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

• Tammy Renee Tuttle, 48, a white female is wanted on a post-release warrant and is on supervision for two counts felony possession of methamphetamine, felony larceny of a motor vehicle and use/possession drug paraphernalia;

• Brianna Hope Berry Ayers, 24, a white female is wanted for failing to appear in court on probation violations and is on probation for felony identify theft, resisting a public officer, damage to property, driving while license revoked and no liability insurance;

• Jesse James Outlaw, 29, a white male is wanted for failing to appear in court on probation violations and is on probation for felony larceny, felony breaking & entering and damage to property;

• Timothy Scott Brown, 31, a white male is wanted for failing to appear in court on probation violations and is on probation for two counts felony possession of a schedule I controlled substance, use/possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting a public officer.

View all probation absconders on the internet at http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi and click on absconders. Anyone with information on any probation absconders should contact Crime Stoppers at 786-4000, county probation at 719-2705, or the Mount Airy Police Department at 786-3535.

Local Career Center to relocate

A local operation that aids job seekers is on the move — but only a short distance away from the present location of the NCWorks Career Center of Surry County in Mount Airy.

The center’s new digs are at 942 W. Pine St. in a building formerly occupied by Farm Bureau in the vicinity of CF Jones Classic Cafe. That is less that a mile from the existing 541 W. Pine St./Suite 300 facility that is near Mill Creek General Store.

Officials say that a one-week shutdown of the NCWorks Career Center will accompany the move, which was announced Thursday by the Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board based in Kernersville.

The center will be closing on Monday and is to remain inactive until reopening on Oct. 17 at the new location.

Those needing to access services during that time can contact the NCWorks Career Center of Forsyth County at 336-464-0520 or online at www.NCWorks.gov, for assistance from Tuesday through next Friday.

When asked Thursday afternoon what was facilitating the move, Tammy Caudill, strategic initiatives coordinator of the Piedmont Triad Regional Council, indicated that it is space-related — linked to increased demands for center services and a need to better accommodate that.

“With the continued labor shortage, businesses are in greater need of assistance recruiting qualified employees,” explained Caudill, whose role with the council involves working on behalf of member communities including Mount Airy and Surry County.

Many services are available to job seekers at NCWorks which help fill that employment void.

“NCWorks does more to help with addressing this problem than simply place individuals into jobs,” Caudill added.

For qualifying individuals, funding is available for training programs to help prepare them to fill most needed jobs, she mentioned regarding one.

“Many of the services available through NCWorks are available to all North Carolina citizens,” Caudill advised. “Some people are unaware that these benefits are available to them at no charge through the NCWorks Career Center.”

Caudill has pointed out in the past that some people are unaware that an individual does not have to be unemployed in order to use many of NCWorks’ services.

In program year 2021/2022 (June 30, 2021 to July 1, 2022) the NCWorks Career Center of Surry County provided nearly 21,500 services to 3,840 individuals, according to the strategic initiatives coordinator.

“We hope to serve even more individuals at the newly renovated career center and continue to help close the gap between the workforce and needs of local businesses.”

This was echoed by Career Center Manager Beverly Frey, who says the staff is eager begin offering employment serves at the new location.

“Over the past few months, work has been done to renovate the facility and we are excited to have individuals visit us there,” Frye said in a statement.

“We are proud of the work accomplished by all of the NCWorks Career Centers in our seven-county local area,” Executive Director Wendy Walker-Fox of the Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board said in a statement. “We are looking forward to the opening of the new NCWorks Career Center in Surry County and are grateful to the staff of the Forsyth County career center for assisting with serving customers during the move.”

A grand opening is planned at the new location on a date yet to be announced.

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

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

-Margaret Chilton Parries, John Dale Parries, William Herbert Chilton Jr and Bobbie Chilton to CSHPT, LLC; tract one 0.335 acres lot 1 and tract two 1.532 acres lot 2 PB 41 29; $300.

-Teddy Aldean Medley, Donese Jane Medley and Christopher S. Medley to Michael Todd Goodwin and Angela Hartsog Goodwin; tract; $530.

-Cynthia F. Stanley and Christopher Mark Stanley to Kayla S. Norman and Jonathan I. Norman; 12.451 acres tract one PB 41 130 Dobson; $0.

-Ian Christopher Tipping and Lindsay Gwyn Tippinng to Emmanuel S. Schmaltz; 2.217 acres; $0.

-Morrisons Recycling, Beatrice S. Murray and Melvin B. Morrison Sr to Maken Properties, L.L.C.; tract one 5.060 acres tract two 0.112 acres Elkin; $357.

-Janet A. Phillips to James Anthony Waibel; tract one lots 10-11 block A R.H. Hines property and tract two tract Mount Airy; $180.

-Allie L. Willard and Jonathan Lee Willard to Darryl W. Wilson, Durenda L. Wilson and Jakob Wesley Wilson; 11.200 acres PB 41 126 South Westfield; $700.

-Jonathan Scott Guyer and Karen Wilson to Matthew A. Medina; lots 4-7 and 24-25 R.A. Simmons Farm PB 4 61; $20.

-Amber O’Neal Flippen and Jacob Todd Flippen to Zachary Ryan O’Neal; four tracts; $0.

-Randall Dean Hamlin, Margo L. Hamlin, Tony Douglas Hamlin and Melissa D. Hamlin to Dusty Keenan Creed and Jeffery Dean Creed; tract one 2.000 acres and tract two 1 acre and tract three 2.17 acres Dobson; $280.

-Jarrell Douglas Hawks to Douglas Thompson; 2.000 acres Stewarts Creek; $0.

-Jeremy R. Johnson, Jessica P. Johnson, Ramon Jefferson Boaz II and Merry Craig Boaz to Three Fours Ranch, LLC; tract one 1.607 acres and tract two 2.318 acres PB 30 64 and tract three tract; $0.

-Brian Raymond Pressnell, Laura L. Pressnell and Laura Lynn Marion to Jamais Arriere, LLC; tract one 1 acre and tract two 1.25 acres Bryan; $160.

-Pansy Tilley and Pansy Jones Potts to Blaine M. Montgomery; 0.31 acres Mount Airy; $36.

-Joshua B. Eleva to Eleva Properties, LLC; tract A tract and tract B lot 16 block C Westwood development PB 6 28 and tract C lot 6 section F Graves Heights development PB 3 158 Mount Airy; $0.

-Worth Winebarger Properties, LLC to Janie Winebarger Cheek; 12.416 acres lot 1 PB 41 145 Elkin; $0.

-Jason Michael Hoerter and Jessica L. Hoerter to Cynthia D. Nix; lot 38 section E Cross Creek Country Club, INC residential development phase II PB 9 32-33 Mount Airy; $740.

-James W. Partin, Susan S. Partin and Janie Winebarger Cheek to Park Ridge Partners, LLC; 12.416 acres lot 1 PB 41 145 Elkin; $340.

-Christian Krobisch and Melissa Hayes to Beast Trail Ventures, LLC; 66.542 acres PB 15 83 and PB 17 61; $0.

-Estate of Bobby Bowman, Annette Wall, Bobby Bowman, Terry Wall, Joshua Bowman, Robert Bowman and Amber Sweet to Annette Wall; 1.615 acres lot 9 PB 14 158 estate of Bobby Bowman 22 E 319; $180.

-Douglas Springthorpe and Tamela M. Springthorpe to Darren K. Burris and Rebecca T. Burris; lot 9 Laurel Creek subdivision PB 13 127; $880.

-R&J Rees, LLC to Needham Holdings, L.L.C.; tract one 0.445 acres and tract two 0.812 acres Pilot; $230.

-Garalee Weldon and James Weldon to Stuart Allen Francis and Traci A. Francis; 1.71 acres Marsh; $500.

-Simmons of Granite City, LLC to Daniel Edward Ferguson and Maranda Jones Ferguson; tract Mount Airy; $300.

-Cecil Dean Jones and Lorraine Utt Jones to Ronald D. Marshall and Loretta L. Shoaf; tract one 3.00 acres PB 26 72 and tract two tract Stewarts Creek; $0.

-Melvin Carroll Cobler to Lisa A. Dobbins; 1.95 acres Dobson; $50.

-Douglas Herman Hooker and Lillian Carol Hooker to Phillip Andrew Hooker and James Douglas Hooker; 0.767 acres lot 2 PB 41 104 Long Hill; $0.

-Douglas Herman Hooker and Lillian Carol Hooker to Phillip Andrew Hooker and Alexis Wiles Hooker; 8.050 aces lot 1 PB 41 104 Long Hill; $0.

-Douglas Herman Hooker and Lillian Carol Hooker to James Douglas Hooker; 31.273 acres lot 3 PB 41 104 Long Hill; $0.

-Josie A. Moore Trust, Teresa I. Roberts Terence L. Moore and Josie A. Moore to Teresa Roberts and Terence L. Moore; tract; $0.

-Lelia Salinas and Lelia Rodriguez Gomez to David H. Bedsaul and Iven L. Bedsaul; .69 acres portion of lot 8 Joe Simmons property PB 10 175 South Westfield; $0.

-Carlton Ray Jessup to Rebecca L. Gooding; tract Westfield; $322.

-Quarterdeck TH, LLC to Renee Lynn Hinsley; parcel one 0.76 acres and pacel two tract Eldora; $200.

-Craig Meadows, Rhonda D. Meadows, Lori Marshall and Douglas Marshall to PQA Healthcare, INC; tract Mount Airy; $800.

-Chad Grayson Gough, Kimberly Sanders Gough, Coby Grey Gough and Gina M. Gough to James Franklin Craig and Lisa A. Craig; tract one 4.55 acres and tract two 8.8830 acres 2428 Pipers Gap Road Mount Airy; $500.

-NC Blueline Properties, LLC to James Robert Mclean and Carol Jean Mclean; lots 3-4 PB 41 72 Lumber Plant Road Franklin; $280.

-Sink Family Limited Partnership and Kester A. Sink to David Minasian and Marilyn J. Minasian; 0.12 acres Mount Airy; $1.

-Patty G. Yoder to Mary Ferguson Hawks; 0.795 acres Mount Airy; $284.

-Jeffrey Daniel Byrd and Kristi Lynn Byrd to Kenneth E. Herzer and Wendy A. Herzer; 12.00 acres Tony G. Green and Jason M. Carpenter property Elkin; $700.

-Joey Lee Blackburn and Teena C. Blackburn to Earl Lynn and Judith Lynn; 0.284 acres 119 Salmon Street Elkin; $260.

-Doris Marie Farley to Preston Keith Blevins; 11.237 acres Rockford; $0.

Have you ever popped a stitch, or lost a button? In the event this happened, could you sew it back on or stitch it up? For many in our region, the answer would be yes.

For generations, families have passed down the art of sewing or mending as a way of life. Clothing and other garments were bought using hard-earned money or crafted with valuable resources. Often these pieces could not be replaced, due to either accessibility or monetary constraints. You didn’t throw pants or a dress out due to a small tear… you fixed it!

The art of taking material and creating a cohesive object is one of the oldest textile arts in existence. Everything from leather animal hides to the most painstakingly created lace is bound together in some of the same ways to create wearable or usable items. Most sources suggest that sewing began with native populations very early on, Paleolithic early. Leather was tied together through holes punctured through the hides. As technologies progressed our ancestors used sharp bones with holes to spread sinew (animal product) and fibrous plant materials to sew garments.

Through the Middle Ages sewing changed even more with practices advancing as more time could be devoted to the art. Tailors and seamstresses began to pop up in towns, allowing the wealthy to purchase ready-made clothes, while the majority of the masses still crafted everything with their own hands, the craft would primarily stay that way until the Industrial Revolution took the world by storm.

In 1790, or 1780 depending on your source, a man by the name of Thomas Saint received the very first patent for a leather sewing machine. This English inventor’s machine used the chain stitch method with a single thread creating a simple stitch. By the 1840s others had taken Saint’s plans and added and adjusted things to create the “Sewing Machine.” The advent of these machines caused riots in many places, angry tailors protested the use of such machinery, believing it would put them out of work!

The first American Patent was granted to Elias Howe in 1846, his machine utilized thread from two different sources. This design would be picked up by Isaac Singer who created the treadle sewing machine that became a household must!

Singer sewing machines started out with a pully system and soon advanced to electric power by 1889 and by 1905 many homes had made the switch. Sewing machines progressed, becoming more accurate and easier to use. By the 1940s the zig-zag stitch was introduced with many other new components to follow.

Today sewing machines are tiny computers! Everything from embroidery to simple sewing can be done on the same machine. I talked with Timmesa Wishart at Creative Sewing Machines in Downtown Mount Airy. She showed me some amazing machines that go from simple to complex; the shop sells Bernina and Brother machines with no treadles in sight! If you are looking to learn how to sew the Groovy Gallery on West Lebanon offers beginner sewing classes with Marie Nicholson. Happy Sewing!

The following divorces were granted in Surry County:

-Faith Acord and Charles Acord; granted on Sept. 29.

-Leigh Ann Taylor and Ben Andrew Taylor; granted on Sept. 29.

-Michael James Hicks and Elizabeth Johnson Hicks; granted on Sept. 29.

-Tracy Athel Harrold and Jamey Ellen Jones Harrold; granted on Sept. 29.

October is the month for the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation called Red Ribbon Week (October 23 – 31). Red Ribbon Week is celebrated to pay respect to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who was murdered in 1985 while investigating drug traffickers in Mexico.

This year’s theme is “Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free.”, created by Emily King, Chelsea Abbott, and Celise Wicker, 7th graders at Wayland-Cohocton Middle School in Wayland, New York. The theme is a reminder that everyday Americans across the country make significant daily contributions to their communities by being the best they can be because they live drug-free.

This year, the Surry County Commissioners have signed an official Surry County Government Proclamation stating that October 23-31 will be recognized, in Surry County, as Red Ribbon Week. The County has committed significant resources to ensure the success of Red Ribbon Week and encourages citizens to participate in drug-free prevention education activities, making a visible statement that we are strongly committed to creating and maintaining a drug-free County.

Red Ribbon Week is intended to be a fun and effective program for community members with specific focus on the youth population. There will be a number of ways to participate which include communicating with children about the importance of staying drug-free and the meaning behind this year’s theme. Another important mission of Red Ribbon Week is to educate and bring awareness to our youth by using creative and consistent messaging.

Given the current substance use epidemic our country, Red Ribbon Week is as important as ever. Help us spread awareness and educate children and families about the consequences of substance use and the importance of a drug-free lifestyle. The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery is partnering with the Mount Airy Rotary Club, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Elkin City Schools to spread the word to as many students as possible by celebrating Red Ribbon Week in multiple locations. Students will be given information about Red Ribbon Week, receive a red ribbon to wear, sign posters in their school, and enjoy many other activities.

During school presentations DEA and local law enforcement agencies will speak with students about the importance of staying drug-free. Other community agencies will be working with our youth as well, including Insight Human Services, Surry Friends of Youth, and the All-Stars Prevention Group. We are honored to have to have a partnership with these community volunteers, agencies, local law enforcement, and the DEA.

On Saturday, October 29, , (2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) we will wrap up our Red Ribbon Week by having a community event at Riverside Park, hosted by The Mount Airy Rotary and Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery. There will be food, kid friendly activities, a medication take back, and much more. Please come join us and help celebrate the largest substance use prevention activity in the United States.

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from learning more about Red Ribbon Week and our planned activities, please contact Charlotte Reeves, Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery Community Outreach Coordinator, at reevesc@co.surry.nc.us. Visit our website at surrycountycares.com for more information about substance use disorder and the many resources in our County.

Golfers have a great reason to hit the course on October 14th, 2022. The Greater Granite Open will take place at the Cross Creek Country Club in Mount Airy, NC.

“The Greater Granite Open is our second event of the 2022 campaign year,” shared Melissa Hiatt, Executive Director. “The GGO is significant to the campaign as it represents the building of relationships in our community.”

“It is progressing very well, as of today it looks like we may have a couple openings for teams,” Hiatt said Friday of the ongoing preparations. “I feel it will be sold out; the community has been a great supporter of this event.”

Entry fee is $400 for a team of four or for those wishing to sign up individually the cost will be $125. On the day of the event there will be opportunities to join in on a raffle as well as purchase course mulligans for those shots that may go wide of the fairway.

Teams will have the option to choose between the morning tee times which begin at 8 a.m. or those in the afternoon that will begin at 1 p.m. after a lunch being provided to participants at noon.

Hiatt says that Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital is the title sponsor for this year’s Greater Granite Open. “We are excited to welcome them to this event and appreciate their support of our organization,” she said.

Business or local civic groups that may want to participate are encouraged to do so; sponsorship opportunities are still available.

For 67 years, the United Fund has used donations, fundraisers, corporate gifts, and workplace campaigns to support the member agencies in Surry County. “With your investment the impact is immeasurable,” Hiatt said.

The member agencies under the United Fund umbrella serve the community by helping meet the needs of the citizens of Surry County. The fund allocates donated funds into four main priority areas: crisis, seniors, medical and family & youth. The Scouts, rescue squads, Surry Medical Ministries, Surry Friends of Youth, The Shepherd’s House, and Meals on Wheels all benefit from donations that are received, or funds raised by the United Fund.

Each agency is reviewed annually, and financial allocations are made based on the agencies’ needs and their impact on the current needs in our community. Hiatt and United Fund keep strive to see that money raised and donated locally is used locally for the people of Surry County.

The United Fund has reported in recent years the service they are offer are beginning to transition toward more support for seniors. For their 2021 report, United Fund of Surry organizations aided 26,458 residents of Surry County.

Hiatt said that total is almost one-third the total population of Surry County having received at least one benefit from a member organization of the United Fund. However, many clients are utilizing more than one service from a United Fund organization.

It took the effort of volunteers numbering 1,172 people strong 2021 to deliver almost 61,000 hours of service to residents of the county. Due to these efforts the United Fund saves Surry County $1,733,749 in savings for services which the county would have offered, but instead are being provided by one of the member organizations.

For a suite of services that is used by one-third of the county, it could be reasonable to assume a similar percentage are making donations to the United Fund. Hiatt informed that the number is closer to 3% of the population who donate.

Fundraising is a non-stop effort for non-profit organizations who have been facing dwindling ranks of volunteers during the pandemic. Some groups have reported that charitable giving during this time has dropped too. That trend may continue as people are feeling the pinch of inflation every time they gas up or visit their grocery store.

Their annual workplace campaigns remain the biggest source of donations to United Fund. Events like the Greater Granite Open, Downtown Rocks and Runs, and a new bourbon tasting event represent more non-traditional ways for the group to raise money while also bringing out the community to support their members.

More information can also be obtained by calling the United Fund of Surry office at 336-789-3087. Online sponsorship and registration information can be found at http://www.unitedfundofsurry.org/golf.

EAST BEND — Forbush moved to 3-0 in the Foothills 2A Conference with a 22-14 comeback victory over Surry Central.

The Falcons rode a wave of momentum in the second half and turned a 6-7 deficit into a 19-7 lead. Forbush was held to just 73 yards of offense in the first half – 35 of which came on its final play of the second quarter – before exploding for 187 yards in the second half.

The opposite was true for Surry Central. The Golden Eagles racked up 113 yards of offense in the opening half but only recorded 50 in the second. Central had just three first downs in the entire second half compared to Forbush’s 12, with turnovers and penalties proving costly for the Eagles.

Despite the disparity in second-half first downs, Central found itself down just five points for most of the fourth quarter.

After a three-and-out and interception on their first two possessions of the second half, the Golden Eagles (2-5, 1-2 FH2A) started on their own 46 with 11:17 to play. Quarterback Mason Jewell completed a 9-yard pass to Cole Snow then Allen Huffman moved the chains with an 11-yard run on fourth down.

Huffman’s 11-yard run was the first of back-to-back-to-back double-digit gains on the ground. He went for 11 yards twice, then barreled through defenders for a 21-yard gain to put Central on the Falcon 3-yard line. Huffman led Surry Central with 16 carries for 99 yards.

Brian Williams plugged in the 3-yard touchdown for his second score of the game, and Chris Nava made his second PAT in as many attempts to cut the lead to 19-14.

What followed was Forbush’s longest possession of the game. The Falcons (3-4, 3-0 FH2A) started on their own 20 after a Nava touchback with 7:48 left in the game. Bryson Taylor and Jesse Wooten went to work on the ground as Forbush looked to keep the clock running, then workhorse Regan Ramey came in for four consecutive runs to put the home team in Golden Eagle territory.

Taylor and Ramey combined to rush 41 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns. The duo accounted for 88% of Forbush’s rushing offense and 67% of the team’s total offense against Central.

Central finally began to burn timeouts after a holding the Falcons up on a first down run with 2:20 to play. The Eagles stopped the Falcons again on second down, but a personal foul called on Central after the play threw in wrench in the Eagles’ plans.

Surry Central was able to keep Forbush from moving the chains again in the game, but the personal foul allowed the clock to tick all the way down to 1:20. Also, a 38-yard field goal from David Guadarrama increased the lead from five to eight.

Huffman had a great return on the ensuing kickoff to put Central at midfield. The Eagles never got the chance to force overtime, however, as the Falcons’ Andrew Hutchens picked off Jewell to put the game on ice.

The turnover was the third forced by Forbush as Austin Choplin grabbed two interceptions earlier in the game. Jewell was held to a season-low 4-of-16 completions (25%) for 15 yards passing after throwing for at least 150 yards in Central’s three previous games.

Surry Central only forced one turnover in the game – a third-quarter fumble picked up by Reid Danley – but nonetheless the Eagles were able to contain Forbush’s offense for most of the first half.

The Falcons punted on their first five possessions of the game, with four ending as three-and-outs. In the first half: Taylor only completed one pass, the Falcons only moved the chains twice and Forbush didn’t have a play of double-digit yards for the first 23 minutes of the game.

After Central scored the game’s opening touchdown with 1:38 left in the second quarter, a short kickoff allowed Forbush to start on its own 46. The Falcons made it to midfield thanks to a Taylor run before the quarterback looked to throw a deep ball. Central was flagged for pass interference to put the Falcons on the Eagle 35, then Taylor ran for 35 yards to the end zone.

This change in momentum carried into the second half when Forbush scored on three of its first four possessions.

Forbush is one of two undefeated teams remaining in the Foothills 2A Conference. The Falcons will test themselves against the other unbeaten FH2A team on Oct. 14 by traveling to East Surry (7-0, 3-0 FH2A). The Cardinals won both meetings against Forbush in 2021, winning 40-14 during the regular season and 37-20 in the second round of the 2A State Playoffs.

Surry Central looks to bounce back in a road game against North Wilkes (4-3, 1-2 FH2A). The Golden Eagles bested the Vikings 45-20 in their 2021 meeting.

1:38 SCHS 0-7 – Brian Williams 1-yard rushing TD, Chris Nava PAT

0:26 FHS 6-7 – Bryson Taylor 35-yard rushing TD, 2-point conversion no good

9:05 FHS 12-7 – Regan Ramey 5-yard rushing TD, 2-point conversion no good

2:03 FHS 19-7 – Bryson Taylor 35-yard rushing TD, David Guadarrama PAT

7:50 SCHS 19-14 – Brian Williams 3-yard rushing TD, Chris Nava PAT

1:20 FHS 22-19 – David Guadarrama 38-yard field goal

15 yards passing on four completions

138 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 25 carries

Passing: Mason Jewell 4-of-16 for 15 yards, three interceptions

Receiving: Cole Snow 2 receptions for 16 yards; Ayden Wilmoth two receptions for -1 yard

Rushing: Allen Huffman 16 carries for 99 yards; Brian Williams six carries for 20 yards and two touchdowns; Mason Jewell two carries for 19 yards; Ayden Wilmoth one carry for 0 yards

Kicking: Chris Nava 2-of-2 PATs, 0-of-1 field goals

61 yards passing on three completions

199 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 49 carries

Passing: Bryson Taylor 3-of-7 for 61 yards

Receiving: Cristofur Martinez two receptions for 55 yards; Austin Choplin one receptions for 3 yards

Rushing: Bryson Taylor 21 carries for 115 yards, two touchdowns and one fumble; Regan Ramey 20 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown; Andrew Hutchens three carries for 13 yards; Jesse Wooten five carries for 11 yards

Kicking: David Guadarrama 1-of-1 PATs, 1-of-1 field goals

Beginning of the colorful showoff of pumpkins

The pumpkin harvest is being shown off on the lawns of churches for fund raisers and in front of produce markets and roadside stands. Pumpkins have many uses such as jack o’ lanterns, harvest decor, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin puffs and puddings, and all kinds of desserts. They also make great lawn and porch displays. There is no shortage of colors, shapes and sizes of pumpkins and all the choices are great. Unlike many vegetables, pumpkins have a long shelf life. They will survive for over a month in a lawn or porch display and then be made into a pumpkin pie. Pumpkins are members of the squash family. The mid western part of our country produces the most pumpkins and Illinois produces more than any other state.

The leaf season of autumn is now here

The autumn air in October has a certain crispness which causes many leaves to fall as they unload from the tree. The leaves are dry and crisp as they gracefully fall to the lawn. Their crispy, dry condition makes them easy to blow or vacuum and rake to the garden or compost area. They can be broke down quickly by running them through the leaf vacuum. The crushed leaves make a blanket for rose bushes, bulb beds and azaleas or covering between rows or in beds. The oaks will begin to unload their harvest in November and continue to fall all during that month.

When can we expect to see Jack Frost?

The first frost in this part of the state is after October 15, but most years, it is much later than that. We may get a dusting on the lawn, but a frost that covers the roofs and turns them frosty white usually occurs around Halloween. The first killing frost that knocks out summer annuals and the remnants of summer crops usually occurs in mid-November.

Indian summer both colorful and beautiful

Indian summer is a most beautiful season with plenty of color, atmosphere, and very comfortable temperatures. All of nature is in slowdown mode. The crows in the pines are cawing about it and squirrels are celebrating by scrambling for acorns. Before darkness arrives, we are rewarded with the varied colors of a beautiful sunset on the western horizon.

Slowdown mode works its way to garden plots

Every thing about warm weather is winding down in the garden plot. Only a few pepper and tomato plants are still producing. The cool weather vegetables are slowly replacing the spent crops of late summer. The mustard and mixed greens, Siberian Kale, broccoli, onion sets, turnips, collards and cabbage will soon be covered with a layer of crushed leaves to prolong their harvest into the winter. Slow down mode in the garden does not mean stop mode.

Making a batch of Halloween trail mix

Fill an orange plastic jack o’ lantern with a great Halloween harvest, trail mix and set it on the dining room table and refill it often. To prepare this trail mix, combine, a box of Fiddle-Faddle popcorn, one bag crumbled cheese doodles, one box golden raisins, on bag M&M’s (plain) harvest mix, one pack Nestle’s chocolate chips, and one pack of mini pretzels (crumbled). Combine all ingredients and mix in one teaspoon salts and two tablespoons light brown sugar. Mix well and store in a popcorn tin to keep it fresh.

Tub of cold water cures shrinking pumpkin

After a votive candle burns in a jack o’ lantern for a week a pumpkin can begin to have the “Shrinks” You can provide a cure for this pumpkin shrink by removing the candle and place the shrinking pumpkin into a tub of cold water and leave it there all day. Before nightfall, remove the pumpkin from the tub and dry the inside and outside with a towel and replace the candle.

Plenty of fresh apples for the autumn table

The apple harvest of autumn is now reaching its peak of production. The produce stands and fruit markets as well as supermarkets are glowing with red, yellow, pink and green Granny Smith apples. They can be purchased by the bag, bushel or pound. The very best of all the apples are the tart and mellow, ones such as McIntosh, Winesap, Jona-Gold, York, and Granny Smith. For a real treat, fry some apples as a substitute for dessert. Peel eight or ten tart apples and cut into slices and discard the cores. Apply several teaspoons of lemon juice and set aside for several minutes. In a frying pan, melt one and a half sticks of light margarine and fry the sliced apples until tender. Remove from heat and sprinkle with a half cup of light brown sugar. Serve with cool whip.

Radish are a quick autumn vegetable

Cool soil of October paves the way for one of autumn’s quickie vegetables. A packet or two of radish seed can be sown in the cool October soil. They will sprout quickly because they love nippy soil conditions. Packets of radish cost around two dollars or less. You can choose from Crimson, Giant Cherry Bomb, Cherry Belle, Cherriette and Perfecto. Plant seed in a furrow about three inches deep and place a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow. Sow seeds sparingly and cover with another layer of peat moss. Apply a layer of Garden-Tone organic vegetable food and hill up soil on each side of the furrow. Tamp down soil on top of the row for solid soil contact.

What kind of acorn crop will October bring?

A huge crop of acorns could be a message of a harsh winter. Acorns on the forest floor could mean that snow will be knocking on our front door. A huge crop of acorns point to a cold, hard winter. If you see squirrels scurry around harvesting and storing acorns, it could be a sign of a snowy winter. Acorns are only a harbinger, we will just have to wait and see.

Enjoying days of Saint Luke’s little summer

We have been celebrating this great stretch of Indian Summer since around October 12, and can expect a few more days of comfortable temperatures that will come to an end on October 16. Saint Luke’s Little Summer has provided a break and a door of opportunity to get cool weather vegetables ready for up and coming colder temperatures and also catch up with the leaf harvest. May Saint Luke will be able to extend a few more of these days!

Using jack-be-littles for Halloween decor

The Small jack-be-little pumpkins make nice harvest and Halloween decorations and blend in well with the Hershey’s harvest Kisses, leaves, and a few harvest colored candles and a scattering of creme pumpkins for added color. The jack-be-littles. These little pumpkins cost less than two dollars each.

An autumn crunch maple nut coffee cake

The season of autumn is a great time to enjoy coffee cake. This is a great recipe with plenty of pecans in it. You will need one half cup of butter or light margarine (melted), one cup of finely chopped pecans, half cup of brown sugar, half cup of grated bread crumbs, one beaten egg, half cup white sugar, half cup milk, one cup of pancake mix, one teaspoon vanilla extract. Combine a half cup of melted butter or light margarine, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and bread crumbs. Mix all thoroughly and press into a baking pan sprayed with Pam baking spray. Combine beaten egg and white sugar and beat until fluffy. Add milk and pancake mix with vanilla extract and stir lightly until mixed. Stir in three tablespoons of melted butter or light margarine Pour over the brown sugar-pecan mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for at least thirty minutes. Cool for fifteen minutes. Flip out of pan onto a cookie sheet or large plate. It can be served hot or cold.

A garden in all the seasons of the year

A goal for the garden should be to have something producing in it in all seasons of the year, a garden in production no matter what the season may be. There are enough varieties of cool and cold weather vegetables that can extend the garden into every season with a harvest in each month of the year. A garden that will look full of life all year long.

Peat moss is important for cooler weather

When sowing or setting out cool and cold weather vegetables such as Siberian kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, mustard and mixed greens, turnips, onion sets, lettuce, and radish. Always apply layers of peat moss on tops and bottoms of seeds and plants before hilling up soil in the furrow.

Using organic plant food on a cool weather vegetables

Applying organic plant and vegetable food on cool and cold weather vegetables will promote a healthy harvest in autumn and winter. Organic food such as Plant-Tone, Garden-Tone, Alaska fish emulsion, and Doctor Earth plant food. These are finely textured and quickly absorb into the soil and food during winter extremes.

Making a colorful pumpkin center piece

A real pumpkin with floral decor in its center will add color to any dining room table. Buy a medium sized pumpkin that is round and orange. Cut around the top and remove the seed as if you were preparing a jack o’ lantern. Place a potted mum in the pumpkin, placing a small towel in bottom of the pumpkin lightly water each week. You can also use an orange plastic pumpkin and a small potted mum.

Indian corn makes great harvest decorations

Indian or ornamental corn comes in colors of brown, maroon, burgundy, gold, and tan. It can be purchased in bunches or individual ears at most supermarkets and produce markets. It can be use to decorate mantels and dining room tables. It makes a great decor just by placing it in a decorative bowl.

-“Untidy sum”- A father was speaking to the young man who had been dating his daughter about his finances. “What will be your yearly income?”, the father asked. “Fifty thousand,” the young man replied. “That’s not too shabby. And when you add my daughter’s forty thousand, that will be a comfortable income.” “Oh, I counted hers in the fifty thousand” said the young man.

-“Let’s make a deal”- A pastor was trying to work out a deal for a lower price on his vehicle repairs. “Remember the pastor pleaded, “I am a poor preacher.” “I know”, said the mechanic. I was in your church last Sunday.”

Night of the “Full Hunters Moon”

Sunday, October 9, will be the night the Full Hunters Moon shines down on harvested fields and woodlands with an orange glow. It will rise at 4:55 p.m. just before dark and as night falls, it will cast a glow on the wings of crisp autumn air that will make the Hunters Moon even more bright and full. Enjoy this beautiful moon as it shines all night through the bedroom window. We remember coon hunting under a bright Hunters Moon in Northampton County as a kid.

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

Next in Line – Jeffrey Archer

The Winners: A Novel – Fredrik Backman

Treasure State – C. J. Box

A Narrow Door – Joanne Harris

Woman Last Seen – Adele Parks

The Apple Creek Announcement – Wanda Brunstetter

A Quilt for Christmas – Melody Carlson

Aura of Night – Heather Graham

I’ll Be Seeing You – Robin Lee Hatcher

Girls of Flight City – Lorraine Heath

Robert B. Parker’s Fallout – Mike Lupica

Still My Forever – Kim Vogel Sawyer

A Taste for Poison – Neil Bradbury

We Carry Their Bones – Erin Kimmerle

To Walk About in Freedom – Carole Emberton

Why Didn’t You Tell Me – Rita Wong

Join us Tuesday, October 18 at 2 p.m for Lasagna Planters when we will learn how to plant a variety of spring bulbs in one planter, using a layering technique. You will need to bring a container of your choice that is 12 inches wide by 11 inches deep. The rest of the materials will be provided. The workshop is free, but registration is required, as seats are limited. Call 336-789-5108 or stop by the front desk to reserve your spot today!!

Pumpkin Decorating Contest – Our annual pumpkin decorating contest will be the week of October 24 – 29. Bring your decorated (not carved) pumpkin to the library on Monday,October 24. Patrons will vote throughout the week and the winner will be announced on Saturday the 29.

Fright Night at the Library – Looking for a good scare, then come join us Friday, October 28 at 6:00 p.m. for some scary stories and treats. Ages 10 and above.

Witches Brew with Witchy Poo – October 29 at 10:00 a.m. Put on your costume and jump on your broomstick and fly on in to storytime with Witchy Poo. We will have candy, cookies, juice and Halloween stories.

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Mom’s Morning Out with Jo – meets Mondays at 10:00 a.m. beginning October 10. Book club that focuses on Good clean Christian romance, coffee and maybe a facial. This month’s book is Burning Sky by Lori Benton.

STEAMed Up Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.- Interactive fun and learning for 4th – 6th grades.

Pages & Petticoats Online Book Club – meets the last Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m., discussion questions will be posted on Facebook. This month’s book is also Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Community Book Club – meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1:00 PM. This month we will be reading If the Creek Don’t Rise by Leah Weiss.

HOOKED – Join our crochet and knitting club, Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Open for all skill levels. Bring your own yarn and make the group project, or bring your own project to work on.

Chapters Book Club – Every Third Thursday at 11:30 am. Read what you want and discuss with others.

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion. 10 am every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

It’s Yoga Y’all!!! – Join Ms. Heather on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 am.

Job Posting – The library is in need of a programming assistant. This is a 32 hour full time position with benefits. You will be working with school aged children and teenagers. You must have knowledge of STEAM, computers, robotics, Makerspaces, VR, etc. Knowing how to use social media is a must as we do a lot of our advertising through this medium. Some nights and Saturdays are required as these activities would need to be done after school hours. Please go to this website for further details.https://nwrlibrary.org/job-openings/

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

A new Mayberry Citizens Academy launched this week in Mount Airy which is allowing 25 local residents to learn more about municipal government.

“There’s a lot more to the city than people think about,” Mayor Ron Niland said as the first of eight class sessions got under way late Tuesday afternoon.

“We need people to know what’s going on and how things work.”

Apparently, a healthy number of citizens are interested in that, with the 25 enrollees representing an expansion from the 15-student limit announced initially. The response was so great that city officials decided to allow more applicants.

The goal of the Citizens Academy is to help Mount Airy residents better understand how local government operates while benefiting the community overall.

Such academies, also known as leadership institutes, seek to educate residents through direct contact with public officials, site visits and hands-on activities, and are fairly common throughout the nation, local organizers say. These programs address what is considered a knowledge gap between citizens and government.

The Mayberry Citizens Academy class schedule includes a range of topics such as city and state government relations, firefighting, police and code enforcement, public works/utilities, finance, parks and recreation and planning.

Ninety-minute sessions will continue over a nine-week period until Nov. 29, skipping Thanksgiving Week.

Among those enrolled is Frank Fleming, a modified race car driver recently involved in an issue with city government surrounding a sign for his new body shop on Merita Street which culminated with a favorable vote in August.

Fleming, and a large group of local supporters including state Rep. Sarah Stevens, lobbied successfully for an amendment to municipal rules to allow an existing sign at the the site to be used. It initially had been denied due to height restrictions.

He and others listened intently to presenters during the first Citizens Academy meeting this week, who in addition to the mayor included City Manager Stan Farmer; Hugh Campbell, city attorney; Assistant City Manager Darren Lewis; and City Clerk Nicki Brame.

“I hope it will be informational,” Niland told the group at the start.

One factoid he mentioned, along with pointing out that Mount Airy was incorporated in 1885, was the large financial footprint the city government has — which Niland said totals $25 million to $30 million counting all the budgetary and other funds.

“It’s a pretty-good-sized ‘business,’” the mayor observed.

In outlining guidelines for campaign signs recently cropping up locally in steadily increasing numbers, Chuck Morris, Mount Airy’s code enforcement officer, relied on words from an old song as a heading:

“Sign, sign everywhere a sign, blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind.”

“Well, here we are again in an election season and our streets are getting covered with ‘political’ signs and my inbox and voice mail are both getting inundated with calls,” Morris added this week regarding complaints and questions about what’s allowed.

And perhaps more importantly, what isn’t permitted, as the general election approaches on Nov. 8 — with early voting beginning on Oct. 20.

While a number of candidates for county, state and federal offices are on the ballot, issues with signs seem more concentrated in Mount Airy, where eight candidates are vying for three seats on the city council and that of mayor.

All four races in the 2022 municipal election are contested.

“Just the facts”

In responding to the flurry of sign-related activity, Morris chose to submit a “just the facts, ma’am” breakdown pertaining to signs in general and what exceptions are provided during the election season.

Legal implications for that period, as they relate to city of Mount Airy sign ordinances, can be viewed online at https://library.municode.com/nc/mount_airy/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_APXAZOOR_ARTIXSI

In addition, applicable N.C. Department of Transportation ordinances, including ones addressing political signs within municipalities, are accessible at https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_136/GS_136-32.pdf

Among the city ordinances’ stated purposes are to encourage the effective use of signs as a means of communication while preserving the guarantee of free speech under the U.S. Constitution, yet also restricting those within public rights-of-way.

Morris pointed out that exceptions to the “typical” sign ordinance begin 30 days before the beginning date of one-stop early voting and end after the 10th day following Election Day.

To help with the signage process, he added that each candidate seeking office in Surry County was given a 12-page document that clearly defines the 2022 political sign ordinances. It is available at https://www.mountairy.org/DocumentCenter/View/3343/2022-SIGN-ORDINANCE-INFO

One consideration involves streets located in the city of Mount Airy which are not state-maintained by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

“The city of Mount Airy does not, even during an election season, allow any signs to be placed in the right-of-way for any of the city-maintained streets,” the code officer advised. “The city of Mount Airy does not, even during election season, allow for Type 2 free-standing temporary (commonly referred to as “banner”) signs on any residential-use property.

The only exception during the political season provided for in municipal ordinances relates only to Type 1 (temporary) signs, which states: “The limit on the number of Type 1 free-standing temporary signs that may be displayed on a parcel containing a use in the residential-use group is suspended.”

In referring to the distinction been municipal and state-maintained streets that are located within the city limits, Morris provided an online link to a map designating these: https://connect.ncdot.gov/municipalities/State-Street-Aid/PowellBillMaps/MountAiry_Surry_Map-2020.07.01.pdf

“The Department of Transportation typically does not allow any unauthorized sign, be it an advertisement or a political sign, to be placed in the right-of-way of any DOT-maintained streets,” Morris continued. “The exception is for political signs during the election season as defined earlier.”

Such exceptions allowing political signs in a DOT right-of-way must be in accordance with a guideline on sign placement. It states that a permittee must obtain the consent of any property owner of a residence, business or religious institution fronting the right-of-way where a sign would be erected.

• No sign shall be permitted in the right-of-way of a fully controlled access highway.

• No sign shall be closer than three feet from the edge of the pavement of the road.

• No sign shall obscure motorist visibility at an intersection.

• No sign shall be higher than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement of the road.

• No sign shall be larger than 864 square inches (six square feet).

• No sign shall obscure or replace another sign.

Complaints regarding DOT right-of-way signage should be directed to 877-368-4968, according to the local code enforcement officer.

“Whether the political sign in question is on a city street or a state-maintained street, they all fall under North Carolina General Statute 136-32,” Morris wrote.

That statute reads in part: “It is a Class III misdemeanor for a person to steal, deface, vandalize or unlawfully remove a political sign that is lawfully placed under the” listed exceptions.

In addressing the matter by providing the extensive breakdown, Morris seeks to clarify what and where political signs are permitted inside the city limits.

“And also, hopefully, our candidates will adhere to these ordinances and we all can see through the ‘clutter’ of misplaced signs.”

Along with the issue of campaign signs that are placed along streets, concerns have emerged recently about portable signs being displayed in Mount Airy.

This has included multiple instances of ones placed in the beds of trucks moved from place to place, which are regulated differently depending on whether the city limits are involved.

Surry Director of Elections Michella Huff says portable signs are allowed per the N.C. State Board of Elections Campaign Finance Manual as long as a disclosure statement (legend) is present and is 5 percent of the height of the printed space on the advertisement.

“Here at the Board of Elections, we are concerned about the disclosure statement being on the sign, that it is the correct legend and it is the proper height,” Huff stated.

But the elections director acknowledged the fact that specific city/town ordinances might treat portable signage regulations differently.

That is the case in Mount Airy.

“It is not in compliance with the (city) ordinance,” Police Chief Dale Watson said Thursday concerning the use of portable campaign signs.

“The ordinance does not allow for that.”

PILOT MOUNTAIN — A 29th-minute goal off a free kick proved to be the difference maker in Wednesday’s Foothills 2A Conference match between East Surry and North Wilkes.

The Cardinals out-shot the visiting Vikings in both halves but couldn’t find the back of the net. East’s defense had a strong performance as well, but one momentary lapse allowed the match-winning goal to be scored.

The Cards (0-8-2, 0-6-1 FH2A), who feel they’re getting closer and closer to their first win of the season, have now suffered back-to-back one-goal losses.

“I’m feeling very discouraged at the moment,” said East Surry coach Samuel Lowe. “Our guys played really hard and we had shot after shot, we just couldn’t buy a goal. We hit the post a couple times and thought we had them on a handball in the box, but at the end of it we still lost 1-0. We had a little mistake there on the free kick and that was the difference.”

Lowe stressed that his disappointment didn’t stem from his players’ efforts, as they did everything he asked them to. However, he said he hates that they came so close to a victory and just couldn’t come away with it.

“I truly believe that if we could just get over this hump and win that first game that more victories will come,” Lowe said. “I’m proud of them and the way they played. This group has fought hard this whole year.”

East Surry’s progress from the first half of the season is evident when comparing scores. When the Cards first played the Vikings in Hays on Sept. 13, North Wilkes scored five times in the FH2A opener. This time around East Surry out-shot North Wilkes in both halves and only allowed one goal.

“Oh it was a lot different to the first time we played them,” Lowe said. “Not only did we out-shoot them, but we had more possession and more legitimate chances to score this time. They just put one away and we didn’t.”

A lot changed between meetings, including swapping players to different positions and letting more players see the field in various spots. Chemistry was the team’s issue early in the season because they had so few games, Lowe said, but now that they’ve had multiple weeks with two or more matches the Cards are starting to get used to each other.

East Surry’s defense is one position group Lowe applauded for their efforts in Thursday’s match.

“Alex Galvan has really stepped up in that center back position,” Lowe said. “Of course he’s one of our seniors and one of the fastest guys on our team. He and Logan [Fagg] work really well together, and when Logan pushes up Levi [Watson] and Kevin [Blakeney] stay back and they’ve got to where they play really well together.”

North Wilkes (8-7-1, 4-3 FH2A) tested East’s defense right off the bat by staying on the Cardinals’ defensive half for most of the first 15 minutes. Despite occupying East Surry territory and taking three corner kicks in the opening minutes of the game, North Wilkes was only able to attempt one shot during this time – which was saved by East Surry keeper Michael Youngblood.

A free kick put on target from Lupe Chavez in the 15th minute helped shift momentum in the Cards’ favor. Chavez, Erik Perez and Mario Flores helped East navigate the midfield while setting striker Jonathan de la Cruz up for runs.

Cruz took a through ball from Chavez in the 19th minute and shot to the far post. The Cardinals thought the ball hit the post and went over the goal line, but the official signaled that it did not.

Six minutes later, Flores took back-to-back corner kicks and Chavez had headers hit the cross bar. Kade Talton redirected a corner not long after North Wilkes’ goal, and once again the Cardinals thought a goal had been scored but the official said no goal.

North Wilkes’ scored on its second shot of the game. A foul was called on East 35 yards out from the goal, and the Vikings floated a kick over the defense to be headed into the net.

With the exception of the goal, all of North Wilkes’ five other shots were saved by Youngblood. The Vikings’ best chance to add to its lead came in the 58th minute when a through ball left the opposing striker one-on-one with Youngblood. The keeper charged and blocked the shot, but the Viking quickly jumped on the rebound and saw an open net in front of him. Before the player could shoot, Fagg swept in at the last possible second and cleared the ball out for a corner.

Cruz and Flores sent shots at the Viking keeper in the second half but couldn’t score.

Fagg pressed up with less than five minutes on the clock. Sid Sutphin found Chavez for a pass near midfield, and Chavez floated a ball into the box for Fagg and the Viking keeper to fight for. This happened three times in the final five minutes, but all three instances ended with North Wilkes in possession.

Fagg had one last shot in the final minute of play, but it too was saved. Cruz was in position for the rebound had the keeper bobbled the catch.

Lowe said the Cardinals would go back to the drawing board the next day and keep refining their skills. He did mention that the team is expected to get senior Juan Caro back in less than a week, and said “it’ll be big having him come back for sure.”

East Surry returns to action Oct. 10 at North Surry. This is the beginning of a three-game road trip for East, with the Cards not playing in David H. Diamont Stadium again until Oct. 24.

29’ North Wilkes 0-1, Ivan Duran on Mathew Pardo assist

DOBSON — Surry Central capped off its Senior Night celebration with a 3-2 win over North Wilkes.

The Golden Eagles secured at minimum a share of second place in the Foothills 2A Conference with Thursday’s five-set victory, which avenged a loss to the Vikings earlier this season.

After dropping the first set 25-22, Central stormed back and won the next two sets with scores of 25-14 and 25-23. North Wilkes battled back from a deficit in the fourth set to win 25-21, but Surry Central jumped out to a big lead in the decisive fifth set before winning 15-9.

Central is now 9-8 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

The Oct. 6 victory served as the final regular season home game for six Golden Eagle seniors: Emma Davis, Ashley Santamaria, Erica Coe, Aubrey Hodges, Marissa McCann and Laken Coe.

“I’ll tell you what I told them last night: they are special to me,” Central coach Maddison Payne said of the Class of 2023. “When I started coaching and coming in knowing they have had a different coach every year they have played, I really didn’t know what I was coming into. But, they welcomed me with open arms and I’ll forever be grateful for that.

“All of them will always hold such a special place in my heart. I wish we got more than one year together.”

The season didn’t get off to an ideal start for Surry Central when the Eagles dropped their first four matches. It took time for the team to adjust to playing without five of its players from the previous season, three of which went on to play collegiate volleyball.

Once the team gained that chemistry it showed in the win column. The Golden Eagles have won five of their past six matches and are set to finish higher in the conference than they did in 2021.

“I’ve learned a lot this season. We all have, and we are definitely not the team we were at the beginning of the season,” Payne said. “We had to learn what our strengths and weaknesses are. We’ve learned how to play smart and how to communicate better; that was our big thing at beginning of the season.

“I’m honestly so proud of how the girls have turned our season around and now are number two in the conference. I couldn’t be any prouder of them. They deserve it.”

Central has now avenged two of its three conference losses from earlier in the season.

Thursday’s Senior Night game looked to be a repeat of the first match against North Wilkes (11-9, 4-6 FH2A), which the Vikings won 3-0, early in the second set. An 8-1 run by North gave the visitors the first set, then the Viks began the second set with a 5-0 run.

Central came out of a timeout and won the next six points to force the first of three lead changes in the set. Strong serving set the tone for Golden Eagles, who finished the night with 15 aces and just five service errors on 105 attempts. North Wilkes cut the lead to 9-8 and 11-9, but a 7-0 Central run put the Eagles’ advantage out of reach.

An ace from Aubrey Southern ended the set at 25-14 and tied the overall score at 1-1.

The second set only had three lead changes and three ties, but the third set featured seven lead changes and 12 ties. Neither side led by more than three points in the third.

The back and forth set went the way of the Golden Eagles 25-23. Central had one of its best attacking sets in the third with Lily O’Neal shining at outside hitter. O’Neal finished with a team-high 11 kills.

McCann joined in on the attacking fun in the fourth set as Central got off to a 10-3 start. North Wilkes’ offense hit its high point as the Vikings chipped away at the lead to come back and eventually tie the score 19.

North Wilkes used its biggest run of the match, scoring 10-of-12 points, to turn a 19-15 deficit into a 25-21 set victory.

Tied two sets to two, Payne said she was confident in her girls’ abilities and they’d already proven how good they could play against North Wilkes.

“My message to them going into the fifth set was ‘Go out there and play our ball like we do,’ and that’s exactly what we did,” Payne said.

Kills from Mallie Southern and O’Neal forced a North Wilkes timeout with Central leading 5-2. Kylee Schendel served the Eagles on a 5-0 run after the score was tied 2-2. The Vikings scored on a well-placed attack to break the streak, and then Central went on a 4-0 run.

The Eagles led 12-4 when North Wilkes responded with a 5-0 run, prompting Payne to call a timeout. McCann won the next point with a kill, then a North Wilkes attack error set the Eagles up for the win. Hodges put the match away with a kill and the Eagles went wild.

Surry Central can finish second in the conference outright with a victory in one of its final two regular season matches, though they both come against top teams in the FH2A league. The Golden Eagles first face North Surry (9-10, 5-5 FH2A), who is the only other team still contending for second place.

A win over North Surry gives second place to Central, but a loss to North Surry means Central either has to beat conference champion East Surry (16-3, 10-0 FH2A) on the road OR count on a North Surry loss at North Wilkes in the regular season finale.

JJ Jones Intermediate students enjoyed a morning filled with kindness on Friday, Sept. 9. Mount Airy City Schools partnered with Vincent’s Legacy, Kindness Rocks to bring kindness to each third through fifth grader two weeks into the school year. Students and staff rotated through six different stations that were created to provide opportunities to learn about kindness and to show kindness to others. The event proved to be a perfect relationship building time between staff and students as they committed to kindness, played yard games, colored selfies, painted kindness rocks, chose temporary tattoos, and danced to music played by DJ Blanton Youell. The Blue Bear Bus, Blue Bear, and bubbles were on site which helped the event entertain the crowd. Students and staff alike enjoyed the break from classroom learning to be able to learn more about kindness together in a fun and engaging way.

The Small Business Center at Surry Community College will be offering multiple online webinars in October free of charge. These webinars cover a variety of topics that are intended to help individuals gain valuable skills for working with a small business.

The webinar Canva: Advanced Design Skills will be held Oct. 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This seminar, led by Melanie Diehl, will go into a deep-dive of Canva and will include hands-on design time and screen-sharing for feedback. Pre-requisites include a Canva account and working knowledge of Canva. A paid Canva Pro subscription is highly recommended.

The webinar How to Write a Business Plan will be held Oct. 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This seminar will teach you the important components of a business plan and help you lay the foundation for long-term success.

The webinar Desktop QuickBooks will be held Oct. 13, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This seminar will teach the basics of navigating this software installed directly on your computer and show you how to increase productivity and reduce tax-related mistakes.

The webinar Website Building for Small Businesses will be held Oct. 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This seminar can help you quickly and efficiently design a website for your business with little technical knowledge.

The webinar LinkedIn for Businesses will be held Oct. 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This seminar will teach you how to create an “online presence” that will attract customers to you, as well as how to increase your visibility on LinkedIn.

The webinar Financing Your Small Business will be held Oct. 25, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This seminar will get to the heart of business financing and explore the advantages and disadvantages of different types of funding sources.

To register for upcoming virtual seminars or to view a complete listing of the upcoming Small Business Center offerings, visit www.surry.edu/sbc. After registering for a webinar, a link to join the event will be emailed to you.

For information about confidential, one-on-one counseling and resource referrals, contact SBC Director Mark Harden at hardenm@surry.edu or call (336) 386-3685.

The Small Business Center provides seminars, workshops, resources and counseling to prospective business owners and existing business owners. The SCC Small Business Center has facilities in Dobson, Elkin, Mount Airy, Pilot Mountain, and Yadkinville.

A grand opening celebration for The Humble Hare in Mount Airy was held Friday morning at 705 W. Pine St. After the speakers spoke and the ribbon was cut, the doors opened, and shoppers went in to explore what bargains may be afoot.

Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care opened their new store location complete with new name and a super snazzy and sophisticated hare as their new logo. The hare, while humble, is seen adorned with oversized glasses and a bowtie that signifies he is one serious customer.

“The shop has undergone a complete transformation with an enhanced selection of pre-loved furniture, home decor, and clothing,” said Sara Tavery Vice President of Philanthropy, Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care.

“Our goal is to offer shoppers high-quality new and gently-used items at affordable prices while increasing revenue in support of patients and their families who lack financial resources to pay for their hospice care.”

Inside the new store were displays of furniture, clothing, home and kitchen wares, shoes, and accessories neatly displayed and ready to be browsed.

Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland and Randy Collins of the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce both spoke before the ribbon cutting. The men each shared emotional recollections of how hospice made a difference in their own lives during times of great need.

Other families will benefit from The Humble Hare as the sales from the store will help Mountain Valley Hospice offset operating costs and continue to offer services to those in need. They do not turn people away due to financial hardships, so consider that when eyeing a queen comforter or complete dish set at a deeply discounted price.

A few dollars spent within The Humble Hare can have a significant impact on the quality of life that remains for a patient and their family.

Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care provides compassionate hospice and palliative care services with a team of healthcare professionals and specially trained volunteers across eighteen counties in North Carolina and Virginia.

On their website Mountain Valley Hospice said that nationally, “More than a million patients and their families have utilized the services of hospice. While 60 percent of hospice patients have cancer, hospice is not only for cancer patients. We also help those who have several different conditions such as heart disease or AIDS.”

“Several of our patients and their families have said: “I don’t know what I would have done without hospice.” Many credit our care to helping them spend warm and memorable days with their loved ones.”

The Humble Hare will gladly be accepting donations for items that can be sold in the store and they ask that donations not be left outside the storefront. To schedule an appointment to make a donation please call 336-789-1230.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MTA100622V.pdf

PILOT MOUNTAIN — A sweep of Surry Central completed East Surry’s perfect season in the Foothills 2A Conference.

Led by a pair of seniors competing in their final regular season home match, the Cardinals defeated the Golden Eagles 9-0 on Oct. 5 to repeat as FH2A Champions. East finishes the regular season 13-1 overall and 12-0 in conference play.

East Surry recognized its senior duo – Tara Martin and Evelyn Ruedisueli – prior to the match. Both girls are four-year starters on the team that have competed in the top three for most of their careers. In addition to winning back-to-back team conference titles, Martin and Ruedisueli have the following accolades as a doubles team: two All-State selections, 1A State Runner-up, 2A State Semifinalists, 1A Midwest Regional Champions, 2A Midwest Regional Runners-up and two-time conference doubles champions.

Martin was also named All-State her freshman year with doubles partner Sarah Mann.

“Words can’t describe the journey I have experienced with Tara and Evelyn over the past four years,” said East Surry coach Alison Hooker. “These ladies have shown great dedication to the game, and have become great role models for the rest of the team. It has been a great honor to coach them for the past four years.

“Because of their personal sacrifice to their craft, I have grown as a coach and mentor. They are tremendous athletes, and even better people. I will thoroughly miss having them on our team, but can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”

Martin and Ruedisueli completed undefeated regular seasons with victories over Surry Central. Martin defeated McKenna Merritt 6-1, 6-0 in No. 1 singles, and Ruedisueli defeated Karlie Robertson 6-0, 6-1 in No. 2 singles. The No. 1 doubles team of Martin/Ruedisueli defeated Merritt/Robertson 8-0.

Sophie Hutchens won No. 3 singles for East with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Priscilla Gentry, and Cardinal Taylor Bullington bested Madelyn Wilmoth 6-1, 6-1 in No. 5 singles.

The Cardinals wrapped up the overall match victory with a win in No. 4 singles. East’s Chloe Koons led 3-2 in the first set before winning three-straight games. Central’s Emma Bryant went up 2-1 in the second set, but Koons responded by taking a 4-3 lead and winning back-to-back games to secure the victory.

Central’s Mitzy Vasquez led 5-2 in No. 6 singles before Mallory Estrada stormed back to win the first set 7-5. The pair went into a set-tiebreaker for the second set, and Estrada took that victory as well by a score of 7-5.

In addition to Martin/Ruedisueli’s 8-0 doubles win, Bullington/Estrada handled business in No. 3 singles with an 8-1 victory over Vasquez/Kaesi Blythe.

No. 2 doubles was the most competitive of the three, with East’s Hutchens/Koons defeating Gentry/Bryant 8-5.

East Surry and Surry Central will both compete in the FH2A Tournament held Oct. 10 at Wilkes Central.

The Surry County Board of County Commissioners met Monday evening in Dobson for their regularly scheduled meeting. While their agenda was light that evening, one item was back on the agenda from the week before involving COVID relief money.

Surry County Emergency Management Director Eric Southern summarized the situation for the board that in 2020 when the Federal emergency declaration on the pandemic was released, the county was informed there as a fund from which the county could pay for COVID related ambulance transports.

When that fund ran out, the county was still providing EMS runs for COVID patients and not billing them for the ride, as the Federal government had taken over the costs of those rides. Now the county still owes a balance on those rides to and from the hospital for COVID care to the tune of $23,410.70.

For comparison, Southern asked for a comparison of the write off amount of $23,410.70 compared to other counties similar in size and was told the average write off amount was $71,000 with the highest being near $300,000/

At their last meeting, the commissioners were asked to write off that amount as unbillable and unrecoverable because the guidance, Southern said, at that time was that any expenses for COVID would come from that fund.

This is where Commissioner Van Tucker found a sticking point last meeting, just as he did at this meeting. He questions the rationale of the funding that was mandated for these EMS transports, “At that time, there was no other option? Even for those people with the Cadillac Blue Cross Blue Shield? I don’t quite understand this.”

“I am a little confused myself,” Southern admitted of the federal funding. He said though once a doctor made a diagnosis that the patient was transported for COVID, “That’s where the money had to come from.”

“I’m sure there are people with insurance cards would have wanted to pay or submit the bill to the insurers. Some people wanted to pay it, some people probably just had paid their bill when these funds were approved, and others were charged the day the fund ran out,” Tucker observed. “It’s interesting to me that with the government statute we can’t go back and recoup our losses.”

Tucker acquiesced that the county had no recourse but to write off the EMS transport costs as unrecoverable and made a motion to that end. The board concurred and the measure passed unanimously.

In other board of commissioners news:

– The board was asked to give their approval to the conveyance of surplus medical items from the county to find use with other groups rather than be sent to the landfill. The board approved the transfer of two Stryker Power-Pro 6500 XT stretchers, with mounting brackets, to Pilot Mountain Rescue and EMS. Similarly, nine complete sets of Scott SCBA 4.5 Airpacks, with bottles, were deemed surplus and no longer needed by the county. They are being conveyed to the Surry Community College Firefighter and Rescue Program to train the next generation of local first responders.

– Surry County Health Director Samantha Ange requested from the board’s permission to purchase a mobile phone application that she said would be used to share “valuable information and resources with the community and partners in almost real time.” The cost of the mobile application is $24,855 but Ange in her request said no additional county funds would be needed but rather remaining COVID-19 funds would be used.

The speed with which information could be disseminated from the county to its residents is of interest to the Health Department. Other county offices have similar desire to reach residents as was explained during the funding request made for Surry on the Go, the county’s streaming application that will be found on Spectrum cable and will give the county another nearly immediate path to get information to residents.

– The board was asked to give their approval to the slate of Trustees for Northern Regional Hospital, all four of which have graciously agreed to serve another term. Teresa Lewis, Paul Patterson, Tom Riggs, and Ann Vaughn were renominated to serve another term as Trustees and the board approved.

Nikki Hull of the Surry County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council asked the board to approve a change to that council’s membership. Juan Sanchez was approved to be the Health Department Designee replacing Allie Willard, the outgoing health department representative.

– County Tax Administrator Penny Harrison presented the commissioners a list of foreclosed properties that the county is ready to sell after having made the required official notices. She told the board her department has sent numerous statements out to collect the outstanding taxes and they have now exhausted all means to collect on the delinquent taxes.

The properties listed are found in Mount Airy at 263 Maple Dr., 1185 S. Main St., a vacant lot on Bowman Rd., another vacant lot on N. South St., and 220 Cedar Gate Ln. Also, a parcel of land at 916 Jenkinstown Rd. in Dobson was listed. Harrison submitted the tax values on each parcel and asked the commissioners to accept the opening bids on each and proceed to finalizing the foreclosures, to which they agreed.

Commissioner Van Tucker took a moment to note most Surry County residents pay their taxes on time. The county foreclosing is among the last things anyone wants to do, and the commissioners have reached out to owners in the past and spoken to them about past due balances, he said. However, foreclosure is a part of life Tucker admitted, and while it may pain members of the board to make these decisions it is their duty to do so, “We do it as the very last option, I assure you.”

– The board passed a resolution designating Surry County a Green Light for Veterans County. Now through Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is “a time to salute and honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform transitioning from Active Service. In observance of Operation Green Light residents are encouraged in patriotic tradition to recognize the importance of honoring all those who made immeasurable sacrifices to preserve freedom by displaying a green light in a window of their home or place of business.”

The resolution notes the financial impact veterans have on the country but also the perilous nature of the transition from military to civilian life that leads to a higher incidence of suicide in the first year after discharge. The county supports and respects its veterans and participating in Operation Green Light will be an ongoing affirmation of that support.

Citizens and business owners should be aware of upcoming street closures for the 2022 Autumn Leaves Festival. The event will take place on Friday October 14 through Sunday October 16. If you travel through the downtown district of Mount Airy you should expect street closures. Set up for the festival will take place on Thursday October 13 and streets will close at noon.

Here is a list of streets that will be closed or partially closed for the event:

· North Main Street, from Rawley Avenue to Pine Street.

· Independence Blvd, from Willow Street to Renfro Street.

· Virginia Street will have no access to N. Main.

· Oak Street, from Market to N. Main Street.

· Oak Street, from City Hall Street to N. Main.

· City Hall Street will be closed from Oak to Moore.

· Franklin Street, from Market to N. Main.

Citizens, business owners and their employees should avoid parking in the downtown area after noon on Thursday October 13.

Questions on the Autumn Leaves Festival should be directed to Festival Director, Jordon Edwards, 336-786-6116 ext. 204.

The Autumn Leaves Festival is celebrating their 56th year in 2022. The event is hosted and managed by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce.

Coach Alex Gibbs is gone, but certainly not forgotten, judging by an event this week at which the nephew of the late Mount Airy High School and NFL coach was guest speaker.

Many football fans might recall Gibbs as the highly acclaimed offensive line coach who helped the Denver Broncos win back-to-back Super Bowl games in the late 1990s.

But 30 years before that, Gibbs was the head coach of the Mount Airy Bears for three seasons and guided them to the Class AAA Western State Championship in 1968.

Though he would go on to the bright lights of major college and pro football stadiums, Gibbs — who died in July 2021 at age 80 — considered the Granite City the place where his expertise as a coach was spawned.

“I know it meant the world to Alex,” the former coach’s nephew, Rusty Gibbs, told the Rotary Club of Mount Airy Tuesday afternoon. “His time here was extremely important.”

It proved to be a springboard for a career that would take Gibbs to college coaching gigs at schools including Duke, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio State, Auburn and Georgia before serving in the NFL ranks. And Rusty Gibbs’ path to Mount Airy also was somewhat circuitous.

His appearance as guest speaker for this week’s Rotary meeting at Cross Creek Country Club was arranged by member Carol Burke, who had crossed paths with him during an event in Charlotte, where Rusty Gibbs resides.

After hearing his last name mentioned, Burke inquired if he was any kin to Alex Gibbs.

“No one’s ever asked me that before,” Rusty acknowledged Tuesday during his time at the podium.

“Usually they ask me if I’m related to Joe Gibbs,” he said of the former head coach of the then-Washington Redskins who won multiple Super Bowl championships before becoming a NASCAR team owner.

Rusty Gibbs is active in economic-development projects in Charlotte, including efforts focusing on the role of sports in big business as evidenced by the presence of professional teams there such as the NFL’s Panthers and the National Basketball Association’s Hornets.

Gibbs also is involved with volunteer work in Charlotte, including NorthEndPartners and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Police Department.

When speaking in Mount Airy Tuesday, he could have talked about those roles, but instead his focus was on football and Alex Gibbs’ link to this community.

“Where he really got his start was in your town of Mount Airy in 1966,” Gibbs’ nephew said of a stint that began when Alex was just 25 years old, 10 years before Rusty Gibbs was born. Alex was the older brother of his father.

“When I was a kid, I only got to see Alex about once a year,” recalled Rusty, who relished those occasions when he had the chance to ask him questions and hear interesting stories. One was where, among his many stops, made the biggest impression on Coach Gibbs.

“It was probably Mount Airy, because it was all about coaching football and teaching kids,” Rusty Gibbs said of a job that sometimes included driving the bus. Alex Gibbs also developed a habit then of discussing non-football subjects with players meant to instill key life lessons in them.

Coupled with the role model he provided as “a fierce competitor,” his nephew said, Coach Gibbs stressed integrity, dedication and accountability.

His work in Mount Airy culminated with the 1968 state title victory.

“I was at that championship game,” Rotary Club member Greg Perkins said during a question-and-answer session with Rusty Gibbs. “I don’t remember it, because I was wearing diapers.”

Dr. Phillip Brown, the club’s president, mentioned that his father-in-law, Coley Burton, was a member of the 1968 Bears team.

As is the case with talented coaches, Alex Gibbs was destined to go beyond the high school level and he subsequently became defensive backs coach at Duke University in 1969. So great was his desire to break into the college ranks that Gibbs worked for free his first year there, it was revealed Tuesday.

A pivotal moment in Alex Gibbs’ career would come during the 1970s when he joined the staff at Ohio State under its legendary coach, Woody Hayes. Gibbs also was on the staffs of other highly regarded coaches such as Bobby Bowden and Pat Dye.

Hayes offered Gibbs the job of offensive coordinator with the Buckeyes, which came with the requirement that he also coach the offensive line.

This was an odd development for a man who stood only about 5-5 or 5-6 and weighed 150 pounds.

“His players were like twice the size of him,” Rusty Gibbs said.

Yet this didn’t prevent his uncle from grabbing them by the facemask and poking them in the chest when they missed blocking assignments.

In pioneering the concept of zone blocking for which he is most known, Gibbs’ style deviated from the philosophy of just having ponderous linemen push the pile forward. His method relied on schemes that were more lateral in natural, designed to create gaps for running backs to hit, which require more nimble and mobile guards, tackles and centers.

“He didn’t want hulking offensive linemen,” Gibbs’ nephew said.

His tough coaching style tended to be punctuated with expletives, Rusty added, with film clips of his uncle on the sidelines filled with bleeps.

“But he was also a very caring person,” Rusty Gibbs said. “Alex was an interesting guy.”

Gibbs additionally would coach the offensive line at Georgia in the early 1980s, when running back Herschel Walker led the Bulldogs to a national championship.

He joined the NFL in 1984 for his first of multiple stints with the Broncos, initially working as offensive line coach in Denver for three years and later returning there as an assistant head coach from 1995-2003. In 2013, he was back with the Broncos as an offensive line consultant for a season.

Gibbs also was a coach with the Los Angeles Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks.

Rusty Gibbs told Tuesday’s audience that he attended an event in Canton, Ohio, in June during which his uncle was honored posthumously through the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Awards of Excellence program. It recognizes individuals who contributed to the game other than as a player or head coach.

And the three years Alex Gibbs spent in Mount Airy and its influence on him in achieving such accolades hasn’t gone unnoticed among his family.

“I’m just really honored to be able be here,” Gibbs told local Rotarians in praising the role this city played in his uncle’s future success.

“You gave him the opportunity to do what he loved.”

• A wallet containing an unspecified sum of money was lost and possibly stolen in Mount Airy recently, according to city police reports.

The black and blue leather wallet — owned by Darius Odell Webster, a West Virginia Street resident — went missing on Sept. 24 in the vicinity of the Roses department store on West Independence Boulevard.

In addition to the money, it contained a debit card and a North Carolina identification card.

• Joey Keith Caudle, 31, listed as homeless, was charged with larceny on Sept. 25 after an incident at Food Lion on South Andy Griffith Parkway, where he allegedly stole wine.

Caudle was held in the Surry County Jail under a $300 secured bond and was scheduled to be in District Court on Monday of this week. The wine was recovered and returned to the store.

• Ismael Valle Maysonet, 34, who is homeless, was charged with second-degree trespassing on Sept. 25.

The case stems from Maysonet’s presence at a residence on Junction Street, where the property is posted with “No Trespassing” signs. Also, he had been told previously not to return to that location.

Maysonet is facing a Nov. 7 appearance in Surry District Court.

North Surry completed a season sweep of West Wilkes Tuesday with a 3-1 comeback victory.

The visiting Blackhawks capitalized on Greyhound mistakes in the opening set to take a 1-0 set lead. North Surry responded by taking each of the next two sets without trailing, then the Hounds used their biggest run of the evening to come back and win the decisive fourth set.

The Oct. 5 win keeps North Surry in the hunt for the Foothills 2A Conference’s second place automatic playoff bid.

East Surry owns the top spot in the FH2A Conference with a 9-0 record. While Surry Central is still technically in the running for the conference title at 6-3, the Eagles will be eliminated from contention if East wins any of its final three matches. That would leave four teams fighting for second in the conference: Surry Central (6-3), North Surry (5-5), Forbush (4-5) and North Wilkes (4-5).

The Greyhounds needed a win against West Wilkes to stay in the race for second place. North Surry looks to make its first postseason appearance since 2018. The Hounds would’ve made the playoffs in 2020-21 if it had been a normal season as they finished 10-4, but because of the coronavirus pandemic playoff selections were cut from 64 to 32.

The start of Tuesday’s match was less than ideal for North Surry as the Hounds took went down 1-0 out of the gate. The teams were tied at 21-21 in the first set when the Greyhounds gave up three points due to a net violation and two attack errors, paving the way for West Wilkes to win the set 25-22.

North Surry, who improves to 9-9 overall with the win over West Wilkes, regrouped in the second set and took a 12-3 lead. The Greyhounds minimized their own errors and took West Wilkes out of rotation with well-placed attacks. Setter Ella Riggs went all over the floor to set up proper attacks, and multiple Greyhound hitters showed off their accuracy by hitting spots of empty court.

North led 24-13 when West Wilkes stormed back with five consecutive points, but the Hounds were able to put the set away to win 25-18.

West Wilkes’ only lead of the middle two sets came at the start of the third. The 2-1 advantage was short-lived as Reece Niston took over the serve for North and quickly made it 5-2 in the Hounds’ favor. After West Wilkes interrupted the run with a kill, North Surry’s Haylee Smith and Callie Robertson showed off their attacking prowess to increase the lead to 10-3.

North Surry had its best serving set of the night in the third, which made West Wilkes’ returns less effective to allow North the opportunity to set up an ideal play. Zarah Love was a force at middle hitter and helped the Hounds increase their lead to 11 at 20-9.

The Greyhounds finished the set off with a strong statement. An attack from Robertson was blocked straight up, which allowed Sadie Badgett to swoop in and crush a kill down the line.

Kills from Riggs and Badgett gave North another strong start in the fourth set, putting the home team up 6-1. A run from West Wilkes forced ties at 8, 9 and 13 before the Blackhawks finally took the lead at 14-13. West went up 15-13 for the visitors’ first multiple-point lead since the first set.

An attack error gave the serve back to North Surry’s Riggs at 16-15. A Robertson kill tied the game at 16, then Blackhawk attack errors forced the final lead change of the match.

Similar to the third set, the Greyhounds set the pace with their serving. Riggs came out of a timeout at 20-16 and hit an ace, then West failed to return her next two serves.

North went on a 10-0 run to lead 24-16 before giving up a point to an attack error. Robertson fired back the next point with a kill to end the match.

North Surry begins the final week of regular season play with its Senior Night match against Surry Central on Oct. 11. The Greyhounds finish the season two days later at North Wilkes.

The recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II was a big blow to British royalty, but Mount Airy still has its own “monarch” who was celebrated during a recent event that included an appropriate beverage.

This involved the Fit For a Queen Afternoon Tea at a local residence, where the guest of honor was Betty Wright — known locally as the Queen of Preservation for her efforts to safeguard historically valuable properties.

Norm and Jeanmarie Schultz had heard about Wright’s reputation in that regard and decided that a Queen’s Tea would be appropriate for her.

The occasion unfolded at the South Main Street home of the Schultz couple. They moved to Mount Airy about a year ago and have fallen in love with the community, according to Ann Vaughn, one of those attending the afternoon tea who provided a recap of the gathering.

It was held at a house that Norm and Jeanmarie Schultz bought and renovated while maintaining the historical integrity associated with the structure, Vaughn added, so it was appropriate to recognize Betty Wright.

Twelve ladies attended the event.

“It was absolutely a wonderful occasion, dedicated to times when we used to dress up for church and found time to stop and smell the roses along the way,” Vaughn reported. This included wearing gloves and hats for an event fitting for someone known as Mount Airy’s own Queen Mother.

After signing a guest register in the foyer, those attending picked up porcelain name cards and headed toward the dining room that was elegantly decorated with a number of floral and other arrangements.

“The room and the appropriately decorated table would have rivaled anything that Alice in Wonderland or the Mad Hatter might have imagined many years ago,” in Vaughn’s view. “As a matter of fact, they would have been so envious — the Cheshire Cat would have been grinning from ear to ear hoping to catch all of the chatter in the room.”

Wright’s daughter, Tamra Thomas, brought her to the tea.

Its sandwich menu included cucumber and cream cheese along with egg salad, chicken with cranberries and bacon quiche, with the dessert list featuring scones with marmalade and butter, white chocolate and buttercream petit fours, raspberry petit fours, fruit tart, chocolate peanut butter nibbles, mini-lemon tarts, Russian tea cookies, oat lace cookies, Belgian butter thins and wedding cookies.

“Many thanks to Norm and Jeanmarie Schultz for opening up their beautiful home and sharing a delightful afternoon that was superlative in every way,” Vaughn concluded.

In conjunction with the Fit For a Queen Afternoon Tea, details on foods served there have emerged.

This includes a recipe for cucumber sandwiches, which are easy to prepare and are a great treat for any occasion:

Ingredients needed are one cucumber, peeled and sliced extremely thin; eight-ounce cream cheese, softened; fresh dill, chopped; a pinch of salt; white bread.

Mix the cream cheese, dill and salt. The cucumber can be sliced ahead of time and stored in a container of water in the refrigerator.

Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on both sides of the bread. Layer the cucumber and make the sandwich. Cut off the crusts. Cut into squares or triangles. The sandwiches are best served chilled. The extra cream cheese mix can be stored in an airtight container.

Ingredients needed: one cup of butter, softened; 3/4-cup powdered sugar; two cups of flour; one tsp. of vanilla; one cup of finely chopped pecans; extra powdered sugar for coating.

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Shape the dough into one-inch balls. Bake at 325 degrees for 14 to 18 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. The cookies are done when the bottoms are lightly brown. Cool completely on wire racks.

Place about two cups of powdered sugar in a large bowl with a lid (or freezer-sized Ziploc bag). Add the cooled cookies and shake to coat. Larger cookies might take up to 21 minutes to bake — so don’t get worried. If the bottoms are brown, they are cooked.

Copeland Elementary School recognized September’s “Leaders of the Month.” These students exhibited the leadership attribute self-awareness exceptionally well throughout the month.

Second graders at Shoals Elementary have been learning about the different States of Matter. They have discovered that some unique substances can be both solid and liquid while they played in Oobleck! They finished up their unit in States of Matter by making ice cream in a bag. It was both educational and delicious!

Meadowview Magnet Middle sixth grade students celebrated International Dot Day, which is held on Sept. 15. Media Coordinator, Alicia Ray planned a day filled with “dot” themed activities. Students designed their own paper dot, which was later able to be viewed in 3D. Students were human “dots” on a life-sized coordinate grid in math, and created a dot by listing their favorite things they have learned this year in science. Finally, Mustangs were able to attend a virtual live session with the author of The Dot, Peter H. Reynolds. The theme of Dot Day was, “Just make your mark and see where it takes you” and our Mustangs made their marks!

There are many noticeable changes to everyday life as calendars are flipped to October every year.

The weather usually gets a little colder, leaves begin to change color and seemingly every food and beverage suddenly has a pumpkin spice variety.

A more significant October change is the flood of pink as different schools and organizations recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Mount Airy High School did its part in raising awareness of the disease with Monday’s “Dig Pink” Volleyball Game. Sponsored by the MAHS Interact Club, the JV-Varsity double header against East Surry helped raise funds to benefit the battle against breast cancer.

Mount Airy wore special pink jerseys to commemorate the occasion on Oct. 3, and shirts were sold with all proceeds benefiting breast cancer awareness.

Mount Airy and East Surry, both undefeated in their respective conferences, took a break from league play to compete in the nonconference benefit match. The visiting Cardinals won the match 3-0 as the school extended its winning streak to nine matches.

The Granite Bears competed in the opening set before falling 25-17, then the Cardinals went into another gear and won the next two sets while only giving up 21 combined points – 25-8 and 25-13.

East Surry (15-3) took control of the match with a big run in the second set. Merry Parker Boaz took the service line with the Cards up 10-3 then served the next 12 points for East. The Cardinals led by as many as 19 on two occasions – 22-3 and 24-5 – but a late trio of points brought the Bears up to eight points before the set ended.

The Cardinals continued to groove into the third set by starting with a 13-2 run. Abby Epperson and Alissa Clabo had blocks for Mount Airy during the run, but as a whole East Surry’s offense couldn’t be slowed down. Boaz, Bella Hutchens and Mckenzie Davis had kills during the strong start to the set, and Lily Watson showed the Cards’ defensive capabilities with a big block.

Clabo ended East’s run with a kill, then an Epperson block of Hutchens brought the Bears back to life. Mount Airy used a 5-2 run to get back into the game before East’s Maggy Sechrist got the Cards going again with a kill. From this point, East led by at least eight points for the remainder of the set.

Following Monday’s match, Mount Airy returned home the following night to defeat North Stokes in Northwest 1A Conference action. The victory put the Granite Bears at 11-6 overall and 9-0 in conference play.

The NW1A Conference race is down to three teams: Mount Airy, in first place at 9-0; Alleghany, who sits at 7-1 with its only loss coming against Mount Airy; and Starmount, who is 4-3. A Mount Airy win in the next two weeks eliminates Starmount from title contention.

East Surry holds a three-match advantage over the rest of the Foothills 2A Conference and is already guaranteed a share of the conference championship. Surry Central is second at 6-3, but will be eliminated from title contention if East Surry wins one of its final three conference matches.

Colby “Branch” Benton had a birthday Monday that he neither observed nor celebrated; for him, there was no birthday cake to mark twenty-seven years. Today he is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life following a violent incident last weekend at the very party meant to celebrate his birth.

Benton is a former United States Marine who with four others was stabbed Sunday after an altercation at 153 Old Wagon Trail, Dobson.

According to a release from Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt authorities arrived at the scene at 12:42 a.m., responding to a call of a cutting or stabbing incident with multiple victims.

Cortlan Damaryce Clark, 21, of 289 Happy Oaks Lane, Boomer, was arrested in Wilkes County Sunday and jailed under a secured $125,000 bond, according to a release sent by Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt.

He faces one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and four charges of assault with a deadly weapon. He will make his first appearance in Surry County District Court on November 9.

Sheriff Hiatt said this was considered to be an “isolated incident which started with a physical altercation between Mr. Clark and several of the victims,” the sheriff said.

“When patrol deputies arrived on the scene, they found three victims with multiple stab wounds ranging in the areas of the chest, neck and/or upper extremities.” the sheriff said.

Two of the victims had already left to seek medical care, suffering from similar wounds.

“All five victims were transported and/or seen by a medical facility: Northern Regional Hospital, Hugh Chatham Hospital and/or Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital,” the sheriff said, adding that three were males and two females.

Further details on the incident have come in part from the GoFundMe page set up by Benton’s fellow Marine Joshua Reid-Dixon where the incident was described thusly, “On the evening of October 1, Branch and a group of close friends and family were celebrating his birthday when an uninvited guest (Clark) showed up. After being asked to leave, the individual refused to comply before drawing a deadly weapon, which he used to then stab Branch and four others.”

The statement goes on to say that Benton is “currently in the hospital, in a coma. He suffered a severe stroke from a blood clot that formed after the stabbing. His brain has swollen to the degree they needed to remove a piece of the skull just to provide relief and to prevent even more damage.”

His family said Wednesday morning they were heading to the hospital to get an update on Branch’s condition, “Right now we’re headed to the hospital. They are bringing him off sedation to do neuro tests to test his responses.”

Reid-Dixon said Wednesday that he was not at liberty to disclose what hospital was treating Benton, saying there may be some ongoing security concerns and that information is being withheld from non-family members.

“His life, as we know it, will never be the same,” Reid-Dixon writes of his comrade in arms who he called “the life of the party, a man of good morals and ethics, a loving soul, a kind soul, a man with patience and love for anyone he encountered.”

Brianna Kelly was an invited guest to the party and was also injured during the attack. She suffered a deep cut to her left arm which is now in a splint. “I may never get feeling back in it again,” she said Wednesday. She is cousin of the suspect but that did not stop her from calling the police and trying to turn Clark in herself.

“He (Clark) jumped in my car and try to force me to take him to his car and I refused. I went straight to the hospital and attempted to turn him into the police but he was already gone,” she said.

Some in the Benton family are finding the smallest silver lining amongst a tragic occurrence, “He should have bled out before making it to the hospital,” Luke and Eliza Benton wrote on Facebook, “But God placed a nurse at the party who knew where to put her fingers to slow down the tremendous blood loss.”

Reid-Dixon spoke about his friend with the level of respect that Branch earned during their time in the Corps and as the person out of the uniform, “He’s a patriot that loves America, and that was demonstrated in his four years of selfless service. He loves his family, his friends, the outdoors, horseback riding, working on his family ranch, and just being the sunshine on anyone’s cloudy day,” he wrote.

“As you read this post, He is fighting for his life right now and he needs our help,” he said on the GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the expenses that are to follow.

He established the GoFundMe so Branch’s friends, loved ones, fellow Marines, and veterans of all branches can send financial support and words of encouragement for his family during this trying time. A goal for donations of $10,000 was set and has already been exceeded with the tally continuing to grow higher still. Find the GoFundMe page at: https://gofund.me/03af9a6b

There are other victims and families suffering as well and Sheila Benton said she is keeping the other victims in her prayers, “I also would like to pray for the other four victims. They have families, friends, loved ones. I pray God will rescue all these families from evil and give them all comfort and miraculous healing.”

Reid-Dixon said that Benton is an incredible human being who, “Will now have to live the rest of his life with medical complications and limitations.”

The family requests prayers for Branch as well as all the other involved and have asked for privacy.

North Surry’s final home tennis match of the 2022 season went down to the wire on Oct. 3.

After a 3-3 split in singles, North Surry and Surry Central competed in a best 2-of-3 in doubles. The Greyhounds not only looked to avenge a loss to Surry Central earlier in the season, but wanted to honor their two seniors by forcing coach Jon Lattimore to recreate his iconic Senior Night pose – which was promised by the coach if the Hounds pulled out a victory.

Victories in No. 1 and No. 3 doubles helped North Surry to a 5-4 win over Surry Central. Monday’s Greyhound victory marked North’s second win over Central in the past decade.

The senior duo of Whitley Hege and Katie Butler led the Hounds to the victory. The duo played No. 1 and No. 2 singles – just as they had for most of their high school careers – then joined forces for No. 1 doubles. Hege and Butler both went undefeated on the day and accounted for three of North’s five wins against Central.

“Today’s match was very special as we celebrated Katie and Whitley,” Lattimore said. “My first year as coach was their freshmen year, and it’s hard to believe it’s been four years. I can’t say enough about the hard work and dedication these two ladies have shown every year I’ve coached them. Today’s match was a testament to that as they both really stepped up in singles and doubles.”

All three of North Surry’s singles victories came in straight sets. Butler was the first to finish in No. 2 singles by defeating Surry Central’s Karlie Robertson 6-0, 6-2 in what Lattimore called, “perhaps her best singles performance I’ve ever seen.”

Hege took down Surry Central’s McKenna Merritt 6-4, 6-1 in No. 1 singles, and North’s Sparrow Krantz defeated Mitzy Vasquez 6-1, 6-1 in No. 6 singles.

North Surry won the first set of all six singles matches. All three of Central’s singles wins came after players rallied to win the second set before taking the match overall with a third-set tiebreaker.

“We knew the match was going to be close and all of our players came out with a sense of urgency,” Lattimore said. “You could tell they were determined to give their very best on Senior Night.

“I’ve got to hand it to Surry Central’s players for being resilient and forcing three matches to third-set tiebreakers and actually coming out on top in all three.”

Golden Eagle No. 4 seed Emma Bryant had Central’s first win of the day. Bryant dropped the first set of her singles match 6-1 to Molly Reeves, but won the second 6-2. The pair were neck and neck in the tiebreaker before Bryant came away with the 10-8 win.

The No. 5 singles match was the only one with multiple tiebreakers. North’s Mattie Bare won the first set 7-6 by winning the set tiebreaker 7-3, then Central’s Madelyn Wilmoth fired back with a 6-2 second-set win. Wilmoth went on to take the third-set tiebreaker 10-5.

Long rallies on court No. 3 made the matchup of North’s Clara Burke and Central’s Priscilla Gentry the final singles bout to finish. Burke pulled out the first set win 7-5, but then Gentry took the second set 6-2 and the third-set tiebreaker 10-8.

After both girls won in singles, Central’s Gentry and Bryant teamed together in No. 2 doubles to defeat Reeves and Bare 8-6.

Burke and Krantz evened the overall score at 4-4 by defeating Wilmoth and Kaesi Blythe 8-6 in No. 3 doubles, and the senior duo of Hege and Butler capped off the team victory with an 8-4 win over Merritt and Robertson in No. 1 doubles.

“I’m extremely proud of how hard everyone played and it’s always great to get a win on Senior Night,” Lattimore said.

Food Lion Manager, Terry Easter along with other Store Managers and Assistant Store Managers from around the region stopped by to drop off 60 bags of food for our backpack program. The bags included, capri suns, puddings, apple sauce, mac & cheese, fruit bars, beans and wieners, ramen noodles and honey nut cheerio cereal cups. Food Lion Feeds’ mission is to put food and hope on the table of our neighbors. We are so thankful here at Shoals to have benefited from this program.

An annual Harvest Festival Saturday at Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard also will have a Halloween twist, with a portion of the proceeds going to an organization that helps pre-teen girls get the tools they need to succeed.

The event, now in its sixth year, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Traditionally it has involved kids’ activities, chicken stew, pick-your-own pumpkins and other attractions, but this year the format will have an added dimension.

Organizers decided to celebrate Halloween early at Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard, including the chance for both children and adults to compete in costume contests.

Attendees also can go trick-or-treating with vendors, carve and decorate pumpkins and play games inspired by the spooky season.

In addition to pick-your-own items, pre-picked pumpkins, apples and corn stalks to enhance one’s porch or yard Halloween decorations will be for sale. Those attending also are welcome to pick any of remaining wildflowers on the grounds free of charge.

Fresh-baked goods including various pies will be available for sale along with homemade apple butter, pumpkin butter, hot chocolate, local craft beer, wine, sangria and fresh-pressed apple cider from Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard.

Admission will cost $10 per person, but is free for children 3 and under.

Saturday’s event will benefit LEAD Girls of North Carolina, a non-profit organization based in Winston-Salem, through a donation from part of the proceeds.

LEAD Girls of North Carolina is dedicated to providing the tools and resources that low-income/at-risk preteen girls need to become productive citizens and active leaders in their communities.

The idea of encouraging people to come out and support girls and young women in the state was a natural tie-in for Saturday’s event, since Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies is woman-owned and operated.

Meanwhile, the farm and orchard operation provides many young local women opportunities to get hands-on learning in agriculture and also is a staple of Cobblestone Farmers Market, a sustainable, producer-only farmers market in Winston-Salem.

Organizers of Saturday’s Harvest/Halloween Festival see it as a wonderful way to support LEAD Girls and connect families in Northwest North Carolina to its mission and program.

Miss Angel’s Farm and Orchard is located at 252 Heart Lane (formerly Quarter Horse Lane), which is west of Mount Airy near Interstate 77, off N.C. 89.

Momentum has been building for a event scheduled Sunday afternoon in downtown Mount Airy which will involve a walk to “save” Main Street.

“We’re trying to put this thing together and get as much support as we can,” said one of its organizers, Martha Truskolaski, owner of the Spotted Moon gift shop downtown.

Sunday’s event, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m., has been described as a “friendly walk” — but one with a firm purpose of demonstrating business owners’ and other citizens’ opposition to a downtown master plan update.

It was approved by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners in a 3-2 vote on Sept. 1, despite a large audience being on hand to oppose that measure.

Concern has been raised about parts of the master plan, an update of one completed in 2004, which opponents fear would harm the existing character of the central business district.

The general concept for North Main Street includes providing what are called “flex spaces” to create more areas for outdoor dining, tree plantings and other tweaks. Flex spaces 20 feet wide are envisioned on each side of North Main Street, including sidewalks 12 to 20 feet wide, with a movable bollard system and options for parking along the way.

The plan further prescribes large flexible outdoor spaces at street corners and the burial of above-ground utility lines along with street trees, new decorative street lights and strategically placed loading zones.

Traffic along North Main would remain two lanes going one way, but there are concerns among merchants and others that the changes would eliminate parking spaces and result in other detrimental effects.

Opponents’ underlying argument is that while supporters see the proposed changes as improvements, why do anything to risk messing up what already is widely considered a Main Street appreciated by locals and tourists alike.

Those not favoring the plan have the chance to make their opinions known en masse during Sunday’s walk, which in addition to Truskolaski has been organized by others including Gail Hiatt, longtime owner of Mount Airy Tractor Co. Toyland downtown.

Participants are asked to assemble between 1 and 1:30 p.m. in the Truist (BB&T) bank parking lot at the upper end of North Main Street. They will walk through the downtown area to the Municipal Building, where speakers are expected to address those assembled.

“Our permit allows us two o’clock to four o’clock,” Truskolaski said.

Arrangements have been made to provide vehicle transports for persons who don’t think they can walk that entire distance.

“I can’t tell you exactly how many people are going to be there,” Truskolaski said late Tuesday afternoon regarding the event. “Until it actually happens and people show up, you don’t really know.”

However, one thing is clear at this point about what opponents of the master plan implications for Main Street desire.

Truskolaski says they want city officials who support the plan to reconsider possible changes that could prove harmful to the main drag through the downtown area.

They want to keep North Main Street the “charming place” it is now, she explained.

Many people share that desire, as evidenced by the heavy response to petitions being circulated on the matter and that for a recently created Facebook page to promote the “Save Main Street” movement.

It had attracted between 400 and 500 followers as of Tuesday afternoon. T-shirts bearing the message “Keep Our Downtown Charm” and “Save Our Downtown Main Street” also are being bought by organizers to help promote their cause.

“It’s just amazing the outpouring,” Truskolaski said.

The shop owner wanted to make it known that she and others aren’t opposing the entire master plan update. It’s just the parts targeting North Main Street which critics say would give it the “cookie-cutter” look of places such as Asheville and West Palm Beach, Florida.

Truskolaski indicated that it is good to have diversity downtown, as evidenced by a revamping of Market Street to create an arts and entertainment district and changes eyed for the former Spencer’s textile mill site, both nearby.

But the tradition of North Main Street should be left alone, plan opponents believe.

“Why do we need to change Main Street, is basically what we are saying,” Truskolaski advised.

Another thing Truskolaski wants to stress involves a desire to prevent Sunday’s walk, and the movement itself, from being politicized.

This year’s municipal election in Mount Airy includes three races for commissioner and one involving a sitting commissioner running against an incumbent mayor.

Some of those candidates are expected to be among the speakers Sunday at the Municipal Building, but Truskolaski doesn’t view the downtown master plan update as a campaign issue.

“This has nothing to do with politics, in my opinion.”

When The Masters Golf Tournament comes along each year you can bet dollars to donuts television commentator Jim Nantz is going to call the event, “A tradition unlike any other.”

While Augusta National may have the stature and acclaim of being one of the crown jewels on the PGA tour, much closer to home it was the tradition of the 10th Annual Garry Scearce Memorial Golf Tournament at Cedarbrook Country Club to benefit Surry County Special Olympics that brought local golfers out for eighteen holes of good-natured competition to benefit a worthy cause and some of Surry County’s most acclaimed athletes.

As is tradition, all proceeds from the annual tournament held September 22 were used for funding of Special Olympics programming and events in Surry County. The monies raised are used to offer year-round sports such as bocce, softball, golf, bowling, and many more.

The golf tournament is the single largest fundraising event for Special Olympics Surry County, and it allows the athletes to have the opportunity to travel to the state games that are hosted each year. The state games this year are being held in Charlotte from November 10 -12.

Funds raised in support of Surry County Special Olympics go toward all manner of events like a prom and the Spring Games for all Special Olympians athletes from all the schools in the county and participants of all ages.

Again, this year there will be a Halloween Party for athletes Saturday, October 15, at Fisher River Park. Proceeds from the golf tournament are used in part for this event that will feature dancing, games, food, hayrides, and a best dressed contest for the Olympians, friends, and families.

Surry County Parks and Recreation Andrew Romine, Assistant Program Coordinator for Surry County Parks and Recreation recounted, “This year’s tournament festivities started out with athlete Jared Watts singing a beautiful song to get the morning started and Special Olympics North Carolina medal winner Neal Joyner opening them up in prayer.”

Joyner is known both locally in Surry County and beyond for his winning ways having racked up over one hundred medals in competition. He was inducted into the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and has continued to excel in competition since being honored in the Hall.

Ar Cedarbrook it was time to hit the links for the tournament and it began with 22 teams teeing off in the morning round and 17 teams in the afternoon round. While on the course, golfers were treated to drinks and snacks being delivered to them by volunteers and athletes on golf carts.

For those who did not want to brave the competition on the course, there were other battles afoot at Cedarbrook Country Club. A silent auction was taking place throughout the tournament with many great prizes for the golfers and volunteers to bid on. Winning raffle names were drawn to see who won from the bevy of prizes including a Blackstone Grill, Milwaukee Packout Modular Storage System, 50” Vizio TV, and a granite fire pit.

On the course the golfers had the opportunity to win a Toyota Camry, a brand-new golf cart, steaks for a year, and many other great prizes if they hit a hole in one. There was no hole in one winner but nonetheless the golfers were winners all the same and were treated to lunch in the clubhouse upon their return.

Surry County Parks and Recreation said it took the support of many local businesses to pull off the event including Johnson Granite, PVH, Bottomley Enterprises, Morgan Design, and Foothills Hardware and Builder Supply.

“These businesses and volunteers came together to make this year’s annual golf tournament a great success to help benefit such a great cause,” Romine said

PINNACLE — Unlike last weekend when the remnants of Hurricane Ian put a damper on outdoor events locally, sunny skies are forecast Saturday for the return of Horne Creek Living Historical Farm’s corn shucking frolic.

For the last two years, a variable other than the weather has prevented the typically well-attended fall event from occurring.

“Yeah, COVID got us,” Horne Creek Site Manager Lisa Turney said Monday of the scenario unfolding since the last corn shucking frolic was held in 2019 — which curtailed it and other large public gatherings.

With that threat now out of the picture, excitement is running high for the 29th-annual frolic scheduled Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Horne Creek Living Historical Farm, where the centerpiece is the 1900-era Hauser family farmhouse.

It and the adjoining buildings and grounds have been preserved as a North Carolina State Historic Site to give the public an idea of what agriculture was like in the early days.

This will be in full display Saturday with activities to showcase what event organizers describe as a traditional rural frolic featuring the harvesting, shucking, shelling and grinding of corn — recreating community corn shuckings of the distant past.

Cider making, a quilt exhibit by the Surry County Quilters Guild, cooking, woodworking, spinning wool and flax, the making of apple butter and molasses, antiques, cooking demonstrations in the farmhouse, chair bottoms made with corn shucks, tobacco curing, natural dyeing, crocheting/knitting and numerous other craft demonstrations and exhibits are among attractions planned.

The list further includes a gristmill demonstration, log hewing and crosscut sawing and blacksmithing, along with others.

Old-time, bluegrass and gospel music performed by six different groups will add further spice to the gathering. The list of performers includes Candelfirth, Travis Frye and Blue Mountain, Chords of Faith, Gap Civil, Harrison’s Ridge and New River Line.

Areas of the farm to be involved other than the farmhouse include a tobacco barn, orchard, feed barn, dry house, garden and visitors center.

Various organizations will have a presence at the corn shucking frolic such as the Surry County Extension Master Gardeners, Four-H, Boy Scouts and the Surry County Beekeepers Association.

Old farm comes to live

The usual scene at the corn shucking frolic includes folks sitting on lawn chairs, which they are encouraged to bring, and bales of hay on the lawn of the farmhouse listening to music performed from a porch. And the other locations on the grounds where various demonstrations are taking place also are beehives of activity, including a well-filled corn crib.

Meanwhile, vehicles tend to line the roadway leading into the farm and fill its lot.

“I think there’s several reasons,” Turney said of the corn shucking frolic’s popularity.

One involves a sense of nostalgia and the desire to keep traditions alive.

“I think it’s because a lot of older people have done a lot of things that are highlighted,” Turney added of the various activities taking place along with shucking corn, “and they want to bring their families and show them.”

On the other end of the spectrum are attendees from urban environments who are totally unfamiliar with agricultural life and want to experience that, the site manager mentioned.

When there’s good music, food and heritage demonstrations, “I think you’ve got a winning combination,” she said.

Turney lamented the fact that another popular part of the festival, hayrides, has been discontinued for insurance reasons.

Admission to the event will cost $8 per adult and $5 for children ages 6-12, but is free for kids 5 and under.

There also will be a charge for food, drinks and some craft activities. Chicken stew, pintos, fried pies, apple cider and other items will be offered, with products and gifts available for sale at a country store on the site.

Additionally, apple trees grafted from those in the Southern Heritage Apple Orchard on the farm can be purchased.

No outside food or pets (other than service animals) will be allowed on the grounds.

Horne Creek Living Historical Farm can reached by taking the Pinnacle exit off U.S. 52, with state historic site signs leading the way from there.

North Surry Senior Ashley Flores, left, was named Homecoming Queen during halftime of Friday’s football game against Forbush. Aniya Joyce was named Maid of Honor. (Photo credit: Jeff Linville | Special to the News)

Back row: (L-R): Katlin Hice, Haley Hawks, Josie Watson, Madelyn Niston, Ila Edwards, Marisa Hicks, Airam Casas Front row: (L-R): Stephanie Cortes, Aniya Joyce, Samantha Morgan, Hannah Hall, Kennah Scott, Ashley Flores, Sarah Sutphin

(L-R) Seniors: Aniya Joyce, Samantha Morgan, Hannah Hall, Kennah Scott and Ashley Flores

(L-R) Sophomores: Marisa Hicks, Airam Casas and Sarah Sutphin

(L-R) Juniors: Haley Hawks, Katlin Hice and Stephanie Cortes

(L-R) Freshmans: Ila Edwards, Madelyn Niston and Josie Watson

DOBSON — With voting machines becoming a hot-button issue across the country in the wake of the 2020 election, efforts have been undertaken locally and statewide aimed at ensuring the integrity of those devices.

This included logic and accuracy (L&A) testing being conducted last week at the Surry County Service Center in Dobson to ensure machines will correctly read each ballot type and accurately count votes for the upcoming general election. It took place in a large meeting room beside the Surry Board of Elections office.

Three bipartisan teams of precinct officials from different areas of the county performed the testing during a planned day-long process leading to a reassuring outcome where accuracy in the voting equipment used at local precincts is concerned.

“The machines correctly read each ballot style for the upcoming general election as a result,” Surry Director of Elections Michella Huff reported.

“This is one more step in the process to reflect the machines are election-ready.”

The general election will be held on Nov. 8, but devices will be pressed into service before then when one-stop, no-excuse early voting begins at two locations, in Mount Airy and Dobson, on Oct. 20.

In anticipation of the election, the logic and accuracy testing targeted every machine used in all 100 North Carolina counties.

Under a procedure prescribed by the N.C. State Board of Elections, test ballots are marked by hand and by ballot-marking devices before being counted by a tabulator. These ballots are filled out according to a test script, which is designed to simulate the various combinations of selections citizens could make on their ballots during actual voting.

Huff advised that the machines tested in Surry were DS200 tabulators (all 33 in the county were checked) and the ExpressVote type (all 28 were tested). ExpressVote is a ballot-marking machine that can be used as an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) device for any voter who wishes or needs to mark a ballot independently.

Federal law requires each precinct to have at least one Americans with Disabilities Act-approved voting device.

After the test ballots are run through the machines and results are printed and read, the machines are then reset to ensure no testing information remains in the devices, the local elections official explained.

And the security procedures do not end there.

“All equipment is sealed and recorded for chain of custody for opening on election morning at the polls, or on the opening of one-stop (voting) for two of the DS200s and two ExpressVotes,” Huff mentioned regarding the early balloting devices.

In addition to being sealed, the state requires voting equipment to be locked in a secure area until transported to the voting places.

Tamper-evident seals are placed on media ports, voting machines are never connected to the Internet and they also lack modems, officials say. A person would need physical access to a machine to install any type of virus or malware, they assure.

County election boards document the chain of custody of voting equipment when it is moved from its secure storage location, under state-required procedures.

Additionally, even assuming unauthorized access were possible, the tabulators recognize only approved and verified media/USB (Universal Serial Bus) interfaces and will ignore any unverified media.

Among other precautions, the coding for a particular election is encrypted and, when loaded on a machine, requires the validation of a digital signature to confirm that the data is from a trusted source.

People in Mount Airy are still counting their lucky stars when it comes to the near miss incident involving the Main Oak Building.

The partial collapse of the historic downtown building occurred in the early morning hours of July 5 after the Fourth of July parade had made its way past the Main Oak Building just the day before the collapse.

Since that time Mount Airy residents have been hungry for information, but it has been hard to come by since the building’s collapse. Mount Airy City Manager Stan Farmer was excited Monday to offer some good news and a progress update.

He said after a conference call on the Main Oak Building that the news, “Seems really positive. The insurance issues appear to have been settled and a plan is in place” to repair and restore the building.

Farmer said that for about the next three months the plan is to work out the design of the repair work. He noted that the third floor has been shored up and the plans are “not starting from scratch.” A major focus of the project will be the restoration of the historic façade of the building.

After the planning stages, Farmer said for the next three to six months construction and repair will be occurring. Concurrently, the owners will be applying for historic tax credits to offset the costs of repair to a building that is included in the Mount Airy Historical District.

He noted that the support beams would need to remain in place, but the barricades have been moved as much as possible to allow for pedestrians to move more easily downtown once again.

The free flow of foot traffic was a concern to organizers and vendors of the upcoming Autumn Leaves Festival in downtown Mount Airy. Farmer said the situation in regard to ALF has improved as much as possible noting the city has done all they can do.

While the public had been waiting for news, Farmer said his interactions with the building’s owner and the companies contracted to do the demo work and removal had been very positive. “They have done what they said they were going to do,” he said.

Any time you have an incident such as this and there are multiple parties involved it can be challenging, Farmer said. Trying to navigate the varying interests of the building owner, the insurance company, and the city itself can be tricky.

Farmer though reiterated that the parties are moving forwards and are committed to the repair of the Main Oak Building.

The three-story structure, at the corner of Main and Oak Streets had changed hands last year, when long-time owner Burke Robertson sold the building to a Durham business known as Mt. Airy Once, LLC. The new owners were planning to convert at least part of the building into Airbnb units supplying short-term rentals to tourists in town like the project they did in Elkin called Three Trails.

While the initial planning had been for short term rentals, Airbnb rentals tend to be for a week or less when someone is on vacation, he noted the Elkin plans had evolved. Farmer said the Elkin project has been marketed with some success by Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital to travelling nurses and doctors.

Therefore, the Main Oak project will also seek flexibility, Farmer said, to allow for some instances of long-term rentals similar to Three Trails in Elkin.

The Main Oak Building was constructed between 1905 and 1910 as the Midkiff Hardware Store. Lizzie Morrison, downtown coordinator for Mount Airy Downtown Inc., said at the time of the collapse they were, “Shocked and saddened by the sudden partial loss of a pivotal historic building in the Mount Airy National Register Historic District.

“It is an invaluable and irreplaceable part of our history here in Mount Airy. The community and visitors alike will be mourning a monumental loss if the front facade cannot be saved.”

• An Elkin man is facing a charge of assault on emergency personnel, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Dee J. Wiles, 53, of 155 Apple Blossom Lane, was encountered by city officers at Northern Regional Hospital on Sept. 21, who served him with a warrant on that charge. It had been issued the day before after an incident at the hospital, where Wiles allegedly struck an employee there, Ashley Nicole Bottoms of Ararat, in the left arm with a closed fist.

Wiles was held in the Surry County Jail under a $300 secured bond and was scheduled to be in District Court Monday.

• Andrew Milton Johnson, 37, of 122 Summit Ave., was served by police with a criminal summons for a charge of assault by pointing a gun on Sept. 22.

It had been issued on July 22 with Clinton Thomas Quesinberry of Crotts Road as the complainant. Johnson is facing an appearance in Surry District Court this Friday.

• A blue recycling container owned by the city of Mount Airy was set afire by an unknown suspect on Sept. 23 at a residence on Creed Street.

Trash inside the container was ignited, resulting in damage put at $200.

The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History is once again offering it’s Día De Los Muertos Bootcamp. During this dance bootcamp, participants will have the opportunity to learn traditional Mexican folk dances and all skill and ability levels are encouraged to join in.

This workshop begins on October 4th, and will have classes two nights a week, on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. There will be four weeks of classes and activities, with the final day class being on October 27.

This bootcamp is open to anyone ten years of age and older, and promises to continue to be a lot of fun and great exercise.

Instructors, Carmen Mungia and Luz Maria Alvarez, will teach beginner level dances, alongside other dancers with Ballet Folklorico Del Museo De Mount Airy, and on November 5 bootcamp dancers get to perform with the group in a recital during the Día De Muertos Celebration!

Ticket prices for the dance bootcamp per individual are $50 for members and $75 for non-members. This price includes the month of classes and the rentals for the dresses and headpieces that will be worn during the recital.

Registrations are still being accepted so call to register, or if you have any questions about the bootcamp, please contact The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History at mamrh@northcarolinamuseum.org or call 3336-786-4478.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry took a step closer to repeating as Foothills 2A Conference Champions by defeating Wilkes Central on Sept. 30.

Wilkes Central used an early trick play to go up 6-0 in the first quarter, joining Starmount and North Wilkes as the only teams to take a lead over East this season. Like both the previous instances, Wilkes Central’s advantage was short-lived as East scored two touchdowns less than 70 seconds after the Eagles’ initial score.

The Cardinals led by as many as 29 before going on to win 41-19.

East Surry’s defense locked Wilkes Central down for most of the game, with the outliers coming on Wilkes’ first and last drives of the game. The Eagles opened with an 88-yard touchdown pass, then went 84 yards on their final offensive possession in the fourth quarter.

These two drives accounted for 172 of Wilkes Central’s 219 total yards. The Eagles completed 10-of-17 passes for 154 yards and rushed 32 times for 65 yards.

East Surry, now 7-0 overall, had its third game of the season with double-digit tackles for a loss with 11.0 against Wilkes Central. Hatcher Hamm led the way with three TFLs, and Brett Clayton, Anderson Badgett, Daniel Villasenor and Kyle Zinn each had two.

Clayton and Badgett each had one sack and one QB hurry, while Lindann Fleming and Will Jones each had pass deflections. Clayton also forced a fumble that was recovered by Jones.

Wilkes Central, who falls to 4-3 overall, only led for 49 seconds in Friday’s game. Following the Eagles’ opening touchdown, the Cards scored quickly on a run from quarterback Folger Boaz. Central muffed the ensuing kickoff to put the ball back into East’s hands, and Boaz immediately found Colby Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown pass.

The Cardinal offense recorded a season-high 352 yards passing against the Eagles.. One week after Boaz became the all-time leading passer in East Surry history, he passed North Surry’s Chase Swartz (Class of 2020) to become the all-time leader in yards passing in Surry County history.

Folger Boaz now sits at 7,257 career passing yards with 348 yards against Wilkes Central. Swartz drops to second in county history with 7,059, and Jefferson Boaz (East Surry Class of 2020) is third with 6,738.

Against the Eagles, Boaz’s 348 yards and five passing touchdowns came on 29-of-41 completions (70.7%). Sophomore Luke Bruner added one completion for four yards.

Boaz would connect for four more passing touchdowns before halftime.

Johnson paced East Surry’s receivers with 135 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 10 receptions. Eight different Cardinals had receptions, and four had receiving touchdowns.

Matthew Keener followed Johnson with 81 yards and a touchdown on four catches, followed by Luke Brown with 50 yards and a touchdown on three catches, Zinn with 40 yards and a touchdown on five catches, Matthew Edwards with 17 yards on two catches, Stephen Brantley with 15 yards on three catches, Clayton with 8 yards on one catch, Hayden Sammons with four yards on one catch and Gabriel Harpe with one catch for no gain.

The Cardinals added 144 yards rushing on 22 carries to finish with 496 total yards. East Surry has finished with at least 420 yards in 6-of-7 games in 2022.

Boaz led the Cardinal rushers with 88 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Edwards added 31 yards on five carries, followed by Zinn with 14 yards on four carries, Fleming with 7 yards on one carry, Clayton with 5 yards on two carries, Sammons with 3 yards on one carry, Bruner with one carry for -1 yard and Johnson with one carry for -3 yards.

East Surry takes a BYE week on Oct. 7 before hosting Forbush on Oct. 14. Forbush sits at second in the conference at 2-0 and will face 1-1 Surry Central this week.

Behind Forbush: Wilkes Central is 2-1, Surry Central and North Wilkes are 1-1, and West Wilkes and North Surry are 0-3.

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Mayor Ron Niland visited Surry County Dance Center and participated in the pre-school Ballet & Tap class.

Surry County Dance Center located on South Main Street, recently kicked off its second season with more than 90 students enrolled from ages 3-18, along with a special student during its first class — Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland.

His visit came just weeks after a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, marking the business’ membership in the chamber, and the center was recently names the “Best of” for dance studios by Mount Airy News readers.

Niland stopped in to watch the pre-school dancers work on skills such as patterns, coordination, teamwork, and creativity, and even joined the dancers as they practiced their chaîne turns down the barre, to the applause of the dancers, Artistic Director and Lead Instructor Brittany Chaney, and Assistant Instructor Kaylee Edwards.

Surry County Dance Center is a franchise with the second studio located in Hillsville, Virginia, where the Carroll County Dance Center is celebrating its 26th season. The studio franchise is owned and directed by Kelly Gray Krantz with six accredited dance educational professionals on staff. For more information on the studio, visit www.surrycountydance.com or www.carrollcountydance.com

In a game where North Surry and Forbush combined for more than 800 yards of offense, a play on defense turned out to be the difference in a 42-41 Falcon victory on homecoming Thursday night at Atkins Stadium.

That play came courtesy of a fumble recovery from Forbush’s Dylan Spillman with 1:25 to play in the game, which preserved the one-point lead.

“That was huge,” said Forbush head coach Jeremy Funderburk of the play. “With a special athlete like they have, and they’ve got plenty of them, but a special athlete like Jahreece (Lynch), anytime that he touches the ball, it’s scary; it could go a long way and we were fortunate to make one play there at the end.”

But the Greyhounds, who dropped to 0-3 in Foothills 2A Conference action, had things going their way late in the third quarter.

Jake Simmons, who finished with 164 yards rushing and three touchdowns, put North Surry up 27-20 with a 49-yard rushing score.

Forbush (2-4, 2-0) had a chance to tie the game after an eight-yard gain from Bryson Taylor, put his team in the red zone.

Lynch sacked Taylor on the next play and the Falcons were pushed back to fourth-and-nine from the Greyhound 24. Forbush tried a little trickery as Cristofur Martinez took the pitch from Taylor, looking for McKinley Reavis in the end zone.

But Talan Vernon broke up the pass for a turnover on downs.

North Surry (1-5) used a 68-yard rush from Simmons and Colton Allen found Lynch on a 22-yard touchdown to make it a two-possession game.

Then the Falcons battled back behind the play of Regan Ramey.

The senior, who took over under center after Taylor left the game early in the third with an injury (and did not return), had a hand in all but three of Forbush’s offensive plays over the final 16 minutes of the game.

Ramey finished with a game-high 219 rushing yards and four touchdowns and scored on a 7-yard run to make it a one-possession game. On the ensuing onside kick, Austin Choplin recovered the ball to put Forbush on the North Surry 43.

The senior followed up with a 1-yard touchdown to put the Falcons ahead 34-33 after missing the conversion — leaving the door open for North Surry.

The Greyhounds would capitalize with Lynch’s third touchdown of the night — a 45-yard reception from Allen. Fisher Leftwich added the conversion run to regain the advantage with 9:32 to play.

Forbush once again responded the play of Ramey as the team chewed up seven minutes of clock.

Set up with first-and-goal from the five after an eight-yard gain from Cristofur Martinez, the junior pushed the ball to the one.

On the next play, Ramey plunged into the end zone from a yard out and then added the two-point conversion for the one-point lead.

Lynch set up North Surry in an ideal spot after a 55-yard return on David Guadarrama’s kickoff, all the way to Forbush’s 44 with just a little more than two minutes left, setting up the final defensive sequence.

The senior put North Surry on the board on the game’s second offensive play, but with his arm. Lynch took the handoff from Allen and a found wide-open Leftwich for a 48-yard touchdown pass.

The Greyhounds, who led 21-20 at halftime, will look for its first conference win when it travels to West Wilkes on Friday night.

The Falcons, who have now won two-straight homecoming games on the road, will return home for their own homecoming this coming Friday against Surry Central.

NSU—Fisher Leftwich 48-yard pass from Jahreece Lynch (run fail) 11:14

FB — Regan Ramey 4-yard run (David Guadarrama kick) 6:58

NSU — Jake Simmons 24-yard run (Colton Allen run) 3:48

FB — Bryson Taylor 1-yard run (Guadarrama kick) 10:20

NSU — Simmons 2-yard run (Jimmy Burnett kick) 4:30

FB — Taylor 5-yard run (kick failed) 0:29

NSU — Simmons 49-yard run (kick blocked) 7:16

NSU — Lynch 22-yard pass from Allen (run fail) 4:35

FB — Ramey 7-yard run (Ramey kick) 1:55

FB — Ramey 1-yard run (run fail) 11:32

NSU — Lynch 45-yard pass from Allen (Leftwich run) 9:32

FB — Ramey 1-yard run (Ramey run) 2:11

Rushing: Regan Ramey 40-219 and 4 TD; Bryson Taylor 11-85 and 2 TD; Jesse Wooten 8-30; Cristofur Martinez 3-18.

Passing: Bryson Taylor 3-3-0 for 61 yards; Cristofur Martinez 0-1-0 for 0 yards.

Receiving: Mckinley Reavis 1-31; Cristofur Martinez 1-24; Regan Ramey 1-6.

Rushing: Jake Simmons 12-164 and 3 TD; Jahreece Lynch 7-79; Makiyon Woodbury 1-7; Colton Allen 2-(-16).

Passing: Colton Allen 6-7-0 for 122 yards and 2 TD; Jahreece Lynch 1-1-0 for 48 yards and 1 TD.

Receiving: Jahreece Lynch 2-67 and 2 TD; Makiyon Woodbury 4-55; Fisher Leftwich 1-48 and 1 TD.

Books available to check out at the Mount Airy Public Library include:

A Face for Picasso – Ariel Henley

Violet and Daisy – Sarah Miller

Reading time is here for kids of all ages. Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. is Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. is Book Babies for children ages birth to 2 years old; and on Thursday at 11 a.m. is Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5.

Full STEAM Ahead – Tuesday afternoons from 4 — 5 p.m.. Come explore literature through science, history, math, art and technology. For youth in grades 4 through 6. This week we will be learning about and building volcanoes.

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

Tai Chi Fridays – Experience meditation in motion, 10 a.m. every Friday in the Multipurpose Room All skill levels are welcome.

The Community Book Club meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.

Pages and Petticoats Book Club — meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Discussion questions will be posted on Facebook.

Chapters Book Club – meets the third Thursday of the month at 11:30. Members discuss the different books they have read.

It’s Yoga Y’all is held on the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest – Our annual pumpkin decorating contest will be the week of Oct. 24 – 29. Bring your decorated (not carved) pumpkin to the library on Monday, Oct. 24. Patrons will vote throughout the week and the winner will be announced on Saturday Oct. 29.

Fright Night at the Library – Looking for a good scare, then come join us Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. for some scary stories and treats. Ages 10 and older.

Witches Brew with Witchy Poo – Oct. 29th at 10 a.m. Put on your costume and jump on your broomstick and fly on in to storytime with Witchy Poo. We will have candy, cookies, juice and Halloween stories.

The library is in need of a programming assistant. This is a 32-hour full time position with benefits. You will be working with school aged children and teenagers. You must have knowledge of STEAM, computers, robotics, Makerspaces, VR, etc. Knowing how to use social media is a must as we do a lot of our advertising through this medium. Some nights and Saturdays are required as these activities would need to be done after school hours. For more details visit https://nwrlibrary.org/job-openings/

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

The NoneSuch Playmakers theater company is offering up an early Halloween treat as they transport their audiences back to Victorian England for their new original mystery, “The Golden Dawn Murders.”

The year is 1890. During a lavish dinner at Calderwood House, a remote family manor, prominent financier Lord Peter Alston (Brack Llewellyn) is shot dead on his own doorstep. Chief Constable Alarbus Jones (Scott Carpenter) is summoned to the scene, where he encounters an elite group of dinner guests and an odd symbol on the drawing room wall. It’s the emblem of The Order of the Golden Dawn, one of several secret societies that existed in the United Kingdom during Victorian times. Jones learns that most of those attending the dinner are members of this enigmatic group, but there seems to be no connection to the murder.

In the course of his investigation, Constable Jones encounters a young woman who was not on the guest list—Katherine Hadleigh (Rachel Macie), a former maid at Calderwood House. She tells Jones that the members of the Golden Dawn have a dangerous secret hidden behind their affluent exteriors—a secret that could bring down the British Empire. As the constable learns more about the mysterious order, he discovers that Miss Hadleigh has some shocking secrets of her own.

“Miss Hadleigh’s presence brings an element of the paranormal to our story,” said Brack Llewellyn, who wrote and directed the play. “No spoilers, though. We want the audience to make the discoveries along with Constable Jones.”

“The Golden Dawn Murders,” Llewellyn said, is a bit of a throwback to theatrical melodramas of the past.

“Most of the action takes place in one room. It’s an ensemble cast that includes some unsavory characters, a red herring or two and an unexpected ending,” Llewellyn said. “At its core the play is a whodunit, but there are larger implications for Jones as he delves into Miss Hadleigh’s allegations about the order. He’s a small town cop who finds himself in uncharted territory. We hope the audience will want to hiss at the villains and cheer for our intrepid constable.”

Besides Carpenter and Macie, the cast includes David Nielsen as textile millionaire Victor Baldridge; Christine Werner Booher as author Ann Scott Perry; NoneSuch newcomer Thomas Smith as prominent London surgeon Benjamin Stockton; Olivia Jessup as railroad heiress Melisande Portman; Brian Greene as American exporter Douglas Daughtry; Janelle Metzdorf as Lady Margaret, the murder victim’s icy widow; Branden Macie as engineering genius Hamish Upton; Jonathan Carpenter as musical prodigy Owen Anderton; Meredith Dowdy as Millicent Atwater, the cook at the manor; and Toby Bunton as Merrick, the butler.

Performances of “The Golden Dawn Murders” are Friday Oct. 7 and Saturday Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., and Sunday Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at the L.H. Jones Auditorium, 215 Jones School Road, in Mount Airy.

These are “pay what you can” performances. There is no set ticket price. Patrons are asked to pay only what fits their budgets. The Playmakers adopted “pay what you can” following the pandemic shutdown to make their shows accessible to more people, whatever their means. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Jones Family Resource Center.

As the calendar flips to October, many in the region are thinking about cool autumn days, Halloween decorations and the late-season harvest time.

But for some hoping to ensure area children and teens have a happy Christmas, this is the time to start working for the holiday season.

The annual Give A Kid A Christmas program, started by former Sheriff Graham Atkinson more than three decades ago, will be gearing up for the fundraising portion of its activities over the next week.

“The foundation board met last week,” said Dr. Travis Reeves, Surry County School superintendent. “We have letters ready, we’re getting those printed and mail merged to go out…Those will be going out in the next few days. That’s really the kickoff to our fundraiser.”

The event, begun roughly 30 years ago when Atkinson, then a deputy serving as a DARE officer in the local school system, is a massive effort joining the county school system, the Give A Kid A Christmas foundation, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, and local businesses and volunteers.

Through various fundraising efforts, the foundation will collect money to help buy needed goods — chiefly food and clothes for underprivileged families — along with a few fun Christmas presents for the kids and teens. While they’re doing the fundraising, school counselors are working with the Salvation Army to identify kids from families who might have holiday needs, and then the program culminates near Christmas, when an army of volunteers puts together large food boxes for the families, while other volunteers use the raised funds to shop for clothes and toys for the kids.

Then, more volunteers deliver them all to households in the community.

“For over 30 years, the Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation has been a staple here in Surry County Schools to help our students with food, with clothing, the bare necessitates, and with toys,” Reeves said.

The program wasn’t always so elaborate.

Atkinson, who has served in Raleigh on the governor’s Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission since he retired from the sheriff’s office in 2015, said he had no idea of starting a county-wide movement that would last beyond his time with the sheriff’s office.

He has many times told the story of how the program began, when he noticed a child in a local elementary school in need.

“I noticed the young man was wearing the same clothes each time I was there,” he said in 2019 during the fundraising kick-off that year. “They were obscenely small clothes. I started asking some of his teachers, and they told me he’d worn the same set of clothes to school every day. Since he was in third grade.”

He reached out for some help, finding it at Walmart, who helped the deputy provide enough clothing for that young man to provide him with a modest new wardrobe.

“If you had handed him a bar of gold, it wouldn’t have meant any more to him. For the rest of the year, his clothes may not have always been clean, but he wore those (new) clothes, and he was proud of them.”

From that beginning, and the desire to help more and more children each year, grew Atkinson’s Give A Kid A Christmas program.

This week, Atkinson said he never knew what eventually became of that child, but he recounted a few other heart-tugging incidents along the way.

“In one of our very first years, we used to get the guidance counselors to help us get the names (of kids to help). I got a request from a 17-year-old-female, when she put down what she wanted for Christmas, she put down she wanted an ax.

“Now, the law enforcement officer in me started to get worried. But…I learned this little girl’s daddy was disabled. Some well-meaning neighbors had gotten together and cut a load of wood, but they had cut it fireplace length, and all they had for heat was a wood stove. She wanted an ax so she could split the wood.

“I delivered that one in person. She got the ax, though we didn’t do that one at school,” he was quick to add. “She got an ax, but she also got some other things a 17-year-old girl should have for Christmas.”

Another story he shared brought some raw emotion to the surface, as the former sheriff said he always gets choked up relating this memory.

“I was looking through the requests when I came across a third-grade boy,” he said. “I don’t need anything,” the child had written. “But my little sister is 3 and she would really like a baby doll.

“There again, the little girl got a baby doll, but the boy also got Christmas presents. That was very early when we started doing this, but that set the tone for what we are doing today. That’s when we realized we should include siblings that are not of school age.”

Now, he said, when they identify a home in need, they try to provide gifts for all the children and teens in the household, and enough food to the family so they can make it through the Christmas break from school. Atkinson explained that for many children in Surry County, the only food they have each day is the school-supplied breakfast and lunch, with no dinner at home available some nights.

“You can imagine how hard that is for a two-week Christmas break.”

Reeves said there are many opportunities for people to help. Many groups in the schools — from student clubs collecting change to faculty and staff organizing donation drives — are working to give to the project.

A number of area residents and businesses make donations as well.

The single biggest fundraiser is what they call an annual “telethon,” which is a live-streamed event similar to television shows that raise money for various causes. Reeves said the event, to be hosted by former television weather forecaster and current local pastor Austin Caviness, along with former television anchor Cameron Kent, is set for Nov. 28. It will be live-streamed on Facebook, and possibly some other outlets.

“We’ve raised $30,000, $40,000 in one night,” he said of the telethon. “A lot of folks look to that date to give.”

While that seems like a hefty figure, the effort will use every dollar, and then some.

“Last year, we raised money for food and clothing for about 700 children,” he said. “We provided over 350 food boxes…and the food boxes weight 50-60 pounds. It’s quite a lot of food.”

On average, he said they spent about $140 per child on clothing and toys.

For those wishing to donate to the effort, there are several ways:

– Send a check to Sheriff Atkins’s Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation, PO Box 827 Dobson, NC 27017

– Send a donation via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/giveakidachristmas

– Sent a donation via Venmo using the email sheriffsgiveakidachristmas@gmail.com

For more information, visit the foundation’s Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/giveakidachristmas

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

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

– Cecelia A. Pritchard to Bethany Rodriguez; 1.595 acres and 0.057 acres PB 38 167 Westfield; $48.

– Charles Edward Gammons Sr. to Dennis Joe Gammons; 1 acre Westfield; $9.

– Thomas Franklin Woodruff and Jayne Denise Bledsoe to Thomas Franklin Woodruff; tract one 22.937 acres PB 19 85 and tract two 30 and 96/100 acres and tract three tract Dobson; $0.

– Jerry Dean Tilley and Elizabeth S. Tilley to Joseph Wayne Ferguson and Katie Elizabeth Ferguson; tract; $250.

– Shackleford Family Trust and Carol Ann Shackleford to Loran N. Schubarg; tract one 1.31 acres and tract two tract along White Dirt Road and Fleeman Trail; $1,070.

– Tyler Pardue, Jennifer Pardue and Jennifer Renee Sawyers to Kelley J. Tindall; unit 206 Lakeview Condominium bk 1 189-192; $276.

– Jeremy Rodriguez to Benjamin Cory Ernest; tract one lot 6 section 4 PB 7 73 and tract two lot 6 section 7 Town and Country Woods PB 8 100 Mount Airy; $470.

– Robert J. Lovill III, Elizabeth J. Lovill, Robert J. Lovill IV and Allen J. Lovill to Brandi Michelle Burkhart and Kennis Sidney Burkhart III; lot 18 section 1 Woodridge subdivision PB 14 55 Mount Airy; $34.

– Robert Bruce Bowman and Linda McMillian to Deidre McWilliams Edmiston and Troy Douglas Edmiston; lot 36 Orchard Mountain development phase 1 section 4 PB 10 86; $38.

– Brittany N. Cox and James A. Cox to Delarco, Inc.; 0.345 acres Marsh; $154.

– Kenneth Edward Wall and Gayle Wall to Rachel Wall and Kenneth Dale Wall; 3.37 acres tract one PB 41 118 Siloam; $0.

– Julie Young Senter to William George Robert Rex and Summer Nicole Rex; tract one 1 acre and tract two 2.10 acres and tract three 1.15 acres and tract four 4.75 acres; $470.

– Stanley Mulcock and Claudia K. Sand to WRG & CDO, LLC; 1.54 acres lots 3-4 PB 16 59 Bryan; $823.

– Estate of Suzanne Sears Bledsoe, John C. Bledsoe, Cornelia Johnson Bledsoe, Suzanne B. Stafford, Jay Andrew Stafford, Elizabeth B. Pickett, James Kelly Bledsoe, Diana Lynne Bledsoe, Billy Junior Bledsoe II, Donna Lawson Bledsoe, Harold W. Bledsoe and Carol A. Bledsoe to Green Rabbit Farm, LLC; tracts Rockford estate of Suzanne Sears Bledsoe 22 E 669; $760.

– Carol Vaughn to Beverly Perez Hermenegildo and Benito Perez Cruz; 10.010 acres PB 29 144 Mount Airy; $150.

– Sandy Hardy Moody, Brian Kenneth Moody, Mitzi O. Moody and Benny Ray Moody to Lamech Walker Trexler and Lisa Eve Trexler; 25 acres Bryan; $0.

– Kimberly Kirkman Beeson to Diana S. Haynes; tract Mount Airy; $580.

– Jeffrey Cabot Clevenger to Tanner Austin Lineberry and Brooke Diane Burnette; lot 5 Mount Airy townehome PB 37 185 Mount Airy; $340.

– Lamech Walker Trexler, Erica Minton Trexler, Lisa Eve Trexler and Lesa Eve Trexler to Cheek’s Water Works, INC; 25 acres Bryan; $160.

– Maxim Stark to Samuel Stark and Oksona Weber Stark; 0.480 acres lot 4 Oakview subdivision PB 14 8 Elkin (Surry) and PB 9 159 Edwards (Wilkes); $0.

– Jonathan Whitaker Gentry and Sally Bryant Whitaker to Whit Acre Farm, L.L.C.; PB 12 181 Dobson; $0.

– Sommer Leigh Whitaker to Whit Acre Farm, L.L.C.; tract PB 12 81 Dobson; $0.

– Kerri Ferrari Marchese to Triad Casa, LLC; tract one 0.272 acres lot 5 and portion of lot 4 block 23 PB 1 185 and tract two 0.060 acres Elkin; $128.

– Samuel E. Marion, Linda A. Marion, Mark S. Marion and Sybil P. Marion to Michael V. Marion and Tanda S. Marion; 2.83 acres PB 13 176 Shoals; $57.

– Judy Simmons Holt and Joseph Timothy Holt to Kim D. Aylor and Wade S. Aylor; 0.75 acres Pilot; $470.

– Lawrence Allen Whitaker to Lawrence Allen Whitaker and Peggy L. Whitaker; lot 17 and portion of lot 16 block A Mitchell Bluff Estates PB 7 35 Elkin; $0.

– Estate of Kathy Sue Gery, Estate of John M. Gery Jr., Estate of John M. Gery, Cynthia Diane Allen, Kathy Sue Gery, John M. Gery Jr. and John M. Gery to Virginia Shelby Hodges; tract estate of Cynthia Diane Allen 22 E 312 and estate of John M. Gery Jr. 21 E 988; $250.

-.Burger King Corporation to Burger King Company, LLC; 1.516 acres PB 10 63 and 97 Mount Airy; $0.

-.Suzann C. German to Kevin R. Sidden; lot 70 section 4 Crosswinds subdivision PB 12 183; $110.

-.Taylor Alouf Utt, Taylor Marie Alouf and Anthony Steven Utt Jr. to Patrick Z. East and Alexis M. Kinnan; lot 21 Hillcrest subdivision PB 9 55 Mount Airy; $420.

-.Ethel Smith, Robert Edgar Smith Jr. and Annette H. Smith to Ethel Smith and and Annette Smith; four tracts Stewarts Creek; $2.

– Carl Thomas Martin and Rene Jessup Martin to Megan Michelle Turney and Daniel Austin Turney; 1 acres Westfield; $220.

– Anthony John Raymond, Jamie Scott Raymond and Jamie Scott McCreary to William Manley and Brandi Manley; lot 4 Dearon development section 2 PB 15 62; $770.

– Lee Mills Construction Company, Inc. to Nicholas Michael Keen and Jesse Marie Keen; 0.90 acres lot 6 Stonecroft subdivision section 1 PB 19 95 Stewarts Creek; $1,087.

– Mills Ridge Properties, L.L.C. to Nicholas Michael Keen and Jesse Marie Keen; 0.86 acres lot 4 and 0.86 acres lot 5 Stonecroft subdivision section 1 PB 19 95 Stewarts Creek; $136.

– Tammy B. Gilley to Earlie Gaston Gilley III and Ashley C. Gilley; 7.127 acres; $774.

– Jo Ann Jones to Salpietra Family Trust; 8.707 acres; $420.

– Tony G. Marion and Suzette S. Marion to Casey Dale Marion and Stephanie Lynn Marion; 5.089 acres PB 41 138 Shoals; $0.

– Tony G. Marion and Suzette S. Marion to Anthony Dale Marion and Lindsey Sarah Marion; tract Shoals; $0.

– PET, LLC to Jeffrey C. Eidson; 0.574 acres Elkin; $0.

The following marriage licenses were issued in Surry County:

– Brett Alexander Mahan, 28, of Wilkes County to Makenzi Lane Sasser, 24, of Surry County.

– Nicholas Easton Rauner, 31, of Olmsted County, Minnesota, to Kayla Victoria Stuber, 28, of McLeod County, Minnesota.

– David James Anderson, 56, of Wilkes County to Julia Eugenia Gambill, 57, of Wilkes County.

– Shane Michael Poindexter, 24, of Yadkin County to Velvet Dawn Selba, 36, of Surry County.

– Brett Taylor Smith, 31, of Surry County to Taylor Madison Mills, 30, of Surry County.

– Logan Mackenzie Jones, 28, of Carroll County, Virginia, to Courtney Anastasia Ramey, 27, of Surry County.

– Hunter Ray Dyer, 23, of Surry County to Sarah Cheyenne Fletcher, 23, of Wilkes County.

– Kobe Allen Rachels, 24, of Surry County to Candice Renae Griffith, 24, of Surry County.

– Ryan Tyler Key, 24, of Surry County to Montana Leeann Handy, 21, of Surry County.

– Adam Perez Butcher, 24, of Johnston County to Destiny Nicole Martin, 22, of Johnston County.

– Luke Mackinley Ramey, 20, of Surry County to Taylor Gray Snow, 20, of Surry County.

– Nicholas Elliott Huff, 24, of Surry County to Brittany Grace Johnson, 23, of Surry County.

– Zion-Justice Antonio Robinson, 23, of Surry County to Quania Denay Long, 34, of Surry County.

– Eddie Darryl Scott Jr, 24, of Surry County to Autumn Mary Mason, 25, of Surry County.

– Mark Walter Miller, 63, of Surry County to Teresa Louise Oke, 55, of Surry County.

October signals the abundance of pumpkins. They cover the entrance of produce markets in a sea of bright orange. They are also featured sprawled out on church lawns where they can be purchased at fund-raisers. As we begin October, take the kids and grandkids on a search for their own jack o’lantem by visiting a pick your own pumpkin patch.

There are two kinds of pumpkin patches; the first kind is a man-made patch where there are hundreds of pumpkins in rows and you walk through the rows and choose the one you want. The other type of pumpkin patch is pumpkins growing in the field. Kids actually visit the patch and harvest their pumpkin. Many of these farms have a hayride, playgrounds and refreshments. Many old fashioned country stores feature plenty of pumpkins, apples and Halloween candies, Indian corn and other decor.

Checking out a row or bed of purple turnips

The turnips sown earlier in September are sprouting and have two leaves. If the turnip sprouts are too thick, thin them out so they will have space to develop large turnips. Feed the turnips with Plant-Tone organic vegetable food once a month and keep soil hilled up to cover the vegetable food on each side of the row. As we move further into October, place a layer of crushed leaves between the rows for added protection.

The furnace and air conditioner get a break

These Indian Summer days of October are comfortable and are giving our furnace and air conditioner a break in the season. These October days are pleasant because the humidity is lower and provides us with a bit of natural air conditioning. A crisp breeze also brings some comfort. These are opportune days to finish all lawn and garden chores and also relax on the front porch.

Indian Summer paves the way for Jack Frost

It’s hard to believe with the pleasant days of Indian Summer temperatures that frost is only a few weeks away. We can expect some frost after the middle of the month, but not much of a killing frost until the end of the month. The light frosts will benefit the cool weather vegetables and harden them off for the heavy frosts and hard freezes that will arrive in November.

Making a plate of sweet pumpkin puffs

This is a great pumpkin recipe that is simple to prepare for an autumn dessert. You will need two and a half cups of Bisquick, one and a half cups of sugar, half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices, two cups canned pumpkin, half cup milk, two beaten eggs, four tablespoons Crisco oil, four table spoons light margarine, and one teaspoon vanilla flavoring. Combine the Bisquick, one cup of sugar and the pumpkin pie spices. Mix in the two cups of pumpkin, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring, half cup of milk, two beaten eggs and four tablespoons Crisco oil. Mix all ingredients well for sixty seconds. Grease the muffin tins and fill the muffin cups two thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for twelve minutes or until done. Cool slightly, remove from pans. Mix half cup sugar half teaspoon pumpkin pie spices, and four tablespoons of light melted margarine. Dip the puffs in the sugar. spice mixture. Makes at least 24 puffs. It can be made without the sugar-spice topping.

The four o’clocks have had a wonderful season

The four o’clocks have had a productive season. They have bloomed since the last of May and we still have several blooming on the front of the porch. They open earlier each evening because the end of Daylight Saving is drawing nearer. At this time late in the season, they are still in bloom at noon each day. We think it will take a hard freeze in November to finish their long season. They have became perennial and return each year. Four o’clocks are a great investment in foliage and flowers for three of the year’s four seasons.

Checking out the season’s crop of acorns

The forest floor has lots of acorns even though the squirrels have harvested their fair share of them. When there is a huge layer of acorns lying on the ground in mid-October they are sending a subtle message that they are waiting around for some snow before the year ends.

Red berries cover the limbs of dogwoods

There have been plenty of red berries on the dogwoods in spite of the fact that many have been eaten by birds. There are still a lot remaining on the limbs. We don’t know if an abundance of berries is any sign of a harsh winter or not. You can gather some of these red berries to decorate the dining room or coffee table for Christmas.

You can still set out a row or bed of onion sets

It may be close to mid-October but it is still Indian Summer. You can still set out a bed of onion sets. They are still available at most hardware’s and garden centers. You can choose from white, red, or yellow sets. The first hard freeze usually occurs in November and that’s how much time you have to set out those onion sets. At this time of season, you can go ahead and apply a layer of crushed leaves on the sets between the rows when you set them out.

The Christmas cactus ready to move inside

All the Christmas cactus have been outside on the porch in a semi-sunny location since mid-May. The time is now approaching to move them inside to the sunny living room before the arrival of the first frost later this month. They will need to be trimmed back a little and fed with Flower-Tone organic flower food and some cactus medium needed at top of the container. In the living room where they winter over, they will need to be in a semi-sunny location away from direct sunlight to prevent foliage from turning reddish. They will need a drink of water once a week but don’t over water them.

Preserving autumn leaves for harvest displays

To preserve autumn leaves in all their color and glory, use a can of beeswax and melt it in a small pan and dip each leaf in the wax, remove and place on a paper plate to dry. They can be used on the dining room or coffee table or mantel for harvest decorations with jack-be-little pumpkins and Hershey’s autumn Kisses, candy corn or creme pumpkins.

Making a jack o’ lantern and pie

You can make a jack o’ lantern and have a pumpkin pie with it later on by painting a face on the pumpkin with acrylic paints and place it on the front porch. Use acrylic paints in colors of orange, yellow black and white to highlight and color the face of the pumpkin. After Halloween, you can cut the pumpkin, peel it cut into chunks, boil until tender and mash with a potato masher or run through the blender in grate mode, and make into pumpkin pies.

The moon will reach its first quarter on Sunday, Oct. 2. Yom Kipper will begin at sundown on Tuesday, Oct. 4. There will be a full moon on Sunday, Oct. 9. This full moon of October will be named “Full Hunter’s Moon.” Columbus Day will be observed on Monday, Oct. 10. The moon will reach its last quarter on Monday, Oct. 17. The new moon of October will occur on the evening of Oct. 25. Halloween will be Monday, Oct. 31.

These tiny pumpkins are about the size of your fist and they make colorful displays for the dining room or coffee table. You can paint faces on them or use them as they are. Use Hershey’s autumn Kisses or creme pumpkins around base of pumpkins for centerpieces. The kids will love these decorations. Replenish the candy often.

Pumpkin carving kit is a good investment

The best and safest way to carve out a jack o’ lantern is with a durable and long lasting pumpkin carving kit. A quality kit with plenty of blades and attachments costs around $12 and will last for many years. They can also be used to carve melon baskets and cantaloupes. A kit includes attachable blades, a scraper, and a scooper and saw blades of all sizes.

Still time to plant pansies

Pansies are the annuals of autumn that will carry over into winter and early spring. As October arrives, there is still plenty of time to start containers of pansies. You can still purchase six and nine packs of pansies in full bloom at hardware’s, nurseries garden centers, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Ace Hardware.

“Checking out the tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s a horrible gash on your forehead, what happened?” Child: “My sister hit me with some tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s amazing. I’ve never seen a tomato cut like that before.” Child: “Well, these tomatoes were canned tomatoes.”

“Silent treatment.” Father: “Your boyfriend stayed last night.” Daughter: “And did the noise bother you, Dad?” Father: “No, but the long periods of silence did.”

The following divorces were granted in Surry County:

– Jason Sheets and Paula Durgin Sheets; granted on Sept. 6.

– Richard S. Bowman and Sherill H. Bowman; granted Sept. 6.

– Laura Leigh Phillips and Thomas Joshua Phillips; granted on Sept. 6.

– Craig Steven Hawks and Ladonna Dawn Hawks; granted on Sept. 6.

– Peggy Ann Petrocy and Ronald Nelson Gilmore; granted on Sept. 6.

– Johnathan Edmonds and Kayla Edmonds; granted on Sept. 12.

– Ann McCall and Jerry Wayne McCall; granted on Sept. 12.

– Tanner Hodgin and Abigale Harold Hodgin; granted on Sept. 12.

– Savannah Utt and Andrew Utt; granted on Sept. 12.

– Dazanica Lashay Rodriguez and Melvin Joel Rodriguez Cardona; granted on Sept. 22.

– Alicia Draughn and James M. Draughn; granted on Sept. 22.

– Carla Woodring and Matthew Monday; granted on Sept. 22.

– Morgan Anna Greene and Kasey Marion Greene; granted on Sept. 22.

– Brittany Gibbons and Jacob Gibbons; granted on Sept. 22.

– Lisa Selvey and Grover Selvey II; granted on Sept. 22.

– Paulina Gunnell and Jonathan Ryan Gunnell; granted on Sept. 22.

– Karen Lane Chrisley and Anthony Scott Chrisley; granted on Sept. 22.

– Wendy Jo Childress and Randy George Childress; granted on Sept. 22.

– Vincent Kirkman and Kimberly Dawn Kirkman; granted on Sept. 22.

– William Ray Speer and Barbara Burgess Speer; granted on Sept. 22.

– Paul Taylor and Sparrah Taylor; granted on Sept. 22.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News