A Mount Airy man was arrested and jailed for nearly 100 child sex crimes.

According to a statement by Surrey County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, 37-year-old Mark William Combs is located at 131 Noel Lane in Mount Airy , Was arrested by officials from the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office in a case involving local, state, and federal authorities.

Combs was charged with 65 counts of tertiary sexual exploitation of minors, 5 counts of statutory sexual offenses, 5 counts of indecent assault on minors, 5 counts of endangering nature, 1 count of first-degree kidnapping, and 1 count of statutory rape15 Children under the age of, and an allegation of incest with a child.

He went to jail with a secured bond of 3.9 million U.S. dollars.

"Mr. Combs' arrest is the direct result of a month-long investigation conducted by the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office, which originated from a network received by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin Prompt," the sheriff said.

He said that the Criminal Investigation Department of the Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant against residents of Combs on November 4, interviewed Combs, and protected his electronic equipment. He was arrested and imprisoned on charges.

The Sheriff’s Office said it was unable to release more information about the allegations at this time.

"This investigation is ongoing," Hiat Sheriff said. "These types of investigations are very emotional, time-consuming, and lengthy. Law enforcement agencies work together and communicate openly to completely eliminate the jurisdictional boundaries of criminals hiding. Thank you to all those involved in the investigation for helping this investigation approach the finish line."

Combs' appearance in court is set for November 17.

The local veterinarian will participate in the Triad Honor Flight

Hometown’s efforts are aimed at uniting the people

It is one of the most famous and respected honors in the region. Of course, it is the highest personal honor awarded by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, with a history that can be traced back to nearly six years.

This is the Chamber of Commerce’s Citizenship of the Year Award, and the deadline for this year’s nominees is coming soon. December 8th is the last day when residents of the area can nominate a person for recognition.

"The first one was given in 1962," said Randy Collins, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. "The Chamber of Commerce was established in 1959, and they have held an event every year for more than 60 years."

Collins stated that the award is designed to recognize individuals who "have made a lot of contributions to the community on many different levels." He said that given that this is a chamber of commerce award, the winners are usually people active in the business world, but he said that this recognition is actually about "the overall service to the community...maybe people who have been overlooked."

For those who wish to nominate someone, Collins said that the nomination form can be found online at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/ZBIJTua/2021CitizenoftheYear. If a person wants to make a nomination but cannot do it electronically, he said that the nominator can submit a typed or written nomination in person or by mail.

"Tell us their stories," he suggested what to include. "We really rely on these nominations to tell us this story. Many people who have won awards over the years, just mention their names and you know what they did. But there have been many unsung heroes over the years, and not everyone knows them. s story."

He said that the winner does not have to be a member of the council, but they are looking for people from Mount Airy, Surry County or the towns of Surry-Pilot Mountain, Dobson and Elkin.

Collins said that in general, the Chamber of Commerce receives eight to ten nominations every year, although there are more in some years. So far, he said that three or four have been submitted. He said that once the nomination deadline has passed, a committee will review every submission and select a winner.

"The difficult part of this... there are too many worthy people and it is difficult to choose every year. Also, there are many people who should be nominated but never been nominated. We want to encourage people to nominate people in the community that you think should be recognized. "

Although there are no specific criteria for nominees, the award is "usually for life's work... These people have served the community in some way throughout their lives, or certainly for a long period of time. We will not Set any parameters for this and we accept all nominations."

The winner will be nominated at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in January, and Collins said officials are trying to keep secrets before the announcement.

In 2020, David Rowe, who has passed away, was nominated as the winner. He is the co-founder of Smith-Rowe, LLC and the former mayor of Mount Airy.

The first winner in 1962 was Joe Johnson Sr. Since then, winners have included: 1963 Archie Carter, 1964 John E. Woltz, 1965 Floyd Pike, 1966 CB Roberson, 1967 Dr. J. Dale Simmons, 1968 George A. and Marguerite Kallenbach, 1969 Pastor James Powell, 1970 Jim Grimes, 1971 Frank Smith, 1972 CB Robertson, 1973 James E. Johnson, 1974 Jerry Beverly;

Stan Rogge in 1975, Bill Bridlov in 1976, Don Nance in 1977, Larry Wright in 1978, George Summerlin in 1979, Dr. Swanson Richards in 1980, Steve and Mary Petlitz in 1981, Floyd Rees in 1982, Bobby Galane in 1983, Jones and Zach Blackmon in 1980, David Pruitt in 1987, and Serge in 1988. Man Watts, Ruth Minnick in 1989;

1990 Richard Vaughan, 1991 Howard Waltz Jr., 1992 An Vaughan, 1993 Jim Andrews, 1994 Teresa Lewis, 1995 John Springthorpe III, 1996 Gene Reese, 1997 Burke Robertson, 1998 Susan 9 Dr. Ashby, 1994 Teresa Lewis Gary York, 2002 Pat Gwyn Woltz, 2003 Ed Woltz, 2004 Craig and Michele Hunter, 2005 Sandy Beam;

2006 Marion Venable, 2007 Virginia Rogers, 2008 Mike Bowman, 2009 Kate Appler, 2010 Charlie and Ed Shelton, 2011 Carol Burke, 2012 Deidre Rogers, 2013 Alan Connolly, 2014 Berta Glenn Springthorpe, 2010, 2018 John Pridi. Curtis Taylor in 2019 and David Rowe in 2020.

A lot of trash talk is going on, but it has not resulted in ridiculous penalties-it's just that Mount Airy officials decided to buy a second grab truck to help collect sanitation facilities, and cancel the earlier recommendation to brush the car.

At a meeting last Thursday night, former municipal commissioner Shirley Brinkley also weighed in on the new automated waste system, which is part of the portfolio.

All of these developments occurred after the director of public works Mitch Williams updated the city council to the automation system implemented earlier this year, which was required by the council after the system was up and running.

Williams said that the overall operation is good, including the goal of reducing personnel costs by purchasing two side-mounted automatic garbage trucks at a total cost of $760,000.

This allows the emptying of the garbage truck to be controlled in the cab, instead of having workers outside face the danger of filling the truck from behind under the old method.

"We went from 15 to 11 people," Williams said of the number of employees in the health department, which was caused by the turnover and turnover of the department.

He added that this can save about $150,000 in personnel costs per year.

In January last year, city officials decided to purchase autonomous trucks, and also proposed to provide 4,500 brushed vehicles — costing US$270,000 — for residents to place yard waste, such as newspaper clippings and tree branches, under the new process.

For example, the idea is that the homeowner cuts the limbs into small pieces, which can be put in a trolley, and then loaded into an automatic truck from the side.

Most committee members do not believe that citizens have a large demand for these trolleys, but choose to understand the progress of the new system during the year and re-discuss the topic after further research.

Williams suggested in his update on Thursday night that the final ruling was to disapprove of brushing the car, which the committee members subsequently agreed.

"These autonomous trucks are not made for brushes," he explained.

Approximately 60% to 70% of the brush piles collected each week are either too large or too long to fit into a tank on a trolley or automated truck.

This requires employees to manually load the brushes, otherwise they must be picked up by the city’s only grab truck in the future.

According to Williams, it is difficult for workers to lift smaller brushes into the front socket of the vehicle. Once in the truck tank, the brush will not easily fall into the hopper at the back, sometimes dumping from the top of the truck onto the street.

Williams recommends not to add a brush, but instead recommends buying a second grab truck at an estimated cost of $185,000. The grab or knuckle arm truck is a specially designed vehicle that features a telescopic arm with a "grab" hook that can pick up large items.

This will allow faster and more effective removal of large brush piles around towns and large items such as furniture discarded during spring cleaning activities.

According to reports, the target collection time for "typical size piles" is one week. During the spring event, this situation may intensify-this year a grab truck broke down and relied on private contractors at a cost of approximately $7,000, which made the situation even more complicated.

"No one likes to see sofas and mattresses on the street," the public works director said when describing the need for spare vehicles.

The committee members agreed with Williams' suggestion to buy grab trucks while avoiding brushing. Citizens who want these containers can still buy them at a price of $65 each.

On Thursday night, board members approved the budget amendment for truck purchases 5-0.

The "challenge" of automation

The implementation of the new automation system was generally smooth, despite some obstacles-some literally.

"The drivers quickly adapted to the new truck," Williams said, admitting that there were some adjustment issues along the way.

"We encountered some conflicts with overhead utility lines," he said, because the new truck was very tall and encountered low-hanging wires. This included a telephone line being hit, and a wire that caused the pole to fall and interrupted service to six residents.

Williams said the health department has worked with utility suppliers to set up pipelines in problem areas.

At the same time, the lid of the garbage truck was kept open, and the garbage truck turned over after being emptied, especially on streets without curbs that provide a certain degree of stability.

Former Southern District Commissioner Shirley Brinkley spoke about this in the public forum of the conference.

Brinkley said of the cart: "I see more lids when they are open than when they are closed," which can cause some problems, including the container being filled with rainwater.

The former commissioner mentioned that due to a wrist injury, it is difficult for residents with physical disabilities to stand the trolley upright after turning the trolley over and away. Brinkley also said that a street was littered with broken glass.

Williams said that staff are trying to minimize this problem by using the joystick controls inside the automated truck more proficiently so that the trolley and lid can be placed in place.

"Hopefully over time, things will get better and better."

Williams said there are also problems with residents improperly placing trolleys waiting to be emptied.

Officials said that the trolley should be placed along the street, with the handle facing the house, because the automated truck cannot turn the trolley to the correct side. Requiring personnel to leave the cab and move the trolley to that location defeats the purpose of the automated system.

Like most other aspects of society, COVID-19 has always been a barrier, including the need to isolate multiple drivers.

"Keeping the driver on the truck has always been a challenge," said the director of public works.

"Due to COVID, we cannot start automation at a worse time."

• According to the city police report, mobile phones have recently been targeted by thieves in Mount Airy.

Among them was a theft discovered on Saturday, in which a $700 Samsung Galaxy phone was stolen at Walmart. It is owned by King resident Tammy Lea Waldrop. The phone was described as black, and a blue case was stolen in the incident.

Another mobile phone and phone case with a total value of US$1,019 was stolen from the Speedway convenience store on West Pine Street last Wednesday. The victim of the crime was Travis Neil Schell from Crystal Lane.

The phone was described as a Samsung Galaxy Note20 model with a black and purple case, which was stolen after being left in the company's bathroom.

• On Saturday, a call for civil unrest was received on Renflo Street near Moore Avenue, which resulted in 31-year-old Ashley Michelle Hicks being accused of driving under the influence.

Police records show that someone saw Hicks staggering towards her car and began to be driven away by police officer JR McLamb, who subsequently conducted a live sobriety test which showed that the woman was physically damaged. She later agreed to take blood at the Northern District Hospital and was released after a written promise to appear before the Surrey District Court on December 20.

• On Friday, a theft occurred in a Tractor Supply Co. store on Rockford Street when an unidentified suspect walked out of the store with two large 12-volt car batteries in his shopping cart without paying. The value of the Traveler heavy-duty battery is $150.

Jacob Haywood of Westfield started the fall semester of North Carolina State University with 31 college credits from Surrey Community College.

As a student of East Surrey High School, he studied Calculus II, Calculus III, Differential Equations, Physics I, Physics II, C Programming, Linear Algebra, Art Appreciation and General psychology. These courses are free of tuition for third- and fourth-year high school students.

"Surrey Community College has a very large class size. I was able to interact one-on-one with my mentor," Haywood said.

Haywood plans to pursue a dual degree in mechanical engineering and history at North Carolina State University. By transferring so many credits to North Carolina State University, he has achieved an incredible lead.

North Carolina State University is a family tradition of the Haywood family. His grandfather and uncle are also members of the wolf pack.

"I want to work in car design," Haywood said. "My dream job is to work for Porsche, Volkswagen or BMW in Germany. I have always been interested in cars. I repaired a 1976 Volkswagen transporter. I just like to work on the parts and try to repair them."

Haywood is a Ben Franklin Scholar at North Carolina State University. The program allows students to pursue bachelor degrees in engineering and humanities or social sciences at the same time. The program provides students with extensive training and provides them with unique skills to solve complex problems.

Haywood is a high school and community college student, as well as an active student athlete. He played tennis, football, cross-country, indoor track and field, and wrestled in his junior and senior years.

When he built a sign in his church, the Westfield Baptist, he became an eagle scout. He also volunteered as a Boy Scout at Camp Raven Knob, where he taught car lessons to other Boy Scouts.

In addition to all these extracurricular activities, Haywood was employed by 13 Bones in Mount Airy as a chef and dishwasher in high school.

Haywood is a good example of what high school students can achieve as community college students, athletes, and community service personnel.

The Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education recently appointed Catherine Dollyhite as the coordinator of Mount Airy City Schools Micro-School. Dollyhite joined the city school system in January 2020 as the curriculum coordinator for Jones Middle School.

This micro school started in August and had less than 10 students at the time, but now more than 30 students have joined the program. This micro school provides virtual teaching for students from kindergarten to fifth grade.

In announcing her appointment, the school system said: “As the program develops rapidly, more support is needed to ensure that students and families stay in good contact with the school district and the resources needed for success.” “Multiple sclerosis. Dollyhite will work with Ms. Penny Willard, Director of Innovation Projects, collaborated to build and develop the school’s curriculum while serving the increasing enrollment. She will transition to this role starting on January 3rd."

"Mount Airy City Schools Micro-School enables our school district to expand our innovative practices," Willard said. "Multiple sclerosis. Dollyhite's skill set will ensure the design and delivery of targeted and engaging courses to meet the needs of each child. She will become an important asset for our team and I look forward to working with her on this new journey To serve our students and families."

Due to the vacancy created by her transition, Dalton Ted will serve as Jones’ interim course coordinator starting January 3. As part of his work at High Point University (HPU), Ted has been doing an internship with Jones this semester. He is the third educator in Mount Airy City Schools to pass the HPU Leadership Academy. He will graduate from the program in May 2022, at which time he will receive a master's degree in education leadership and be eligible for a North Carolina school administrator's license.

"I am very happy to continue working with the Jones Middle School family," Ted said. "Working with the administrative team and staff is an incredible experience. My internship allowed me to learn from Mrs. Payne and build relationships with students, faculty and staff."

"I am excited about the opportunities for students and families affiliated with Mount Airy City Schools Micro-School. They will be served by Ms. Dollyhite. I am also excited about the students and faculty of Jones Intermediate who will benefit from Mr. Ted’s leadership. ," Jones Intermediate Principal Chelsea Payne said.

Visit http://bit.ly/MACSmicro to learn more about urban micro schools​​​

With the end of the year approaching, their October meeting was postponed, and the Dobson Committee met last week to discuss agenda items that need attention. U.S. rescue plan funding was the main topic of board discussion, as they discussed ready water and sewer projects.

Dobson Town manager Laura Neely said that she and her employees are still receiving guidance on the changing landscape of ARP. As the ARP fund payment rules are still changing, Neely tried to assure the board of directors that it is safe to advance and approve the project. "Any money we want to set aside now, if we follow the current guidelines now, it will be fine."

Town finance officers Marlene Lopez and Neely have been receiving extensive training on the ARP fund, but sometimes conflicting information appears. Some guidance tells towns to wait to see if there may be available grant funds to replace ARP funds, but then ARP funds allocated will become a new issue. "Because the number of things that can spend (ARP) money is limited, it's a bit like Rule 22," Neely described.

Basically, what Neely heard was "There is extra money now, so look at all the ways. Thankfully, we have a lot of people following us and providing us with guidance...or designated uses and future projects."

The ready water supply and sewer project was the goal of Dobson's first action. Michael Frazier from Public Works described their monthly work of converting manual water meters into radio reading meters, and this process involves about a dozen per month. Frazier needs to replace approximately 300 additional old manual-reading water meters with current technical radio-reading models at an estimated cost of approximately US$200 each. These costs can easily be under the umbrella of ARP, already needed, and can save the town a lot of changes in the future.

The efficiency of reading the water meter alone will increase the productivity of workers and can also correct incorrect meter readings. Neely said he was told that some old meters did not capture the readings correctly and may only capture 90% of the usage. "That was a light bulb moment," the town manager said of the opportunity to read the water meter via radio that might increase revenue.

Frazier detailed to the board of directors how this new technology can help detect leaks and waste in real time. Sometimes this may help locate a burst pipe, but in the example, a urinal that has been in operation throughout the weekend may also increase water consumption and attract attention. "Running the toilet wastes a lot of water."

The first major waterline break of the season has occurred at Blessing Drive, a place known for its problems. Neely and Frazier have been planning water and sewer projects, including on-site inspections of locations such as Blessing Drive. Both encouraged the board to continue to advance these proposals, which is Dobson's most important project, because the final authorization and payment of funds may take some time.

"The motion to embezzle ARP funds to advance the sewer project at Blessing Drive behind Saddle Brook, and to apply for appropriate permits from the state government to obtain construction authorization" is more than a vote: the motion was passed unanimously.

Members of the local judiciary are mourning the loss of Spencer G. Key Jr., who served as a district court judge for a long time due to complications of COVID-19.

"I can tell you, of course we are all shocked," lawyer Ben Royster said of Key's death on Sunday.

"About a week ago (November 13) we received a notice that he has been admitted to the intensive care unit," Royster made recommendations on the judge's treatment at Winston Salem Hospital on Monday. Key, in his 50s, has served as a district court judge in Surrey and Stokes counties since 2000.

The qualities that set him apart are evident both inside and outside the courtroom. Royster added that he is a member of a family law firm with offices in Mount Airy and Pilot Hill. He is in Surrey Stokes District 23. The chairman of the bar.

"Judge Kee is as kind and kind as anyone you have ever met," Royster said. He thinks lawyers, court staff, law enforcement officers, crime victims and even defendants all agree with this view.

"He is just a kind person," the chairman of the 23rd District Bar Association recalled the many relationships that Key had established with legal professionals in the region over the past 30 years. "You can see this when he is sitting on the bench."

Denise Pardue, another local lawyer, also made similar comments.

"Judge Spencer G. Key Jr. is true for many people," Pardue said in a Facebook post. "For many people, he is bright in the darkest hour."

Another local lawyer praised Ke's great wisdom, but also mentioned his quirks and relaxed manners, which can eliminate the drama of sometimes facing court cases.

Pardue mentioned this in her Facebook post to mourn Key:

"He always speaks nice things, or grins, maybe raises his eyebrows, snickers, sometimes it’s barbershop songs, sometimes rap songs, and some dance moves, more often it’s a happy laugh, and there is always a Kind heart," she said. Based on Key's death.

"This is a loss to his family, his church, his friends, our community, the benches and bars in Surrey/Stokes County, and all those who love him."

Key grew up in Pilot Mountain and graduated from East Surrey High School, where he received a scholarship from Wake Forest University.

After graduating from Wake Forest University, Key obtained a JD from the University of North Carolina, which paved the way for him to enter the legal field as a full-time lawyer in 1992.

He served as Assistant District Attorney from 1994 to 2000.

Key was last elected as a District Court judge in 2018 and would have been up for reelection in 2022.

This week, the process of filling the vacancy after his death is unclear, which may include special elections and the actions of Governor Roy Cooper.

"Ultimately, the governor will make an appointment," Royster said of replacing Key. "His departure will have a huge impact on the bars in our area."

Three other district court judges serve Surrey and Stokes counties, namely William Southern, Marion Boone and Tom Langan.

Among the survivors of Ki living in Mount Airy is his wife.

"Remember his wife Erica and his mother Shirley, because they are dealing with this heartbreaking loss," Padu wrote on Facebook.

The clerk of the Surrey County Court Office issued an announcement conveying the impact that the judge’s professional relatives also felt: "Our court family members are heartbroken at the loss of respected District Court Judge Spencer Key Jr.."

Pardue said: "Pray to all those who are saddened by those who have been lost today."

"He will miss it very much."

The Mount Airy Public Library will be closed on Thursday and Friday November 25th and November 26th due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

New version from Mount Airy Public Library:

Tannery – Michael A. Almond (local writer)

The Last Shadow-Orson Scott Card

Dark Hour-Michael Connery

The last thing he told me-Laura Dave

The game begins: The Seductive Twenty-Eight-Janet Ivanovich

The Joy and Light Bus Company – Alexander McCall-Smith

Santa Claus suit-Mary Kay Andrews

Laurel Springs Song-Janet Beard

The library story time is open to anyone who wants to join us. Adults must wear masks. Bilingual story time for children at 4 pm on Monday-listening to English and Spanish stories); 10:30 am on Wednesday for children aged 2 and 3 years old; reservations for children born to 2 years old at 9:30 am on Thursday Babies; born in preschool at 11 o'clock on Thursday morning, preschool story time.

Surrey Community College offers fun and free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at the Mount Airy Public Library from Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

Hooked-Join our crochet club at 3pm every Wednesday. Bring your own yarn and make a group project or bring your own project to work.

Tai Chi returned to the library. Joining us every Friday at 10 am This course is beneficial for people with limited mobility.

This is Yoga You-Yoga with Ms. Heather will be held at 10:30 am on November 20th

The classic movie Monday returns on the last Monday of the month, starring Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton and Shirley Temple in "I Will See You".

Due to the Christmas holiday, the Community Book Club will meet on the third Wednesday of December at 1pm. At this conference, we will invite speaker, author Calvin Vaughn and editor Heather Elliot to talk about their book Life On MAin.

Lace-The Romance Readers Book Club will meet at 6pm this Tuesday. The book selected in October is Minerva Spencer's "Notorious". There are photocopies on the desk.

Friends of the Library Annual Autumn Book Fair-Come Monday to participate in the last day of the book fair. Today is shopping bag day. Fill a grocery bag for $2. Provide bags.

Carol McDowell has donated the handmade quilt to the Northwest Territories Library System for use as a prize in the raffle. We and our sister library will sell a lottery ticket for $1 and a lottery ticket for $6 for $5. The proceeds will be used to purchase e-books in the region. Tickets are on sale now, you can go to the library to buy tickets to see pictures of quilts. The draw time is November 24th.

Shop at Scholastic Book Fair from November 29th to December 4th. The exhibition will be open during normal library opening hours. For children from preschool to middle school, there will be many options. Books are the perfect gift or stocking filler. Gift packaging is available upon request.

Cookies with Santa-December. 21 o'clock 4 o'clock in the afternoon, share stories and cookies with Santa Claus. You can also take a photo with Santa Claus.

Learn about all events on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

The homeless waited for the long nights of homelessness, and as winter approached, shelter space continued to be lacking. For single men, there are not many options to choose from-so they do it themselves.

Ann and Jim Simmons have some ideas about this matter, and have heard calls to realize these ideas.

Since 2003, local women and families can seek refuge in the Shepherd’s House. The Shepherd’s House broke ground in 2018, expanding the number of beds from 18 to 48. This is something to celebrate.

As Executive Director Mary Boyles pointed out in a statement at the time, “The Shepherd’s House is the only homeless shelter in the four counties. We urgently need to improve our service capabilities.” Focus on women and families This leaves a gap that other organizations have been trying to bridge.

Then, social distancing and stay-at-home orders interfered with daily life; in general, few people were not affected in some way. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many citizens and charities to also close their businesses.

Mount Airy Rotary Club listened to Simmons' opinions, and Ann emphasized some of the actions she thought of. She assessed what her team needs now to launch The Mount Airy Men's Shelter.

"We were called to serve," Simmons told the Rotary Club, and her team chose a location for the "hotel room" this winter.

"We are going to buy this property. This is a church plot. The priest will retire in December. The price is very reasonable," Simmons explained their target location on Worth Street. "The property also has a two-bedroom vicarage, which we will use for families and women."

Circumstances beyond their control, such as the uncertainty of renovations, upgrades, and special licenses, mean that the location has expired. With their initiative, Simmons' team needs space most.

The lack of housing for the homeless in winter often leads them to seek shelter and warmth as much as possible. Sometimes, this may mean entering the business secretly as a customer, as described in the meeting.

As the general manager of the Hampton Inn Mount Airy, Lenise Lynch had to deal with the emotions of seeing the need and not being able to help. "There are many people in our community who are homeless. They tried to sleep in our lobby area or our stairwell, and we had to ask them to leave. There was no choice."

Hearing Lynch’s description, Jim cheered up immediately, “Call us and we will open the door - we will come and get it for you.” Lynch expressed her gratitude to Simmons for the new project, right This level of participation is needed.

There is a desire to serve Simmons, but they need help to make things go smoothly. In the past few years, the First Presbyterian Church has been hosting a room in a hotel. Given that this is a shared space, concerns about the spread of COVID have prevented this spread. Fortunately, Mount Airy Men's Shelter is the beneficiary of this change, as they inherited the crib and bed sheets that were used there before.

In the cold months that followed, Simmons needed a place to put the crib she already had. Ideally, a space in a church such as a fellowship hall is ideal, but any facility with a kitchen and toilet will do. "It doesn't have to be a church; it may be in the lobby of a country club. It just needs to be in the city."

Simmons' long-term goals look different because she believes that she needs to work with men to help change the situation, not just the location. Simmons has discussed this issue with Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland, and discussed it in speeches with groups such as Rotary Club.

"We will have to participate and spend time with these people. We want to provide them with an AA or NA meeting to listen to speakers who have overcome and succeeded," Simmons told the organization. "We want to provide women with options, and maybe a room suitable for families. We don't want to reject anyone."

Lynch saw the impact of cold and hunger on men. "I am grateful that we will have a place to recommend to these people. I hope Mrs. Simmons has good luck in helping these people and working hard to build a healthier community."

Residents can help Mount Airy Men's Shelter in many ways, the most notable being the placement of rooms in hotels in January and February. Financial contributions can be made to this 501(c)(3) organization and, like any shelter, supplies will be required. Simmons compiled a list of items, from toiletries and clothes to kitchen utensils for cooking.

Volunteers can also help in the shelter itself, as they need help while preparing meals, cleaning up, transporting, and when someone is sitting with overnight guests.

Some donations will be worthless, but it means the whole world, "The most important thing is that we need your prayers and hope that God can touch life and provide support to achieve this mission."

For more information, please contact: Mount Airy Men's Shelter @ 336-708-5777, and Mens2021Shelter@gmail.com.

Residents living in Mount Airy and its surrounding areas can learn about their risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and other serious chronic diseases by participating in the upcoming medical examinations of Life Line Screening.

Cross Creek Country Club will host this community event on December 1st at 1129 Greenhill Road, Mount Airy.

· The degree of plaque buildup in the arteries is related to the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and overall vascular health.

· High-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels

· Bone density is the risk of osteoporosis

· Kidney and thyroid function, etc.

The package starts at US$149, but the consultant will work with the client to create a suitable package based on age and risk factors. Call 1-877-237-1287 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com. Need to register in advance.

The Surrey Arts Council will transfer funds from the North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Art Project to Surrey County non-profit organizations that provide art programs. Sub-funding applications are available online at www.ncarts.org.

Applications must be received at the Surrey Arts Council office by 5 pm on Friday, December 10. The award notification will be issued on or before December 31.

Applications can be mailed to the Surry Arts Council, PO Box 141, Mount Airy, NC 27030, emailed to rj@surryarts.org, faxed to 336-786-9822, or sent by the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street.

If you have any questions about this application, please call 336-786-7998 or send an email to tanya@surryarts.org.

For those who have considered running for local public office, 2022 may be an important year. There are more than 20 local public offices to run for—not to mention some state and professional positions that will be opened.

The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce will soon hold a seminar to learn more about the conditions required to run and hold public office.

The seminar named Candidate 101 is scheduled to be held at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Mount Airy from 5:30 pm to 7 pm on December 1st.

Randy Collins, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, said: "The effort is to educate people and show that if you plan to operate here, that's what's involved."

"We have two experts to speak. Michella Huff will go through the paperwork, filing, national and local requirements mechanisms," he said. Huff is the director of the Surrey County Election Commission.

"We want to invite a former elected official who can tell based on his experience how to organize a campaign, how to conduct a campaign, and what I call the good, bad and ugly public service. What you need to prepare for should you be elected and serve on a public body."

The speaker is scheduled to be Larry Phillips, a former member of the Surrey County Council.

"The Candidate 101 seminar is a bipartisan event and is not affiliated with any candidate or political party," the Chamber of Commerce said when announcing the event. "The purpose of the seminar is to educate individuals who may be considering running for local or state government office, currently or in the future."

"I think people want to serve their communities and this is one way they do it," Collins said of running for office. "For some people, having to walk around and knock on the door is a very scary situation. It has a fundraising element and you have to raise money to pay for the campaign.

"With financial disclosures, you have to let people know how your campaign funds will be used, not to mention your own personal financial disclosures, to ensure that everything is done in an honest, open, and transparent manner," he said of seeking an office.

He said that the seminar is a way for people to learn all the knowledge that may be involved, let them master the knowledge, and help them decide whether to run, and how to do it if they want to run.

"It's free," he said of the party. "It's really open to anyone who wants to run. Maybe not this year, maybe a few years later they are considering running for commissioner seats or school board seats."

This will be the second such seminar held by the Chamber of Commerce. Collins stated that the Chamber of Commerce held its first such event in 2019. Marie Wood was involved, and since then, she has successfully campaigned for a seat on the Mount Airy Committee.

"The Chamber of Commerce will conduct it as a non-partisan and unrelated educational activity. People should not worry about them being recruited in any way. This is really an educational activity. We invite people to come out and understand what is involved. We hope to be able to There is a group of people attending."

"There will be some important elections in 2022. We hope that people will learn about all this and join us."

Among the local offices opened in 2022, there are three seats on the county committee, the county and Airy Mountain School Board, the Mayor of Airy Mountain, and three seats on the committee. The mayor and two board seats will be opened in Pilot Mountain and Dobson, and there will be a three-person team for the Elgin Commissioner and the school board. For a complete list of local offices open for elections, please visit the Surrey County Election Commission website https://www.co.surry.nc.us/departments/(a_through_j)/board_of_elections/index.php

In order to participate in the candidate seminar, the Chamber of Commerce requires people to register on the Chamber of Commerce website www.mtairyncchamber.org, click on "Activities", and then click on "Candidate 101". Questions about the event can be emailed to Collins: randy@mtairyncchamber.org.

Surrey County has issued the following marriage certificates:

– Paul Frances Miller (39-year-old) in Surrey County and Heather Jean Willoughby (36-year-old) in Surrey County.

– Casey Drew Bowman, 31, of Forsyth County, and Jodi Lynn Willford, 36, of Surrey County.

– Robert Lawrence Schupp Jr., 63, Surrey County, Peggy Maureen Spinelli, Surrey County, 67.

– Brian James Rector, 31, Surrey County, and Justine Kamille Gillian Jackson, 30, Surrey County.

– Jackson Cramer Smith, 23, in Surrey County, and Caroline Grace Westmoreland, 25, in Surrey County.

– Samuel Gordon Hall, 33, in Wilkes County, to Kelly Jo Wyatt, 33, in Wilkes County.

– Kris Brian Slavey, 50, Surrey County, and Carrie Ann Sturgil, 47, Surrey County.

– Samuel Lee Barker, 25, of Wilkes County, to Jessica Rae Eldridge, 21, of Surrey County.

After voting in early October to designate $295,000 in city funding for a series of downtown projects, the Mount Airy Commission has completed the transaction.

The board of directors voted unanimously in favor of the budget amendment to actually provide funding at a meeting on Thursday night.

Its goal is to update the master plan of the city center; the public toilets in the 400 block of North Main will be installed in the municipal parking area between Brannock and Hiatt Furniture and Old North State Winery;

In addition, improvements to outdoor spaces centered on public art, including large-scale Andy Griffith murals on the walls of Brannock and Hiatt Furniture, and further work on the alleys of Melwa, now include the late local singer Mel Wall murals in Houston; public alley improvements involving sanitation and safety camera programs, a key component of which is to resurface an alley on Oak Street and implement sanitation solutions there; and new banners on main streets and market streets.

The total price of these projects is estimated at US$592,000. The Mount Airy Downtown Inc. group has agreed to use income from the special municipal service area tax levied on central business district owners to provide $297,00 of this.

Some Mount Airy officials are cautious about allocating such a huge amount of city funds, not knowing where the funds will come from to cover the costs.

The action on Thursday night authorized the withdrawal of funds from the city's fund balance, also known as surplus or savings.

However, officials hope that this can be made up for by the $3.2 million allocated to Mount Airy in the Federal U.S. Rescue Program Act passed earlier this year, and the permitted uses of the Act are still being studied by city staff.

The budget regulation amendment passed on Thursday earmarked funds for downtown improvements initially as part of the agreed agenda, in which items deemed routine were grouped together to be approved by a single vote minus discussion.

However, at the request of Commissioner Tom Koch, a project to update the downtown master plan was moved to the regular agenda to allow such discussions.

He mentioned an initial arrangement that required the city government to pay US$75,000, of which the renewal fee totaled US$125,000 and Mount Airy Downtown Inc. Group provided US$50,000.

The city center plan will modernize the previous plan in 2004 and will include identifying development opportunities in the city center to guide public and private investment in a cost-effective manner; public parking solutions; traffic flow analysis and possible changes, such as Remove the traffic lights along the North Avenue to make them two-way instead of one-way, and bury overhead power lines.

Koch pointed out that the actual cost of the planned update—implemented by Benchmark, which already provides internal planning services to the municipality—was listed as $67,000.

The board members recommended adjusting the city’s capital investment to match the percentage of the original cost-sharing arrangement with Mount Airy’s city center, and questioned the accuracy of all project costs.

Lizzie Morrison, the main street coordinator who was associated with organizations working to improve the central business district and attended the meeting on Thursday night, provided an explanation.

Morrison informed the city council members that the city center organization had committed its share as promised.

"To date, we have spent $50,000 on planning documents for the downtown area," she said. Morrison added that the difference of $8,000 between the actual cost of the update of the city's master plan and earlier estimates will be used to further cover such costs.

"Kill it to death"

After Morrison's speech, Commissioner Mary Wood, who had asked for budget amendments to specify the share of city funds to be included on Thursday night's agenda, said that it was enough.

"I think it's time to vote on this," Wood said of the issues discussed at multiple meetings, although the theoretical approval was passed with a 3-2 vote in early October.

Wood is a board member of Mount Airy Downtown Inc. and of course the liaison between the city government and the group. She said she trusts its financial planning.

"They won't spend money that they can't prove and fit the category," Wood added. "So I think it's time for us to vote on this and stop resolving it and bring it up and beat it to death."

"I didn't know they had spent $50,000," Koch responded when referring to downtown Mount Airy, and he was satisfied with Morrison's explanation.

Subsequently, he voted for a motion made by Wood to actually provide city funding.

Raleigh, North Carolina (Associated Press) - After veteran Rep. GK Butterfield announced this week that he will not seek re-election, U.S. Democratic Senate candidate Erica Smith has switched to a congressional seat in northeastern North Carolina.

Smith's campaign updated the Federal Election Commission's organizational documents late on Friday, indicating that she is now running for the redrawn second congressional district seat.

Smith is a former state senator. He trailed Carl Cunningham in second place in the 2020 Democratic U.S. Senate primary. She entered the 2022 Democratic field very early, but was easily defeated in the campaign of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and current state Senator Jeff Jackson. Smith described himself as the most progressive candidate in the primaries.

Butterfield's announcement on Thursday that he will not run for election in 2022 will give Smith a potential landing site in an area including her home in Northampton County. Late Friday, phone calls or text messages to Smith and her campaign office, and emails to her campaign manager were not immediately responded. Applications for formal candidates for the primaries on March 8 will begin on December 6.

In his retirement video, Butterfield, who has served in Congress since 2004, criticized the Republican Party for redistricting electoral districts because it drew an excessive partisan map, and declared that it was time to "pass the torch on to people with the same values ​​as the region." ".

Butterfield, the former leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, usually wins by a considerable advantage in his rural areas, which usually contains most black counties. But the recently redrawn map of the US House of Representatives in North Carolina puts him in a tossing position, which makes it difficult for any Democrat to win.

Smith's move also shaken the Senate election, especially Smith's supporters must decide who they will be loyal to before the primary election.

Democratic State Senator Don Davis, representing Pitt and Green Counties, has expressed interest in succeeding Butterfield and said on Thursday that he will share more information about his future plans "in due course."

Sandy Smith, a Republican in Pitt County, lost to Butterfield by 8 percentage points in the 2020 general election. He is already seeking a Republican nomination in the region.

The second district promulgated covers all or part of the 18 counties, extending from Washington County in the east to Caswell County inland.

Raleigh, North Carolina (Associated Press) - On Friday, a judge postponed because a key participant in a North Carolina absentee ballot fraud case must report a crime involving welfare fraud to a federal prison because of the defendant’s health.

Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. of Braden County was supposed to report to the South Carolina jail before December 1 and serve six months in prison, but his lawyer asked for it to be postponed to April 1 because of his Health problems are getting worse. U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle approved the extension.

According to documents submitted to the Federal Court earlier this week, Dawlis was in his 60s and suffered a stroke in August and learned earlier this month that he may have lung cancer. His lawyer wrote that he needed time to make follow-up medical appointments to determine his course of care.

Boyle pleaded guilty in June to obtain illegal social security benefits while concealing his remuneration for political work. He sentenced Dawless in early September.

These allegations are closely related to the state government's broader investigation into illegal absentee voting activities in the 2016 general election and the 2018 primary and 2018 elections-the authorities have listed Dawlis as the main figure.

Dowless was charged with 13 state crimes in the case, including obstruction of justice, possession of absentee ballots and perjury.

The State Election Commission conducted an investigation into the 2018 9th Congressional District elections, when Dawlis worked for the then Republican candidate Mark Harris, which caused the commission to abandon the results and order a new election. No charges were made against Harris, who did not participate in subsequent elections.

When appearing in the Wake County Superior Court on Monday, Dawless rejected a plea agreement offered by District Attorney Lorraine Freeman, which required him to serve a year in prison, half of which will be executed concurrently with his federal term. The judge set the trial date as August next year.

Freeman said in court that the guilty plea proposal will continue until November 30, probably the day before Dawlis will enter the Salters prison in South Carolina.

Freeman said in a telephone interview later on Friday that the deadline will remain unchanged. She said she might discuss with Dowless's lawyers whether the trial can now be held before his new April report date.

In a court hearing on Monday, Dawless’s recent medical challenge was relayed to High Court Judge Keith Gregory, who asked him and Freeman to continue to understand the situation.

The long-awaited passage of the Raleigh State budget was welcomed domestically because it included funding for projects in Mount Airy and the local airport.

"As part of this good news, there are several good things that will help our community move forward," Mayor Ron Niland announced Thursday night during the general comments at the end of the city council meeting.

These projects include the replacement of the aging utility lines in Mount Airy, the restoration of the Ararat River and the terminal and taxiway works at the Mount Airy-Surry County Airport.

According to data released on Thursday night on city projects and Friday’s airport information, the total amount of funds reserved for these needs in the NSW budget is approximately US$6.5 million.

Earlier Thursday, Governor Roy Cooper signed a spending plan deemed overdue, the first comprehensive state budget in three years. It should be in place by July 1.

North Carolina is the last state in the country that has not set a budget for this year. Thursday’s breakthrough came after Cooper and legislative leaders negotiated for several weeks.

According to state sources, the budget plans to spend $25.9 billion this year and $27 billion next year. Federal coronavirus relief assistance will also add billions of dollars.

Despite the delays, based on the appreciation comments made by the Mayor of Niland and Commissioner Steve Yokeley during the Mount Airy Committee meeting, local officials appeared to be satisfied with the final result.

Has the "time bomb" been removed?

Niland is particularly excited about the $1.5 million in grants in the budget to address the aging water supply and sewers in the city center and its surrounding areas.

Niland explained: "This is replacing the 80-year-old line that has been underground since almost the first line was put into use in the city."

For many years, aging underground utility pipelines have been a major problem for Airy Mountain, and a former official once called their existence a “time bomb” that threatened the city government.

State funding is for routes in some key areas.

"Our plan is to replace the water supply and sewer (along) Oak Street from Main Street to Market Street," explained Mitch Williams, director of public works, and then from Main Street to South Street on Franklin Street.

"This will basically complete all the groundwater lines needed for the reconstruction-no matter what happens long after I leave," Nilande said.

According to an earlier summary of capital needs, there will still be some utility needs in the city, which lists remote water supply and sewer repair projects totaling approximately US$4.3 million in fiscal year 2025-26 alone.

Overall, the new state budget includes $1.7 billion to improve water supply and sewers.

Another $650,000 is earmarked locally for repairing the eroded section of the Ararat River near Riverside Drive, where the Granite City Greenway is being expanded.

Although Niland said on Thursday that the funds will also fund the one-mile expansion of the urban greenway system, Darren Lewis, Director of Parks and Recreation/Interim City Manager, later stated that this may eventually be achieved through state funding.

But Lewis added that river restoration is currently the focus. Except for the project at hand, there are no plans to further expand the greenway, extending the 1.2-mile asphalt pathway north of Riverside Park to the SouthData Inc. area of ​​Technology Lane.

Mount Airy/Surry County Airport is a major beneficiary of state funding, with a total of US$4.4 million allocated for two different projects.

"In the state budget, we approved $2.9 million for the construction of the new terminal," airport manager George Crater revealed on Friday.

"We have received $1.5 million to complete the parallel taxiway," Crater added when talking about another project. "We are currently in the process of obtaining approval from the Ministry of Aviation."

The completion of completely parallel taxiways is a safety improvement. Parallel taxiways are usually aircraft paths that connect the runway with the apron, hangar, terminal and other facilities. This allows the aircraft to leave the runway faster, allowing other aircraft to land or take off in a shorter time.

"After approval, we plan to tender the project in early 2022," the airport manager said on Friday.

As for the new terminal, Crater has not yet received any official documents from the North Carolina Department of Aviation on the project timetable, but it is expected to proceed in 2022.

"As always, all of our schedules may be changed due to the delivery of materials and can easily be delayed by six months," he said. "I hope these two projects can be advanced as soon as possible."

The mayor of Nilan stated that whether the citizens are aware of this or not, the airport measures are economically important to the entire community.

"For most of us, it's a bit blind and unpleasant because we don't have airplanes and we don't fly airplanes," he admitted.

However, when it comes to American companies, "This is how they move around," Niland commented, noting that some local companies have business connections with remote areas of the country and must arrive quickly.

Neyland, along with representative Jon Cawley, represented the city on the management committee of the facility, and there are now seven business jets parked at the local airport.

Raleigh, NC (Associated Press) — Developers of COVID-19 treatments, champions of public school integration, folk musicians, and writers are among the nine newest recipients of North Carolina's highest civilian honor.

Governor Roy Cooper hosted the official award ceremonies for the 2020 and 2021 North Carolina Awards at an event held at the North Carolina Museum of Art on Thursday night. The award was established 60 years ago to recognize major contributions to the country and the country in multiple fields. Each recipient lives or works in North Carolina, or has previously lived or worked in North Carolina.

The 2020 winners are Dr. Francis Collins, Dean of the National Institutes of Health; Ralph Baric, a coronavirus researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Kizzmekia Corbett, a native of North Carolina, now teaching at Harvard University. All three were awarded for their work on COVID-19 vaccine and treatment.

This year’s winners include Dudley Flood, the winner of the Public Service Award, a former administrator of the Department of Public Education, dedicated to abolishing segregation in K-12 schools in the state; and David Holt, the winner of the Fine Arts Award, who is a character The Lamy Award-winning musician and storyteller emphasizes the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The literary prize was awarded to the teacher and historian Timothy Tyson, who is known for writing books on race and civil rights, including "Bloody Sign My Name", and long-time fashion writer and editor Andre Lay Ang Tali.

Another public service award winner in 2021 is Maria Spaulding, a government health, human services, and natural resource administrator who helped develop the North Carolina Zoo; this year’s science award winner is a professor at Duke University and the former Triangle Institute Researcher Blake Wilson, who helped develop the cochlear implant.

• According to Mount Airy Police Department, on Wednesday, a Siloam man was jailed with a $50,000 secured bond on felony charges involving the theft of vehicles and drugs.

John Lee Purvis, 31, from 185 Steve's Way, met a policeman at a traffic stop in the 300th block of South Franklin Road. He found a pending arrest warrant against him on charges of theft of a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. And change/destroy stolen car parts. These were released through the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office on September 21.

Purvis is also wanted for felony drug charges filed by Yadkin County authorities on September 28, including possession of Schedule II controlled substances and maintaining drug vehicles/houses. The cessation of traffic on Wednesday led to further charges of possession of Schedule II controlled substances, felony and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is scheduled to appear in Surrey District Court on November 29.

• Adam Wayne Cagle, 38, classified as homeless, was charged with second-degree trespass on Thursday because he was in a forbidden property. The location is not clear in the police records. Kagle faces a court date on December 20.

• On Monday, there was a theft in Dollar General on North Renfro Street when an unidentified suspect stole Cordova's gloves.

• Tammy Lee Willis, 59, who lives on 1259-D W. Lebanon St., is accused of driving damage and displaying false registrations during a traffic stop on the 2100 block of Riverside Drive on November 10th.

Willis was released with a $500 unsecured bond and will appear in the District Court on December 6.

The arrival of Turkey Day on Thursday will affect the health arrangements of Mount Airi.

This includes not collecting residential waste during the holiday itself, and the route on Thursday will be collected on Wednesday, only on the side of the road.

Residential routes on Wednesday will be collected as planned, only on the side of the road.

The routes normally served on Friday will run on the next Monday.

There will be no commercial waste collection on Thanksgiving or Friday.

At the same time, the industrial rolling routes for Thursday and Friday will be collected early on Wednesday.

Due to the chaotic schedule, there will be no yard garbage collection next Monday.

To celebrate Thanksgiving, the city office will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

MOUNT AIRY-Surrey Bancorp's (pink list: SRYB) board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 10.5 cents per share for the company's common stock.

The cash dividend will be paid on January 10 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 17. According to Ted Ashby, President/CEO of Surrey Bancorp, dividends are based on the company's operating performance, strong financial position and commitment to creating value for shareholders.

Surrey Bancorp is the bank holding company of Surrey Bank & Trust, located at 145 North Renfro Street, Mount Airy. The bank has full-service branches at 145 North Renfrow Street and 2050 Rockford Street in Airy Hill, and a limited-service branch at 1280 West Pine Street in Airy Hill. Full-service branches are also located at 653 South Key Street in Pilot Mountain, CC Camp Road 393 in Elgin, 1096 Main Street in North Wilkesboro, and 940 Woodland Drive in Stewart, Virginia.

Surrey Bank & Trust can be found online at www.surreybank.com.

About five years ago, on January 5, 2017, the lives of Myra and Nathan Edwards changed forever.

Their son Bentley came into this world, a baby boy bouncing around. At least they think so.

Two days later, when the young couple was about to leave the hospital to take their son home, an alert nurse noticed that not everything was all right, although she could not fully understand it.

"Some things make me look down on," Myra recalled, the nurse said before taking Bentley to the neonatal intensive care unit for an examination. There, little Bentley had a seizure, and hospital staff discovered that he had a childhood stroke at birth.

He was transferred to the Brenner Children's Hospital, where doctors confirmed that he had suffered severe brain damage.

"On the (MRI) image, the doctor showed us the dead part of the Bentley brain," Myra Edwards said.

The doctor then prepared the couple for what they called the future-taking care of Bentley for life, his brain damage was so severe that he would never be able to take care of himself.

“Based on the damaged parts, Bentley’s left side will have movement problems like cerebral palsy, his left side will be weaker, he may have developmental delays, and some visual impairments,” she said.

Interestingly, no one explained this to Bentley. In the next few days, he behaved to a large extent like a child without a stroke-eating well, acting alert, acting, and growing up like a baby in the first few days of his life.

In the end, they were able to take Bentley home, even though he had been receiving regular care at home and outpatient clinics for 18 months, when his medical team decided it was time to stop treatment.

"They said,'We really have nothing to do for this kid, he doesn't need us,'" Edwards said recently when recalling Bentley's early treatment. "They said,'His progress is faster than a kid his age should be.'"

Edwards clarified that-the doctors are not saying that he is ahead of their expectations for stroke victims of the same age, but that he is ahead of the normal development of any healthy child.

"Bentley is great, we call him our miracle baby," she said. "He is very cute, very affectionate, and very caring. He loves sports, he loves girls, and bless him as a man with a little woman. There is no sports problem, no vision problem, only a normal toddler, he will pick him Something you want to hear."

Edwards said that it was their faith that helped them through the dark days of worrying about Bentley's health and future.

"As soon as they tell us, we do our best to pray," she said of the first time the doctor broke the news to them. "There is nothing we can do. We just need to let go and let God. I know this sounds like a cliché, but that's all we can do."

It is this belief and their understanding of pediatric stroke that prompted them to hold an annual fundraising event to benefit pediatric stroke patients and help a local child who is waiting for a kidney transplant this year.

Last weekend, the couple hosted Stand With Bentley in the barn of Dobson Heritage Farm. This is the third such incident—it should have been the fourth, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 version was cancelled.

Myra Edwards said that the purpose of this gathering was twofold—to raise awareness about strokes in children and to raise funds to help pay for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital summer camp held in Durham every summer to "help children with hemiplegia." cost of.

However, this year, Myra said they decided to change their focus and raise funds for the local 2-year-old Zoe Hall, who was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, congenital nephrotic syndrome.

At first, Edwards said that she and her husband were not sure what they would do, other than keeping the proceeds there.

"We don't know who we are going to give it to, but we want to keep it locally... When we experienced our struggles, we had a huge support system... Now we want to be a support system for others."

They began to plan events—Standing with Bentley: Pediatric Stroke Charity Event—still looking for recipients.

"Zoe Hall suddenly appeared in my mind," she said. "Her mother goes to school with me." She said that she and Zoe's mother were not very close, but they knew each other and she knew about Zoe.

"God put this lovely girl on our hearts," she explained. "Zoe is not a pediatric stroke survivor, but she is a survivor herself. She is a fighter, a victor, and a miracle. When you see her, you will see the love of God."

Edwards said that this year people in the region really united to support this cause.

"This is our biggest year. We have more than 2,000 people."

She said that she has 60 craft suppliers on hand, as well as sponsor tables, five food trucks, and the Flying Hatchet troupe from Greensboro.

"They donated all the proceeds from the event directly to Zoe," Myra Edwards said. "We have a lot of suppliers donating their proceeds to Zoe. That's great."

The best news is that Zoe was unable to attend-because she finally reached the weight required for the transplant and received a new kidney a few days before Sunday's gathering in Dobson.

"We can face them, so she can see the crowd," Edwards said.

Although Zoe and her family were unable to talk—they were preparing for a possible discharge from the hospital this week—Edwards said everything was fine as of Wednesday.

"Zoe is a strong-willed, brave girl who loves life. She is full of love, laughter, playfulness and courage. Her parents are very grateful to our community for the love and support that we continue to show, and they thank everyone."

Located behind the Pike building next to the Mount Airy/Surry County Airport is a big operation. Its name is well-known, but many people find it difficult to pronounce. Whether it was a TruGreen spraying truck or the limbs of a familiar Asplundh worker who cut the power cord, the Altec Industries logo was splashed on the sides of all work trucks in the area.

As an important contributor to the local tax base and a major employer in the area, Altec has been family-owned in Birmingham, Alabama since 1929. The work fleet that the company relies on.

The Autotec plant in Mount Airy is a multi-unit operation, with several Autotec departments located under one roof. Ben Simmons, general manager of Mount Airy Operations, said that a campus has seven profit centers and space may be tight.

He made a comment during the Surrey County Commission’s last visit to the local facility.

Inside the cavernous facility, as the committee members were guided through the building, earphones and goggles adorn them. In the orderly workshop is the vehicle chassis waiting for components, and every worker has a job.

In Mount Airy, Altec is manufacturing spray trucks and cable haul trucks, but they are also finishing products manufactured elsewhere. The reverse is also true. "We usually can't send as many final assembly as we can manufacture on site," Griffin said. Distribution centers and manufacturing industries all over the country help them stay agile and responsive.

One of the two Altec service centers in North Carolina is also located here. Provide after-sales maintenance services, and even further upgrades or customizations can be completed here. "We try to surround our customers and provide them with everything they need," Griffin said. Trucks of any manufacturer can be modified, and as we all know, Altec can also repair competitors' trucks.

Weaving around four to five tall parts and Honeywell boxes, the trip lingered when a dozen adults lay on the windows of a huge paint machine so that they could see the paint dry . It seems that the surprise of big toys will not disappear with age.

For this reason, the description of the new powerful laser raised one or two eyebrows. Innovation is the key to industry leaders, so Altec has acquired and deployed a new 10kW laser that cuts at five times the current speed, which is worth noting.

Innovation also means the elimination of cattle, so over time, some locally produced product lines will be eliminated. As business needs are determined, their focus will shift to areas where the market drives business. Although Griffin pointed to their growth in overhead cable trucks and buried cables, Altec's future remains bright.

Commissioner Eddie Harris asked whether laying cables would damage Altec's business, because many towns in the county have problems with aging power systems, and overhead power lines are also one of the reasons for this problem.

Griffin admitted, "We wanted to know whether the cable machine would become irrelevant, but it didn't happen. With so many wires overhead, it will take a long time."

Commissioner Larry Johnson is very interested in Altec's future. Griffin described that they have permits on hand and are ready to "start moving dirt" during the expansion. Although they are busy, every inch of space in the facility is in use. Griffin plans to transfer some of his parts and distribution to another part of the park to free up more manufacturing space.

Having the workspace they need is essential to Altec's growth, but having the right employees is also essential. County Commissioner Van Tucker was curious about their relationship with Surrey Community College. SCC not only provides skills training in fields such as welding, but also provides "soft business skills" for managers and team leaders.

"The labor here is good for our needs," Griffin said of the local labor pool. Most of Altec's more than 200 employees are from Mount Airy, King and Winston-Salem, but it is estimated that 20-25% of the employees are from Southern Virginia. "It's great, I think we got a lot from them," he said of SCC.

Altek works in two shifts a day in their factory and is working hard to make their factory a worker-friendly environment. Factory manager Mike Reed said that employees can immediately tell the difference, “You don’t turn the wrench on the first day.” On the contrary, understanding the company’s culture and what it represents is the most important thing. "If you don't know who you are working for, you can't deliver."

Learning culture means appreciating the past, which shows customers that attention to quality is worthy of attention. The excellent personnel inspected before delivery use the spray truck, cable hauler, and chipper for stable cruise before delivery to the end user. There will be no surprises waiting to receive the new backyard excavator derrick from Altec.

The company said that when Altec trucks are off the assembly line, they can start working. TruGreen, Pike, Asplundh, Exelon Baltimore Gas & Electric or any customer they can have confidence in their newly purchased product, because people at Mount Airy or any other Altec location put them together.

Reid said that when implementing a model built around safety and customer satisfaction, everything else is "handled on its own."

Please keep this in mind, as the committee was told during their tour: the state where the company was born is not called "All-abama" but "Al-abama", so their company is Altec and not Alltec.

Dobson-This is not the election year for Mount Airy and Surry County, but 2021 will not be completely divorced from politics. The candidate application period will open early next month for various elections in 2022.

It started at noon on December 6 and ended at the same time at the Surrey County Election Commission office in Dobson on December 17.

This will lay the foundation for the primary elections that may be held in March and thus lay the foundation for the general elections in November 2022.

From a political perspective, next year will have additional significance for Mount Airy. The municipal vote in 2022 will be the first time in an even-numbered year after the state legislative action approves a local request to transfer city elections from odd-numbered elections.

That move added an extra 12 months to the terms of office holders elected to four-year terms in 2017, who otherwise would have faced voters in 2021.

In the upcoming municipal elections, the seats now held by Mayor Ron Niland and the three members of the Mount Airy Committee are in jeopardy.

These include North District Commissioner Jon Cawley, South District Commissioner Steve Yokeley, and the city's general board member Joe Zakescik. Zalescik was recently appointed to the unexpired term of the post, and the last election will be held in 2019.

State law states that a person appointed to a vacant board of directors will serve until the next municipal election, in this case 2022, at which time he or she can seek a full four-year term.

Zalescik stated that he intends to apply to run for a full term.

As the name suggests, general committee seats are open to residents from all over the city, as is the position of mayor.

Teresa Lewis, a former general committee member, publicly campaigned for mayor, including placing campaign signs throughout the town.

Commissioner Cawley stated in June that he would run for mayor in 2022, and Niland is expected to participate.

This will free up Cowley's seat in the North District, because he will not be able to seek the position of mayor and commissioner at the same time.

Residents must live in that ward to apply for a commissioner there.

During the last inspection, Commissioner Yorkley has not yet decided whether he will seek re-election in the Southern District, where candidates are also restricted by its borders.

According to a survey of local political insiders, the number of other job seekers may increase significantly in the coming weeks.

Those who throw their hats into the mayor’s ring must pay an application fee of $113, while the commissioner’s seat pays $96.

If three or more candidates apply for a specific seat in a non-partisan city election, a primary election is required, and the two with the most votes will be evenly divided in the general election in November next year.

A staff member of the election office said on Thursday that the preliminary election would be held on March 8 if necessary.

Along with parliamentary candidates, candidates for three seats on the Mount Airy Board of Education will submit applications in December, including District A and District B, and a general position.

The application period from December 6 to 17 also affects county government offices, including the office of Surrey Sheriff Steve Hiatt, who is now his first term.

Three seats on the Surrey County Council will also be part of the process, including the seat now held by Bill Gones in Mount Airy; Mark Marion in the Central District, who is the chairman of the board; and the Southern District Commissioner Eddie Harris.

The District 2, 3, and 4 seats of the Surrey County Board of Education also include the Surrey/Stokes District Attorney, the Court Clerk, and the three judges of Surrey and Stokes during the application period next month Seats are also included. The District 3 School Board Competition involves filling the unexpired term of the most recent vacancy caused by Early Coe's resignation.

The state offices involved include the local delegation to the North Carolina State Assembly, the 90th district seats in the House of Representatives, and the 36th district Senate seats.

Before November 5th, Surrey had two House districts, including the 90th district served by Rep. Sarah Stevens and Stokes County Rep. Kyle Hall (Kyle Hall). District 91 of the Hall). According to the Surrey Election Commission, this is only changed to District 90, which includes all areas in Surrey County and parts of Wilkes.

In the Senate, the county was previously included in Districts 30 and 45, served by Phil Berger and Deanna Ballard, respectively, but has now been changed to cover only the 36 Districts in Surrey, Yadkin, Wilkes, and Alexandria counties.

Although other candidates will submit applications in Dobson, candidates for district attorneys and judges must submit applications at the state election headquarters in Raleigh.

• According to a report from the Mount Airy Police Department, a Mayberry Mall store became a victim of a felony crime.

It happened at Enmar Accessories on Tuesday, when a known suspect exchanged $400 worth of stolen goods for cash. It is listed as a Dell Latitude computer hardware and software product.

In addition to the shopping mall business, the Millennium Charter College was listed as the victim of the last reported case that is still under investigation.

• The break-in and theft discovered last Saturday targeted Dusty's Car Wash in the 300th block of East Pine Street.

A coin-operated machine was forcibly entered and an undisclosed amount of money was stolen from it. The criminal target was a vacuum machine and also involved the loss of a propane cylinder and car cleaning wipes. The four metal latches of the vacuum machinery in the car wash were also damaged and sold for $60.

• The Aldi supermarket on State Street became the scene of the theft on November 9. The packaged ham, Tide washing powder box, Downy laundry fragrance booster and six AA batteries were classified as stolen. The losses totaled more than $25.

Ararat, Virginia-Christmas has not yet arrived, but community organizations in Patrick County have received some early gifts.

This involves a monetary donation made by members of the Ararat Ruritan Club at a meeting held at the 4711 Ararat Highway Clubhouse earlier this month.

According to information provided by Mary Dellenback Hill of the Ruritans Board of Directors, the money will help the mission of several groups to change the lives of community residents in need.

These include the Patrick County Food Bank, the County Rotary Club Backpacking Program, and work alone that provides services to residents of the Willis Gap and Ararat communities.

Representatives of these organizations are special guests at the recent conference. In addition to providing checks, they also provide covered dinners.

Ruritan held fundraising events during the year to enable them to support such community causes.

At the recent meeting, the new member of the Ararat Ruritan Club Ray Smith was also welcomed.

Amid all the fast-paced excitement of Christmas, one part of society-the elderly-sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, but an annual gift program was launched in Airy Mountain to help fill this gap.

The goal of the national "Being Santa Claus to Senior Citizens" campaign is for senior citizens. They may live a life of isolation, otherwise they would not receive any gifts at all. At the same time, it provides basic necessities that some people may not be able to afford in times of inflation.

"It's in progress now," Mary McHugh, a spokesperson for the effort here, said on Thursday. It is regularly led by the family alternative senior care in the local area to provide on-site services for this group of people.

Home Instead, work with non-profit organizations and community organizations to determine that elderly residents in the area can now benefit from the Mount Airy gift program. According to McHugh, it will last until December 3.

The mechanism for achieving this goal involves placing Christmas trees in different locations around the town, decorated with ornaments containing the names of seniors and gifts they want.

• Pages Books and Coffee, 192 N. Main St., Mount Airy;

• Belk at Mayberry Mall, 388 Frederick St.;

• CF Jones Restaurant, 976 W. Pine St;

• Goin' Postal at 707 W. Pine St.

Individuals only need to visit the holiday trees in the listed locations, select decorations, purchase the desired gifts, and then pack or unpack them and return them to the store with decorations.

The information provided by McHugh mentioned that blankets, adult diapers and toiletries are just some of the basic necessities on this year’s holiday wish list for seniors as part of this year’s plan. Other gifts can include clothes and common items to make your day full of energy.

Shoppers are encouraged to buy as many gifts as possible for the elderly, and these gifts will be delivered to the recipients in time during the holiday season.

Even with the pandemic raging, about 500 people will still receive assistance in the Mount Airy area in 2020, compared with more than 400 people in the previous year.

"We can meet the demand, which is great," McHugh added on Thursday.

This year, the coverage of the program has been expanded, and it is expected that approximately 600 people will benefit.

In addition to the physical aspect of the gift, the organizers said that the plan is a way to remind the elderly community to cherish them, while ensuring that the neglected elderly feel the warmth of the holiday again this year.

Van Lankford, the owner of the Home Also office that serves Surrey and surrounding counties, believes this can help eliminate holiday depression. He said that small acts of kindness can have a big impact in this regard.

Lankford said in a statement: "During the pandemic, we have all experienced feelings of loneliness, and the elderly are at a particularly high risk of being isolated."

“Santa Claus who has become an elderly person shows to the elderly in our community that they are valued and considered during the holidays,” he further said. "Finding ways to care and support each other is now more important than ever, and we thank the community for participating every year."

The Jones School Project invited many speakers to speak at the Surrey County Committee meeting during the public forum this week. The board of directors heard the opinions of graduates who wish to keep school property in their local hands and another service provider currently renting out space at the Jones Resource Center.

At the core of the problem is the fate of the former Jones School, which operated as an all-black school in the last century. After making a decision on its fate in July, the county government is trying to sell the property of the former Jones School. Aging buildings require extensive repairs, and "high maintenance costs" bring potential sales.

County manager Chris Knopf introduced to the board members their different options for handling the remaining assets. Community members are interested in keeping the historic black school in the hands of the community, rather than watching it be sold. The building has been listed for sale, and although the offer is being accepted, no offer has been made yet.

"This will not be a fast process," Knoff said. "No matter what happens, we will be very careful and deliberate, and will consider as many opinions as possible according to our needs."

As the roof, boiler and windows of the Jones High School building need to be replaced soon, and the asbestos is reduced, the current physical state of the building is worrying. Knopf cautioned that if local groups have ownership, the cost will fall on them, because the county simply can't afford the maintenance costs for aging buildings.

Each committee member talked about the historical importance of the school to the communities it serves and its architectural significance. The board of directors agreed that more information about public-private partnerships should be sought. One of the models is the tax credit housing project, which can transform schools into residential use.

City Attorney Ed Woltz also told the board that if a public-private partnership model is adopted, the county may have the opportunity to sign the terms of an agreement with the new owner. Being able to comment on the future of the building without having to record the cost on the county’s ledger is interesting for the board of directors.

Woltz said that it has also reached an agreement with the Jones alumni group that owns the auditorium. These agreements need to be communicated to the new owner, and such regulations can be included in the sales agreement.

The Jones Resource Center is a new use for multiple county-level organizations such as YVEDDI and Smart Start. Knopf said it is too early to know the fate of these services, but the county will help pay for the relocation if needed.

"We will not kick anyone out in the cold," Commissioner Larry Johnson said of the current services of the Jones Resource Center. He said he had just rented the wheelchair his wife needed using the service he found there recently. "There is no crazy urge. This is still in the early stages; we need to think about this."

The most important statement for the participating communities came from Chairman Mark Marion, "We all want to protect this building, and we have not lost our attention to it."

RidgeCrest is the Mount Airy Advanced Living Center and will provide regional high school graduates up to $2,500 in cash rewards for their graduate programs in the annual Silver Pen Writing Competition.

The competition usually requires eligible students to write an essay on a topic chosen by Senior Living Communities, the parent company of RidgeCrest.

This year's writing competition will focus on "How can extracurricular projects such as music, art, clubs and/or sports teams benefit your education and personal growth? If they are taken away, how do you think it will affect the education system?"

Wendy Guy, Executive Director of RidgeCrest, said: "The Silver Pen Scholarship is an excellent opportunity for our members to connect with the local community and support these talented students.

The members of Ridgecrest formed the Silver Pen Committee to select the topic of the paper, evaluate the content of the submission, and award three awards.

"Our members enjoy the responsibility this game brings," Gay said. "For them, this is a unique and meaningful way to give back to students who have worked hard and demonstrated their writing skills in submitting papers."

The submission deadline is February 11, and the winners will be announced in the spring of 2022. According to the Silver Pen website, the winner will receive $2,500, the second place will receive $750, and the third place will receive $500. For complete rules and submission of papers, please visit www.silverpen-slc.com/

Shoals elementary school fifth grade students recently launched a campaign and prepared speeches to show the students that they hope to get their votes in the student union election.

The corridors are full of campaign posters, asking students to vote for their favorite candidate. The candidate gave his speech on the Google Meet morning announcement.

Meadowview Magnet Middle recently recognized eight school-wide science fair winners.

The 6th grade winners are Dare King and Parker Slate for their project "Exposure the Truth!"; Audrey Collins' "Water and Water", Carden Ward's "Quick Seed" and Rosalie Wilders' " Which propeller produces energy more efficiently?"

The seventh grade winners are Ryland Taylor's "Play Your Heart Out", Bailey Ray's "How to Mow Faster" and Emmae White's "Erosion and Stormwater Management" project.

The winner will participate in the Regional Science Fair to be held on November 23.

In order to help local children and teenagers have a wonderful Christmas, they may not have a happy Christmas, Surrey County Marine Corps Unit 1322 Detachment "Children's Toys" activity is underway.

Throughout the county, the organization has distributed familiar white toy boxes where people can put down new toys and give them to children in needy areas for Christmas. For people who dare not show up in public due to COVID-19, the organization has a way for individuals to help.

"Because of COVID is still active in our county... a lot of people are still shopping remotely," said Toys for Tots coordinator Debbie King. "Last year, we tried drive-through toys and it worked very well."

This year, she said that there will be three such drop-offs, the first is this Saturday, November 20th, from 9 am to 3 pm

"We will be at the corner of Highway 601 and Forest Drive," she said. "A friendly face will greet every car and remove any toys that anyone or family members want to donate to the unfortunate children in Surrey County."

Individuals who donate toys never need to leave their vehicles.

The delivery time of other non-contact toys is scheduled to be from 9 am to 3 pm on December 4th, at the farmer's market near Dobson Atkins Street and the Cousin Gary parking lot near Key Street in Pilot Hill.

King said: "I learned from reliable sources that Santa will try to participate in all three activities."

Even with a bit of Santa’s magic, she said last year was full of challenges because of the pandemic. She said that the group was able to collect or purchase nearly 4,900 toys, "which is half less than the toys we usually collect or buy." Despite this, the organization was still able to help 950 regional children, compared with more than 1,300 in the previous year.

She said that once the Salvation Army closes its application registration, Toys for Tots will open applications from regional families, although online applications are now active.

"Last year, Tots for Tots applicants increased by 250%," she said. "Every family that signs with Toys for Tots in 2020 will receive a book, an education project for each school-age child, a game, and then a few other items. We hope to do this again this year."

Tots for Tots also provides toys to other charities in the area. The Salvation Army, other ministries, several churches, the Easter seal, and the Dobson Children’s Home are all agencies that the organization provides help.

"We also helped the police department and security department in the county town," she said. Tots for Tots is a 501 (3)c charity organization. For every dollar donated, she said that 96 cents will be used to buy toys, and the rest will be used to buy batteries and bags to place each child's toys.

She said that in addition to personal donations, Toys For Tots also received support from local businesses.

"This year, we have some repeat customers organizing fundraising events for us. Jason Detailing is one of them. Talley's Custom Framing Shop is holding a lucky draw again this year. They are drawing a lottery for homemade rocking horses, pictures of Santa Claus with lanterns and a carousel in their hometown. Tickets are $5 for one time and $20 for five times.

"Four car dealers in our area are participating in the Fill Truck Challenge," she said, listing Mount Airy Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Fiat; Mount Airy Toyota; Simon Snison; and Kevin Powells Foothills Ford participating.

"We are trying to challenge freight companies to donate. William E. Smith has been donating to Toys for Tots for the past five years. Insteel Manufacturing, Eagle Carports, Surry Communication, etc., will never fail to donate to Toys for Tots. Donate, we thank every donor."

For more information, please visit mount.airy.nc@toysfortots.org, or the group’s Facebook page Toysfortots SurryCounty. For those who may need help from Toys for Tots this year, online applications will be accepted until noon on December 13

A clear sign that Christmas is coming is the Airy Mountain Christmas Parade, which is scheduled to pass through the center of Airy Mountain on November 27th.

James Easter was selected as the local marshal to officially start Christmas activities. Easter is an old local businessman who runs a music store on North Avenue and is also a member of the popular bluegrass gospel band The Easter Brothers.

In 2020, COVID-19 has led to a limited drive-in parade in Mount Airy, without floats or other units participating, but this year the organizers will return to the traditional format.

However, one major difference between the 2021 event scheduled for November 27th and the parades of the past few years is its timing.

"This will be a night parade," Phil Marsh, president of the Downtown Business Association, who led the event, said on Tuesday. "We will leave the Veterans (Memorial) Park at 5 pm", and the parade is expected to reach the Central Business District in about 30 minutes.

The evening parade concept was first tried in 2019, and the organizers explained at the time that it represented a desire to “try new things”. No one remembers when the last night parade was held in Mount Airy. If any, the annual event is usually held on the first Saturday morning after Thanksgiving.

After trying it in 2019, this belated idea was put on hold. "Everyone likes that," Marsh recalled the change.

"A lot of people want to start a night parade," he said of the businessmen and others in the city center, "and there are a lot of participants."

One reason the night parade is so popular is that floats can be decorated with lights, perform better in the dark, and create a more visual experience than unlit decorations.

"Doing this at night is really more like Christmas," Marsh said.

So far, about 35 entries have lined up for the upcoming event, and more entries are expected.

Parade application and rules are available at http://www.mountairydowntown.org/christmas-parade.html

Applications can be mailed to the Downtown Business Association, P.O. Box 535, Mount Airy, NC, 27030. You can also mail your application to Mount Airy Visitor Center, 200 N. Main St. in the city center.

Parades usually feature floats sponsored by businesses, clubs, churches, and other organizations, including floats operated by Santa Claus; local high school bands; costumed characters; public safety vehicles; local dignitaries; unusual vehicles; and other items .

Approximately 100 people participated in the last regular parade in 2019.

The raining date on November 28 (Sunday) has been set for the event, and it will also depart from the Veterans Memorial Park at 5 pm

On Monday night, an unusually large crowd gathered to participate in the regular meetings of the Surrey County Committee. The committee’s agenda included a recognition event for emergency services in Surrey County, a speech by the Mayor of Mount Airy, Ron Niland, on the Spencer Mill project, and discussions on potential new historic facilities in the county .

The members of Surrey County Emergency Services, from paramedics to on-site training officials, were brought to the board of directors in recognition of their “high integrity and outstanding service” to the citizens of Surrey County in saving lives.

"When I talk about our paramedics, we are very proud of the paramedics in Surrey County," said Mark Marion, chairman of the board. "I said it before, and I will say it again, when you call 911 in Surrey County, you know the best is coming. You know they are on their way."

Those recognized for their efforts to save lives this year are:

Five saves: Scott Gambier, Katie Cooper, Mark Vogler, Chris Delane, Heather Poindexter, Ryan Bolato, Ted Radford, Zach Murphy, Casey Perkins, David Whitfield, Luke Stevens, Larkin Booker, Taylor Dolly and Austin Holloway.

Ten saves: William Wall, Justin Jarrell, Kastin Dixon, Corey Carson, Chandler Bodenhammer, Andrew Castvens and Lance Earley .

25 saves: Dale Harold and William Crigger.

In other committee news:

– The board of directors listened to the introduction of Foundations Forward: Charters of Freedom, introduced the proposed location of a new exhibition venue, and displayed the nation’s founding documents.

Ron Lewis first explained that a monument is to commemorate what we no longer have, and what Foundations Forward wants to do is to display the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the All the files that still exist in the Bill of Rights can be easily accessed by everyone.

Lewis asked the members of the board of directors who had been to the National Archives to view these documents and was pleased to see that the board had seen these documents. Based on his experience, he found that most Americans did not have the opportunity to see the founding documents.

Lewis said that access to these documents will increase citizens' natural curiosity about them. Future site visits and device-based guided conversations can provide more opportunities to increase the understanding and appreciation of the founder’s work.

The board of directors paid special attention to the fact that the foundation has funds to pay for the project with all private funds. In order for the project to land, the foundation will pay for installation costs in exchange for physical services. These devices have been installed in 25 of the 100 counties in North Carolina.

The board of directors voted unanimously to continue considering the Foundation Forward project.

– Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland addressed the board of directors and introduced the latest developments of the Spencer's Mill project. Niland said he is "excited" about this project, and there will be more projects to be announced firmly at the beginning of next year. What he can tell the board now is that the new hotel has reached an agreement with a national hotel chain.

The design of the new project has been authorized for US$800,000, and Niland continues to say that as Spencer's Mill continues to advance, there is greater interest in more downtown development projects. Once upon a time, the potential financial benefits of hotels and related development projects were estimated to be approximately US$10-12 million, but Niland now believes that the potential "leveraged investment now totals close to US$40 million."

The Spencer's Mill project given by the mayor of Niland is expected to start in June 2022 and complete in December 2023. He said that the total investment in Mount Airy will exceed US$4.5 million.

– The Surrey County Department of Social Services requested and obtained a license to reallocate funds on hand to try out the new workflow management software. Daysheets are detailed timetables that describe how employees spend their time during the working day and help with the correct withdrawal of funds from the federal or state government based on the work done by the employees. The new software will simplify the process and increase the efficiency of the department in scheduling and maintenance.

Kristy Preston, Director of DSS, also briefed the board of directors on the latest status of the staffing level of the agency's child welfare program. She reported that several new employees were receiving training as required by the state and then followed up before being assigned workload. There are still four vacancies, and Preston encourages those who have MSW, BSW or a Bachelor of Science in Human Services to apply.

-The board of directors heard that there has been a re-division of constituencies in Surrey County recently. The atate area line in Surrey County did not match the area line on file locally, so a correction was made. Only 1,230 voters were affected, and there were approximately 600 different addresses due to the change in regional lines. These residents have been notified of this change by mail.

This re-division will correct the boundary problem seen by the state government, but it has nothing to do with the regional population imbalance that the board of directors has recently realized.

• According to the city police report, a car was found stolen in Mount Airy on Monday.

The 1996 Ford Explorer owned by Nathaniel Kyle Sawyers of McBride Road was taken from 2000 Woodland Drive (the location of the former Sagebrush Steakhouse), and it is said that It was safe at the time. This $1,200 SUV is purple and bears the Virginia label number 2707XE.

• Last Wednesday, more counterfeit coins appeared in the town when a known suspect tried to pass a $100 counterfeit bill at the Tractor Supply Store on Rockford Street.

The incident is listed as still under investigation.

• Harold Lee Allison, 52, from Galax, Virginia, was charged with second-degree trespass after meeting a police officer at a residence in a Virginia Street public housing estate last Wednesday. In May 1997, Allison was barred from entering all the property of the City Housing Authority.

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

• On Thursday, a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro with the license plate number TAK3119 owned by Debra Lynn Blizzard was found stolen. When the car was parked at Blizzard’s residence on East Lebanon Street, the tag was stolen.

• Misty Prim Hull, 46, from 223 Faye Trail in Siloam, was charged with driving under damage on November 5 in a traffic accident on West Pine Street near Franklin Road.

Hull received a written promise that he will appear in the District Court on November 29.

The Mount Airy Committee is preparing to allocate nearly $500,000 on Thursday night to improve the proposed hotel site for the former Spencer City industrial estate near Willow Street.

This was due to the recent bidding process, during which three companies submitted proposals for infrastructure work, and Mayor Ron Niland said on Tuesday that city officials were satisfied with the results.

"It's completely within the parameters," Niland said of how the initial cost estimates for Spencer's Phase 2 infrastructure project align with the minimum bid, which has been in the planning stage for several months.

"In fact, we were pleasantly surprised by these bids."

The lowest bid submitted by a local company, Greenfield Utility Construction, was $448,428, which was significantly lower than the bids of two other contractors, Smith-Rowe of Mount Airy and CW Cauley and Son Inc. of Patrick Springs, Virginia.

The bids of these companies were US$817,898 and US$997,795 respectively.

City officials initially questioned the huge price difference between the highest and lowest proposals.

"We are a little worried about this," the mayor said, adding that the director of public works Mitch Williams is particularly worried about whether potential contract recipients can complete the master bid.

However, Niland stated that Greenfield Utility Construction provided a guarantee for this situation. Together with municipal staff, The Lane Group, an engineering company based in Galax, Virginia, recommended that the job be awarded to Greenfield.

At the next meeting at 6 pm on Thursday, the committee members will consider approving a related resolution.

The total budget is US$493,270, which includes a 10% emergency fund to cover unexpected work-related costs.

According to city government documents, its goal is to be part of Willow Street, extending from its intersection with Oak Street to Franklin Street, close to the Sparger Building, which is located in the former Spencer textile factory property owned by the city government since 2014.

According to city government documents, the infrastructure improvements that Greenfield Utility Construction will perform include replacement of water supply lines, sewer lines and rainwater drainage works, as well as demolition/removal of asphalt and concrete on Willow Street.

Sunhouse Hospitality, a private group headquartered in Cary, is seeking the help of a historic tax credit to develop a boutique hotel in the towering Sparger building to protect the old factory facilities.

The hotel will contain 70 to 80 rooms and will be operated under a national brand. The statement stated that Sunhouse and the city government signed a redevelopment agreement in August, which was approved in August.

Sunhouse currently owns and manages the Hampton Inn by Hilton on Rockford Street, and also hopes to use another nearby former Spencer building, "The Cube", as part of an estimated total investment of US$10 million.

This involves plans for a conference-type market center, including meeting space in the old dyeing workshop part of the structure.

The second phase of Spencer's infrastructure project will also include hotels and public parking lots, which will be provided by taxpayers.

Niland stated that the parking element will later be the subject of a separate bidding process.

The Mount Airy Downtown Inc. group has agreed to bear an estimated cost of $150,000 for the development of a "pocket park" on Willow Street near the Sparger Building.

Officials estimate that the second phase of the infrastructure project will cost a total of approximately US$3 million, including an estimated US$1.63 million in parking facilities.

The county government has pledged $1.5 million for improvement projects, and both local government departments will benefit from future property tax revenues generated by the hotel and market center expansion project.

The first phase of infrastructure work was completed last year to help the new apartment building next door to the Sparger building.

Members of the Alpha Xi Tau chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society of Surrey Community College recently met at the Bray Ford Public Pass to clean up the area. The clean up of local waterways is one of the services selected by PTK in the Carolinas this year.

Nine club members and five family members enjoyed the weather because they collected about eight bags of garbage. They collect rubbish from parking lots, trails and river banks.

Dr. Kathleen D. Fowler, PTK Chapter Advisor of Surrey Community College, said: “Our branch officials decided to focus on cleaning a local river and chose the Breford Passage of the Fisher River because it is close to the college and easy to reach. We are very happy that we did. The park is beautiful and it is convenient to go fishing or canoeing on the Fisher River. Our results were very good, everyone had a good fellowship time and helped keep our waterways clean. "

Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society that recognizes the academic achievements of students from universities that award associate degrees and helps them grow into scholars and leaders. The association is composed of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters from 11 countries.

For more information about Phi Theta Kappa and its projects, please contact PTK's teacher advisor Fowler at 336-386-3560 or fowlerk@surry.edu, or visit www.ptk.org. Follow the local chapter on Facebook @surryPhiThetaKappa.

Shoals Elementry School chose the leader of the month in October. The school stated that it “showed excellent leadership in the classroom and throughout the school. Congratulations, good climbers along the way.”

At several ceremonies held 31 months ago, local county and school officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony, marking the start of much-needed renovation work for three district schools.

Franklin, Mountain Park and Dobson Elementary Schools were all targets of this work, and the subsequent ceremony marked the beginning of work for each facility.

Last week, many of the same local officials gathered to celebrate the end of work at one of the schools and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dobson Elementary School.

Many former students and staff attended the meeting, as well as Surrey County Commissioners Mark Marion and Larry Johnson, school board members Dr. Terri Mosley and Clark Gones, and Assistant County Governor Sandy Snow and the people who directly assisted in the renovation project. Officials from the North Carolina Department of Public Education were also present.

The Dobson Primary School Project lasted for several years, and most of the work started before the foundation stone was laid in 2019. In 2014, Bill Powell, LT Consulting, LCC. conducted a facility review to study the needs of all campuses in the Surrey County school system. After that, he worked with the Board of Education to determine the priority of work.

Powell ranked Franklin Elementary School, Mountain Park Elementary School, and Dobson Elementary School at the top of the list. Although the Franklin Elementary School and Mountain Park Elementary School projects were completed in the spring, the Dobson Elementary School Project was postponed until this fall.

In his speech, Superintendent Travis L. Reeves pointed out the patience of the school community. He said: "In the renovation and construction of Dobson, a lot of planning, arrangement, relocation, hard work and patient work have been carried out. Great. Part of the work took place during the global pandemic, so I would like to thank Principal Sharia Templeton for his leadership throughout the project and all the people who supported it during the project."

The ribbon-cutting event was attended by student council members Templeton, Marion, school board members Dr. Terri Mosley and Clark Goings, and performances by members of the Surrey Central High School Choir.

Templeton recounted her own history at Dobson Elementary School and mentioned how "special" this school is.

"I am proud to be a former student of Dobson and now the principal of such an excellent school. A school built on the concepts of learning, leadership, and collective effectiveness, long before these concepts became educational buzzwords. I Know how special we are in the community. I believe everyone here, especially the current and former students and staff of the school, also know this. As the principal now, I often say that I will always believe; nothing compares It’s better to be a Dobson Tiger,” said Templeton, who attended elementary school from 1983 to 1990.

Freebird McKinney, director of government and community relations legislation at the North Carolina Department of Public Education, was also among the speakers. Both he and Marion, chairman of the Surrey County Committee, celebrated the completion of the project in their speeches, indicating that the transformation is a victory for the children of Surrey County. Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects and Coram Construction were recognized with Surrey County Plant Operations Director Robert Draughn. Both the Surrey County Board of Education and Reeves reiterated the same point, "We could not have done this without you."

"I'm thinking about where we are from where we are now. I think about how lucky we are to live, study and work in Surrey County. I think how lucky we are, our county commissioners are willing to invest resources to support our school system because They believe our students and they will contribute to the future of the county," Superintendent Reeves said. "Our commissioners not only invested in the physical structure of the school, but most importantly invested in our students and their future. That's all for today. This is about cutting the ribbon, and it symbolizes a new beginning. ...For students, a new beginning now and in the future, and what these facilities mean for them and their learning opportunities."

Dobson-Eight teachers from the service area of ​​Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation received Bright Ideas Education Grants. In the first few weeks, Surry-Yadkin EMC employees unexpectedly visited the award-winning teachers.

Three review teams composed of retired educators in the Surry-Yadkin EMC service area conducted a blind review of the application in late September. These grants provide funding for innovative classroom projects, with a total of US$6,250 awarded.

Two teachers from Gentry Middle School in Mount Airy received grants for two independent projects. Jamie Mosley will use her $840 grant to "grow with water." The project will allow students to use the hydroponic planting system to grow products that are genetically identical to their parent plants. Stephanie Bode received a $704.50 bonus for "SWITCHing Up Learning". The project will include the purchase of Nintendo Switches and Nintendo LABO kits to provide a hands-on interactive experience.

Jamie Williams, a teacher at CB Eller Elementary School in eastern Wilkes County, will use her $650 grant to "light up our learning." The project will include buying a lamp stand for her classroom to improve her students' STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) skills.

In Mountain View Elementary School's first Bright Ideas grant, Katie Hodge will use her $999 grant to ensure that her students "grow together in science and literacy." This funding will enable the entire student body to create vertical gardens and combine science with literacy.

DeAnna Walker of Copeland Elementary School told her students, “UKE can do it!” when she won a $989.93 grant. This will enable her to purchase ukuleles for her music classes to expand students' musical skills and learn about multiple cultures.

Courtney Elementary School will also receive an ukulele for "successful playing" through a $898.50 grant from Keena Moxley, with a focus on learning to play musical instruments and raising cultural awareness.

At North Wilkes High School, Teresa Watkins' project "Pathogen Growth? Stop It!" received a grant of $963.56. Students will learn the five-step cleaning method used in food service and the importance of post-cleaning disinfection by combining test paper and microscope observation of bacteria.

Jennifer Jones of Mount Airy High School received a $204.50 prize for her project "Everything is peaceful and everything is bright". She will use the project to incorporate Calm Strips into high schools to help reduce restlessness, improve concentration and regulate anxious energy, while promoting the social and emotional health of the school's 400 students.

These eight projects will involve the lives of 1,925 students in Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Wilkes, and Forsyth County's Surry-Yadkin EMC service area.

Since 1994, the North Carolina Electric Cooperative has provided more than $12.2 million in Bright Ideas funding for nearly 11,700 projects that support teachers and benefited more than 2.3 million students.

The library story time is open to anyone who wants to join us. Adults must wear masks. Bilingual story time for children at 4 pm on Monday-listening to English and Spanish stories); 10:30 am on Wednesday for children aged 2 and 3 years old; reservations for children born to 2 years old at 9:30 am on Thursday Babies; born in preschool at 11 o'clock on Thursday morning, preschool story time.

Surrey Community College offers fun and free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at the Mount Airy Public Library from Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

Hooked-Join our crochet club at 3pm every Wednesday. Bring your own yarn and make a group project or bring your own project to work.

Tai Chi returned to the library. Joining us every Friday at 10 am This course is beneficial for people with limited mobility.

This is Yoga You-Yoga with Ms. Heather will be held at 10:30 am on November 20th

The classic movie Monday returns on the last Monday of the month, starring Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton and Shirley Temple in "I Will See You".

An adult craft class is held on the third Monday of every month at 3 pm, and craft materials will be provided. Registration is recommended.

The community book club meets at 1 pm on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The November book is "The Ghost at the Table" by Suzanne Berne.

Lace-The Romance Readers Book Club will meet at 6pm this Tuesday. The book selected in October is Minerva Spencer's "Notorious". There are photocopies on the desk.

Friends of the Library Annual Fall Book Fair – November 17 to November 22, starting at 5:30 pm on November 17. Come out and buy some books and movies, everyone has something.

Carol McDowell has donated the handmade quilt to the Northwest Territories Library System for use as a prize in the raffle. We and our sister library will sell a lottery ticket for $1 and a lottery ticket for $6 for $5. The proceeds will be used to purchase e-books in the region. Tickets are on sale now, you can go to the library to buy tickets to see pictures of quilts. The draw time is November 24th.

Learn about all events on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

At a recent gathering in Camp Raven Knob in Surrey County, the fight against the drug problem rose to new heights—literally.

The Boy Scout camp near Lowgap hosted a drug prevention event called "Climb Up to Fall Back" earlier this month to emphasize the role that Boy Scouts can play in guiding youth away from drugs in the right direction .

Approximately 25 people attended the event, including Airy Mountain Rotary Club members and other supporters of Camp Raven Knob, a 3,200-acre reservation run by the Old Pecan Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

In its facility, there is a new fire tower, and participants are invited to rappel to highlight the "back" part of the event name, which contains a "spring forward, back" reminder accompanying the recent end of daylight saving time.

When participants climbed the mountain of the same name in the Scout Complex led by Camp Raven Knob Scout leader Chris Lawson, the "climbing" element was realized.

Four brave souls accepted the challenge of descending from the tower, including Tonda Phillips, Doug Yarboro, Carol Burke and Leah Main.

"For me, downhill is exciting," Phillips responded to the experience. "You must believe in the rope."

Phillips, the chairman of the Rotary Club for the 2021-22 season, mentioned that Burke first "and did it easily", although Burke's summary was not so brave.

"I have never been so scared in my life," she admitted on Friday, "because it is so scary."

But everyone landed safely on the ground and thanked Paul "Mongo" Mencini for his guidance on the top of the tower. Paul "Mongo" Mencini was the certified rappelling chief coach at the camp.

"The whole exercise is designed to build confidence and help people overcome fear," Phillips observed, "it works."

Burke said that those who choose to "retire" do so to demonstrate their commitment to the drug fight and emphasize how the confidence required for such actions can provide a good example for young people. She said that they might become Eagle Scouts or make other great achievements as a result.

The organizer explained that one goal of abseiling/hiking is to show people action, not simply tell young people not to abuse or misuse drugs.

To further assist in this task, the Rotary Club recently allocated US$10,000 to respond to the local opioid crisis.

Camp Raven Knob is regarded as a key tool in combat and provides abundant resources in a complete reconnaissance plan every summer. In addition to high-adventure activities, these also include swimming, hiking, boating, shooting sports and leadership training.

The "Climb Up to Fall Back" anti-drug campaign also includes a hot dog dinner.

After two years of absence, the autumn book sales at the Mount Airy Public Library will return this week, starting Wednesday night, starting with preferred sales.

The auction held by Friends of the Library has been a biannual event for decades, with thousands of books for sale in spring and autumn events. As is the case with most public events, the pandemic prevented normal sales of the Old Friends Club last year and this spring.

Librarian Christi Stevens said: "We do have an August auction, which is a bit like a prequel to the autumn auction." "This is our first sale since the COVID outbreak. In fact, Our sales in August were very good. We are very excited about the sales in November, and we think it will go very smoothly."

Most of the books that will be provided are donated to the library by people in the community. Sometimes she said that people would buy books at special sales events, read them, and then donate them back to the library in order to sell them again.

"We will have almost everything you would normally see in one of our sales," Stevens said. "The best-selling hardcover novel, you can make your own reference books, biographies." Various children's books will be provided, as well as DVDs, audio materials and movies.

Sales will start from 5pm to 8pm on Wednesday, and Stevens called it the preferred part of the event. Business hours are 8:30 am to 8 pm on Thursday, 8:30 am to 5 pm on Friday, and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday. The library is closed on Sunday, but Monday, November 22 Bag sales will start from 8:30 am to 8 pm.

Stevens explained that the prices of different parts of the sale will change. On Wednesday, when the best option is available, hardcover is $3, paperback is $2 for 3 books, 5 children's books are $3, and DVD, audio, and video are each $1.

From Thursday to Friday, hardcover is $2 and paperback is $1, while prices for children and DVDs, audio and video remain the same. On Saturday, hardback and paperback books were reduced to half price, while children’s books were changed to 10 books, priced at $1.50.

On Monday, the bag sales price of everything a person can put in a shopping bag is $2.

Book sales is the main fundraising activity of the Friends group, and all funds raised are used to meet the needs of the library.

"The proceeds are all used for library programming and books, no matter what their needs are, it is for their support," she said. "We are very excited about this auction. Now the library has a lot of things to do. Many new projects, many new employees. We are very excited about this.

"Book sales are a good source of income. Book sales have been going on for many years, more than 30 years. This is a household name. Many people look forward to it, and I look forward to it."

Stevens is her 12th year as the chairman of the Friends of the Association, and she said that the organization is always looking for more volunteers to help the organization fulfill its mission of supporting the library. The group meets at 9:30 am on the first Monday of each month, and does not meet in June and July.

Surrey County has issued the following marriage certificates:

– John Wesley Hunter II, 43, of Surrey County, to Elizabeth Ashley Poteat, 41, of Surrey County.

– Adam Paul Eldridge, 37, in Surrey County, and Rebecca Joeleen Surratt, 34, in Surrey County.

– Alexander Reed Bullins of Surrey County, 27, and Caitlyn Paige Macemore, Wilkes County, 23.

– Tucker Zane Mackie, 21, Surrey County, and Mary Joanne Lowe, 22, Surrey County.

– Victor Gustavo Santiago Gallardo, 26, Surrey County, to Lorena Gonzalez Diaz, 21, Surrey County.

– Donald Gray Fulton Jr., 25, Surrey County, and Brianna Faith Nichole Simmons, 26, Surrey County.

– Jaye Ward Cheek, 57, in Wake County, to Cynthia Loretta Wester, 60, in Wake County.

– David Aaron Worrell, 30, Surrey County, and Keisha Nicole Martinez, 25, Surrey County.

– Hector Omar Zuvietta, 24, Surrey County, to Julianna Cabrera Torres, 25, Surrey County.

– Joshua Keith Payne, 27, Patrick County, Virginia, and Ashley Alene Puckett, 31, Patrick County.

– Cory Todd Shelton, 33, in Surrey County, and Melissa Ann Newsome, 42, in Surrey County.

– 43-year-old John Gregory Stump Jr. (John Gregory Stump Jr.) from Roanoke County, Virginia, and 31-year-old Roanoke County Lindsay Alexandra Morse (Lindsey Alexandra Mowles).

– Garvie Roe Dixon IV, 24 years old, from Surrey County, 22 year old Myah Angelene Brown from Surrey County.

– Fermin Macedo Morales, 35 years old, Surrey County native, Felipa Xec Guonon, Surrey County 27 years old.

Similar to any competitive race, Saturday's Mayberry Half Marathon, Mount Airy's 10K and 5K produced a series of winners-but arguably the entire community won the biggest prize.

"This event is of great significance to our sports tourism work in Mount Airy," said Darren Lewis, director of city parks and entertainment, as he stood near the starting line of three games on North Street in the city center on Saturday morning.

In a few minutes, nearly 300 runners will earnestly run to the sidewalk during the half-marathon (13.1 mile) part, as runners in the 10K (6.2 mile) and 5K (3.1 mile) races are waiting for their turn in a staggered fashion.

Lewis said that although the temperature was as high as 30 degrees at the start of the first race at 8 AM, more than 800 runners participated in the race. Their presence is not only beneficial to local parks and recreational facilities, but also to the entire city. .

This is a particularly welcome development for two aspects of the local economy that suffered losses during the pandemic, dining and lodging. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Mayberry event was not held in 2020, which exacerbated the situation.

"All restaurants are very busy," Lewis, who also serves as a temporary city manager, said of the extra Friday night traffic generated by the Mayberry half-marathon, 10K and 5K influx of participants.

They came from close and far away-"There are now twenty different states," he said as he continued to register.

In forwarding the report from Lenise Lynch, the general manager there, Lewis added that the hotel industry is also aware of this impact, including the Hampton Inn on Rockford Street.

"She said they were almost sold out," he said.

Standard entrance fees for runners range from US$25 to US$60, depending on a person’s age and the event involved. Mayberry half marathons, 10K and 5K generate more than US$20,000 in revenue, and the proceeds are usually used in local parks And entertainment.

With the economic victory of the community, Saturday's gathering provided an opportunity for local athletes to stand out.

Although the participants are from many states, the men and women champions of the half marathon are all close to home.

Eli Roberson, 29, of Stewart, Virginia, won the 13.1 mile championship in 1 hour, 20 minutes and 48 seconds, with a speed of 6 minutes and 10 seconds per mile.

"Well, we were fairly conservative at the beginning," Robertson said of the negotiation, which is usually described as a flat and fast route, which starts in the city center, goes to Riverside Park, then continues along the urban greenway system, and then back. garden.

"I think my lead is comfortable," he said of the distance between himself and the second player Chuck Inman, another Virginia player from Chesapeake.

But Robertson realized that Inman was approaching and "and really had to push it", he said that he entered the final kick to finish the game 11 seconds ahead of Inman.

This is the first time Robertson has participated in the Maybury Half Marathon.

The 41-year-old Megan Ballentine from Mount Airy participated in her first half-marathon in her history. On Saturday, her time of 1 hour 37 minutes and 55 seconds proved to be the number one in women's ranking.

This is a good thing for the 23rd overall ranking.

The 17-year-old Marshall Love from Concord won the 10K game in 35 minutes and 55 seconds.

Malah Pinyan, 33, from Salisbury, ranked fourth among women with a time of 39 minutes and 7 seconds.

The 5K winner was another local resident, 25-year-old Dobson City resident Kevin Parker, whose time was 17 minutes and 32 seconds.

Sharon White, 58, from Lenoir, Tennessee, ranked first among the female players with 23:57 and 22nd overall.

"Deputy" to participate

Perhaps the most striking example of the integration of sports and tourism on display on Saturday was the clothing chosen by Vanessa Martin of Charleston, West Virginia, for the half marathon.

Martin wears the off-hand uniform that Barney Fife might wear in "The Andy Griffith Show"-her outfit also includes a holster, badge and hat.

Although the continued popularity of TV series starring locals is often the reason why many people come to town, Martin chose to combine this with her participation in the half marathon.

"This is Andy Griffith-this is Maybury's game, baby," a longtime fan of the show said when explaining her choice of running clothing. "This is the first time I have participated in this kind of competition."

Lewis said that it was the first time someone was wearing a deputy uniform to participate in the game.

However, Martin, 48, who works for Konica Copiers, was not present on Saturday, just to provide a comedic effect-she is an experienced runner and has a long list of half marathons on her resume.

"This is my third time in five weeks," she said of Saturday's event.

On Saturday's Mayberry Half Marathon, 10K and 5K attracted almost as many total participants as the 12th annual event in 2019, which set a record number of 822.

Lewis said that after the cancellation of the game in 2020, it is challenging to resume the game.

He explained that this year's event has adopted additional marketing methods. Due to the continued existence of the pandemic, other competitions usually held in the spring were cancelled in early 2021, so the event also faced obstacles.

"So everyone reschedules their dates to this fall," Lewis said of the Maybury Half Marathon, 10K and 5K races from other regions.

However, the happy result was once again achieved in "Mayberry".

The Surrey County Health and Nutrition Center has started providing Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children in accordance with CDC guidelines. Currently, only Pfizer vaccines are approved for use in children between 5 and 11 years of age.

In Surrey County, 59% of the population over the age of 18 are vaccinated, but taking into account the total population, this figure drops to 49%. As the eligible vaccination pool adds a new age range, there is a renewed desire to increase the total vaccination percentage to be closer to the vaccination percentage of 56% of the state's total population.

The newly approved two-dose vaccine for children is made of the same ingredients as the adolescent and adult versions. What has changed for children is the size of the dose, and a third of the adult version also requires a smaller needle.

As seen in adult vaccine trials, vaccination is nearly 91% effective in preventing the virus in children between 5 and 11 years of age.

Peyton Thomas, Ph.D., a pediatrician at UNC Health, said that the side effects of smaller doses for children are expected to be similar to those in the elderly. However, there is evidence that, due to the smaller dose, fewer children experience side effects.

"This may be a lower dose," said Dr. Daniel Donner of Novant Health. "During the 2-3 days after the injection, they are unlikely to experience initial side effects-feeling tired, feverish, and just generally feeling unwell."

In clinical trials, the vaccine has mild side effects. The most common side effects are arm soreness, fatigue, headache and muscle pain. Doctors say these side effects are normal signs that the body is building protection.

However, some people are worried about their vaccinations, and this problem has caused the number of vaccinations to stagnate. These parties are more concerned about the impact of the lens on young people.

"Before we offered it to children aged 5 to 11, we tried it on half of humans," said Dr. David Wall of the University of North Carolina Health Center. "We provided it to half of the people on the planet: there is no better way to prove its safety and effectiveness. For me, it's really simple and the vaccine is safe."

The COVID vaccine has been and will continue to undergo rigorous testing and safety monitoring. For this reason, the effectiveness of Moderna vaccine for children and adolescents is still under investigation. US regulators are delaying Moderna's decision while studying the rare risk of heart inflammation. The US Food and Drug Administration told Moderna that its review may continue until January.

Vaccinating young people will help protect them from the virus, thereby reducing their risk of hospitalization or long-term COVID complications. Vaccinating children can also help reduce community transmission in schools, which in turn facilitates more face-to-face learning.

However, the upcoming holiday may attract more people's attention. "Thanksgiving this year may be tough. There are a lot of people who are tired of keeping their distance," said Wohl of UNC. Although caution is still recommended, children will soon be able to get the first of two doses of immunity in time during Christmas and New Year.

Fatigue when wearing a mask and keeping a distance is not the only danger North Carolina faces, and the lag in the number of vaccinations is also worrying. At a press conference last week, North Carolina State Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Mindy Cohen, reported that the initial vaccination rate for the 5 to 11-year-old age group was approximately 24,000 in the first five days, which is less than 3. % Eligible people. She pointed out that her child has been vaccinated and hopes other families will follow suit.

Cohen also encourages North Carolina people who had received a single shot of Johnson & Johnson at least two months ago to step up now. Earlier this year, she received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and chose Moderna booster for additional protection.

Dr. Cohen said when discussing whether adults under 65 need to boost their vaccines before travelling on holidays: “I think people have the opportunity to assess their risks and understand whether they are at a higher risk of contracting COVID, and there is no booster. Suitable for them."

Airy Mountain City School recently hosted the Blue Bear Autumn Festival to celebrate the entire Children's Month.

Each school has representatives, the blue bear bus stops there, and there is also a performance stage. The children visited a table composed of crafts and fun activities. In these tables, I have Jones middle-level leaders on my table.

Leader in Me is an evidence-based comprehensive school improvement model that gives students the leadership and life skills needed to thrive in the 21st century. The process starts with a powerful paradigm: every child has unique strengths and talents that can be used to lead. This paradigm allows adults to encourage the development of the entire child.

Are Surrey County officials about to sell the former Jones School site in Mount Airy?

Although there is no official news, some similar activities are taking place regarding the county government’s declaration of surplus property on July 19th.

At the same time, in September, a sign for sale was posted outside the facility on Jones School Road, which was an all-black campus in the last century. It now has various community agencies, such as Head Start, which operates under the umbrella of the LH Jones Family Resource Center.

County officials decided to sell the former school in response to the increase in maintenance costs that often revolve around old buildings. Also surplus are Graham Field, a sports facility across the road from the Resource Center, and the former Westfield School property in NC 89, which has become a community center in recent years.

The surplus package does not include the Jones Alumni Auditorium, located near other former school facilities, which is owned by the JJ Jones High School Alumni Association.

Although the former campus did not bid to acquire the campus within a few weeks of its listing, a community source said on Friday that there were signs that the project had made some progress.

Among them was Bristol Mitchem, the manager of the LH Jones Family Resource Center, who was asked by county officials to "walk around" the facility next Monday, but was unidentified. The sale may force community agencies to relocate to other places.

Meanwhile, the former school is on the agenda of the Surrey Committee meeting held at the Dobson Historical Court on Monday, which will begin at 6 pm with the participation of county manager Chris Knopf.

County spokesman Nathan Walls said on Friday: "At the Monday night meeting, the manager will release the latest news about the Jones Resource Center."

However, no detailed information about what this will bring is released in advance, including the possibility of receiving an offer to purchase the old Jones School property.

"So we will provide any of this information by then," Walls added when talking about the meeting.

Commissioner Larry Johnson, representing the Mount Airy District, also provided a preview when the county committee last met on November 1.

"In our next meeting (Monday), we will spend a lot of time in this area," he said of the Jones School when addressing the audience who was monitoring the situation during the meeting.

According to community sources, the sign for sale on Friday is still rising. "The sign collapsed," the person added while discussing recent activities at the site, including the re-erected sign.

"People say someone knocked it down."

Walls said that when accepting an offer to purchase a property that was declared to be surplus, a price reduction process would be used, in which a potential buyer submits a proposal, then advertises and counter-offers. The bid must be a certain percentage higher than the previous one.

There is no official indication that any bids have been made.

Although the entire Old Jones campus is owned by the county government, it is still the pride of former students, including its addition to the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year.

It is named after John Jarvis Jones, a pioneer African-American educator who moved to Mount Airy in 1914.

Nancy Bowman Williams, chair of the JJ Jones High School Alumni Association, stated that members hope that those who purchase the property will respect its historical integrity in any new use.

Williams was a student who graduated from Jones High School in 1965. He graduated before the integration took place. He said that one question is whether the parking facilities of the resource center can be maintained in order to be adjacent to the association. The auditorium holds events.

This fall semester, Mount Airy High School’s internship program hit a record high, with 52 students working in 31 different companies throughout the community.

"This is the largest number of interns in our project," said Katie Ferguson, a career development coordinator at Mount Airy High School.

The Mount Airy High School Internship Program was officially launched in the 2009-2010 school year. As an honors course, internship opportunities are provided for students in the fall, spring and summer. Students start with two weeks of classroom participation. Ferguson began to understand students and their career interests.

"Once I understand the students and their career interests, I will try to match them with a mentor to give them the opportunity to learn more about the career," Ferguson said.

All internship sites are located in the community.

In the two-week class, students learned different skills, things they might be interested in, and different career paths. Students will also learn how to properly write emails, make resumes and cover letters, and learn workplace etiquette.

Ferguson said: "We believe that job opportunities are a critical first step in integrating work-based learning into student life, increasing classroom relevance, and helping students grasp their career paths."

Matthew Bagley is a senior at Mount Airy High School. He is at the Mount Airy Police Station with Sergeant Stacey Inman ( Stacey Inman) interned together.

"We are trying to get students interested in criminal justice to comply with our different duties in the police station," Inman said.

Bagley walked around the police department, observing different parts of the police department and being able to interact. He is currently with the patrol, but will soon go to the investigation department, where he will take on more serious responsibilities.

"I like it very much," Inman said. "He helped during the Autumn Leaves Festival, which was a life-saving straw for me. His ability to interact with our community really showed the softer side of the police department."

Bagley began to experience the feeling of working in the police force.

"I believe that our participation with young people is our future," Inman added.

Brooks Sizemore and Janson Dezern are the other two seniors at Mount Airy High School and they are internships at Shenandoah Furniture.

“Interns at Shenandoah Furniture help to provide new ideas for achieving goals and completing projects. This is a unique way to explore the different departments within our organization while building personal relationships with students in our community,” said their mentor Rocky Killon.

Killon has been an internship partner at Mount Airy High School for many years.

In Shenandoah, Setzmore and Dezeen were able to do it themselves. They pack different furniture and decorate many products.

The project organizer said that the high school students in the project learn responsibilities and gain experience of interaction in the work environment, which is an important part of preparing for life after high school.

The third annual Deborah Voigt Memorial Blood Drive event will be held on November 17th at the East Surrey High School Stadium from 7:45 am to 1:30 pm.

The event is sponsored by the East Surrey High School JROTC program.

"We invite our community to come out and support our school, while potentially saving lives," said Ronald Montgomery, First Sergeant (R), JROTC instructor in East Surrey.

Anyone who is 16 years old who wants to participate will need to obtain a parental consent form from high school or download a form from the American Red Cross website.

Anyone 17 years or older can use the sponsor code to register in advance at www.redcrossblood.org: East Surry High School. You can also make an appointment by dialing 1-800-RED-CROSS.

According to the organizers, efforts are being made to promote and increase appointments. As of now, only about half of the required appointment vacancies have been made. All those who come to donate blood will get a free T-shirt while stocks last.

Deborah Voigt died on June 8, 2019 after battling lung cancer. She graduated from East Surrey High School in 1981 and is a long-term teacher and coach of the school, as well as an avid supporter of the cardinal.

Her husband Byron Voigt said: “She will be remembered for this blood donation.” “She thinks of a lot of the children in the JROTC program and the program. We are very happy that they are doing this.”

Montgomery said: "Deborah Vogt is a staunch supporter of the American Red Cross and an excellent teacher, mentor, coach and role model for many in the community." "These efforts have enabled the community to honor Deborah and her. Family members make a very important and measurable contribution."

© 2018 Airy Mountain News