
“Everything about how we scored today is something we worked on yesterday,” Garcia said. “Coach A (Adrian Gonzalez) and Coach B (Bernardo Leandro) worked with them on it specifically. It looks like they’re starting to think “hey, maybe the coaches are right,” so I hope it’s a step in the right direction.”
Surry Central sits at second in the FH2A standings at 4-1, trailing on 5-0 Forbush. Wilkes Central is third at 3-2, North Surry and North Wilkes are tied at 2-3, West Wilkes is 1-4-1 and East Surry is 0-4-1.
Both North Surry and Surry Central continue FH2A play on Oct. 3. Surry Central hosts East Surry, and North Surry hosts North Wilkes.
Scoring
North Surry – 0, 2 = 2
Surry Central – 1, 4 = 5
Goals
1H
25’ Surry Central 1-0, Luke Creed unassisted
2H
47’ Surry Central 2-0, Luke Creed from Jonathan Avila assist
54’ North Surry 2-1, Bryan Martinez from Bali Raya assist
62’ Surry Central 3-1, Luke Creed unassisted
67’ North Surry 3-2, Bali Raya unassisted
79’ Surry Central 4-2, Luke Creed from Jonathan Avila assist
80’ Surry Central 5-2, Tino Martinez from Cristofer Tello assist
September 29, 2022
Food Lion Feeds, a program by Food Lion to help get food to the needy, donated 680 backpacks to Surry County elementary schools recently.
Each backpack contained Capri Suns, Food Lion Puddings, Food Lion Apple Sauce, Food Lion Mac and Cheese, Food Lion Fruit Bar, Food Lion Beans and Franks, Ramen noodles, and GM Honey Nut Cheerio Cereal cups.
“Food Lion Feeds’ mission is to put food and hope on the table for our neighbors,” the company said of the effort. “Through Food Lion Feeds, we’ve donated more than 900 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and (are) committed to donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025.”
“I wanted to give a helping hand in making sure parents didn’t have to choose between food and buying school supplies to start the school year,” said Pilot Mountain Food Lion Store Manager Terry Easter.
September 29, 2022
The students at Dobson Elementary School recently held their Student Council Office elections. The officers elected are Aubrey Johnson, president, Aubrey Jones , vice president, Grayson Unsworth, treasurer, and Lyla Atkins, secretary. (Submitted photo)




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