Betty Lynn during the Mayberry Day Parade. (Photo courtesy of the Surrey Arts Council)

Betty Lynn displayed a souvenir decoration designed for her 95th birthday in August. (Hobart Jones photo)

Betty Lynn at the unveiling ceremony of her portrait. (Photo courtesy of the Surrey Arts Council)

Betty Lynn (Betty Lynn) participates in the USO tour. The gun she wore was not a prop-it was given to her by the captain of the U.S. Marine Corps, and it said "Take this. You may need to use it." Lynn said she put the gun on her hip during the day and put the gun at night. Sleep under the pillow. (Photo courtesy of the Surrey Arts Council)

Betty Lynn while volunteering for USO. (Photo by Kenny Hook/www.s-and-k-photo.com)

Betty Lynn (center) wears a green dress to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, smiling and taking pictures while meeting some of her fans during regular monthly appearances at the Andy Griffith Museum. (Photo courtesy of Hobart Jones of the Surrey Arts Council)

In the most popular episode of the Andy Griffith Show, Barney's First Car, the characters Andy Taylor, Thelma Lou, Barney Fife, Gomer and Aunt Bee climbed into Barney's car for a drive. Betty Lynn, who played Thelma Lou (center), died on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of the Surrey Arts Council)

Betty Lynn is famous for playing Barney Fife's sweetheart Thelma Lou in The Andy Griffith Show , She died late Saturday night after a brief illness. She is 95 years old.

Lynn is deeply loved by the Andy Griffith Show family. In 1990, she began to regularly participate in some performance parties and Maybury theme events across the country. In 2007, after attending Mayberry Days in Mount Airy, she decided to permanently move to Andy Griffith's hometown and kept Mount Airy as her home until her death.

She regularly holds autograph sessions at the Andy Griffith Museum. During the days when she was arranged at the museum, fans flocked to her, often in a line, extending along the sidewalk outside the building.

Despite being loved by fans, Lynn reciprocated this affection, always taking time to chat with them, sharing Mayberry's memories, and ensuring she is free even on days when she might be a little uncomfortable.

In September 2016, the veteran actress said in an interview with The Mount Airy News: "I am very happy when I am with them. This has given me a huge improvement." People are great-they love this very much Show," the 90-year-old actress said in that interview, when talking about the "Andy Griffith Show." "Actually, they gave you a big boost-even if I don’t feel good. "

Betty said that her time there is not only for fans time, but also good for her.

"I met a lot of people," the late actress said in 2016. She said at the autograph session on Friday that she might see tourists from California, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Carolina and other states.

"People drive here from everywhere."

Although the Surrey Art Committee has signature photos on hand, Betty says she never knows what signature someone will bring her.

"I tried to sign everything they brought," she said.

Those who knew Lynn quickly expressed their condolences after her death.

"I feel very honored and happy to work with Betty and be her friend for many years," said Tanya Jones, executive director of the Surrey Arts Council. "From the first time we met, it was obvious that faith, family, friends, and-very, very important-her fans are the most important to her. Betty has brought so much joy and love to so many people. Betty’s performance on the screen and the memories of her for those lucky enough to know her and know her will continue these feelings."

His death brought words of love from many people who knew her.

"RIP Betty Lynn," director Ron Howard tweeted that he was Betty's partner actor in "The Andy Griffith Show." "She played Selma Lou in the "Andy Griffith Show", adding to every scene she was in and every day she was filming on the set. The last time I saw her a few years ago , She still brightened the room with her enthusiasm. It's nice to meet her and work with her. She is really 95 years old."

"Betty is a close friend of everyone who knows her," said Eleanor Donahue, friend and actor of the Andy Griffith Show. "Her talents will continue to be brought to her fans through the Andy Griffith Show. Come rejoice."

After learning the news, Karen Knotts, the daughter of Don Knotts, wrote on Twitter: “I heard the beloved Mayberry idol and friend Betty Lin En (Betty Lynn) passed away last night and I feel very sad. No one is more loyal to fans than her. Such a loving and kind soul. We will always remember and love you, Betty."

Although she is best known for her role in the Andy Griffith show, Lynn had a long career even before playing Selmalu.

Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn (Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn) was born on August 29, 1926 in Kansas City, Missouri. Raised by her maternal grandparents Johanna and George Andrew Lynn. Long-term engineer of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company.

At the age of 5, Lynn began to learn dance with the famous dancer Helen Burwell at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music. By the age of 14, she began to perform and sing in the dinner club, and performed and produced commercials for local radio shows.

USO scouts visited Kansas City and found Lynn. After the age of 18, Lynn began performing for USO Camp Shows in the United States in 1944. Then, she performed as a member of the USO Overseas Foxhole Tour in the first half of 1945. She and guitarist Tommy Decker stopped in Casablanca to start their overseas tour and then to Iran, and finally to the China-Burma-India Theater of the war, where they visited and performed for most of the soldiers in the war zone, but their main mission was to The military hospital comforted and entertained the wounded soldiers.

After the Allied forces recaptured Yangon in May 1945, she was one of the first Americans to visit American prisoners of war who were released to the Kolkata hospital after suffering terrible atrocities during their imprisonment. She is also believed to be the only American woman who walked the dangerous Burmese highway during the war.

Once, Lynn, Tommy Decker, several Marines and an interpreter took a jeep to a remote area on the "Road to Mandalay", not far from the front line. A U.S. Marine Corps captain gave Lynn a loaded Colt revolver and told her: "Take this. You may need to use it." She recalled, "I don't know if he wants to use it. On the enemy, I was still desperate for myself, but I took the gun and kept it close."

She said she put the gun on her hip during the day and under the pillow at night.

After the war, Lynn received special commendations from the US Department of War for his services "out of scope". She was later appointed honorary colonel of the U.S. Legion.

In 2009, she and World War II veterans took the first honor flight of the North Carolina Triad to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. The surviving veterans and those memorialized," she said at the time.

Career than Selma Lou

Lynn returned to New York City after the war and quickly found a job. When she caught the attention of Hollywood scouts, she was touring the Northeast with Park Avenue in preparation for the Broadway show for the new show. She received invitations from seven studios, but finally decided to conduct a screen test for Twentieth Century Fox. Daryl F. Zanuck, the head of the studio, immediately chose Lynn and eventually signed a multi-year contract with her.

Lynn's first film for Fox was "Sitting Pretty" in 1948 with Clifton Webb, Robert Young and Maureen O'Hara. She won a gold medal in photography for her portrayal of Jin Jie. Later that year, Lynn also lived in Peggy's apartment with William Holden and Jenny Crane.

Warner Bros. borrowed Lynn from Fox so that she could play the leading role in another 1948 film, "The Bride of June," cooperating with Betty Davis and Robert Montgomery. She has also produced several films for Fox and other companies, including RKO, MGM and Universal Pictures. In these movies, the mother is a freshman and the father is a guard. It is a dozen cheaper, paid on demand (again in collaboration with Betty Davis), and many rivers have to cross and be behind high walls.

When her contract with Fox expired, Lynn was looking for a job in the television industry, which was still in the early stages. Her early performances included the eight-month "Egg and Me", which is usually considered the first comedy series on TV and was broadcast live on CBS in New York five days a week in 1952.

Back to Hollywood the next year, where was she in Raymond? A season of ABC-TV. During this period and decades, she also performed in live theater productions, including starring in "My Heart", and in "The Moon Is Blue", "The King of Hearts", "Be Your Age", Acting as the protagonist in "Blow Your Horn" and "Love Letter".

Lynn performed in more than two episodes of the Matinee Theater, a popular one-hour anthology series on NBC-TV, which is usually broadcast live five days a week. She also continued to work on the radio, including as the lead or host for some episodes of Lux Radio Theatre, Stars Over Hollywood and Family Theatre.

In the 1950s and 1960s, she was a frequent guest of television westerns. Part of the roundup includes the stories of Mustangs, Freight Trains, Cheyenne, Wells Fargo and Sugarfoot, as well as the two seasons of Disney Gifts co-stars: Texas John Massacre and Tom Trian.

When the producer of the Andy Griffith Show contacted her about playing Barney Fife's girlfriend Selma Lou, Lynn still signed a contract with Disney in John Slaughter, Texas. Fortunately, for Barney, Maybury and several generations of TV audiences, Disney is gradually reducing the production of John Slaughter, Texas, and therefore agreed to let Lynn participate in Griffith's performance.

"Before I went to read this part, I had watched Griffith's show twice," Betty recalled. "I remember I laughed out loud-it was so funny. I don't do this often. I thought, oops, it's really unusual."

Her reading went well, and she was selected as Selma Lou.

Her portrayal of the role left the audience so deeply impressed that many years later, it seemed that most people thought she was a frequent visitor to the series, appearing almost as often as Barney, Andy, Aunt Bee and Opie. The fact is that she only appeared in 26 of the 249 episodes of the show, and she was absent for almost the entire last three seasons.

That's because, after Don Knotts left the show to seek film opportunities in the 5th year, although he occasionally returned as the famous Barney Fife, his departure meant the end of Betty Lynn's campaign.

When Don Knotts returned in the sixth season, Lynn appeared on the Griffith show for the last time, the first of his five cameo appearances as Barney. Fans will have to wait for more than 20 years, but in Mayberry’s world, everything is right again. When Thelma Lou and Barney finally got married in Return to Mayberry, the film made for television was featured in the NBC ratings blockbuster in 1986 . "Once we got there to shoot the movie, everything was in place," she said. "The spark is still there."

Of the actors who were still alive when Griffith died, only Ron Howard appeared more in the series than Lynn.

After starring in the Griffith series for the first time, Lynn continued to work steadily, mainly on TV. She played Fred McMurray's secretary in "My Three Sons" and Brian Keith's secretary in "Housework". In the first season of Matlock in 1986, when she played Ben Matlock's secretary Sarah, she also collaborated with Andy Griffith again. Similarly, she reunited with Ron Howard in ABC-TV's short-lived Smith Family in 1971, starring Henry Fonda.

Lynn has appeared in a wide range of works, from Disney's "The Elephant Stealing Boy" to "Modern Squad", from the small house on the prairie to "Suffocating Brothers Comedy Time."

After Lynn moved to Mount Airy, Mayberry fans almost felt like members of the royal family when they visited her. Lynn returned that feeling and has been looking forward to the time she will meet with the fans.

"The fans are so cute," she said. "I really like to meet them and have the opportunity to visit. They come from all over the country. It's so touching, they still remember my movies and like the Andy Griffith show like they do. Especially for Griffith Si Xiu, there are also many young children who are fans. Therefore, I think the popularity of this show is continuing to the new generation. This makes me happy."

To commemorate Lynn and echo Barney Fife's description of Thelma Lou, the local Surrey Arts Council organizes "You are a cat!" every year to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Mayberry Days Festival.

Along with other actors and staff on the Andy Griffith show, Lynn won the TV Land Legend Award in 2004. She was selected for the Missouri Walk of Fame in Marshfield in 2006 and won the Cherry Award. The following year, she won the Blossom Medal at the town’s annual Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival.

In 2012, Lynn was also the first winner of the star on the sidewalk at the entrance of the Andy Griffith Museum. In 2016, on her 90th birthday, Governor Pat McCrory awarded the Lynn Long Leaf Pine Medal, and Governor Dan Forest awarded the Lynn Long Leaf Pine Medal, which is generally considered the highest civilian honor in North Carolina. .

She was not satisfied with her honor. Before the pandemic, she greeted fans at the Andy Griffith Museum almost every month. At the time of her death, she had been completing the revision of her autobiography, which is expected to be published after her death.

As a lifelong Roman Catholic, Betty is a long-term member of the Catholic Church of St. Timothy in Los Angeles. After moving to Mount Airy, she joined the local Catholic Church of Holy Angels.

Several cousins ​​of Betty Lynn, many cherished friends and countless fans who admired him survived. Betty's performances as Thelma Lou and other roles will continue to attract audiences who admire it for generations.

Plans to provide private funeral services in Culver City, California. The memorial service will be announced later.

Instead of flowers, you can donate to the Betty Lynn Scholarship Endowment Fund (for students engaged in dance or acting careers) or the Barbara and Emmet Forrest Endowment Fund (for the Andy Griffith Museum and Mayber Liri) donated to commemorate her Surry Arts Council, PO Box 141, Mount Airy, NC 27030; or Holy Angel Roman Catholic Church, 1208 N Main Street, Mount Airy NC 27030, or a charity chosen by the donor.

Nursing home, joint fund to hold chicken stew activity

Two recent high school graduates received honors at the Surry-Yadkin Works Apprenticeship signing ceremony. Through the apprenticeship program of Surry County Schools coordinated with Surry-Yadkin Works, students received paid practical training in the HVAC field.

Surrey County Schools hired East Surrey High School graduate Victor Hall and North Surrey High School graduate Wyatt Edwards in June 2021. They completed the ISC 112 industrial safety course at Surrey Community College this summer, and at the same time worked 20 hours a week in the HVAC department in Surrey County as a pre-apprenticeship in the occupational field. This opportunity is Hall's second work experience at Surry-Yadkin Works and Surry County Schools. In the spring semester of 2021, he worked as a guardianship intern at Dobson Elementary School.

This opportunity is part of the US Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Program and the state’s ApprenticeshipNC program, which is provided through the Office of the North Carolina Community College System, which combines work-based paid learning experiences with classroom scholars to obtain national certification. After signing as apprentices, Hall and Edwards will continue their education at Surrey Community College. When working part-time in schools in Surrey County, they will all get a degree in air conditioning, heating and cooling technology (also known as HVAC) for free.

"Surry-Yadkin Works has provided Surrey County Schools with two outstanding young people who are passionate about the work they do in our school system," said Dr. Travis Reeves, the Superintendent of Surrey County Schools. "For these two students, this apprenticeship can change their lives and their families. It will change the work they can accomplish and the trajectory of the leaders they will become. These students build relationships directly with our school community, and at the same time Gain important practical experience and learn trade skills in class. We are very proud of Victor and Wyatt and can’t wait to continue working with them as they grow into new roles."

Crystal Folger-Hawks, project director of Surry-Yadkin Works, added: “Surry-Yadkin Works is very happy to participate in this very important work. Employers need good employees, and our students want a career path. The program allows students to learn and earn money. The State ApprenticeshipNC program covers the tuition of students and allows them to gain practical experience in local companies. This is a victory for the company and a victory for the apprentices. We are a proud sponsor of the program, and we welcome companies to participate in the model to help fill their employee channels ."

Surry-Yadkin Works is North Carolina's first community-based internship program, covering two counties. This business and education plan has been implemented. In the spring semester of 2021, 50 students were arranged for internships, and in the fall semester of 2021, another 31 students were arranged for internships. The program is a collaborative effort of the four public school systems in Surry and Yadkin counties (including Elkin City Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Yadkin County Schools) and Surry Community College to create a regional internship program.

This funding is also an effort committed by the Commissioner of Surrey County and the Commissioner of Yadkin County. An anonymous contributor donated US$100,000, which was driven by an introduction to the program at an education summit. Surry-Yadkin Works officially started on January 1.

For more information about the program, please contact Folger-Hawks at 336-401-7820 or follower-hawksc@surry.edu, or visit www.surryyadkinworks.org. Follow Surry-Yadkin Works on Facebook and Instagram @surryyadkinworks and Twitter @SurYadWorks.

Surrey County has issued the following marriage certificates:

– Dylan Scott Hoagland, 30, in Alameda County, to Rebecca Lynn Burton, 29, in Alameda County.

– Shayne Crue Martin, 25, Surrey County, to Ivanna Lynne Riggans, 25, Surrey County.

– Austin Luke Milem, 21, in Camden County, to Hannah Ellen Forrest, 21, in Surrey County.

– Harold Venson Tolly Sr., 54 years old, in Surrey County, and Natalie Dawn Baker, 46 years old, in Surrey County.

– 57-year-old Mitchell Lane Surratt in Surrey County and Tamara Renee McGrady, 51-year-old in Surrey County.

– Colby Weston Haynes, 26, in Surrey County, to Cassidy Nicole Bonds, 21, in Surrey County.

– Jacob Kent Edwards, 27, in Surrey County, to Elizabeth Grace Branch, 24, in Surrey County.

– 24-year-old Matthew Johnson Spillman of Yadkin County and 23-year-old Madison Nicole Davis of Yadkin County.

– Daniel Frank Snow, 44, of Surrey County, and Patricia Hepler Hiatt, 56, of Surrey County.

This won't be the traditional Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving scene, with people crowding in the restaurant-but the community holiday dinner on November 25th will be sub-optimal.

The popular event planned to be held at the First Baptist Church in Mount Airy for many years adopts the drive-through mode. The event is led by a local group called "Friends of the Bright Community" (FOBC).

"It's going to be a little different," admitted Darris Wilkins, who is also known as "Lady Turkey", and he is the main organizer of this free Thanksgiving feast and has a history of 25 years.

It is scheduled to be held in the parking lot behind the church from 11 am to 1 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Although the drive-through arrangement reduces the social opportunities that are usually provided for dining in the fellowship hall of the church, it is important to remember that there is no annual community Thanksgiving dinner offered in 2020.

"Some of our volunteers are infected with COVID, so we think we just need to cancel it completely," Wilkins said.

As the coronavirus rages again this fall, the organizers believe that the drive-through approach is cautious—and also reflects their desire to maintain the holiday tradition that was originally spearheaded by the famous local speaker Melva Houston who died last year.

The Friends of the Guangming Community represent various sects, races, and genders. They embody the spirit of gathering people from all walks of life—some people simply cannot afford a festive meal.

"I will feed the people under the bridge, and I will feed the people who own this bridge," Houston once said.

Wilkins said that in choosing the drive-through method, meal planners have used the expertise surrounding the system, which has been used in another First Baptist project.

“I’ve been discussing with some people at Friends Feeding Friends how they organize their friends because it’s a bit new to us,” she said. Wilkins has been involved since the holiday meal, and now is her seventh year leading the event.

"We have several teams that will help us," she added, adding that there needs to be enough personnel to deal with the logistical challenges of vehicles lining up to pick up meals in the parking lot.

"According to the way they set it up, it should be fast."

Usually about 400 meals with all the ingredients are served.

Although the community Thanksgiving dinner is free to the public, donations are also accepted—whether in money or other ways.

"I absolutely need food donations," Wilkins said of the items trying to make dinner complete.

She specifically mentioned turkey, box stuffing, chicken soup, potato pearls and desserts. Those who wish to help can call 336-756-6778 or the church office, 336-786-5185.

However, the main course turkey is not expected to be short.

"We will have a lot," Wilkins assured. This should mean a lot, a lady from Turkey.

Local residents who visited the Airy Mountain Regional History Museum caught a glimpse of a custom that dates back more than half a century.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a festival that originated in southern Mexico and can be traced back to the Aztec Empire. This day actually happened from November 1 to November. 2. It is a festival to commemorate the death of relatives and friends.

On Saturday, the museum became the home of the local city of the dead (Dia de los Muertos), with music, traditional Mexican dancers, food and handicraft vendors, handicrafts for tourists, face painting and other activities. The core of the celebration is a community ofrenda, which is an altar or display area where people leave reminders of their deceased relatives.

“We want to showcase a lot of Hispanic communities and traditions,” said Angelica Jimenez, a volunteer at the event. "This is a beautiful tradition to celebrate their (departed relatives) coming to earth."

She said that people celebrate Dia de los Muertos by showing and participating in favorite events of the dead, which usually means dance, music and food.

The museum's executive director Matt Edwards said that the museum started its annual commemorative activities in 2019.

"We have a good lineup," he said of the components of the celebration. In addition to music, dance and food, the museum also has the community ofrenda, which will be exhibited throughout the month. On Saturday, the Museum of Forest Anthropology at Wake Forest University is also on display at the local museum.

"We are here in 2019," said Sara Cromwell, assistant director of the Wake Forest facility. She said that in the past 20 years or so, the region's interest in Spanish culture has grown, especially for festivals and commemorative events such as Dia de los Muertos.

Yanette Baker, who traveled to Mount Airy with her family from Winston Salem on Saturday to attend the event, said she was there to show her children the custom of celebrating the dead.

Edwards said that the first celebration was a great success, and Saturday's result was even more happy. More than 60 people participated in the first hour. By noon, this number had climbed to 200. Dance and music, two activities that tend to attract more people, are still ahead.

"Ultimately, this plan is about the community," Edwards said a few days before the Saturday meeting. "This is about building bridges. This is an opportunity to help celebrate the important traditions of the fast-growing part of our community and introduce these traditions to others."

• According to a report by the Mount Airy Police Department, a theft that occurred on the Hadley Street residence of Jacqueline Louise Noyola on October 28 involved the loss of a white Amana clothes dryer worth $558.

• Mount Airy Tire and Automotive on Carter Street was the scene of the theft discovered on October 29. The target of the theft was the Pioneer radio owned by Andy Ray Ayers, an employee of the company. This $150 radio was described as black with a 7-inch screen and was taken from Ayres’ 1999 Honda Accord, which was not fixed at the time.

• Kobbie Jaheim Soini Wilson, 20, living at 158 ​​Wood Creek Avenue, was charged with resisting, delaying, or obstructing a public official on October 25, when he was suspected of obstructing US Highway 52 traffic investigations and delaying officials’ performance Responsibilities. The man was sentenced to jail with a security bond of $500 and is scheduled to appear in Surrey District Court on Monday.

• Jesse Eugene Bates, 30, from the Glade Spring community in Alleghany County, was charged on October 25 with theft of the property of an unnamed business at 2151 Rockford Street.

The drill, flashlight, knife, knit hat and multi-tool wallet have been recovered, but they have been taken out of the package and damaged, so USD 130 is owed. Bates is scheduled to appear in Surrey District Court on Monday.

• Property damage was caused at Walmart on October 20, when someone tried to cut the lock and chain to enter the fenced area of ​​the place where the battery was stored. This resulted in damage to the chain of US$20, and police records showed that it also involved the loss of a battery worth US$80.

Cedar Ridge Elementary School recently participated in a schoolwide activity called "Rock Your School Pink".

This event is held to raise awareness and express support for those who are fighting breast cancer.

The school said in a statement this week: "This event also helped us express our love and support for Janet Baggett. She once again fought against breast cancer and won, and now she is fighting cancer again. ."

In the first half of the week, the students bought luminous bracelets and necklaces to wear on Thursday, and purchased pink ribbons to commemorate relatives they knew who had battled breast cancer. All funds raised will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Throughout the school day, all students, faculty and staff participated in mindfulness sports activities to help them focus on self-care, so as to better lead themselves, lead others, and change the world. The activity ended in a memory walk on our campus.

After working for the Surrey County Board of Education for nearly 20 years, S. Earlie Coe has resigned from the County Board of Education, which has served as a full-time educator for 30 years.

Coe's resignation took effect on November 1.

“In his 19 years of service, Mr. Ke played an important role in developing many new initiatives aimed at improving the overall education and student life of the Surrey County school system,” the school system said in a written statement on Friday. "His inspiring leadership and friendship will not only leave a lasting impression on the people he works directly with, but will also leave a lasting legacy in the community."

"Although his vision and enthusiasm for the children he serves will be deeply missed, we wish him the best of luck in his new endeavours," said Dr. Tre Mosley, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "I want to personally thank him for his outstanding work and his great achievements."

As a member of Surrey County, Coe graduated from Surrey Central High School and attended Appalachian State University. Soon after graduating, Ke accepted a teacher position at the Surrey County School in September 1970. This move started a career as an educator for nearly 50 years.

In December 1999, he officially retired from the county school system vocational educator. Less than three years later, in September of 2002, he was elected to the Board of Education.

Under the guidance of his chairmanship, the school system added two additional schools: Pilot Mountain Middle School and Rockford Elementary School.

"Mr. Coe has been promoting initiatives to improve school facilities and meet the educational needs of students," the school system said in a statement on Friday. "In 2014, he led a facility study with the goal of assessing all schools in the area and estimating the overall cost of improvement. After the assessment was completed, renovation work began on three primary schools in need: Dobson Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, and Mountain Elementary School. Park Elementary School."

Coe also assisted the area in securing properties connected to East Surry High School and Surry Central High School for high school expansion projects.

"Mr. Coe has always advocated innovative programs, such as computer science or virtual education platforms, and has worked hard to guide Surrey County schools with a progressive mindset," the school system statement said. "He is a champion of student one-to-one computer use and makes sure that every student in the area has access to computers. During Mr. Coe's tenure on the board, the district reached the highest graduation rate in Surrey County school history in 2020. , Reaching 93.8%."

"Please know that I am very grateful and enjoy the opportunity to serve students in Surrey County," Ke said. "I am proud of our collective achievement as a board of directors and look forward to seeing the great things this system will do in order to best meet the needs of our school community. I am fortunate to be with some of the best educators in the state be a volunteer."

“I and other board members are grateful to Mr. Coe for his dedication, enthusiasm, enthusiasm and motivation to our school system over the past 19 years,” said Dr. Travis Reeves, head of the school system. "He played an important role in implementing many programs that helped define the school district. We will miss him, but students, faculty, volunteers, and community members will also miss him very much. Mr. Coe is not only respected in Surrey County , And highly respected in Jeonju. As he moves towards the next chapter of his life, we are excited for him."

When Coe's resignation was announced, the school system did not explain the reason for Coe's resignation. Calls to the school system and Coe for more information were not answered.

As part of this week's commemoration of Veterans Day, Mount Airy's sanitation plan has been adjusted.

This includes not collecting yard waste in the city on Monday. These will be restored on November 15.

The commercial waste route on Monday will be collected according to the usual schedule, as will the city industrial route on that day.

The industrial route that usually serves Thursday on the day of the holiday will be changed to be collected on Friday.

However, Thursday’s residential and recycling routes will be collected as planned.

To commemorate Veterans Day, the city government office will be closed on Thursday.

Elizabeth ("Beth") Casstevens, FNP-C, a native of North Carolina, has joined the clinical team of Northern Urgent Care, a fully staffed medical institution that provides services to patients without life-threatening diseases and injuries. As a family nurse practitioner, Casstevens will diagnose and treat a variety of non-emergency conditions for adults and children-from sinusitis and pneumonia to minor lacerations and fractures.

For 36-year-old Casstevens, it is not new to be part of the northern hospital family—he has been providing nursing care in the emergency department of the hospital for the past 10 years. Some of her other work experiences include positions in Surry Medical Extended Care (in urgent care settings) and Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital.

Cassteven's interest in healthcare began in her childhood-because she observed various healthcare professionals providing care for her immediate family members. "For years, I have watched my grandfather struggle with breathing problems-until I was 11 when he finally died of a heart attack," she said.

Many years later, her father had a severe heart attack-and due to complications, he was hospitalized for three months. "His chance of survival was less than 10%," she recalled. "He has never been lying on his back without communicating at all, and now he can do everything he wants-walking, talking, driving, hunting, etc."

"His recovery was beyond God's miracle," she added, "I know I want to help others-just like the doctors, nurses, and other experts who helped my father."

When she was a student at Central High School in Surrey and joined the Health Career Student Association of America (HOSA), her narrower interest in pursuing nursing was ignited, a club dedicated to students interested in healthcare careers. At that time, the registered nurse of Wendy Moser, a HOSA consultant and full-time health course teacher, encouraged the teenager to make nursing as her career of choice. "She had a great influence on me," Casstevens recalled, "and always encouraged and supported my decision to become a nurse."

Casstevens' 11-year educational journey to become a family nurse practitioner began in 2007, when she attended Surrey Community College and received a diploma in practicing nursing. After this achievement, three more educational milestones have been achieved: In 2009, he received an associate degree in nursing from Forsyth Technical Community College; in 2012, he received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Winston-Salem State University; and finally, Three years ago, Southern University obtained a master's degree in nursing, majoring in family nurses.

While providing comprehensive care to patients of all ages for the past 13 years, Casstevens found that she prefers the hustle and bustle of emergency and emergency care environments. "Either you like the fast-paced nature of these clinical environments, or you don't," she said. "I like to stay busy, and I work well under pressure," she said. "In many cases, you may be the first healthcare provider that a patient or family member sees, so your words and deeds will have a major impact on their lives."

"My approach to care is to treat each patient as a whole-so I will take the time to listen to their opinions so that I don't miss things that are important to them," she explained. "I strive to provide the most effective and compassionate care, while educating patients and their families on treatment options."

At Northern Urgent Care, Casstevens is excited about the challenges of diagnosis and treatment, because it sees a large number of patients with various clinical problems. The institution’s on-site diagnostic capabilities (including X-ray equipment and on-site laboratories) enhanced her ability to diagnose patient problems.

Casstevens' deep nursing knowledge and positive interactions with patients and colleagues have won her two special care awards: the nursing excellence award received during the Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital; and in 2018 by her colleagues in the emergency department of the Northern District Hospital The highly respected Nurse of the Year Award.

She is a member of several professional organizations and associations, including the American Practicing Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, and the Emergency Nurses Association.

In addition to volunteer work for the American Red Cross and some relief work, Casstevens put her nursing skills to good practice during the medical mission to Belize where she helped other nurses and medical professionals meet local villagers Health care needs.

"We live in a small wooden house with a larger dining room and bathroom," she said. "There is also a clinic that we open from Monday to Friday to treat people with a variety of diseases-from checking up children to treating chronic diseases for some adults."

When not working or as a volunteer, Casstevens likes to participate in outdoor activities with her husband Andrew, Andrew is a caregiver; they adopted two children (3-year-old Camden and 20-month-old Kelly); And three active Labrador retrievers (Drake, Ellie, and Gracie). She is still putting the finishing touches on the new house she and her husband built on the grandparents’ farm.

Northern Urgent Care is open 7 days a week/365 days a year; it can be contacted by calling 336-719-7200, visiting www.northernurgentcare.com online or visiting the clinic at Suite A, 119 Welch Road, Mount Airy.

After the pandemic forced a break, the Surrey arts players recently celebrated returning to the stage for live performances.

On Friday, October 29th, the players celebrated at the Surrey Arts Council. Since the pandemic, Surry Arts Players have had the opportunity to perform "Back to the 80s" and "The Wizard of Oz" on the stage of the Andy Griffith Theater.

Every year, Surry Arts Players gather to celebrate and award awards to thank community theater volunteers and actors for their hard work during the season. This year's theme is the past, present and future of Surry Arts Players.

The entertainment part of the evening included songs from the previous season and upcoming shows in 2022. Performers include: Katelyn Gomez "I Cain't Say No from Oklahoma", Emily Mauck "Happy Talk" from the South Pacific, "Michael Senter "Pure Imagination from Willie Wonka Jr.", Regan Amos "Winner" Mia from mom! "Cory Barr, Ellie Pell, and Regan Amos "Video Killed the Radio Stars of the 80s", Jordan Dover "Somewhere Above the Rainbow in The Wizard of Oz", Jiang Ge and Xin Nia Burgess "From Seussical JR's loneliness in the universe. "" Aspen Jackson "Amazing from Little Women" and Gregory Matthews "Marian the Librarian from Musicians".

This year’s OPIE Award winners are Newcomer Award David Tim; Amanda Barnard, Praise Award; Scott Carpenter, Praise Award; Gracie St. Angelo, Spotlight Award; Cassidy Mills, Scene Saver; Lillyruth Beck , Scene saver; Ashley Mills, stage mom; Patrick McDaniel, bandit and Katie Danny, Golden Hammer.

Next year's Theaer at the Andy Griffith Theater, including MTI's All Together Now, will open on November 12; the best Christmas pageant of all time, directed by Amanda Barnard; Seussical JR, by Directed by Shelby Coleman; "Little Women" directed by Shelby Coleman; and "Musician" directed by Taylor Matanick.

Tyler Matanick and Shelby Coleman's performance classes, youth performance troupe and musical theatre dance classes are in progress. For more information about auditions, courses, or becoming a member of Surry Arts Players, please contact shelby@surryart.org or call 336-648-8095.

A leak in the natural gas pipeline next to BH Tarrington Elementary School has caused families and businesses in the area to issue shelter-in-place orders and extend the rest time for students there.

Late Friday morning, school staff discovered a leak caused by some construction work. After police and emergency service officials arrived at the scene, the city sent so-called reverse 911 calls to residents and businesses in the area. Automatic calls were sent to these people, warning them to stay where they are and stay indoors.

According to Carrie Venable, communications executive at Mount Airy City Schools, at the school, students and staff were evacuated to the asphalt road across from the campus.

"We continue to monitor air quality," she said. "We called the family," telling them what happened. "All the children are safe and sound, and have been properly handled."

About an hour later, she said that the leak had been resolved and the school had obtained all permits for the students to return.

She said: “When everything was cleaned up, the fire department went to every room in the building to check the air quality.” “It is reported that children like to spend time in the sun.”

She said that the school system has established many procedures for such incidents and regularly conducts drills so that school officials can prepare. She said that once the emergency services decided to clean up the school, the faculty and staff were ready.

"We are very grateful to our employees and the way they handled this situation. The fire and police, they are such great partners, and they really have a good relationship on campus."

Hank Whitaker, art teacher at Shoals Elementary School, was recently surprised by the donation of the Dobson logo Gypsy.

Payge Snow, the owner of Sign Gypsies, came to the school to give Whitaker a gift. She said she plans to pick a teacher from each school and give them a $50 surprise for them to use in the classroom. She realized that in many cases, teachers must spend their own money to provide the supplies needed in the classroom. She hopes to reduce the burden on teachers in Surrey County.

The principal of Mount Airy City Schools, Dr. Kim Morrison, has been nominated for the A. Craig Phillips principal of the year award. The award is given to the superintendent of the state who has demonstrated the greatest leadership in K-12 public school services.

Dr. Morrison received the District Director of the Year Award in April.

The state award is selected by the North Carolina School Administrators Association (NCASA), NCASA's core affiliates, the North Carolina School Superintendents Association (NCSSA), and the North Carolina School Board Association (NCSBA).

Dr. Morrison must submit a portfolio showing her achievements.

"This is a very broad portfolio," said Carrie Venable, communications executive at Mount Airy City Schools.

"In my portfolio, I have some things, such as closing the performance gap, we did this in math, the students we won in the Mount Airy City School system, and the awards I received in the past," said Dr. Morrison.

Dr. Morrrison was interviewed by NCASA, NCSSA, and ad NCBSA. They all came together in the process or selected the winner of the State Supervisor of the Year Award.

Dr. Morrison said: "I am very happy to represent this area and the great work we are doing, Mount Airy School and this area." "My colleagues from 18 areas in my area nominated me for the regional award."

The winners of the A. Craig Phillips Annual Supervisory Award will be announced on Thursday.

The winner will continue to compete for the 2022 Annual National Superintendent’s Award, which will be presented at the National Education Conference of the American Association of School Administrators in Nashville, Tennessee, from February 17 to 19, 2022.

– District 1, Northeast, Matthew Cheeseman, Beaufort County School

– District 2, Southeast, Lisa Jackson, Palmico County School

– Dr. Valeri Bridges, Echcombe County School, Central Three Districts

– District 4, Dune, Dr. Aaron Fleming, Harnett County School

– Dr. Andrew Houlihan, Union County School, Sixth District, Southwest China

– District 7, Northwest, Markbird, Wilkes County School

– District 8, West, Mark Garrett, McDowell County School

• According to the city police report, a woman in Mount Airy was charged with a felony on suspicion of stealing lottery tickets from the convenience store where she was employed.

Christina Ellen Golding, 29, from 690 McBride Road, was arrested last Friday and was detained in Surrey County Jail with a deposit of $500, ending Breeze Thru on West Pine Street Investigation.

Golding was charged with employee theft, and she was dismissed from the area of ​​the Breeze Thru chain store and barred her from entering the property. She is scheduled to appear in Surrey District Court on November 22. Police records show that three lottery tickets worth $30 were involved.

• Municipal property has been targeted by vandals several times recently, including an incident in Riverside Park last Friday where a stone was used to damage wall-mounted commercial toilets and wall-mounted commercial sinks in men’s toilets.

The loss is $650.

• Also last Friday, there was a scratch on the wall of a toilet cubicle in the downtown rest area at Main St. N. 110 N, causing a damage of $100.

A previously reported incident occurred on October 24 when a sink in a public toilet in Riverside Park was broken from a wall. The white porcelain sink was damaged for US$500, and graffiti on the back of the building caused US$100 in damage. A metal lock was also taken away.

• On October 7th, at Aldi's on State Street, merchandise was stolen, including Nathan's hot dogs, Chex Mix potato chips, sugar cookies, Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie and a 20-ounce cola can. According to police records, a known suspect was involved, but no charges were reported immediately after the crime occurred.

Mount Airy officials took action on Thursday afternoon, and they hope this will result in the city receiving funding from the national opioid solution to help address the epidemic locally.

The Mount Airy Committee voted 5 to 0 in favor of becoming part of a memorandum of agreement between the state government and the rest of North Carolina, which involves a fair distribution of the proceeds of the settlement.

"There are billions of dollars in funding now available," City Attorney Hugh Campbell explained in a council meeting on Thursday.

Campbell said that Surrey County officials asked Mount Airy to be part of the process, hoping that all four cities in the county would participate 100% in anticipation of the settlement of the national opioid lawsuit.

The funding came from certain counties and cities in North Carolina and thousands of other people across the country filed lawsuits against "large pharmaceutical companies" (opioid drug manufacturers and drug distribution companies), demanding them to be held accountable for their actions. Campbell said that attorneys general from all states are also involved.

It is advantageous for all local governments in North Carolina to sign a memorandum of agreement and "show solidarity" in response to the opioid epidemic, the city commissioner said in a resolution approved on Thursday.

This is expected to maximize the share of opioid settlement funds received by states and counties to help reduce the harm caused by opioids.

In 2020, Surrey County reported 503 drug overdose and 30 deaths. Opioids, including various painkillers obtained through prescriptions, have been accused along with the illegal drugs heroin and fentanyl (a controlled synthetic opioid).

“As of 2019, the opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of more than 16,500 North Carolina people, torn apart families, and ravaged communities from the mountains to the coast,” the committee members passed the resolution stated.

City Attorney Campbell mentioned the Gold Leaf Foundation, a non-profit entity established in 1999 to use tobacco settlement funds from national legal actions against cigarette companies to help transform North Carolina’s economy.

"It's very similar," he said of the opioid settlement funds, noting that this includes funds from some of the bankrupt large pharmaceutical companies.

Based on discussions during the Thursday meeting, it remains to be seen how much Mount Airy will receive and when.

Of North Carolina’s share of settlement gains, 80% will go to local governments, including all 100 counties and larger cities in the state.

Campbell said the money will be released within 18 years.

"It looks like there is a lot to do," Commissioner Joe Zalescik said of more than 40 pages of information about the North Carolina Memorandum of Agreement and local funding requirements.

Mayor Ron Niland stated that he hopes that the Mount Airy community will eventually benefit from more opioid mediation programs.

According to state guidelines, this may include exploring the root causes of drug abuse, addiction, and overdose deaths in the region, as well as identifying and evaluating potential strategies for responding to epidemics.

In the early 1980s, Jamey Horton worked at Wendy's in Mount Airy-now he not only owns and operates 17 Wendy's branches, but also has won two important awards from the restaurant company.

Horton's business recently received the annual market honor and the Small and Medium Franchise Brand Transformation Monument Award. This happened at an event in Dublin, Ohio, where the fast food chain is headquartered.

The award was presented by Todd Penegor, President and CEO of The Wendy's Company, which was founded by Dave Thomas in November 1969 (this month 52 years ago).

Horton is the son of James of White Plains and Carol Horton. He graduated from North Surrey High School in 1977 and has a long-term relationship with Wendy.

"I started after I graduated from high school," he said this week, that was in 1983.

Today, Horton lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, and is the President and CEO of Tri-Cities Restaurant Group. The 17 Wendy restaurants he owns and operate through the group are located in eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. The names of the three cities refer to Johnson City-Bristol-Kingsport.

Its Virginia locations include restaurants in Bristol and Abingdon.

The awards involved will be awarded to the best performing franchisees in Wendy's system, which operates more than 7,000 restaurants in the United States, Mexico, Canada and 14 foreign countries. Its annual sales exceed 13 billion U.S. dollars.

Horton explained that the Brand Transformation Monument Award is related to the major changes experienced by the Tri-City Restaurant Group after it took over in 1996. This was a low-performance operation at the time.

North Surry graduates' career interest in Wendy's goes back to the basics. "It's fresh—never frozen," Horton said of the chain’s product line. "If I want to enter that industry, I want to go with the best people."

Horton continued his studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Arthur M. Spiro Entrepreneurship Leadership Center at the Clemson University School of Business.

He also received an MBA from Dave Thomas University.

Horton met Thomas, who died in 2002 and is known for his cordial nature expressed through numerous TV commercials promoting Wendy.

"I played golf with him once and had dinner with him three or four times," the former Surrey County resident said, adding that Thomas himself was as sincere as he portrayed in the ad.

Horton said his career was inspired by local roots.

"My father is in business-he is a self-employed in the insurance industry," he said of James Horton. "Being an entrepreneur is very close to me."

Wendy’s executive has four children, Jason Horton of McDonough, Georgia; Brad Horton of Johnson City; Brandon Horton of Moxville, North Carolina; and Ni of Charlotte But Holden.

Horton also has two younger brothers.

Outside of work, his hobbies include traveling. Horton has visited 19 different countries.

After a one-year vacation due to the pandemic, Mount Airy Parks and Rec will host the Supplier Expo on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm

Three years ago, the head of family services at Mount Airy Parks and Rec took over the activity.

"I want to help promote," Wilson said.

This event is one of many events held by Airy Mountain Park and Rec every year to help the Surrey Joint Fund benefit.

There are 10 scheduled suppliers for this event, and their products range from essential oils to handmade jewelry to boutique clothing, just to name a few.

The annual goal is to raise $250, but things may not be so smooth this year.

Wilson said: "Due to a one-year vacation due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, some of our ordinary suppliers withdrew from this event." "This year we are focusing on a smaller incident than usual."

The last auction was two years ago, when Mount Airy Parks and Rec raised $525, exceeding its goal of $250. Before that, they had raised more funds.

"The suppliers we have now are new suppliers to us, but they are a great help to the plan and our community," Wilson said.

The event was originally scheduled to be held in Riverside Park, but due to the predicted cold temperature, it was moved indoors.

The event will be held in the gymnasium of the Reeves Community Center. Parking spaces will be provided in the Cherry Street parking lot on the right side of the Reeves Community Center and the parking lot directly opposite.

Non-members should enter from the front door of the building, as all other doors require a key card.

For more information, please call 336-786-8313 or email kwilson@mountairy.org to contact Kim Wilson.

The Northern District Hospital recently broke ground, with its 25,000 square foot medical office building and 300 additional parking spaces.

The new facility will be located directly behind the hospital, across South Street, and is expected to be completed in March 2023. More than 50 hospital and community leaders participated in groundbreaking events, including a special speech by the chairman of the NRH Board of Trustees-William K. Waltz Jr., Surrey County Commissioner Mark Marion, Mayor Ron Niland, Mount Airy City Commissioner John Cowley and Hospital President and CEO Chris A. Ramsdon.

The foundation stone laying marks the beginning of Phase 1C of the hospital's main campus plan. Phase 1A began on October 11, closing a part of Worth Street. The project will transform the part of Worth Street between Rockford Street and S. South Street into a public street adjacent to the emergency department of the Northern District Hospital, and transform it into a private driveway entrance to the North Campus of the Northern District Hospital. The construction of this phase will continue until December 31.

Phase 1B of the overall park plan will expand the employee parking lot of the northern area hospital, which is located directly behind the northern area hospital and adds 66 parking spaces for employees. Construction on the site began on September 13 and will continue until mid-December.

Six local law enforcement agencies coordinated their efforts in a recent cross-jurisdictional investigation. As a result, a search warrant was executed and a local man was arrested in Mount Airy on October 25, resulting in a local man facing multiple charges.

Donald Lee Travis, 49, located at 201 Eleanor Avenue in Mount Airy, was arrested and charged with four counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, two counts of trafficking in cocaine, and one count of trafficking in cocaine. There are counts of stolen guns and one count of maintaining a drug residence.

The search warrant was obtained by the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office’s drug department at its home on Eleanor Street and stemmed from an investigation into the illegal distribution of controlled substances.

From the execution of the arrest warrant and the subsequent search of the property, detectives found more than 350 grams of methamphetamine, more than 47 grams of cocaine/crack cocaine, marijuana and various firearms.

According to Sergeant Steve C. Hiatt, detectives are continuing to investigate issues related to possession of stolen guns and may make additional charges. Travis was placed under a $320,000 secured bond and received the court date on November 15.

For the past six years, residents of this community have been cooperating with their own neighbourhood watch organization and coordinating with the sheriff’s office to reduce the impact of drugs in the area. According to local residents, the method of "seeing something and saying something" has produced results.

The Surrey County Sheriff’s Offices involved in the investigation included Mount Ally Police Department, Stokes County Sheriff’s Office, Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office, and Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office.

Surrey County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt mentioned “this is an excellent teamwork in combating the illegal distribution of controlled substances.”

Some regional companies want to do something special for Pilot Mountain Middle School, so Xpress Lube, Law & Order, Pilot Tyre, Rebecca Aldridge, Jason & Jessica McLeod and Clyde Fulk Exxon have assembled a Halloween trick or treat candy vehicle.

For nearly 30 years, the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office and County Schools have been working to provide children with a Christmas program through Graham Atkinson for children and adults in the community who cannot provide themselves with clothes, shoes, food and gifts. This year is no different.

"The number of children helped depends on the angel tree submitted to the Salvation Army," said Dr. Travis Reeves, the head of the county school.

"I was there last week and they have received orders for 500 angels. We are usually able to help 500 to 800 children, and we expect to have more children this year."

The plan started nearly 30 years ago, hoping to feed 50 families. In the eyes of the organizers at the time, even this goal seemed ambitious. In 2020, 700 children received clothes and toys, and many families received food.

"We don't want our students to leave," Reeves said. "This is an indispensable project in our community." He explained that the food and clothes provided are enough for the children and their families to spend the winter. Children will also receive Christmas toys so that they will not feel left out.

Every year, community members go to Wal-Mart to shop for these children. They will develop a budget based on the amount of funds raised, and then receive a list of what their children want. They spend time shopping for these children, trying to provide happiness during the Christmas holidays.

"This event fully illustrates our community. People are here and willing to help, which really exudes enthusiasm. It shows that this is where you want your children to grow up and live," Reeves said. "We put students and families first."

"We believe that every boy and girl should experience the joy and excitement of a happy Christmas morning, with their belly and clothes warming up," Surrey County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt said.

It is important for Hiatt that children be able to celebrate Christmas with gifts and food. He made it clear by continuing the program to encourage community members to help.

"We can continue to work hard together to ensure that every child has a Merry Christmas." Hiatt said.

The people who contributed to this event all have the same passion for helping others.

"We need your help to achieve this goal," Hiatt said.

"There are many good people on the board who really want to make a difference. When we can all help others, there is no greater feeling or sense of accomplishment than that," Reeves said.

The county school system provided a lot of help for this activity. The school council and interactive club organize fundraising events.

"They came up with very creative ways to participate," Reeves said. "Some host fundraising events, some help shopping, make food boxes and deliver food boxes."

"We focus on student leadership. Show them how they can change the world."

A TV show will also be held on November 29 to raise funds for the "Give the Kids a Christmas" event. Students also provide help in this regard. Some perform, some host. Last year was the first year they implemented the TV Marathon and it was a success. The location plan of the TV show has not been finalized, but in addition to the school system website, social media such as Facebook live may show the event.

On Saturday, December 11, at 8 am, everyone was invited to help pack food boxes at Surrey Central High School.

At 9pm on Thursday, December 9, people were invited to Walmart in Elgin to buy clothes and toys for the family.

Donations are welcome, and a check will be sent to Sheriff Atkinson's Give a Kid a Christmas, Inc. PO Box 827, Dobson, NC 27017 before December 4th.

Cory George has been interested in land since he was a child. George grew up on a farm in Pilot Hill, attended East Surrey High School, and graduated in 2006.

"I've always been fascinated by fixing things," George said. He attributed this charm to growing up on a farm.

After leaving his hometown after graduating from high school, George decided it was time to go home. He started civil engineering and land surveying business, namely pilot surveying and engineering.

He attended North Carolina State University, where he first studied civil engineering courses. Then he turned to biological and agricultural engineering.

"I met a lot of great people, and they helped me make this transition," George said.

Over time, George will monitor changes in the land. Every time it rains, storms or snows, he will see how it affects the earth.

The land surveyor struggled to find different angles and measurements of the property line. They then send these measurements to civil engineers so that they can manipulate the land for drainage, roads, houses, parking lots, etc.

"I really like it," George said.

After graduating from North Carolina State University in 2010, he worked as a junior engineer in Wilkesboro. After working there for a while, they asked him to be certified as a surveyor. George returned to school and obtained his survey license from NC A&T.

After working in Wilkesboro, he found a job at McAdams, a civil engineering company in Durham.

He has been a full-time engineer since 2010, and he feels it is time to make a change.

In 2019, George decided to start his own company in his hometown.

"Going home is important to us," George said of him and his wife Jessica. "We think we can change our community."

George has children, and many of his family still live in the Pilot Mountain, so it seems appropriate to move.

George originally planned to open in March 2020, but COVID hindered his development.

COVID-19 delayed the opening of his business, but in August 2020, the sea trial survey and engineering opened.

"To some extent, COVID has helped us. People are leaving the city and entering more rural areas. They need surveyors, and we are there," George said.

George is now the owner of a business, has appeared in multiple podcasts, and hosted one of his own podcasts.

He is a member of the NC Engineers and Land Surveyors Committee and was awarded for his work.

He won first place in the North Carolina Association of Surveyors' Mapping Competition: two third places in the boundary category and the terrain category and the ALTA/NSPS category.

George is certified in Carolina, Tennessee, Washington DC and Florida.

Pilot Surveying and Engineering is located at 106 S. Depot St, Ste D, Pilot Mountain.

For more information, please visit http://www.pilotse.com/, or call 336-565-7023 or send an email to cory@pilotse.com

Mount Airy has taken steps to improve pedestrian safety—especially in areas with heavy traffic in towns—which involves cleanup and modernization of plans completed in 2013.

This started when the city government applied for state funding in late May to modify the plan, which was recently approved.

The cost of updating the pedestrian plan is estimated at US$45,000. The grant requires a 20% local match, that is, the Mount Airy Committee approved and formally accepted the grant at the last meeting on October 21, totaling $9,000.

Mount Airy is eligible for funding through the North Carolina Department of Transportation because its existing walking and/or biking program is more than five years old, which still requires a competitive process. It applies to municipalities and counties with a population of less than 50,000.

According to Martin Collins, the city’s director of community development, the shelf life of walk plans is usually about 10 years and needs to be revisited to cope with changing conditions.

Plans passed in 2013 include the installation of high-visibility crosswalks, special signal lights and other pedestrian-friendly facilities at major intersections, and the addition of sidewalks and other pedestrian-oriented facilities in Mount Airy.

These were determined with the help of local committees.

"I think the committees involved have done a very good job," Collins said on Tuesday, and their input was part of the research that produced the recommendations.

However, the suggestions made did not become reality, such as providing pedestrians with some safe ways to pass the intersection of US 52 and US 601 (Rockford Street).

"We still have some dangerous crossroads," Collins said on Tuesday, and needed the help of the updated plan to resolve the problems at these locations. "I think that for such things, safety is always extremely important."

Statistics show that in the 12 years ending in the past ten years, 34 pedestrian-related car accidents occurred in Mount Airy, which claimed the lives of 4 people.

The 2013 Integrated Pedestrian Plan was developed by Kimley-Horn and Associates of Charlotte at a cost of US$31,500. It is one of the three consulting companies considered in the study.

Collins said Tuesday that the planned update process will include a department of DOT that participates in its pedestrian and bicycle program and arranges for a company to work with the city.

It is expected that a list of recommendations will be produced again, and the Director of Community Development hopes that the committee members will prioritize them in order to arrive at a manageable quantity that can be implemented.

Collins was praised at a recent commissioner meeting for his efforts to obtain a grant from interim city manager Darren Lewis, but was not sure when the updated plan would be completed.

The Surrey County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Surrey County Hall of Fame Committee have selected the 2021 Surrey County Sports Hall of Fame and Honor Ring candidates, who will be awarded on Saturday.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame are Donald Gray Bean, Rick Callaway, James "Bart" Cox, Sarah Ann Knott, Cary Carnes Palin and Kenneth Shee Ulton. All selected candidates have performed well in their sports, whether it is competition or coaching.

The honor ring winners are Dobson Lions and Darren Lewis. These selected candidates are managers, teams or organizations that have made significant contributions to the sports field in North Carolina.

"Surrey County Sports Hall of Fame and Medal of Honor Committee is made up of members from across the county," said Bradley Key, Coordinator of Projects, Special Events, and Volunteer Services at the Surrey County Parks and Recreation Department.

"The committee has 15 members. One from each region, with several large places."

The initiation ceremony for the Surrey County Hall of Fame is an annual event.

"Due to COVID, we cannot hold this event in 2020," Key said.

This year's ceremony will begin again. The event will be held at Fisher River Park in Dobson on Saturday, November 6. This includes the initiation ceremony and the unveiling ceremony of the monument.

The Department of Parks and Recreation in Surrey County facilitates committees and voting.

• According to the city police report, the Mount Airy man was sentenced to jail without bail on charges of assault involving personal injury.

Arrest records show that Timothy Jessie Corder, 32, from Boaz Lane 182, was accused of pushing Krystal Leigh Martin's head into the center console of the vehicle last Wednesday and "biting it." Lips". The incident occurred outside the Airy Mountain Public Library.

Officials arrested Cod nearby after answering a call from the civil strife and accused him of assaulting a woman. He is scheduled to appear in Surrey District Court next Monday.

• Bobby Durell Robinson, 40, living at 120 W. Pine St., was detained on October 25, charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine), felony, and resisting, delaying or obstructing public officials And holding drug paraphernalia.

Robinson encountered a suspicious individual in the West Haymore and Andrews Street area. He was also found to be the subject of a pending arrest warrant issued by Surrey County authorities in August for violation of child support payments. Issued. 26.

He was imprisoned with a secured bond of US$10,880 and is scheduled to appear in the district court on November 15.

• On October 24, the city property was damaged. A sink in the Riverside Park public toilet broke off from the wall. The white porcelain sink was damaged for US$500 and the graffiti on the back of the building caused US$100 of damage. A metal lock was also stolen.

• The Aldi supermarket on State Street was victimized by a crime that was discovered on October 20 involving false acquisition of property. It involves an incident that occurred in early October, when a well-known person returned an item that was not purchased with money, listed as a pulse oximeter worth $30.

• In an incident discovered on October 19 at Eric Wesley Cook's residence in the 2000 block of Wards Gap Road, jewelry and other property were stolen, with a total value of $3,281.

The items were taken out of the dressing table drawer, including two silver engagement rings, two platinum wedding rings, silver and diamond engagement rings, a gold ring with diamonds, gold and silver earrings, diamond earrings, sapphire earrings, star sapphire ring, Four pocket watches;

In addition, there are three sets of cufflinks, a silver dollar, two gold lockets, two carved golden baby rings, a sapphire ring, a ruby ​​ring, a gold penknife with the initials "JHC", a diamond and Black onyx ring, a white gold with sapphire ring and 12 other pieces of jewellery, precious metals and gemstones.

• Also on October 19, in the 2000 block of Wards Gap Road, tools, equipment and materials worth $1,390 were stolen from the home of Terry Nathan Danley.

Includes two Steele chain saws, two Bostitch nail guns, Craftsman hand tools, DeWalt 20-volt cordless tool kit, polyurethane and wood stain.

• 32-year-old Joshua Shane Pulliam, listed as homeless, was sentenced to jail on October 17 with a secured bond of US$250,000 for two felonies, assault with a lethal weapon with intent to kill, causing serious injury, and First-degree burglary. Released through the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office on September 24.

The police encountered Pulliam when they received a call from a suspicious person at the 13 Bones restaurant on Griffith Park Avenue in South Andy. They searched the crime database and found the existence of these cases, but did not list other details.

Puliam is scheduled to appear in the district court next Wednesday.

• Charles Tanner Acord, 26, from 172 E. Ridge Circle, Pilot Mountain, was accused of being damaged by police in a collision involving the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban he was driving near Rockford Street in the United States on October 17th. Driving operation under the circumstances.

The case is scheduled to open in Surrey District Court next Monday.

• Terrence Wilson Lightbourne, 42 years old, from 251 Marshall Farm Road, arrested for resisting, delaying or obstructing a public official's allegations; driving with obstacles; possession of Schedule VI controlled substances; late at night on October 16 near Wilson Street Possess marijuana paraphernalia after parking on South Renfro Street.

Letterburn was detained in the county jail with a $2,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in the district court next Monday.

According to Mayor Ron Niland, 17 people have applied to become Mount Airy's next city manager.

This number reflects applications received before the Monday deadline set for the process, and because it was postmarked on or before November 1, other people may join the application.

Nilan said on Tuesday that he believes that some valuable finalists can be collected from the group at hand, while also taking the unusual situation of today's economy as an aggravating factor.

"It's less than I thought," the mayor said. "But you have a pandemic and other things, and people are just not interested in moving."

Niland believes that the number of applicants for managerial vacancies reflects the overall economic situation of employers' difficulty in finding enough employees for certain positions.

The last time Mount Airy looked for a city manager in the market was in 2010, when 40 people applied for the position that Barbara Jones-then assistant manager-was appointed to fill by the board.

Jones retired as a manager on October 1, ending his 30-year career in the city government.

After she left, Mount Airy officials opened a big network to secure Jones's successor, which attracted applicants from all over the country.

Eight people from North Carolina applied. One was from Surrey County, and the others lived in California, Texas, Ohio, Maine, Georgia, and Virginia.

The mayor said: "The next step might be to look at applicants and try to narrow their (fields) to 8 or 10 you might want to talk to on the phone." "Many of them are in out-of-state-they might be at first Some phone interviews are needed."

Niland said he plans to request a private meeting during the Mount Airy committee meeting on Thursday afternoon to determine the exact procedure for hiring new managers.

Normally, applicants will be narrowed down to a small number of finalists to choose someone for the job.

Then time must be set aside for the selected person to give sufficient notice to his or her current employer.

"So we are thinking about mid-January," the mayor said of the time frame for the arrival of newcomers, and based on these factors, this may be extended to February.

Jones has stated that she plans to retire so that the next city manager can take office in time during the municipal budget season. It started at the beginning of the year and reached a climax when the spending plan for 2022-23 was passed in June next year.

Airy Mountain Park and Recreation Director Darren Lewis (Darren Lewis) serves as interim city manager, while also taking care of his day-to-day duties.

According to previous reports, it is said that Lewis is not interested in the manager's work.

Ararat, Virginia-Cruising is an enjoyable experience, as is barbecue, so when an event in Ararat combines the two, it proves to be an unforgettable moment.

This was reflected in the 34th Annual Barbecue/People's Choice Award Cruise-In organized by the Ararat Ruritan Club in late October.

The food part of the afternoon activity was provided by four different chefs. According to information provided by Mary Dellenback Hill of the Club Management Committee, in order to prove their culinary expertise, all barbecues were sold out before 5:30pm.

The people in the aprons are Caleb Parker, Greg Parker, Cody Magee and Billy Magee, who are described as "great chefs."

At the same time, as the afternoon time passed, unique vehicles entered the parade one after another, with a total of about 40 vehicles, and the event organizers expressed their appreciation for their existence.

The People's Choice Award trophy was awarded to Billy Lane, the owner of the car who decided to become the group's favorite vehicle.

The winning entries are democratically decided by the attendees, who will vote for each ticket at a price of US$1 or US$5.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memorandum in early October directing the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country to convene local and state-level meetings to "discuss responses to school administrators, board members, and teachers. And the threats faced by the staff.”

On Monday night, Surrey County Commissioner Eddie Harris made it clear that he opposes such measures and that federal authorities should stay away from the decision of local schools.

To this end, he proposed a resolution unanimously approved by the board of directors on the grounds that parents need to be able to publicly express their thoughts and concerns to the school board, and called on the county's three school systems to express their dissatisfaction to the federal government. authorities.

The Garland memo is in response to a letter written by the National Association of School Boards in September, in which they sought help in strong language. "We urge the federal government to intervene against individuals or hate groups targeting our schools and educators."

Since then, the National Education Council has been trying to soften their language, some say that this makes Garland's memo irrelevant. One issue of contention is the use of the words "hate group" and "domestic terrorism" in the original letter, but Garland did not use these words.

Garland’s memo cited “the proliferation of harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against...(those) who are involved in the important work of managing our country’s public schools is disturbing.” While acknowledging that “vigorous debate” is protected, freedom of speech The protection does not allow threats of violence or intimidation. AG Garland writes that such threats or intimidation are not only illegal, "they run counter to the core values ​​of our country."

Harris believes this is an over-expansion of the parents’ personal life, not to mention a possible violation of the First Amendment. The resolution reads: "Parents have the right to participate in elective school boards on any subject. This is essential for a free and open society and protecting the best interests of our country's children."

Commissioner Harris later got a response from Commissioner Van Tucker. They believed that the danger of indoctrination might happen in our school. Harris wrote that Garland hopes to use federal law enforcement resources to silence parents who question the "divisive, harmful, immoral, and awakened social justice engineering policies of the progressive left."

Harris said in his speech: “The country is angry with these issues surrounding this. I think everyone knows what they are, and I don’t plan to discuss them again here tonight.” At the board meeting, Critical Race Theory One The word is quoted many times as an example of the type of indoctrination that school children may face.

For this, parents must be able to talk to their school board and influence them. The resolution states, “Parents through their elected school board should have total and complete control over what their children are taught and exposed to.”

The resolution stated that the three local school boards are encouraged to "take appropriate in-kind actions to express their contempt for this misleading and intolerant policy of the Biden administration attacking Surrey County parents."

It was at this point that the resolution encountered the only point of debate, as Chairman Mark Marion asked for a change and obtained consent to replace the "Biden government" with "No government should violate the rights of Surrey County parents. "language.

Commissioner Bill Goins finally said: "The one thing our society needs most is civilization, being able to stand in front of a group of people and behave in a civilized manner. We can engage in civic dialogue instead of being ugly with each other."

In the comments made before accepting the resolution, the board of directors agreed that the local law enforcement agency has sufficient capacity to deal with any potential threats to the school board meeting. The board of directors unanimously passed the Harris resolution.

In other committee news:

– Encouraged by Samantha Ange, director of the county health bureau, the board received their COVID-19 booster.

– The board of directors congratulated and praised the successful Halloween Carnival held in Dobson Town. Chairman Marion pointed out that parking is difficult because there are too many people attending the event, which means it must be very popular.

– The board of directors approved the purchase of a storage room for the Surrey County Health and Nutrition Center.

– The county government will provide an additional $300,000 for the ongoing Camp Creek stream restoration and dam restoration project. With this increase, the total projected total of the entire program will reach US$3.3 million, covering Big Elkin Creek, Camp Creek and Mitchell River.

– The county and the state employee credit union agreed to renew the lease of the ATM located at the Dobson Surrey County Service Center/Farmers’ Market. The new lease will last for five years.

– Finally, at the committee’s reception, the five most recent Eagle Scouts from the Boy Scouts of America were commended by the committee for their achievements. Promoting a Boy Scout to Eagle rank is the highest honor that can be awarded to a Boy Scout.

"The Eagle Scout Award is of great significance to these young people. It opens the door. When you put it on your resume, people will see it, people will see it, and it is still very important in this country. Value," Commissioner and Eagle Scout Bill Goens said in a way that praised the new Eagles. He went on to prove that when the uniform is hung up, “the bond of scouts always exists.”

Jacob Tillman, Unit 561: Tillman cleared the Meadowview Middle eco-walk for his project.

Brandon Hall, Unit 553: Hall saw the need for the White Plains Youth Foundation Stadium and improved it.

Brandon Isaacs, Unit 529: Isaacs works on the 6-foot climbing wall in Surry Central for his Eagle service project.

Thomas Lawson, Unit 561: Lawson serves his community by welding repairs to the damaged gate of the Shoals Recreation Center.

Noah Khuri, Unit 505: Khuri built a foldable and movable stage for use by the North Carolina Autism Association.

Registration for the 8th Jacob Pettit Memorial 5K walking/running event is now open.

The event is a fundraiser for the Jacob Daniel Petit Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to East Surrey High School graduates every year.

The 2021 edition will be divided into two parts to accommodate all interested parties.

The first is a 5K walk/run scheduled for Saturday, November 6th at Fairview United Methodist Church in Shoals. Event planners stated that this game will be a high-quality face-to-face 5K event to accommodate serious contestants and participants of all levels.

The one who joined Jacob Pettitt Memorial 5K last year was Cardinal Strut Virtual Run/Walk. This is for individuals who want to participate but need to race on their own time and choice of course or treadmill.

All proceeds from these two activities will be used for the Jacob Daniel Pettit Scholarship Fund.

The event and scholarship are to commemorate Jacob Pettit, who died after a car accident on September 3, 2013 at the age of 15. As a second-year student at the University of East Surrey, Pettit, as a classmate, friend and community, remained in a coma for 19 days. Residents prayed and extended a helping hand to support the Pettit family.

He died on September 22 of that year.

"Jacob left us too early," it wrote on the contest registration website. "His death has revived the Shoals community and Surrey County. Jacob has high standards and always strives to be his best. Through this event, we aim to meet these standards by raising funds together, so that the scholarship Granted to those who have the same standards."

A sentence shared by Jacob on Twitter emphasized these standards.

"One day, I want to look into God's eyes and tell him that I have used every talent he has given me," he wrote.

The first Jacob Daniel Pettit scholarship was awarded to a member of the 2016 graduating class of Jacobs High School.

The registration price for anyone under the age of 18 is $25. Standard registration, including race day registration, is $35 for adults 18 years and older. In-Person 5K online registration ends at 6:00 pm on Thursday, November 4th, and Virtual 5K registration is open until November 5th.

Runners can register online at jacobpettittmemorial5k.itsyourrace.com.

Race day registration will begin at 7 am. 5K is scheduled to start at 8:30. A limited number of additional shirts will be provided on the day of the game, but it cannot be guaranteed.

Awards will be awarded to the top three male and female contestants in each age group, and overall awards will be provided for the live competition. The age groups are as follows: 14 years old and below, 15-19 years old, 20-29 years old, 30-39 years old, 40-49 years old, 50-59 years old, 60-69 years old and 70 years old and above.

The package can be picked up at Fairview UMC from 5-7pm on Friday, November 5th or 7-8:15am on November 6th. The game is scheduled to start at 8:30am

Fairview United Methodist Church is located at 3692 Quaker Church Road, in the Shoals community of Pinnacle.

Sponsors of Jacob Pettitt Memorial 5K and Cardinal Strut Virtual Run/Walk include: Carson Industries, Chilton Train, Country Road Strawberries, Dinner Dash, Foothills Hardware and Builders Supply, Grace and Sparrow Boutique, Hayco Construction, Indulge Soapery, Northedge Interiors, Pilot Knob Outfitters, Pilot Mountain Flower Shop, Pilot Mountain Rapid Lube, Pruitt Insurance and Triad Builders of King.

On Saturday, during a church outing in eastern North Carolina, two members of the Pilot Mountain Church were killed and four others were injured.

Kimber Smitherman, 69, and John Natzle, 66, both died at the scene of a car accident in Brunswick County. Church secretary Barbara Lundquist said that the two and four other members of the Freedom and Freedom Worship Center were returning from a male group outing when the shipwreck occurred.

According to the sergeant. D. Adams of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. The van overturned several times after being hit by a truck driven by 32-year-old supplier Antomar Stevenson at the intersection of NC 211 and Little Macedon Road.

Adams said the van was driving north on North Carolina Highway 211 and entered a four-way intersection. Stevenson was sitting on a Chevrolet pickup truck and was sitting in front of a stop sign. Adams said the truck driven by Stevenson pulled out and crashed into the van, which then "turned over at least three times."

Smithman was driven out of the truck, and Nazr stayed in the car.

Four other passengers were injured, including the driver, who was airlifted from the scene to the trauma center.

According to Lundquist, the four have been discharged from the hospital.

"The last one posted last night," she said on Tuesday. "Everyone is dealing with injuries at home, trying to regain strength, but they are (discharged), which is a blessing."

She said that most church members learned about the tragedy soon after the car accident at 7:50 in the morning, because one of the people in the van was able to call Pastor Eddie Sawyers and tell him about the accident. Soon, more than 200 church members called each other, shared the tragedy, and prayed for the people in the van and their families.

According to Adams, Stevenson has so far been charged with two misdemeanor charges of causing death in a vehicle and failing to surrender and causing serious injury. "We have not completed our investigation," he said, but he added that no one suspected the use of alcohol or other substances. Stevenson was also taken to the hospital from the shipwreck site, without life threatening. It was unclear on Tuesday whether he was still in the hospital.

The church plans to hold a memorial service for Smitherman and Nazler from 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday

The air may be a bit cold on Saturday, but to anyone around the historic Earle Theatre, the atmosphere may look more like the South Pacific.

That's because the third annual Mount Airy Ukulele Retreat is underway, a two-day gathering of Ukulele fans from North Carolina and Virginia.

After registering on Friday, attendees gathered at the historic Earle Theatre to study playing patterns and rhythms. Later, they gathered on the stage of the Andy Griffith Theater to learn improvisation solo and improvisation. Some of the highlights on Saturday included the WPAQ carousel rehearsal and performance on the stage of the historic Earle Theatre.

Hosted by Jennie Lowry, the show is the second-longest-running radio broadcast in the United States, second only to Grand Ole Opry. Weekly events are broadcast live and streamed.

Later that day and on Sunday, participants learned and enjoyed fingerstyle techniques, movable chords, Halloween ukulele jam, etc. The local band MAUI, short for Mount Airy Ukulele Invasion, held a free concert at the Andy Griffith Theater on Sunday afternoon to end the retreat.

The tutor for the weekend retreat is George Smith. Since 2007, Smith has taught private and group courses at Olde Mill Music in Mount Airy. He has played musical instruments with many bands, from 6-string banjo to keyboards and drums. He plays and teaches all kinds of music from rock to pop.

For more information about the upcoming Ukulele Retreat, please follow Mount Airy Ukulele Retreat on Facebook, www.surryarts.org or email rj@surryarts.org. George Smith can be contacted at redbrushmusic@hotmail.com.

This week, residents of the region will have the opportunity to participate in a festival that originated in the Aztec Empire.

The Airy Regional History Museum will host the third Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event on Saturday, November 6th from 10 am to 4 pm, offering free family-friendly activities

Dia de los Muertos is a festival that originated in southern Mexico and can be traced back to the Aztec Empire. This is a festival to commemorate, commemorate and celebrate ancestors, recognizing that death is part of the life cycle. The tradition of modern festivals is a unique fusion of pre-Columbian and Catholic traditions. These traditions have spread to Mexico and other regions through Disney’s "Coco" and other channels, including mainstream media.

These customs have similarities with Appalachian traditions such as "Decoration Day" and many Victorian customs in our area related to the dead.

This year's event will be held in the courtyard, with music, dancers and a lottery. The event will be held in the museum parking lot with food and handicraft suppliers. The event itself is free, but due to the lack of grants, admission to the museum cannot be waived this year.

Matt Edwards, executive director of the museum, said, “The opening event in 2019 was much more successful than we thought. Despite the obvious challenges, we are very happy to bring this event back to the community.” Like Like many things this year, the event has been modified to follow COVID restriction guidelines.

"Ultimately, this plan is about the community. It is about building bridges. This is an opportunity to help celebrate the important traditions of the fast-growing part of our community and introduce these traditions to others." Edwards said.

The event is the product of the joint efforts of the Mount Airy Regional History Museum, community partners and event sponsors (including Surry Medical Ministries Clinic, LAM Museum of Anthropology, and Mount Airy Women’s Alliance). Anyone who has questions can contact Karen Nealis, the office manager, at extension 336-786-4478. 222 or kznealis@northcarolinamuseum.org.

• According to the city police report, a car was stolen after the key was left in the car in Mount Airy on Wednesday.

In 2001, the Chrysler PT cruiser was owned by Edward Eugene Salisbury Jr. of Truckers Loop, Cana, Virginia, and was found missing in the O'Reilly Auto Parts parking lot on West Pine Street on Wednesday night, where Salisbury was employed.

This $5,000 car is red, with a Virginia license plate, numbered UBC6131.

• Police learned on Thursday that a $700 Samsung Galaxy S20 mobile phone disappeared in Biscuitville on Rockford Street earlier this month. The owner of the phone and a resident of September Lane, Alexa Nicole Gabinelli, worked here. This phone is described as black.

• Tracey Robert McMillian, 54 years old, from Independence, Virginia. Earlier last Sunday, the police investigated a car in an unnamed convenience store at 512 W. Pine St. After the suspicious vehicle, he was arrested on suspicion of drug felony.

McMillian was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance-apparently methamphetamine, although police records did not specify this-and a misdemeanor charge of simply possessing a Schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was detained in Surrey County Jail with a deposit of $1,000 and is scheduled to appear in the District Court on November 22.

• Jesus Jose Arellano, 30, 115 Square St., was found by police at Papa John's Pizza on Rockford Street on October 18 and was charged with second-degree trespass. He was banned by the general manager of Papa John from entering July 2016.

Arellano was released with a $200 unsecured bond and will appear in Surrey District Court next Monday.

Bloomfield, Virginia - First Community Bankshares Inc. (NASDAQ: FCBC) reported last week that its third-quarter net income increased by more than 55% from the same period in 2020.

The bank reported that net income for the quarter ended September 30 was $12.61 million, or 73 cents per diluted share of common stock. Compared with the same period last year, earnings per share increased by 26 cents.

In the nine months ended September 30, the bank reported net income of US$40.61 million, or earnings per share of US$2.32. Compared with the same period in 2020, earnings per share increased by 69.34%.

The banking company also announced a quarterly cash dividend for 27 ordinary shareholders per share, an increase of 8% over the same period in 2020. The quarterly dividend will be paid to registered ordinary shareholders on November 5, and is expected to be on or about November 19.

This marks the 36th consecutive year that regular dividends have been paid to common shareholders.

The increase in net income mainly reflects the reversal of the US$1.39 million in credit loss provisions in the third quarter of 2021 and the US$4.7 million in loan loss provisions recorded in the third quarter of 2020.

Compared with the same period in 2020, net income during the nine-month period increased by USD 16.24 million. Similarly, in the nine-month period, the 2021 credit loss reserve was transferred back to 7.63 million U.S. dollars, while the loan loss reserve was 12.03 million U.S. dollars. Net income in the same period in 2020 is a large part of the increase in the same period in 2020.

The bank said in announcing the data: “The reduction in credit loss provisions is mainly due to the significant improvement in this year’s economic forecasts and GDP growth, rather than the previous year’s provision driven by the pandemic.”

In the third quarter, the bank continued its stock repurchase program and purchased 277,386 shares of common stock for $8.46 million. This year, the bank repurchased 726,686 shares of common stock for $21.43 million.

For more information on this quarter's performance and the bank, please visit www.firstcommunitybank.com.

Mount Airy officials are seeking state grants of up to $500,000 on behalf of the Northern District Hospital to help build the project and create more than 50 jobs there.

The commissioner of the city took action at a recent meeting, authorizing city staff to submit a grant application to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

If successful, the funds will be used to build a 25,000-square-foot medical office building on land along South Street owned by the hospital.

The facility is part of a major expansion announced by the Northern District Hospital in May, which includes the addition of office buildings, parking lots and other facilities, at an estimated total cost of 11 million U.S. dollars.

Hospital Dean and Chief Executive Chris Ramsden has recently been discussing the possibility of obtaining state funding with the Surrey County Economic Development Partnership.

It will come from the Ministry of Commerce's rural sanitation building reuse grant program.

Todd Tucker, president of the Surrey Economic Development Partnership and the county’s chief industrial recruiting officer, said that Mount Airy had previously sought building reuse grants, mainly to help those who wish to use the funds to expand and upgrade its The manufacturing company of the facility.

The hospital project is a bit different, as Martin Collins, director of community development for Mount Airy, the city’s main funding seeker, admitted Friday.

"This is not about reusing a 40-year-old vacant building," Collins said of the usual target types for reuse plans. "This will be a brand new building."

However, according to the Director of Community Development, there should be no difference in the lack of "reuse" elements.

"This is a new building (involved), but it may be eligible," he said of the guidelines designed by the Ministry of Commerce for rural sanitation facilities, which are the same as previous industrial grants.

If the application yields results, the City of Mount Airy will be responsible for managing the grant funds, which has been the case in the past.

According to Tucker, the total amount of grants awarded will be based on the number of new jobs achieved by the hospital and the number of eligible projects seeking state funding through a competitive process.

Hospital officials estimate that the new medical office building will bring more than 50 "high-paying" jobs.

Tucker’s partner team believes that helping the northern region obtain funding to reduce the cost of building facilities is a good economic development project for the community.

According to Tucker, the funds received require a local 5% match, and these funds can come from the city government or any other local donors.

The visual arts students at Surrey Central High School recently decided to add something to things—or at least use pumpkins.

The students made a double-clamped jack lantern for Halloween. The designs range from cute to creepy.

A local tourism official has been reappointed as a member of the Southeast Tourism Association's board of directors.

Jessica Roberts, executive director of the Mount Airy Tourism Development Agency and Surrey County Tourism Partnership, was approved to serve on the board of directors of the Roswell, Georgia-based organization for a new two-year term.

Founded in 1983, the Southeastern Tourism Association (STS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism and tourism in 13 states-Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana , Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia - and the District of Columbia.

Roberts' re-election was announced earlier this month.

"It is a real honour to be elected to the Southeastern Tourism Association's board of directors and to be re-elected to represent North Carolina," she commented on Thursday.

"I am honored to be able to serve with many industry leaders throughout the Southeast and to work together on behalf of Mount Airy and Surry County to promote tourism throughout the Southeast."

Roberts added that although the Georgia-based entity has a regional focus, her involvement has benefited the community.

"Tourism is an important part of our local economy," she explained.

"As part of organizations such as the Southeast Tourism Association, we can help our local businesses and industry partners by providing education, research and important information about the industry, so that we can all become successful travel partners."

Monica Smith, President and CEO of Southeast Tourism Association, said that it is of special significance to be a member of the Southeast Tourism Association's board of directors.

"The STS Board of Directors is a leader in the tourism industry. They provide the association with vision and guidance, which is essential for STS to launch new plans and meet the needs of our members during the pandemic," Smith said in a statement.

“As STS continues to advocate and support the tourism industry and promote tourism in our region, the leadership of the board of directors provided valuable insights and direction,” the group official pointed out.

"Each board member has unique skills or expertise, which will help us continue to strengthen professional development in the industry, effective publicity efforts, and develop new networks and recognition programs for our members."

In addition to spearheading local tourism programs for most of the past two decades, Roberts has also been involved in other regional work that has benefited Mount Airy and Surrey Counties.

Earlier this year, she became the chairman of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, which is considered the marketing department of Scenic Highway.

It is a non-profit entity established in 1949, composed of companies and organizations that provide services to tourists along the Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park Corridor

In addition, Roberts is the chairman of the Piedmont Triad Film Committee's executive committee based in Winston Salem, which aims to attract film and television productions to Surrey and other communities in the area. She has held this position since 2018.

This weekend, Dobson Square Park hosted an event that combined Latin Festival and Halloween into the Dobson Halloween Carnival.

For all local events this weekend, dark clouds are an unwelcome sight, and it doesn't seem to matter when the sun shines bright light on the carnival participants.

On a day threatened by cool breeze and lingering rain, turnout was high. Dobson Town manager Laura Neely is busy selling cycling wristbands at the entrance. Neely said she was satisfied with the turnout rate, especially considering that there will be plenty of other events in the area this weekend.

Before Saturday’s event, Carnival had been working for several months. Neely said that the plan starts in the summer, but has been concerned about the COVID-19 numbers. It was not until September that the carnival received the green light, and the plan made in advance was immediately implemented.

The setting of the carnival rides is very similar to the Spring Folly held by Dobson in the past. R&D Amusements came in to set up rides for the carnival, and the route proved that people wanted to ride them. The infinite riding wristband means that for those who dare to try, they can quickly follow a trip with a rotating teacup.

"Me? Impossible," Shelly Rourke said of hitchhiking. "I'm too old. Don't you know that it was for the young people above?" When she pointed to a Disney princess riding a horse with Marvel heroes.

Various community groups have set up skill games because a spiderman was seen attacking a balloon on a cork board with a dart. There are no pranks from midway barkers here, these games can actually be won, and Spider-Man is satisfied with his gains.

The sound of the tweeter from the other side of the park indicated that the Mariachi band had started again. Neely would like to thank Marlene Lopez for helping arrange live music.

After canceling so many events last year, it makes sense to combine Latin Superstars with Halloween events this year. Showcasing the colors, decorations and sounds of Spanish culture and combining them with fun Halloween events is the goal of the organizers.

For the participants, the goal is simple, "People just really want to go out and do something," Neely said. It won’t hurt to bring some free candies home.

This weekend, Dobson Square Park hosted an event that combined Latin Festival and Halloween into the Dobson Halloween Carnival.

For all local events this weekend, dark clouds are an unwelcome sight, and it doesn't seem to matter when the sun shines bright light on the carnival participants.

On a day threatened by cool breeze and lingering rain, turnout was high. Dobson Town manager Laura Neely is busy selling cycling wristbands at the entrance. Neely said she was satisfied with the turnout rate, especially considering that there will be plenty of other events in the area this weekend.

Before Saturday’s event, Carnival had been working for several months. Neely said that the plan starts in the summer, but has been concerned about the COVID-19 numbers. It was not until September that the carnival received the green light, and the plan made in advance was immediately implemented.

The setting of the carnival rides is very similar to the Spring Folly held by Dobson in the past. R&D Amusements came in to set up rides for the carnival, and the route proved that people wanted to ride them. The infinite riding wristband means that for those who dare to try, they can quickly follow a trip with a rotating teacup.

"Me? Impossible," Shelly Rourke said of hitchhiking. "I'm too old. Don't you know that it was for the young people above?" When she pointed to a Disney princess riding a horse with Marvel heroes.

Various community groups have set up skill games because a spiderman was seen attacking a balloon on a cork board with a dart. There are no pranks from midway barkers here, these games can actually be won, and Spider-Man is satisfied with his gains.

The sound of the tweeter from the other side of the park indicated that the Mariachi band had started again. Neely would like to thank Marlene Lopez for helping arrange live music.

After canceling so many events last year, it makes sense to combine Latin Superstars with Halloween events this year. Showcasing the colors, decorations and sounds of Spanish culture and combining them with fun Halloween events is the goal of the organizers.

For the participants, the goal is simple, "People just really want to go out and do something," Neely said. It won’t hurt to bring some free candies home.

Surrey County has issued the following marriage certificates:

– Andrew Michael Watt, 29, from Carroll County, Virginia, and Chastity Elizabeth Hurt, 27, from Surrey County.

– Darren Quinn Byrd, 34, in Surrey County, and Emily Mikayla Eastman, 26, in Surrey County.

– Jessie James Reynolds, 25, Surrey County, and Alexis Danielle Hazelwood, 19, Surrey County.

– 30-year-old McKinley Odell York in Surrey County and Kaley Morgan Cornelison, 25-year-old in Surrey County.

– Darren Keith Burris, 55, from Forsyth County, Rebecca Lynn Brendle, 44, from Surrey County.

– 19-year-old Kevin Alex Gonzalez from Gullford County, 18-year-old Grace Ann Williams from Surrey County.

– David Eric Beverly, 27 years old, from Yadkin County, Kenlei Adrianna Sias, 23 years old, from Yadkin County.

– Dustin Paul Pitts, 22, in Georgetown County, to Autumn Breez Dowell, 22, in Georgetown County.

Beginning Monday, Surrey County Schools will change their blocking policy for students and faculty and staff, taking a method that may be unique, at least in the more than 100 school systems in North Carolina.

Starting from Monday, students and faculty members can choose to wear masks in middle and high schools and other system buildings where the total infection rate of students and faculty is less than 5%. Currently, the policy of mandatory wearing of masks will still be implemented in county primary schools, but may change before December 1.

Superintendent Dr. Travis Reeves said that after the county education bureau and school administration have thoroughly studied the incidence of COVID-19 in their school system, they will not only pay attention to the overall number, but also the situation of each school.

He said: “In the past five to six weeks, the COVID-19 epidemic has declined.” “Our COVID cases have been quarantined in certain communities and certain schools. Of our 20 schools, we have a few responsible Our COVID data."

Knowing this, he said that the school board and school administrators began to try to formulate the best method. The school may be able to give some flexibility in wearing masks while maintaining the method of controlling cases.

"Over the summer... we saw a significant drop in the number of COVID... In the third or fourth week of July, the governor stated that there would no longer be statewide mask regulations. The decision went back to the local school board. That At that time, we started asking the Governor’s Office and the Department of Health and Human Services for indicators.

"When can I take off the mask? We asked these questions in August, September and October. We didn't get any indicators," he said. Therefore, system officials began to study their experiences during the pandemic and the practices of other school systems.

“As a school system, we have been tracking our data for more than 18 months,” the person in charge said.

In August, the board of directors chose to make masks mandatory in schools. This angered some parents and groups in the county, but Reeves believed it was the right decision. There are major problems with the state school system that starts the school year without a mandatory mask policy. If students test positive, or students or faculty members may have been exposed to the virus, many schools have found themselves closed or virtualized for a period of time due to quarantine regulations because too many students or faculty members have been isolated at home.

Reeves said that Surrey County’s mask policy only allows children and employees to stay in school while ensuring their safety.

"We want students to be in school every day. We want teachers and our staff to complete tasks on time. If they are unhealthy, if they are quarantined, it will be difficult for us to attend classes on time," he said.

Now, as the incidence of COVID across the county and state drops again, he and the board believe that this is the right time to advance the new policy.

Every day at 5 pm, school officials will update their new COVID-19 dashboard online at https://www.surry.k12.nc.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=6648. Any school or building that shows an infection rate of 5% or higher will immediately become a mandatory mask facility and will remain in this state until the school falls below 5% for 14 consecutive calendar days.

As of Friday, the first day the dashboard was released, the only building with an infection rate higher than 5% was the staff who maintained the building. Followed by Pilot Mountain Middle School, the infection rate is only 1.73%. Among the five buildings-Rockford Elementary School, Central Office, Apple Center, Technology Building and Transportation Center, the ratio of faculty and students is 0%.

"The dashboard is updated every day," Reeves said. In addition, the home of any school with a rate of 5% or higher will receive a call from the principal on the first night when the school reaches 5%, and a notice will be posted at the school reminding everyone to wear a mask. architecture.

Other policies, such as maintaining social distancing and outdoor activities as much as possible, will continue to be implemented. He said that masks must still be worn on school buses because this is a federal regulation.

As the FDA is expected to approve the use of the COVID vaccine for elementary school students in early November, Reeves said that the policy will be reviewed later that month. If the plan seems to be working well, the board may vote to extend the policy to elementary schools.

"I think it's reliable, I think it's logical, it's based on the data we have," Reeves said of the new policy. "When your school has no cases for a few weeks, you will ask a question,'Do you need to continue wearing a mask here?'"

A police chase last week resulted in a Mount Airy man being sentenced to jail on multiple charges after he crashed into a patrol car at Pilot Mountain Police Station during the police chase.

James Christopher Akers, 49, from 1208 Newsom Street, Mount Airy, was arrested and charged with four counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, one count of maintaining drug vehicles/houses/places to store controlled drugs, One count of driving a car to escape arrest, one count of not paying attention to lights and alarms, one count of resisting a public official, one count of possession of marijuana, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of being revoked The crime of driving during the license period, one crime of possession of a marijuana paraphernalia, one crime of careless and reckless driving, one crime of overdue registration, one crime of overdue inspection.

He was placed under a $320,000 secured bond when he first appeared in court last week.

These allegations stemmed from the pursuit by the detectives of the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office trying to stop the vehicle, because the Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Department and Street Crime Department, Airy Mountain Police Department Narcotics Department and Pilot Mountain Police Department are monitoring pilots in the mountains.

According to the sheriff's office, the driver Akers allegedly tried to escape the police. Once he hit the Pilot Mountain police car, he tried to escape the scene on foot, but was quickly caught.

A statement issued by Surrey County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt stated that “during the vehicle search, detectives discovered a large amount of methamphetamine smuggling”.

There is no information about the amount of drugs, the speed of the hunt, or any vehicle damage.

Westfield Elementary School has named 13 students as September students of the month.

When the school announced the name, it said: “These students are selected by their peers because they have a sense of responsibility.” “These students have been committed to learning and growing.”

Each student will receive a book to take home.

Twelve students recently graduated from the truck driver training program at Yadkin Center Surrey Community College.

Graduates include Israel Hernandez, Marco Rocha, Christy Stiel, and Joseph Alexander Rangel Hernandez from Mount Airy; Kenny Barnes from Westfield; Andrew Hackett and Aaron Elledge from Pilot Mountain; and Mitchell from Adkinville Hutchins; Shay Martin in Hamptonville; Janet Brooks and Debra Rogers in Sparta; and Cody Esther in Wilkes.

The next truck driver training course at Surry Community College will start on Wednesday, January 5, and will continue until Thursday, March 10. The course time is from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. The student orientation will be held on Wednesday, December 8, at Yadkin Center, 1001 College Drive, Yadkinville.

Surrey Community College cited statistics from the US Department of Labor as saying that the median annual salary of truck drivers is $47,100. An experienced driver can earn more than $50,000.

The college said that because North Carolina has a shortage of up to 12,000 truck drivers and a national shortage of up to 200,000, it will be easy for CDL-certified drivers to find jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor stated that the industry is expected to continue to grow-by 6% between 2020 and 2030.

“There are currently vacancies for truck drivers both locally and across the country. We developed this program to directly respond to the requirements of local truck driving representatives who need skilled applicants to fill vacancies,” said Dr. David Shockley, President of SCC.

The SCC truck driver training program teaches correct driving procedures, safe driver responsibilities, commercial motor vehicle laws and regulations, and basic principles and practices for operating commercial vehicles. Course content includes motor vehicle laws and regulations, map reading, vehicle maintenance, safety procedures, daily logs, defensive driving, freight handling, safety and fire protection.

Highway driving training exercises and classroom lectures are used to develop students' knowledge and skills.

Graduates are eligible to take the commercial driving license examination and can be employed by commercial freight companies. They may also become owner-operators and serve as private contract porters.

Entry requirements include official driving records; physical examination; reading placement test scores of 40 or higher; disclosure forms; high school transcripts; and drug tests.

For more information about the SCC Truck Driver Training Program, please contact Dr. Douglas Underwood at 336-386-3584 or email underwoodd@surry.edu. The tuition fee is $1,876, but some are eligible for tuition scholarships. To check eligibility, please visit www.surry.edu/funding

A pair of local civil organizations recently joined forces with students in Surrey County to raise awareness of two major issues: drug abuse and lack of organ donation.

This involves the partnership between Mount Airy Rotary Club and Mount Airy Kiwanis Club, as well as the merger of Red Ribbon Week and Donate Life events.

The National Red Ribbon Week, which ends today, focuses on encouraging young people to live a drug-free life, while Donate Life emphasizes the necessity of organ and tissue donation as a life-saving gift.

The donation of life activities are usually highlighted in the special commemorative events in April each year. But since last spring COVID-19 reduced school gatherings and other activities, the theme is usually highlighted, and the Kiwanians and Rotary club members did some impromptu performances this year.

This has led to the launch of a joint campaign in recent days.

Together with Red Ribbon Week, the Rotary Club provided red ribbons, red wristbands, red pens and red pencils as part of its US$10,000 allocation to respond to the local opioid crisis.

This is a two-pronged initiative involving recovery and prevention, with the distribution of red ribbons and other materials aimed at the latter.

At the same time, Kiwanis Club sponsored green wristbands for local youth.

Efforts include providing students with forms for the two sports to sign pending discussions with their parents at home.

A Beth Hinesley organization called HonorBridge (formerly Carolina Donor Service) visited North Surrey High School last Monday to organize students and provide registration forms.

Hinesley later brought the band and form to the principal of Surry Early College High School of Design within a week and combined it with the Red Ribbon drug prevention program.

East Surrey High School is another stop on Wednesday.

Students from Mount Airy and Surry Central high schools will be targeted in the Donate Life event planned for next April.

"The Donation of Life Awareness Program and the Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Program will be very successful programs for our high school students," Rotary Club member Carol Burke said in a statement.

Recently, young people in the area have had the opportunity to express their creativity through several pumpkin decoration workshops held at the Surrey Arts Council.

Shelby Coleman, Director of Art, Dance and Education of the Surrey Arts Council, hosted the annual seminar. On Thursday, October 21st, the Surrey Arts Council Dance Studio hosted a special class for the district school. On Friday, October 22nd, participants of all ages and their parents loved decorating pumpkins and dancing to Halloween music.

Participants choose pumpkins from the "pumpkin field" outside the dance room. Surry Arts officials would like to "specially thank" The Farm for donating pumpkins for the two workshops.

Rhonda Vincent and The Rage will return to the historic Earl Theatre this week for a concert.

Vincent is an award-winning artist whose awards include the 2017 Grammy Best Bluegrass Album, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) 2004 Best Song of the Year, and seven consecutive years (2000-2006) IBMA Female Singer of the Year). In 2015, she won the award for the eighth time.

In February 2020, Vincent was invited to become a member of Grand Ole Opry. She has performed with many well-known artists such as Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson and Willie Nelson. Performing with her is The Rage, which is composed of violinist Hunter Berry, bassist Mickey Harris, banjo's Aaron McDaris, dobro's Jeff Partin, and guitarist's Zack Arnold.

In 2001, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage won IBMA's Artist of the Year Award.

She and her band will hold a concert in Earl on Friday, November 5th at 7:30 pm

Tickets for all top picks and orchestras are sold out. Balcony tickets cost $35 and can be purchased at www.surryarts.org, at the Surrey Arts Council Office 336-786-7998, 218 Rockford Street, Mount Airy, or at Earle's entrance one hour before the show. exhibit. Earle is located at 142 N Main St, in Mount Airy.

Happy Friday is not about two 350-gallon oil drums falling over and spilling on the road on Rockford Street. A team from the Surrey County Emergency Services Department, Surrey Dangerous Goods, and Ultimate Environmental rushed to the scene to mitigate the damage.

Crowds stood in droves on Rockford Street on both sides of the road. Traffic from Highway 52 was greatly supported as Rockford condensed on a lane in front of Scenic Ford.

The parking lot leading to Scenic is blocked, which means that customers in this area will be there for a long time, and other customers cannot enter. Scenic Ford employees are watching the progress anxiously as one of the cleaners uses suction to remove oil from roads and drains.

"The only thing I really saw was that the barrels fell as soon as (the driver) went around the curve," Adam Martin said from the parking lot of Simons Nissan. Others heard the commotion or sirens, but did not see the oil drums causing them to roll over fatally.

A member of Surry County Hazmat stated that they have prevented the spill from reaching a nearby storm drain.

The 2021 Southeast Union Grape and Wine Symposium is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, November 3 from 9 am to noon, and will explore the theme of "Connecting with Consumers: Marketing Experience".

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's seminar was held in a virtual format by the Shelton-Budget North Carolina Viticulture and Oenology Center of Surrey Community College. The center serves the grape and wine industries in the Southeast by providing labor training and industry support.

Speakers and topics include Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker of Bedell Cellars, "Pursuing local flavors"; Erick Byrd and Dr. Samuel Troy of UNCG, Bryan School of Business and Economics, "Creating wine tourism experiences"; Patty Held, Patty Held consulting The company’s consultant, “5 marketing techniques I learned during the pandemic;” David Bower, Lecturer in Oenology at Surrey Community College, “Clip from Smash Pad;” and Shari, Lecturer in Viticulture at Sally Community College Sarah Bowman, "Field Video."

The sponsors of this year's event are Wine Business Monthly, Wright Global Graphics, G&D Chillers, Wonderful Nurseries and Scott Laboratories.

Online registration is open at symposium.surry.edu. The cost is $25.

Viticulture is the study of grape cultivation, and oenology is the study of winemaking. Both fields of study are part of the SCC viticulture and oenology course, which offers two-year degrees or four certificate options, including viticulture, oenology, wine marketing, and tasting room operations.

As part of the university education program, SCC owns the only licensed bonded brewery in the Southeast. Since 2009, this 2,500-gallon winery has produced 74 medals, demonstrating the quality of student wines. SCC is the only college on the East Coast that teaches sparkling wine production. The college produces approximately 1,500 cases of wine each year and provides guidance for degree programs, continuing education courses, applied research, funding work, and the annual wine seminar held in November each year.

High school and high school students can take viticulture courses that combine fieldwork in vineyards with viticulture and obtain courses to complete a viticulture certificate at Surrey Community College as part of a tuition-free, career and university commitment dual admission program. For more information, please contact Jeff Jones at 336-386-3391 or jonesjr@surry.edu.

After being shelved due to the pandemic in 2020, Mount Airy's biggest running event is accelerating, starting in 2019.

According to Darren Lewis, the city’s director of parks and entertainment, although the 2021 version of the Mayberry Half Marathon, 10K and 5K plans will not be held until November 13, hundreds of people have signed up to participate.

"Currently, we have 530 people registered, representing 19 states," Lewis reported earlier this week.

Lewis said that although many of these races only attract local interest, the Maybury half marathon, 10K and 5K have a much wider range of influence. Lewis said his entertainment department is now in its 13th year.

He mentioned that in addition to participants from the entire Southeast, the states represented by the participants so far include Oregon, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and New York.

One of the reasons for the popularity of this event is its fast and flat route, which uses the granite urban greenway system to promote faster time than other places.

The number of participants in 2019 was 820, setting the Mayberry half-marathon, 10K and 5K records, breaking the record high of 721 participants in 2018.

When last year's event was cancelled due to safety reasons surrounding COVID-19, the organizers announced that runners who had signed up would postpone their registration and retain this year's quota.

The three different runs involved started in a staggered pattern in downtown Mount Airy.

Participants start from Main Street, turn left into Pine Street, then turn left into Riverside Drive, and then turn right into Riverside Park. All runners can enter the greenway and then turn around to finish the race at the starting point of the trail in Riverside Park.

Pickup will take place at Thirsty Souls Community Brewing in the city center. Lewis pointed out that a new attraction this year is the duck donut at the finish line.

The Mayberry Half Marathon, 10K and 5K "are having a significant impact on our communities," and the director of parks and entertainment has observed their economic impact on accommodation, dining and retail components.

"Sports tourism remains the main focus of the leisure sector."

© 2018 Airy Mountain News