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.

Tom Joyce can be contacted at 336-415-4693 or Twitter @Me_Reporter.

Ruritan activity combines cruising and barbecue

The National Association for Leadership and Success (NSLS) chapter of Surrey Community College received recognition and recognition from the organization’s national office.

The SCC chapter was included in the presidential circle list for its commitment to meeting the requirements of all chapter pillars, making it one of the top chapters in the country. These pillars include participating in the organization’s leadership summit, holding a club leadership meeting every two weeks, holding two community service activities in each planned year, and an annual induction ceremony. This recognition also provides a $1,400 credit for the club’s annual dues.

Club Advisor Sabrina Terry, SCC’s Director of Student Services, praised the members’ work to meet these pillars.

“Despite all the challenges of COVID-19 and almost had to host all of our 11 events last year, our club won the organization’s recognition. Many executive committee members graduated and transferred to four-year universities last year, but I Will miss this opportunity to share all their hard work," Terry said.

The National Leadership and Success Association provides members with a step-by-step plan to develop their leadership skills through participation on campus and online. As part of society, students can use their skills throughout educational and professional endeavors.

Membership also provides students with lifelong benefits such as scholarships and awards, exclusive campus events, recruitment of employers through online job search banks, and discounts on computers, textbooks, and graduate school preparatory courses.

The NSLS chapter of Surrey Community College was established in 2013 and has brought in more than 370 members since then.

Contact Sabrina Terry, the SCC chapter adviser, on Societyleadership.org or by email to 3360386-3530 or terrysj@surry.edu to learn more about the National Association for Leadership and Success.

On Thursday, a well-known local company reached a milestone.

The Hampton Inn at 2029 Rockford Street in Mount Airy will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

"We are very happy that we have done this for 25 years," said General Manager Lenise Lynch. "We will hold a small celebration at the hotel and thank our staff and guests for helping us achieve this milestone."

Lynch has been working at this hotel for 15 years-13 of them in his current position-said the local businessman Zack Blackmon Sr. to Mount Airy is becoming a tourist How the center and the hotel develop with "this vision" may be a booming business in the city.

"He opened a 74-room hotel," she said. "Business is booming...they don't have enough space to accommodate all the guests passing by. I believe they sell out every night."

Eleven years later, in 2007, Blackmon continued to expand the facility, adding 51 rooms for a total of 125 rooms.

"At the time, we became one of the largest hotels in the area," Lynch said.

What Lynch and the staff there are particularly proud of is that she said that the local factory is ranked in the top 15% of the Hamptons chain every year-in some years, even in the top 5%.

She said that the ranking is a measure of customer satisfaction and the performance of the hotel when inspected by Hampton officials, and how each location is incorporated into company-wide changes.

"The Hampton Inn was inspected. It used to be twice a year, but now it is once a year."

She said the inspection measures the cleanliness of the property, whether employees have received proper training and meet customer needs, and whether changes have been made across the company. "Just make sure you are doing all the things you should do. The Hampton Inn (employees) in Mount Airy has always been alert and doing what they should do."

Lynch said that success comes from adhering to the highest standards of ownership, and then providing management and employees with the support and guidance needed to succeed.

"It all starts from the top and then it drops. If you have good ownership, good management, if you have good and loyal employees, you will succeed," she said. "When our guests come in, we will bend back to make sure they are satisfied. We are proud of our property... If there is something that needs to be repaired, we will fix it, we will not use band-aids... .This is taking care of your guests and sometimes putting themselves in their shoes."

In 2015, the hotel changed hands and Srikanth and Shri Kamma purchased the facility. Lynch said that keeping the standards unchanged will help lead the way for employees and keep the hotel at the top of the chain.

The Hampton Inn currently has 32 employees-although Lynch said she hopes to hire as many as 40 employees.

"It was a struggle, but again, we are strong, we have experienced a change of ownership, and when you think back to the 2007-2008 pandemic, we have experienced a recession, but we are still strong. We do have some work here We have long-term employees for more than 10 years, and they help us move on. Current ownership and long-term employees have played an important role in the success of this hotel.

"It is an honor to witness this moment and cheer for the 25-year-old. I believe Zac will be proud of his legacy. I just hope and pray that the next few years will bring more wealth and prosperity, and we can let us The current owner is proud, just like we created Zac."

To block or not to block. Republican or Democratic. Duke University or UNC.

The list of differences between the people of North Carolina and the whole country seems to be getting longer every day—and more and more acrimonious.

This is why a famous filmmaker, a country music star, and a public relations master decided to put together a project aimed at bringing people together, making each other more civilized, transcending differences and Respect common beliefs.

Or more specifically, let people share memories and thoughts about their hometown-Mount Airy is the forefront and center. There are two separate presentations on a national website dedicated to this cause.

Dan McGinn, CEO of McGinn and Company and one of the initiators of the Honor Your Hometown project, said: "You have to find a way to talk to people without arguing with them." "We just fell in This trap: We will only talk to people we agree with, and not anyone else, which is not good for this country."

McGinn, documentary director Ken Burns, and country music star Marty Stuart started discussing various ideas. They hope to find ways to promote civilization and encourage people to start talking to each other again without hatred, regardless of political, religious or social differences.

Then they thought of one thing that made people talk about what McGinn said most people have good memories-their hometown.

"If you talk to people about their hometown, they will start to smile, they will open up, and they want to tell you stories about their memories," McGinn said. "I am committed to my own hometown. I come from a small place called Nitro in West Virginia. I always think that no matter what success I have in life, it has a lot to do with my hometown."

The three decided to set up a website, https://www.honoryourhometown.com/, where people can share video stories about their hometown and help people connect.

"We went to General Colin Powell, and he liked it," McGinn said. Powell, who died thereafter, served as President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George HW Bush, and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush. "He made the first video for this."

Next came Dolly Parton, and Burns and Stewart produced, and the project began.

Mount Airy was there too-twice, for two reasons.

"If you want to talk about your hometown, you have to go to Mount Airy sooner or later? This is a typical hometown," McKin said.

Therefore, Mayor Ron Niland is the first group of mayors in the country to be invited to submit videos.

"I received an e-mail request from this organization. It is a non-partisan person, people like Colin Powell, Ken Burns, Dolly Parton, and it's just a group of national celebrities saying,'Hey, The lunatics in our country talk to each other not as we are as Americans.'"

Niland said the email was soliciting his and other mayors’ opinions on the qualities of Mount Airy and their respective towns, which are “we celebrated as Americans. I think this is a good idea.”

Niland's video on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qMrSDy4cSo is about two minutes long.

"I did it in front of the statues of Andy and Opi-this is Andy Griffith's hometown, we are also known as Maybury," he said. "I'm talking about the values, honesty, decency and fairness of the show-these are the Americans who really unite us. This is basically the message to be conveyed. When all this is said, we will be defined as America. Human decency and kindness."

Due to Stuart's friendship with Andy Griffith, Mount Airy entered the site again.

"Marty has worked with Andy Griffith... Marty rehearsed at Andy Griffith's family memorial service. They are personal friends," Gene said. Therefore, he said that Stuart asked the Surrey Arts Council to also speak for Mount Airy.

"That show, what it represents... is so powerful and so important for many Americans... We said we must let Mount Airy represent," Gene said.

Tanya Jones, executive director of the Surrey Arts Council, also submitted a 3-1/2 minute video. While briefly introducing the town, Jones also talked about the county’s bluegrass, old times, and country music history, as well as the Bunker Twins, the original celebrity of Mount Airy. She talked about Griffith, and most of his shows are based on the time he grew up in his hometown and his influence on Mount Airy. Her video https://www.honoryourhometown.com/hometowntreasures/zbjk3ghsu6jbedp88gy33plxmnrwp9 was shot in front of the Andy Griffith poster at the Airy Mountain Theatre.

McGinn said that this effort is an all-volunteer effort, and it has caught fire in recent days. It has featured on the Today Show, CBS Morning News, NBC Evening News, USA Today, and many other national media.

He hopes that the project will continue to arouse people's interest—hundreds of towns and groups have submitted videos for display—and eventually become a national sport.

"There is no bureaucracy, no organization, we don't want money, we don't want anyone's money... this is non-partisan. We just picked up the phone, we started calling some people."

"We seem to have 1,500 days to honor everything. We have cat days, taco days, naming your nursing day, but not to commemorate your hometown day. We think this is wrong. We want to be a tribute to hometown and one National Day every year. We are likely to turn it into a national movement."

In the end, he believes that if it really becomes popular, maybe National Hometown Day can be the beginning of bringing people together again to celebrate their common ground rather than their differences.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Combs' court date is set for November 17.

During the Korean War of 1952-53, Paul Madren was an air force member who used to monitor enemy activities in the air-now he is preparing for a very different flight.

When the residents of Mount Airy and other veterans from the area flew to the country’s capital on a triad honour on Thursday, no hostilities were involved.

A total of 80 veterans have served the country in various wars, and they traveled to Washington free of charge to thank them for their contributions, including visits to key locations commemorating this heritage.

Madlen, now 90, applied for the program a few years ago. "And they don't have flights," he said. It turns out that Thursday’s one will be the first in 10 years.

"I was selected," Madren said of the opportunity to become part of High Point's non-profit Triad Honor Flight organization, "the last mission."

The plan is aided by fundraising events as well as corporate sponsors and other supporters. In Madren's case, Surry Sunrise Rotary Club sponsored the trip and the guardian's trip, and his son was also named Paul.

"Every veteran has a guardian who accompanies them," Madron said of the chartered flight that will take off from Piedmont Triad International Airport early Thursday (appropriate Veterans Day) and return that night.

Of the 80 veterans planning to participate in the Triad Honor Flight, 7 served during World War II. "The oldest person in this group is 98 years old," said Madlen from Alamance County.

He formed another team with 16 veterans of the Korean War. "The rest are Vietnam, Desert Storm, etc.," Madlen said of the conflict to be represented.

His wartime activities included serving as an electronic radio engineer and expert in a reconnaissance squadron. Its main task is to drive a camera-equipped F-80 Sabre jet along the river that separates North Korea and South Korea and nearby roads, while recording the movement of troops and other activities.

"We fly every morning and evening," the Ai Lishan man recalled.

He thinks Triad Honor Flight is a rare opportunity to exchange war stories with a group of people who have in common while serving in different theaters.

"Most of us have never talked about these things," Madlen said of the obstacles faced in connecting experience to non-veterans who lack the same frame of reference-the "you must be there" situation. This often includes the closest family members, and it is expected that Thursday's flight will fill the gap in this regard.

"You can recall something that happened," Madlen said.

The opportunity to visit the relevant major locations in the Washington area in a concentrated and well-organized manner is also one of the attractions of this trip.

Veterans plan to participate in Iwo Jima, Air Force, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Lincoln Memorial.

After returning to Piedmont Triad International Airport on Thursday night, veterans will participate in a welcome home party.

Paul Madron is very happy to have the opportunity to participate in this so-called "mission."

"I am proud to be invited to be a member of this group," he said. "I am more proud to be able to serve."

• According to a report from the Mount Airy Police Department, two people are facing court appearances after they were recently arrested for drug offences.

29-year-old Lindsay Kay Joyce and 51-year-old Arnold Washington Leftwich, both located at 128 Rawley Ave., No. 1, ran into Police Street in an unidentified business in the North Renfro 500 block late on October 19th.

Joyce was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a felony, and possession of only Schedule II controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia, and was determined to be a syringe. Lifewich was accused of possessing drug paraphernalia and was classified as "multiple" needles.

He was detained at the Surrey County Jail without bail. Joyce was held on a secured bail of $2,000. Both are scheduled to appear in the District Court on January 10.

• On October 28th, a theft occurred at the Hadley Street residence of Jacqueline Louise Noyola, involving the loss of a white Amana dryer worth 558 dollars.

• 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. This is not specifically stated in the police record, which stated that the man was in jail with a $500 secured bond and plans to appear in the Surrey District Court next 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.

After introducing the proposed master plan for the central business district to city officials, significant changes in the downtown of Mount Airy-possibly including two-way traffic-may occur.

After raising concerns at the Mount Airy Committee meeting on October 21. It was then asked to allocate US$75,000 for the plan—actually an update of the plan before 2004—to be completed by the planning company Benchmark CMR, which is already working for the municipality.

Board members Jon Cawley and Tom Koch objected to this action, which is part of the consent agenda and usually includes routine items approved by rubber stamp votes that have not been discussed.

Their worries led to a detailed discussion of the downtown master plan on October 21, but no funding action was taken. The committee members unanimously decided to shelve the matter until the Benchmark representative gave an in-depth introduction at the first meeting in November last Thursday.

Benchmark President Jason Epley explained on the spot how the company helped improve the urban area through a modern master plan, which once again led to no funding decision for the proposal.

Since 2011, the Charlotte-based company has provided Mount Airy with planning-related services due to privatization, including two Benchmark employees working inside the municipal building.

On October 21, Commissioner Cawley questioned the payment to Benchmark for the cost of the downtown project, and Benchmark has received $145,000 per year to provide services to the city government on a contract.

Then raised a related concern that the Benchmark staff will be responsible for the overall planning, that is, the two employees stationed here, their current activities may be affected in Cawley's view. He also wants to know whether this can be incorporated into the company's regular work here without having to pay tens of thousands of dollars more.

Eppley addressed one of these issues in a speech at a recent conference, saying that senior staff are ready to deal with the master planning task.

The project will be jointly managed by Epley and Dan Douglas, another city center planning team leader. Local employees, city planning director Andy Goodall (Andy Goodall) and Ben Barcroft (Ben Barcroft) are also listed as team members.

Proponents say that an updated master plan is needed to guide future public and private investment in the city center in a cost-effective manner, while identifying development opportunities; public parking solutions; and possible changes in traffic flow, such as the removal of traffic lights along North Avenue , Making it two-way instead of one-way.

Burying overhead power lines for aesthetic reasons is one of the other considerations.

Epley pointed out that based on his observations during lunch there, Mount Airy downtown is already a vibrant place, but it is important to think ahead and not to be satisfied with the current achievements.

"I think now is a good time to develop a master plan," he said. The president of the company stated that although many improvements have taken place in the city centre over the years, some parts need to be refurbished.

Epley’s approximately 30-minute visual/oral presentation included photos of downtown areas in other cities that have been transformed through Benchmark efforts, such as Concord; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Suffolk, Virginia.

For example, Concord's situation includes streetscape planning, new residential development, parking lot and crosswalk upgrades, etc.

The image of the city includes widened sidewalks and outdoor dining tables. This was an early idea for downtown Airy, but with little success.

Committee members including Joe Zalescik welcomed the introduction by Benchmark officials and suggested that one-way (currently implemented) and two-way traffic issues should be investigated for business owners in the city center.

Cowley also asked Epley if he thought there was enough space in the center of Mount Airy to widen the street.

"Are there any specific areas that can be done? Of course," Epley replied, but others may not be suitable. Benchmark officials added that many factors must be considered.

The discussion then turned to the idea of ​​burying overhead wires in the city center and whether improvements there would make the project easier.

"Buying wires is never easy," Epley responded. However, the best time to pursue this goal is when there are major changes to the entire streetscape, he said. "In any case, you will tear things off."

Epley stated that the master plan update will involve the help of the "core city team" and the project steering committee, and include listening meetings with stakeholders. It is also envisaged that the final result of the panel discussion will be presented to the committee members.

"We think it will take nine months to complete," Epley said.

Although the discussion at the October meeting included the price of the Benchmark update plan at US$67,000, the meeting agreed to the budget amendment on the agenda to list the cost at US$75,000.

There is no explanation for this difference.

Since no fund-raising action was taken last week, it is expected to be reviewed at a future meeting.

City Council members voted 3-2 on October 7 to approve a series of $295,000 municipal revenues allocated to the central business district for a total of $592,000. Mount Airy Downtown Inc. agreed to provide $297,000.

At the top of the list is the updated master plan.

Despite the vote to allocate city funds, no budget amendments were made to actually fund the various components.

Cawley and Koch were two dissidents in the October 7 vote. They stated that it is too early to commit to city funding because the exact source of the $295,000 is still unclear.

One possible source is the city’s anticipated federal U.S. Relief Program Act funding, and the city is awaiting guidance on the permitted uses of the funds. Another possible source is the municipal surplus fund.

The Surrey Arts Council will bring a new musical-"All Together Now!"-on stage this weekend, performing at the Andy Griffith Theater on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The performance will be held at the Andy Griffith Theatre from Friday to Sunday from November 12th to 14th.

The performance on Friday night at 7:30 will be attended by regional adult performers. The performance on Saturday night at 7:30 will be attended by young performers, and the performance on Sunday at 3 pm will be attended by all actors.

Local actors in the show include Ashley Mills, Cassidy Mills, Aspen Jackson, Caitlin Gomez, Apple De La Cruz, Jordan Dover, Christine Waugh Na-Buch, Sean Murphy, Madeleine Matanick, Taylor Matanick, David Tim, Walker York, Regan Amos, Genevieve Quinn, Maddie Ull, Morgan Cook, Maggie Wallace, Lydia Baker, Corey Hawkes, Kingston Nichols, Candice Noah, and Reese Cork S. The show is directed by Shelby Coleman and choreographed by Lily Ruth Baker and Shelby Coleman.

This new musical includes a large number of songs, including "Rental", "Les Miserables", "Into the Forest", "Matilda", "Hairspray", "Disney's Beauty and the Beast", "Violin on the Roof" "Hand", "Once on This Island", "Horror Shop", "Mom" Mia! There are a lot more.

The show is part of an international effort. The Arts Council has worked with more than 2,500 theater organizations from 50 states and 40 countries across the United States to produce their own local production "All Together Now! Celebrating the global events of local theaters."

Music Theatre International (MTI), the drama licensor, created this satire for theaters around the world to be used as a local fundraiser on the same weekend from November 12th to 14th.

All together now! Includes songs from MTI’s beloved catalog of musicals, including Anne, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mary Poppins from Faraway, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Fiddler on the Roof, Curse, boy and doll, hairspray, into the forest, miserable world, horror shop, mommy! , Matilda, a pretty lady, once on this island, rent, waitress and more!

Tickets for the show range from $7 to $10 and can be purchased at www.surryarts.org/livetheatre or at the door 30 minutes before the show. For information, please contact shelby@surryarts.org or 336-648-8095.

Surrey Community College cooperates with Davidson-David Community College to provide the opportunity to study abroad in Bordeaux, France in the summer of 2022.

This trip will take place from June 11th to 25th. Students will participate in HUM-180 through Davidson-Davie to earn course or continuing education credits. This trip will be led by Suzanne LaVenture of Davidson-Davie.

Students from North Carolina will be paired with students from the University of Bordeaux to complete a two-part project. They will jointly manufacture mobile phone chargers and then bring the products to the market. This trip is open to students of various disciplines and does not require any technical skills. In foreign countries, students will live in apartments and have some free time on weekends.

Grants and grants from Surrey Community College provide a student with a scholarship of $1,500. The total remaining cost of the plan is $1,800 plus expenses. Students who are eligible for Pell Grants and Gilman Scholarships may be able to participate for free.

Bordeaux is located in southwestern France, close to the Atlantic coast of Europe. It is famous for its wines, vineyards and castles. Bordeaux is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its rich history, culture and architectural beauty.

Students interested in applying should fill out the form at https://forms.gle/UzwKoMRhPYWUmn3u5. The application deadline is November 15th. For more information about the program, please contact Sarah Wright at 336-386-3439 or wrights@surry.edu.

Cedar Ridge Elementary School recently held a "Book-In" event.

This activity features the book character pumpkin created by each class in the school. Pumpkin is based on a book that each class likes together. Each class visited the school and checked all the pumpkins, and at the same time noted the books they might want to read soon.

New version from Mount Airy Public Library:

Santa Claus suit-Mary Kay Andrews

On my corpse-Jeffrey Archer

It's better to die-Lee Child and Andrew Child

State of Horror-Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

Her dark lie-JT Ellison

List of judges-John Grisham

A Line to Kill – Anthony Horowitz

Sleigh Bells Ring – RaeAnne Thayne

The Loft on King Street-Karen White

Wanda Brunstetter's Amish Friends Baking Recipe – Wanda Brunstetter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep up to date with all activities on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmapl and https://www.facebook.com/mtapublibrary or our website https://nwrlibrary.org/mountairy/

After last year’s COVID-19 spurred downsizing of events, the annual Veterans’ Day commemorative event held on Thursday by Ai Lishan will return to normal.

This will include plans to take place at a familiar location, the Mount Airy War Memorial on the corner of South Street and Rockford Street, where 200 to 300 people usually gather.

But in 2020, when restrictions on large gatherings took effect, the event was moved to the indoor Veterans Memorial Park, attracting about 40 people who maintained social distancing and wearing masks.

Also last year, the traditional festival parade did not take place, but it will return on Thursday. The parade, including units that highlight military groups, is scheduled to depart from the Veterans Memorial Park at 9:30 a.m. and finally reach the city center.

As always, starting at 11 am, a Veterans’ Day celebration full of music, color and spectacular will begin at the War Memorial

Three special speakers will also appear, including Joe Zalescik, the newest member of the Mount Airy Council; Mark Marion, Chairman of the Surrey County Council; and Tim Marion, the District Attorney of Surrey and Stokes County. Watson (Tim Watson).

Due to the ban on school field visits related to COVID, after not participating in the 2020 Veterans Day activities, the North Surrey High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Team and Greyhound Voice Choir will also participate.

Marion said on Friday that his focus will be on the P word.

"Patriotism and what our veterans are fighting for and what certain people in this country are becoming," the county magistrate said in expressing concern about the recent attacks on this practice and the flag.

He also mentioned the existence of North Surrey students, including its JROTC task force.

"It's refreshing to see young people patriotic," said Marion, whose father served in the Navy during World War II and had other family members connected to the military.

Marion added that as long as he is the chairman of the county council, Old Glory will get the respect he deserves in Surrey.

• Thursday’s show will start with the opening remarks of local radio station owner Kelly Epperson, who is the long-time host of the city’s Veterans Day event;

• Surrey County Sheriff Steve Hiatt will issue a call;

• The national anthem was then sung by the Greyhound Voice of North Surrey High School, and then the pledge of allegiance was pronounced by all those present.

• The next person on the show is Ron Niland, the Mayor of Mount Airy, who will deliver a welcome speech and announce the city's Veterans Day declaration.

• Speakers Zalescik, Marion and Watson will give their speeches later;

• This resulted in a mix service song for North Surry High School Greyhound Sounds;

• Later, there will be a flag breaking ceremony for North Surrey Air Force JROTC students. The event will end with a speech by Epperson.

Unlike the severe weather in November that has been a factor in Veterans Day in some years, Thursday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny days and high temperatures in the mid-1960s.

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 Mount Airy First Baptist Church 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 Darius 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 by dining in the fellowship hall of a church, it is important to remember that there will be 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, 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 serves about 400 meals with all the ingredients.

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: an associate degree in nursing from Forsyth Technical Community College in 2009; a bachelor's degree in nursing from Winston-Salem State University in 2012; 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 shown 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.

Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new clinic at Hugh Chatham Do Specialty Hospital in Mount Airy on Thursday. The new clinic is located at 123 Scenic Lane, Suite 3, Mount Airy, close to Highway 89, and shares parking with Surry Rural Health Center.

Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital will provide a variety of services at the new Multispecialty location, including podiatry, neurology, surgical consultation, physical rehabilitation, and prenatal and gynecological care.

Although it shares a parking lot with the rural health center, the multi-specialty center aims to supplement the services provided in the area, not replace it. Rural health centers provide primary care, and new multi-professional practices will deal with more specific types of needs.

“We are very excited about the wide range of services provided by Hugh Chatham Multispecialty. Laura Oakes, director of market development, integration and medical staff development at the hospital, said that long-term delays and lack of access to specialist care are challenges for rural communities.

This location will make specialist care in the area more convenient, and will also increase contact with providers in Hugh Chatham county-wide by bringing different doctors and professionals to the patient's area. Minimizing travel to find care helps remove a common barrier for people seeking care they need.

Hugh Chatham Multispecialty will provide special care to residents of Surrey and surrounding counties through ten experienced providers. Different professions appear every day, providing high-quality nursing and medical resources to meet the needs of community members.

Dr. Beverly Byrd and Dr. Kristy Whitesides, CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) have been announced as members of the OB/GYN professional nursing team and they will be working in the new office.

"These services will play a key role in promoting timely access to high-quality doctors and senior practitioners to improve the health of residents in Surrey County and surrounding communities," Oakes said.

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 essential 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 the 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 double-clamped jack lanterns 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.

© 2018 Airy Mountain News