When recording the contract, North Carolina does not require the amount to be paid for the package to be stated on the contract. However, a tax stamp worth US$2 per 1,000 US dollars will be affixed to each contract.

Recent real estate transfers recorded at the Surrey County Deeds Registry include:

– Helen Hiatt Gibson to Barry Eugene Inman and Lisa Inman; 23.561 acres in South Westfield; $328.

– Teresa E. Zita, Teresa E. Dollyhigh, Teresa E. Bunker and James Zita to Mountain Front Properties, LLC; blockbuster PB 20 18 Mount Airy; $940.

– Janice M. Gochenour to Jerry Allen Hoke and Elizabeth Sneed Hoke; Lots 46-49 Part ALP Wrenn Property PB 3 62 Mount Airy; $379.

– Jason M. Tate and Cassie Tate to Red Oak Development, LLC; part of Lot 43-46 Block BGW Shopshire Farm Mount Airy; $0.

– Creative Sewing Machines, Inc. to Red Oak Development, LLC; 0.65 acres PB 19 117 and 21 Airy Mountain; $150.

– Susan E. Thomas and Randall Thomas to Billy Ray Surratt and Michelle Leigh Hart; Lot 9 Margie Joyce Real Estate PB 12 126 South Westfield; USD 23.

– Elizabeth Hatcher Johnson, Edward Martin Johnson Jr, Allison Hatcher Cardwell and Charles Elbert Cardwell to Joey D. Mason and Marisa G. Mason; 0.043 acre Mount Airy for the first and second tracks; $435.

– James Scott McHone and Rhonda P. McHone to Billy Ray Surratt and Michelle Leigh Hart; Lot 6-8 Margie Joyce Property PB 12 126 South Westfield; US$76.

– Geneva M. Proffitt to Raymond David Dixon and Mitzi M. Baughman; PB 32 74 and PB 38 59 Quaker Rd.; US$420.

– Jay N. Crutti and Hope Presslar Crutti to Samantha A. Beck; Dordola; $228.

– Jana G. Singleton to Daniel L. Cox Sr.; 1.283 acres of Elgin; $0.

– Fender Mountain Farms, LLC to Robbie O. Chandler and Julia S. Chandler; 51.890 acres PB 39 30 Bryan; $408.

– Rhino Sheds, LLC to Alfredo Pachaco Hernandez and Francisca Navarro Avonza; 1.72 acres of Freud Simpson land in Dobson; $60.

– Jamie Elizabeth Layell to Christopher W. Minton; 10.136 acres; $65.

– Timothy M. Denny to Michael V. Horn and Ludi S. Horn; Linghang Mountain; $56.

– Nancy Gould and Barry Carlton vs. Barry Carlton; Road Northwood Dr. 5.140 acre Elkin; $0.

– Treva Jane Collins to Timothy Harrison Collins and Donna G. Collins; Dow Stewart Creek; $225.

– Marion T. Hermenegildo, Abel Valladares, Raveli Torres and Nereyda Torres to Mary M. Martin; Lot 8 Summer Hills Division 1 PB 15 12 Stewarts Creek; USD 258.

– Marion Land Company, Inc. vs. Hagop Nassarion; 1.41 acre lot 1 phase Shady Rest subdivision PB 23 38 Shoals; 50 USD.

– Carla Paschal, Carla Dawn McCreight and Tom Paschal vs. Travis Shae Jackson; 0.148 acre Airy Mountain; $90.

– John Travis Hayes and Dusty Hayes to Pamela Jane Tripus; .853 acres 1 PB 16 88 Airy Mountain; US$345.

– Michael Brandon Johnson and Britani RT Johnson to Timothy Sawyers and Mandy G. Sawyers; 1 acre of Eldora; $20.

-Michael Lee Harris, Danny Roger Harris, Cynthia Harris, Sandra Gil Harris Norman and John Foley Norman to Charles A. Parsons; 19 105 square foot lot 10 Veterans Housing Development PB 3 101 Elkin; $220.

– James Lambert and Shawna Lambert vs. Sandy Jessica Parker; 0.75 acre PB 20 154 Westfield; $340.

– James M. Walter Jr. to Walter Commercial Properties, LLC; 2 362 square feet per lane; $0.

– Ashley Ledford, Ashley Winchester Bobbit and Alex Ledford to Stephanie Lam, Leon Lam, James Wong, Movi A. Huynh and Tam M. Huynh; Lot 57 Eugene G. Smith Property Mount Airy; $520.

– Claudine Viveiros Miles and Brian Miles to Leigh Ann Peche; 1.153 acres; $16.

– Jesus M. Estrada Hernandez and Brittany J. Estrada Hernandez to Lela Nicole Brewer; 212 Matisse Road Pilot Hill 1.03 acres Joyce/Gravet property PB 26 23 pilot; $340.

– Rosemary Green to Marie Caizzi and Paul Caizzi; 2 Mount Airy; US$174.

– Thomas Warren Horton and Kristi D. Horton to Hiatt Development, Inc.; 0.44 acre Airy Mountain; $155.

——Anne Louis S. Haynes and Max Grayson Haynes to Rosalie Dickens; Lot 7-15 and Lot 110-112 Wooded Hills Division PB 4 2 Elkin; $300.

– William M. Gwyn and Lori B. Gwyn to Rick Dodd and Jayne Dodd; 0.764 acres PB 4 177 Elgin; US$596.

– Susan Gardner Davis vs. Mark Mahoney; Lot 69 Phase 2 Orchard Hill Development Project PB 10 124 Franklin; US$40.

– John Julius Holt, Katie Holt, and Melanie G. Holt to James P. Killoran Jr. and Kristin N. Killoran; three tablets; $470.

– Anthony Shane Davis and Courtney Keene Davis join Threefold Card Handyman Services, Inc.; Lots 89 and 90 Banner and Byerly Development PB 174; $0.

– Cheek's Water Works, Inc. to Karen Twohig and John Twohig; 1.892 acres and 82,429 square feet of Elgin; $130.

– J&E Properties Of NC, LLC to SCM Real Estate, LLC; .954 acres and 0.3417 acre Airy Mountain; $1,410.

– Donald H. Cass and Gabrielle P. Cass to Psalms 90, LLC; Land 1 4.873 acres Land 2 PB 38 42 Land 2 12.722 acres PB 39 45 Elgin; USD 260.

North hoists the flag of donors

It started as a relatively small textile business in Mount Airy 100 years ago and has now grown to produce socks for some of the world’s largest international customers-and now says that as the company enters its second century of operations, it hopes to gain more More growth.

Renfro Brands is celebrating its 100th anniversary and charting a future in which it hopes to continue to be profitable-even with major changes reshaping the company. The company said that these changes include a renewed commitment to diversity within its management and an environmentally conscious approach to finding better ways of operating.

"This year is an important year for the company because it announced the new ownership of the privately held company The Renco Group Inc., after Renfro launched the direct-to-consumer market Loops & Wales and corporate rebranding." The company said in a statement on its 100th anniversary this week.

While retaining its corporate headquarters in Mount Airy, the company continues to move its operating base to nearby Winston-Salem. Since CEO Stan Jewell took office in 2017, more and more production and corporate functions Deal with it there.

The company was founded in 1921 under the name Renfro Hosiery Mills and was originally a small domestic manufacturer. A century later, Renfro has grown into a leader in the trousers industry, with more than 1,500 employees worldwide. It also demonstrated the ability to quickly transform - just like last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic gave the company another opportunity to produce masks. The company produced millions of masks and even donated nearly 2,000 to Mount Airy for use by its city employees.

The company said: "As Renfro plans for the next phase of growth, the company is focused on making a positive impact on the world." "Renfro has long supported the belief in'a happy life, living in socks', and understands that although it started For high-quality socks, but its impact is far more than that. Through its new corporate social responsibility program Project Footprint, Renfro has set out to create better job opportunities for more people, continue to give back to the communities where he works, and do everything Strive to protect a healthy planet for a healthy future."

"As a company, we are very proud of what we have achieved today, thanks to our employees, partners and communities who have supported and trusted us for the past 100 years," Jewell said on Tuesday. "Project Footprint is not only the way we develop the way the founder started, but also our continued commitment to achieving our vision of helping people stand up again and achieve a better life."

As part of the project's footprint, Renfro is committed to achieving the specific goals of each pillar of its plan-our community, our planet, and our people, and will expand these goals with new actions and efforts every year. Among the goals set so far, Renfro pledged to achieve the following goals by 2025:

– Renfro will increase the number of so-called "BIPOC employees"-black, indigenous and colored people-at the manager level by more than 20% to ensure that leaders reflect the company's consumer base.

– Renfro will launch the annual sock capsule on its direct-to-consumer platform Loops & Wales, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to an organization that helps people get back on their feet.

– Renfro will use sustainable yarns and materials in at least half of the products it produces, increasing this proportion to 100% by 2030.

In addition, starting in 2022, Renfro's goal is to donate more than $1 million worth of employee working time to non-profit organizations, provide employees with time to practice its values, and volunteer with organizations rooted in the local community.

The company’s statement stated: “Renfro will continue to advance and develop the Project Footprint to expand its influence and meet the emergence of new demands.”

We know that anyone driving on U.S. Highway 52 is trapped behind a car with the Ohio label, and the speed is slowed to 35 miles per hour to get the iconic photo of Pilot Mountain. This photo is a passing ceremony for travelers on a North Carolina highway, similar to the "Barstow, California: 2,554 Miles" sign outside Wilmington, or the straw hat south of the border marked on I-95.

For the residents here, Pilot Mountain's knobs are not only proud of being seen because of the beauty in the well-known backyard. When the mountain caught fire on the weekend after Thanksgiving due to human negligence, the community felt a series of emotions that something so cherished and revered was in danger.

On the night of Saturday, November 27, someone called 911 because people noticed something that didn't seem to be right. "We're leaving the Mount Airy parade and going home. We happened to see a bright orange, just a bright orange sky," Keisha Worrell said of being on U.S. Route 52 that night. Said while driving nauseously.

In the extraordinary age of smartphones, social media spread the news of fire as quickly as the dry and windy conditions of the scene. Fearless citizen journalists post videos to Facebook groups and share images at a faster rate than regional TV stations.

For people living at the foot of the mountain, this feeling is direct and obvious, because the smell of smoke reveals what the eyes and ears cannot report on their own. A resident of Pilot Hill said via email, “The slightest breeze can cause fear. When the wind stops, smoke fills the air.”

As firefighters and the state team started fighting, and the local community raised supplies from Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department at such a speed, Mayor Evan Cockerham had to request a suspension of donations. The team on the mountain began a slow downhill battle, and they chased the fire towards the containment line.

On the western front, firefighters used portable pumps to deliver water to a temporary tank that was 3,300 feet uphill. Nearly 8,000 feet of hoses extended from the temporary water tank to various cleaning points within 100 feet of the fire.

When hearing 8,000 feet of hose being used, or 1,050 acres being destroyed by a fire that cost more than $500,000, some people may think of a desolate scene. When the disaster strikes and before the smoke dissipates, the mind can assume the worst. These figures paint an incomplete picture of the millstone fire.

As the trails at Pilot Mountain State Park reopen, those trails that return to the park first are sending positive reports. Signs of burning are visible, but trees and forests have proven to be as resilient as before.

There is a report of damage to the fence in the park, but due to the unremitting efforts of the North Carolina Forest Service, the State Park Service and the local fire department, the fire has always been contained in the park.

Last week, when the sky was clear, nature finally joined the battle, and much-needed rain fell on the area. This is exactly what is needed to lift the outdoor burning ban. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said: "We saw some much-needed rain over the weekend. Thankfully, this helped reduce the fire hazard and allowed us to lift the burning ban on a statewide scale."

"However, I will still remind residents to be vigilant about responsible and safe burning. Make sure you have a valid burning permit and contact your NCFS County Ranger for wildfire prevention and fire safety tips."

The burning ban was lifted in most parts of the state on December 8. When the statewide burning ban comes into effect, all previously issued outdoor burning permits have expired, so new permits will be required.

The investigation into the Grindstone Trail fire on Pilot Mountain continues. As we all know, the fire was caused by an escape campfire in an unspecified area. Jimmy Holt, ranger of the North Carolina Forest Service, said that it is unlikely to determine who caused the fire. Anyone responsible for setting a fire may have to bear any expenses related to fire fighting.

The message from Governor Roy Cooper to Pilot Mountain Mayor Evan Cockerham remains the same: Stay vigilant when it comes to fire safety. The embers of a bonfire, false New Year’s Eve fireworks, or nasty cigarette butts can all be the sparks that will set off the next grindstone fire.

Dobson-On December 14, the Surrey Center almost got rid of a night of shooting struggle, returned and defeated the visit to Wilkes Center.

With 6 minutes and 42 seconds left in the game, falling behind 35-21, the Surrey Central team scored two points with a score of 17-9. The Golden Eagles had a chance to take the lead in the last 60 seconds, but failed to switch in the game. Wilkes Central made 4 free throws in the final 40 seconds, leading 48-39.

On Tuesday night, the two teams made 48 free throws. Surrey took 22 shots at Central—more than the Golden Eagles have taken in the past two games combined—and Wilkes took 26 shots at Central. In contrast: In the Golden State Warriors game against the New York Knicks on the same night, the two teams combined shot 49 throws. The NBA played 48 minutes and high school played 32 minutes.

Wilkes Central shot 18 of 26 (69%) and Surry Central shot 12 of 22 (55%). Wilkes Central made 6 more free throws than shots, and Surry Central made 12 free throws each.

The Golden Eagles had a strong start, even leading 11-4 in the first quarter. The Surrey Center forced the error and limited Wilkes Center’s second chance. Jaylyn Templeton scored twice on the inside and added two free throws, Ashley Santamaria made a three-pointer and Mia McMillen knocked down two fouls-all of which occurred in the first six minutes of the game.

After the Surrey Central team got into foul trouble at the end of the first quarter, the momentum changed. The Golden Eagles scored no points from 2 points and 10 points in the first quarter to 4 points and 20 points left in the second quarter. Wilkes Central took advantage of this drought to surpass Surrey Central by an 8-0 score.

Templeton scored with an assist from Audrey Poindexter, trying to get the Golden Eagles forward again. Although the center of Surrey did not score for Wilkes in the last four minutes of the half, the only score for the home team at the time came from a jumper assisted by Caitlin Patterson.

Before Wilkes Central finished the third quarter with a score of 14-2 and opened the fourth quarter, the Surrey Center narrowed its lead to 21-19. With 5 minutes and 11 seconds left in the game, Surry Central only hit the second half of the second field goal when trailing by 14 points. Templeton scored with Santa Maria's assist, scoring a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.

This gave the Golden Eagles new life. Surry Central slowly narrowed, reducing its lead from 14 points to 7 points. Arial Holt made a three-pointer with 3:05 left to rewrite the score to 40-33. Wilkes Central added another 4 points, then McMillen scored an offensive rebound and Holt made another three-pointer. The Wilkes Central team led 44-38, with a time of 1:00.

Surrey Central waited for an intentional foul until the clock showed 38 seconds. Zoe Susie of Wilkes Central led the visiting team with 23 points and finally made 1 of 2 free throws. The senior guard rebounded for the second time and returned to the free throw line to make another free throw.

The Golden Eagles could only add one point in the last minute, and that was a free throw from Poindexter. Susie made two more free throws with 6.8 seconds left in the game. This was her 16th and 17th attempts that night, ending the game with a total score of 48-39.

Surry Central's record dropped to 3-2 this season and lost 0-2 in the Foothills 2A Conference. The Golden Eagles hope to rebound in Friday's game against Elgin (2-5).

WC: Zoe Susie 23, Makena Freeman 7, Riley Parker 5, Sarah Lowe 4, Zoe Mathis 4, Gera Smoker 3

SC: Mia McMillen 12, Jalyn Templeton 10, Arial Holt 7, Brittany Frausto 6, Ashley Santamaria 3, Audrey Poindexter 1

• According to a report by the Mount Airy Police Department, an investigation into the Dollar General theft on North Renfro Street resulted in a homeless person being jailed on Saturday with a secured bond of $50,000.

The encounter with 41-year-old Kyle William Gwyn was classified as a homeless Virginia resident, and it turned out that Gwyn’s name had been entered into the National Crime Database because of the crime Wanted for an unspecified matter.

Subsequently, in addition to being charged with theft at Dollar General, he was also arrested as a fugitive. The goods allegedly stolen from the store were not confirmed in the police records. Gwen was originally scheduled to appear in Dobson today.

• The police learned last Thursday that Cloud Zone Smoke and Vape, a company on North Renfro Street, had suffered theft. It involved six containers of MIT 45 vape liquid, valued at US$612, which were stolen by an unidentified suspect.

• Jesse Paul Hensley, 31, living in 928 N. South St., was charged with two felonies, the theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of stolen property on December 1.

This stemmed from the theft of the 1996 Ford Explorer owned by Nathaniel Kyle Sawyers of McBride Road. The car was found to have been stolen from a location on Woodland Drive on November 15 under safe conditions at the time.

Hensley was sentenced to jail for a deposit of $2,000 and is scheduled to appear in Surrey District Court on January 18.

• On November 24, a traffic stop in the 500 block of Riverside Drive resulted in the arrest of two men on felony drug charges involving methamphetamine.

Danny Jay McCraw, 62, from 143 E. Crosswinds Court, was accused of possessing Schedule II controlled substances with intent to sell or deliver, while Michael Dean Myers, 44, from 1220 Banley St., was accused of possessing Schedule II II Controlled substance, felony.

The two were also charged with misdemeanor of possession of drug paraphernalia. McGraw was released with a $5,000 unsecured bond, and Myers was detained at the Surrey County Jail with a $5,000 secured bond. The two are scheduled to appear in the District Court on January 31.

More than 300 participants-some of them wearing holiday-themed costumes-participated in a brisk and wet 5K at Greenway on Saturday.

The annual Rosy Cheeks Toy Drive 5K running event is hosted by Mount Airy Parks and Recreation, Reeves Community Center Foundation and Mount Airy Police Department. It attracts participants, everyone wants a fun run and has the opportunity to donate to them Toys and money. The annual Christmas toy car.

This is the 14th game-last year a virtual event due to the coronavirus pandemic-309 people officially participated in the game. This is more than 300 parks, and Rec Director Darren Lewis stated in late November that this is the goal of 5K this year.

In the 3.1-mile race along the Ararat River Greenway, all participants ran onto the sidewalk at the beginning. The average completion time of participants was 38:13, but this does not indicate how fast some runners are.

Cayden Dalton of Stewart, Virginia topped the overall score with a score of 17:39 or an average of 5:40 per mile.

Jack Badger of Knoxville, Tennessee ranked second, and Charles Walker of State Road ranked third.

Brooke Hull of Winston-Salem ranked first among female runners with a time of 20 minutes and 25 seconds, followed by Bailey Reuginger of Clemmons and Abigail Hemric of Danbury.

For the second year in a row, the Christmas tree display highlights the humble traffic cones — 78 of them to be precise — providing Airy Mountain with a unique holiday spirit.

Traffic cones are often used by street workers in urban public works departments to close roads or designate work areas.

Each traffic cone is a simple study of orange and white. However, nearly 80 people put it into use to create an 18-foot-tall Christmas tree, which shows that even such ordinary objects can be turned into beautiful and festive things for passersby to appreciate.

"They stop to take pictures almost every day," Public Works Director Mitch Williams (Mitch Williams) said of the tree erected outside his department headquarters, located at 440 E. Pine St. (NC 103) , Near the Ararat River Bridge near Binjiang Park.

Last Christmas, this particular tree first decorated the place. This idea was born from another tree that Williams found on the Internet. It was placed outside the building of a company that produces traffic cones.

Williams added on Tuesday that the local tree was formed during the 2020 coronavirus panic, hoping that the cone display — lit at night — will at least bring some joy to the community.

With the pandemic still raging, public works workers are seeking to inspire the same response this Christmas season.

Williams said of the exhibition: "After we took it down last year, someone immediately asked if we planned to put it on again next year."

The original tree took about half a day for the public works staff to complete, but the way it did so allows it to be disassembled, stored and reinstalled like other decorations for future Christmas use.

Except for the traffic cone, it is composed of old pallets, plywood and 4×4 wood chips.

Although it is intended to be a festive holiday display, the prevalent orange hue of the cone tree also provides a subtle reminder of the need for attention and safety during the Christmas season—actually throughout the year.

The top of the tree is not a traditional star, but a small circular sign with "slow" on one side and "stop" on the other side, which further enhances this.

Williams said the plan is to make cone trees a local annual holiday tradition.

"As long as people like it, we will stick to it," the director of public works assured.

"So we hope it can bring people some smiles and Christmas cheers-something a little different."

After dealing with delays related to COVID-19 and other factors, a date for opening a new facility in Mount Airy was determined to better address the homelessness problem.

"We just had a meeting last night," Jana Elliott, executive director of the Shepherd’s House, said Tuesday of the Homeless Shelter Management Committee, which decided to set aside a decision on January 11. A ribbon-cutting event will be arranged every day to celebrate the major expansion project.

"Our goal is to move ourselves and (and) the residents into the shelter after the ribbon is cut," Elliott added when talking about the staff office and the people receiving services.

More detailed information about this milestone will be released in the coming weeks.

It represents the planning of the Shepherd’s House officials over the years to more effectively solve the growing homelessness problem in the Mount Airy area, which includes having to refuse those who need help due to space constraints. For example, in 2019, this happened to 80% of people seeking help, which translated into more than 400 people.

The current shelter was opened at 227 Rockford Street in 2003 to provide temporary emergency housing for 18 people.

The new facility will accommodate more people, and the new facility will be located on Spring Street behind the existing shelter.

"We will have 64 beds," said Elliott, who has been the executive director of Shepherd's House since last spring-"a big improvement from where we are now."

The expansion project held a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2019-just before the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic-and similar to many other aspects of society, COVID-19 has affected the construction of new facilities.

In July, it was reported that the shelter will open on October 1, but was affected by various delays.

"All of the above," Elliott said of issues such as having problems obtaining certain materials for the project and sometimes not being fully equipped for construction personnel due to the COVID agreement. "One little thing after another."

However, Elliott stated that the shelter officials are satisfied with the overall progress of the project.

"Contractor, he did a great job," she said of the local JG Coram construction company that handled the work.

Elliott said that now only "some finishing touches" need to be completed.

She also mentioned that as another preliminary step in the opening of the shelter, Airy Mountain City issued a certificate of occupancy.

In addition to affecting buildings, the COVID-19 crisis has also exacerbated the already serious homelessness problem in the area.

In addition to providing temporary housing, residents of the Shepherd’s House also participate in programs designed to help them obtain employment and self-sufficiency.

In addition to the COVID, another factor that extended the construction schedule involves design-related decisions to develop a commercial kitchen in a new location, not just a residential kitchen that meets the needs of shelter occupants.

Officials said that commercial kitchens will allow valuable teaching content to be included in the program, giving residents the opportunity to learn cooking skills that can be transformed into workplaces, and hopefully end the cycle of homelessness.

The Falcon Frenzy Wrestling Tournament returns on December 4 after being absent for a year due to COVID.

The competition was hosted by West Henderson High School, and wrestlers from three states participated in the competition. One of the over 500 contestants is Mount Airy's own Jamie Hearl.

Hull had the upper hand on the 106-pound bracket and won the Women's Falcon Frenzy Championship. She won all three games in the fall; two of them did not last 45 seconds.

Hull defeated Rothman senior Nadia Revis in the first round. Their game only lasted 42 seconds.

Hull faced her hardest challenge in the second round in the form of North Henderson senior Glenning Hansen. Hansen, who was promoted by BYE in the first round, scored an equalizer in the first quarter and almost fell, leading 5-1. Hull fought back with 17 seconds in the second quarter, which made her nearly fall twice.

Glenning scored her only points when she escaped halfway through the second quarter, then Hull defeated Hansen and won with 16 seconds left.

The championship came down to Hearl and Polk County's Tori Strickland. Strickland, a senior, had a goodbye in the first round, and then defeated Savannah Cunningham of Swain County in just 22 seconds.

Strickland played another fast game in the championship, but the result was reversed. Hearl scored 17 seconds into the game and won the game 14 seconds later.

Hearl's championship performance helped Mount Airy finish fifth as a team in the women's championship.

Hearl and teammate Hope Horan, who did not participate in the Falcon Frenzy Championship, both participated in the latest two state polls.

RankedNCWomen.com lists Hearl as the fourth wrestler in the NC 106 division and Horan as the second wrestler in the 113 division. Southeast Wrestling, a member of the National Wrestling Media Association, also ranked Hull in fourth place in 106 and Holland in second place in 113.

SE Wrestle also awarded the Heartl the Weekly Hammer Award for its performance in the Falcon Frenzy Tournament.

Look at recent basketball games involving local teams.

Reschedule and cancellation (as of 12/14/21)

North Surry @ Mount Airy was originally scheduled to be held on December 3rd, now it will be held on February 9th

On December 7, Mount Airy @ Surry Central was only a college boy

Surry Central @ East Wilkes on December 8th was just a school team boy

Mount Airy vs. Quality Education Academy canceled on December 8

Surry Central @ West Wilkes on December 10th was just a school team boy

On December 10, North Surry @ Wilkes Central was only a school boy

East Surry @ North Surry on December 14 will be limited to school team boys

Mount Airy @ East Surry was originally scheduled to be held on December 15th, now it will be held on January 19th

The Millennium @ Forsyth Home Educators originally scheduled to be held on December 16th was cancelled

In the last two games of East Surrey, the men's and women's teams shared the victory with West Stokes and North Wilkes.

The Cardinals lost 43-30 at West Stokes on December 8, and then lost 50-47 to North Wilkes in overtime on December 10. Against West Stokes, East Surrey fell behind early and was unable to make a comeback against the Wildcats. Sophomore Bella Hutchins scored 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting and had 8 rebounds close to a double-double.

In the opening game of the Eastern Conference against North Wilkes, the game was even closer. There were 17 lead changes, and no team led by more than 4 points. Freshman Merry Parker Boaz scored a game-high and career-high 20 points, including four three-pointers. Boas also got 6 rebounds and 5 steals in the game. Lady Cards' total score is 3-3.

The Cardinal Boys defeated West Stokes and North Wilkes by a total score of 3-0. All three victories in East Surrey were in double digits (11, 13, 15).

East beat West Stokes 66-53 for the school's first time since 2014 and the third time since 2010. At the time of publication, there were no statistics for the West Stokes game on MaxPreps.

When North Wilkes came to Pilot Mountain, the Cardinals opened a shooting clinic. Jordan Davis Jr. made 7 three-pointers in the first quarter because the card rose by 20. Davis scored a career-high 32 points in a 64-49 victory.

After losing 72-29 to Miller Creek Christian in the second game of the season, the Millennium Lions nearly ended Miller Creek’s winning streak on December 9. Miller Creek scored only 8 points in the fourth quarter of the millennium in order to beat Miller Creek. A gap of 21 points.

As the MCA fell 56-45, there was too little push in the fourth quarter and it was too late.

The next night, the Lions returned to the victory list with their first away victory since 2019, against Oak Ridge Military Academy. Veteran Tristan Shockley led a millennium with 26 points in a 7-point victory. The overall record of the Lions has improved to 3-9 and will soon begin meetings at the Northwest Piedmont 1A conference.

At the time of publication, there were no statistics for the Millers Creek and Oak Ridge games on MaxPreps. MCA has not sent a women's basketball team this season.

Both Mount Airy University basketball teams have won their most recent games.

Lady Granite Bears layoffs from December 1st to December 10th. Mount Airy returned in the opener of the Northwest 1A Conference in East Wilkes on December 10. The Bears started the season with a score of 0-2 after two single-digit losses, and entered the victory list with a 65-61 overtime win.

In the game against the Cardinals, Gray Moore broke her previous career high in her senior year. Moore knocked down 5 three-pointers with a 56% shooting rate, led the team with 5 assists, and added 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Bears’ men’s basketball team improved the score to 4-0 in their away wins at Surrey Central and East Wilkes. Mount Airy entered the fourth quarter when it fell behind Central 43-42, but in the last eight minutes defeated the Eagles 21-11 and made a comeback. Zeb Stroup and Brooks Sizemore each scored 18 points in this victory. Stroop scored nearly a double-double of 9 rebounds, creating a career-high scoring. Seizmore led the Bears with five steals.

Nishizamore scored another 18 points in the East Wilkes game on December 10. Mount Airy ended the game with 31 points in the third quarter, leading 70-37 with 8 minutes remaining. This time Stroop got his double-double, scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds. In the 78-51 victory, Stroop and Taylor Mason each grabbed 4 steals.

The North Surrey Boys won at least 30 points in the second game of the season and their record improved to 4-0.

Greyhounds started the conference competition at Wilkes Central on December 10th and did not waste time sending messages to the other members of the conference. North scored 31 points in the first quarter and also controlled Wilkes Central to 12 points. These include points from five different Greyhound players and four three-pointers. The Hounds continued to make 10 three-pointers in their 80-48 victory.

James McCreary and Colby Watson each scored 20 points in this victory, followed by Jaris Lynch with 19 points. McCreary had a double-double with 12 rebounds, and Lynch had a triple-double with 8 steals and 6 assists.

Lady Greyhounds has not participated in the competition since December 7th and plans to participate again before December 17th. The girls in North Surrey had a total score of 3-2, and their most recent game was a 61-47 victory over West Stokes.

On December 13, the Golden Eagles women's team returned to the court after a 10-day offseason to face West Wilkes. The men's team from the Surrey Center went to West Wilkes on December 10, but the women's match was postponed due to the coronavirus agreement.

The Central team lost their conference opening game 3-0 to West Wilkes by a score of 45-29. At the time of publication, there were no statistics for the West Wilkes game on MaxPreps.

The Surry Central boys returned to 0.500 by at least 19 points after two victories.

The Golden Eagles traveled to East Wilkes on December 8 and defeated the Cardinals 68-47. Josh Pardue scored 24 points with 83% shooting, three times his previous career high. Padu also got his first double-double, adding 15 rebounds. Teammate Christian Robinson also won his first career double-double with a career-high 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Surrey Central opened the game with a 60-41 away victory over West Wilkes on December 10. After leading 15-11 in the first quarter, the central government responded with a score of 23-2 in the second quarter, controlling West Wilkes to 26 points for the rest of the game.

It was Brady Edmonds' turn to score 17 points, setting a career high. Edmunds had seven rebounds close to a double-double, Robinson scored 15 points and got 7 rebounds.

East Surry senior Sam Whitt ended his high school football career as a member of the NC team in the 2021 Carolina Temple Bowl.

The Shrine Bowl is an annual All-Star game where top high school players from North Carolina and South Carolina compete against each other. The game is held annually from 1937 to 2019 and is the oldest high school all-star football game still in operation.

Game proceeds have been donated to Shriner Children's Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, and other Shriner hospitals across the country. The 2021 Shrine Bowl was originally scheduled to be held on December 18, but officials of the organization announced in September that there would be no physical competition. Due to the pandemic, the game will not be played in 2020.

The Shrine Bowl Council stated that it will continue to select teams to recognize the best athletes from the two states as they did in the past 83 years. The Shrine Bowl website has about 17 pages of information about alumni who later participated in professional football matches; some even won the Super Bowl and were inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Whitt is one of only 44 players selected for the North Carolina State team. The team only selected 22 offensive players, and only 10 of these 22 were offensive linebackers.

Whitt has started 54 school team games during his career as a cardinal. This includes: three state championship games-highlighted by East Surrey's victory in the 2019 1AA state championship-three 1AA Western Regional Championships, one 2A Western Regional Championship and three conference championships.

East Surrey has a total record of 48-7 over the past four seasons. At the same time, the Cardinals' meeting record was 20-1.

This season, the offensive line of Whit and the "Fat Cowboys" helped the Cardinals rank ninth in all categories with a total yardage of 5,965 yards. East Surrey averaged 426 yards per game, including 173.3 rushing yards and 6.3 passing yards per game.

Whitt has 231 knockdowns in his career and only gave up 5 sacks in 1,080 professional pass attempts.

In addition to being selected to the Shrine Bowl, Whitt was also appointed as a member of the 2021 Carolina Bowl Senior Show Team. He was also selected to the All-League four times and was named the Northwest 1A League United Offensive Player in 2020-21. .

Whitt has also been selected three times throughout the state and was awarded a member of the NC Football Recruiting Blue Sheet Academic All-State team.

Whitt has not announced whether he will continue his athletic career after graduating from high school. He has received invitations from many universities to continue his football career and is actively recruiting. Prep Redzone ranks Whitt as the 4th offensive line prospect and 38th overall prospect in North Carolina in the 2022 session.

Pilot Mountain’s Cox-Needham Funeral Home will host its second annual commemorative event on Friday, December 17.

This event allows those who have lost their loved ones to visit and celebrate the lives of those who have passed away.

The staff of the funeral home will set up a table of hot cocoa and biscuits outside. Everyone who comes will receive these refreshments and an ornament with the name of the person they lost last year.

“We want to respect others while also allowing people to move on and make good memories,” said Teresa Simpson, office manager.

The event was once held indoors, but due to the impact of COVID, it has been moved to outdoor events for the second year in a row.

"Due to COVID-19, we chose a safer method. We will initially do it indoors, but we want to be safer," Simpson said.

They hope that there will be carols in the event.

The event will be held at the Cox-Needham Funeral Home at 822 West Main Street, Pilot Mountain.

The activity time is from 6 pm to 8 pm

Each family will get a free decoration, and additional decorations will be purchased for $12.

Reply by calling 336-368-2233 or email to CoxNeedham@afpfuneral.com no later than Wednesday, December 15

Airy Mountain is known for many things-a large sparkling rock, beautiful and simple well-made furniture, high-quality bright tobacco, the happiest girl in the United States, and of course, there is one who does not carry a gun.

And, for most of a century, it was famous for socks.

Whether for your toddlers, socks lovers, hikers, farmers or M-16 rifles, Mount Airy has been producing socks for 100 years.

Of course, the most unusual socks on this list are M-16 rifle socks. Robert Merritt, the grandson of the founder of Renfro Hosiery Mill and the company's president in 1991, designed the rifle cover in response to the army's requirements for nylon during the first Gulf War.

What they need is a way to keep the ubiquitous sand out of their rifles, and Merritt thinks he can do better than a pair of pantyhose. Renfro produces socks, and competitor Kentucky Derby Hosiery dyes, arranges, packs and ships them.

Most of the socks produced by Mount Airy are more traditional styles.

Renfro Corp. sells one in five socks in the United States. Merritt's grandfather, William Edward Merritt Jr. (William Edward Merritt Jr.) founded the company in 1921 on Willow Street. Since then, the company's headquarters has been located here. It was recently acquired by a New York company.

Their huge factory employs hundreds of local socks producers to produce socks for Loom Fruit, Carhartt, Dr. Scholls Merrell, Hot Sox and K. Bell.

As many as 13 other companies joined the first factory at the same time, and local business owners were also attracted to companies with lower costs and a large number of skilled workers in the area.

But no matter where you start, the story of Mount Airy socks manufacturing seems to be traced back to Tollie Barber, but the exact reason is unclear.

Surrey County has never been a metropolitan area, but there is a strong network of business acumen, they have created a series of industries, for a county far from a big city, this seems unlikely. Elgin's Chatham Mills, Spencer's Infantware, Mount Airy Furniture Company and other companies are all well-known domestic brands, and sometimes even international brands.

Barber has a degree in textile manufacturing and joined WE Merritt Jr. and his brothers Oscar, WG Sydnor and WW Burke, all active in the county's business and civic life, and established Renfro Hosiery Mill in a part of Willow Street. The old Sparger tobacco complex. They started with a capital of 200,000 USD, which is only higher than today's 3 million USD.

By 1933, Barber and the rest of Renfro had started two other socks factories, Argonne and Piedmont, each specialized in producing different products, from children's socks to women's anklets to men's boot socks. However, the effects of the Great Depression caused losses, and Renfro absorbed these factories to maintain the company's financial viability.

In 1937, the company's sales were $1 million. According to reports from the Charlotte Observer at the time, they lost $22,000 the following year. According to the Wall Street Journal, this was the company’s last year of losses before the 1979 flood destroyed more than $2 million in stocks.

Despite the economic challenges, Mount Airy's socks production growth has not stopped, and Barber has not stopped. In 1938, he built a barber and socks factory on the top of the hill near the intersection of Hamburg and Südstraße.

Mount Airy News reported that this is "the eighth textile and knitting factory that is about to start in the city". It has 100 machines and employs 300 workers.

The Lynne and Surry Hosiery Factory was established in 1941. Barber once again participated in the operation of Surry and was recruited as a consultant for the Surry plant. Although construction slowed during World War II, Barber participated in local politics, banking, and the formation of the Mount Airy Baseball Association.

Once the war was over, all these GIs went home, and the ensuing baby boom fueled economic prosperity. The powerful Carter family members and JW Prather both achieved commercial success. They purchased the Blizzard Cargo Terminal on South Street and built the Carter Socks Factory in 1946.

In the same year, Moss-Foy Textile Company was established on Newsom Street to perform twist dyeing and winding for the hosiery factory. As Renfro's construction and expansion began, its Willow Street factory increased by 50,000 square feet, and Granit Hosiery Mill moved into the larger Renfro #2 factory at the corner of South Main and Worth streets, consolidating its multiple locations under one roof .

Added Pilot Mountain, Oakdale, Brown Wooten Mills, Adams-Millis, Blue-Chip, Kentucky Derby and Nester's Amos and Smith Hosiery.

With the opening of the global market, the company began to transfer production, packaging and transportation to offshore facilities in the 1990s. Except for Nestor, the county has almost no production, but the history and achievements are the pride of many people in the area.

If you happen to have an M-16 rifle socks in a drawer, the museum will make it proud.

Kate Rauhauser-Smith is a local freelance writer, researcher and genealogist.

The first-year students of Copeland Elementary School recently hosted a Community Assistant Day event. Special guests include representatives from the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office, operators from the Suryad King Power Member Company, members of the North Carolina Employee Credit Union, and local farmer Chaslow.

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COVID-19 interrupted the meeting schedule of local groups, but this did not weaken their determination to do good for the community.

Due to the pandemic, members of Surrey County Retirement School Staff (SCRSP) recently held their first meeting in nearly two years. But the gathering at Cross Creek Country Club in Mount Airy reminds people that it is very active.

Some community businesses are benefiting from it.

For example, every September, SCRSP sponsors the Red Cross blood donation and collects donations for the Salvation Army on Christmas Day.

During the usual quarterly meetings, members donate food, which is distributed to Dobson’s Foothill Food Pantry, Airy Mountain’s Yokefellow Food Bank, and SEAMS, which provide these services at Pilot Mountain.

In addition, paper products were collected for the Shepherd’s Home Homeless Shelter in Mount Airy.

The Surrey County branch of the North Carolina Retirement School Personnel Organization has approximately 160 members.

SCRSP's biggest project is to provide annual scholarships to help local students go to college.

"We are very proud of the $1,200 scholarship awarded to Surrey Community College and hope to promote this scholarship," suggested Jane Bell, president of the group.

Winners for 2022 will be selected from applications received from public high schools in Mount Airy, Surrey County, and Elgin.

In addition to planning to participate in SCC, the selection criteria also include personality, scholarship, academic prospects, financial needs, career potential, and suggestions.

Applications are available at the counseling office of the high school, and the deadline for submission is March 31, 2022.

Local musician Darrius Flowers received a $5,000 grant for emerging artists from the North Carolina Arts Council.

Tanya B. Jones, executive director of the Surrey Arts Council, advised Flowers to apply for this funding.

Although they didn't start playing music until February 2017, Flowers will play violin, guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass. He can also sing and dance flat feet.

"God has given me the ability to learn music quickly. Although I am mainly self-study, I have taken courses through the TAPS program. This is how I participate in the Surrey Arts Council. When I set up workshops through the Surry Arts Council, I learned from these lecturers I took courses there and it helped me to make progress in music," Flowers said. TAPS is the abbreviation of Traditional Art Course, which is a series of free music courses provided by the committee for regional youth.

Flowers was also a recipient of the Wayne Henderson Scholarship, which allowed him to take private lessons from local musician TAPS teacher Jim Wipperman.

Hua'er has always liked music. It has always been a part of him.

"I have fallen in love with music. I don't remember the day when I didn't listen to music. I can't tell what made me want to start. I just know I want to. Flowers said, "Let's try to play the violin. Right," as they said, the rest is history.

Flowers had already participated in various live performances at the age of 18. He has been performing live performances intermittently for about three years. He played with many different bands at the Autumn Leaf Festival and performed in other festivals many times. He is also active in his church, playing and singing every Sunday.

"I want to have my own recording studio, make albums for myself and others, and write my own songs. I also want to start touring and playing music all over the world," Flowers said.

The grant was given because of Flowers’ musical talent, but Flowers thanked the Surrey Art Committee for helping him discover it.

"I am very grateful to the Art Committee for reaching out to young people to learn how to play and inherit local traditional music. They also help young people realize their dreams and are willing to help and encourage them along the way," Flowers said.

For Flowers, applying for this grant is not an easy task, because he has to go through multiple stages and meet multiple different requirements.

"I submitted three different songs that I recorded. In one of the songs, I played all the five instruments mentioned above, and sang the lead vocal and backing vocals," Flowers said. "I have to answer a lengthy questionnaire that details my musical background and future goals. I have received funding to help develop my songwriting and music production skills."

Flowers hopes to use the grant he received and his own radio station to open his own recording studio.

He continues to be an important member of the Surrey Arts Council and continues to perform and produce music.

"I would like to personally thank the TAPS project and everything they have done for me. I hope that more children will take advantage of the great opportunities provided by the Surrey Arts Council," said Flowers.

The staff of Dr. John L. Gravitte of DDS recently donated boxes of toys that people there collected for the annual Toys for Tots event.

The staff there added something new to the Toys for Tots event-dental gift bags filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss and other age-specific dental hygiene products.

In total, the staff filled three large boxes with toys, including nearly 400 dental gift bags.

When recording the contract, North Carolina does not require the amount to be paid for the package to be stated on the contract. However, a tax stamp worth US$2 per 1,000 US dollars will be affixed to each contract.

Recent real estate transfers recorded at the Surrey County Deeds Registry include:

– Ernest T. Calloway, Anna Calloway, Susan Evins, and Carolyn Rook to Charles A. Rook, Leslie Sanchez, James M. Hill, and Julie B. Hill; Daumont Airy; $320.

– Robert J. Cochran and Kellie R. Cochran to John T. Kennedy and Candace C. Kennady; 0.653 acre Surrey Acres subdivided into Dobson; $590.

– Elaine Frye Snow and Susan Snow Mclean joined Active Capital Real Estate Investments, LLC; Lot 16-17 1 Bannertown plus PB 1 61 Mount Airy; $90.

– William J. Shover and Donald Eugene Hudson to Robert J. Cochran and Kellie R. Cochran; Batch 11-12 Brookridge Development PB 8 18 Bryan; $930.

– Cleveland Manor M. Jessup, Helen J. Howell, Carl H. Jessup, Alfred W. Jessup, Jessie Jessup, Joyce Jessup, Jason Jessup, Yanica P. Jessup, Kevin Jessup, Corey Jessup, Allison Figliuolo, Quentin Brian Jessup and Quentin Brian Jessup Sabrena Jessup to Guadalupe Castillo; Cleveland M. Jessup's Mount Airy Estate Document 21,583; $136.

– F2 Homes, LLC, Elizabeth Ann Case Pike and Joshua William Fogle to F2 Homes, LLC; Lot 56-58 Franklin Heights property PB 1 134 Mount Airy; USD 150.

– Jacob G. Allen, Julie M. Allen, and Elizabeth Ann Case Pike to Elizabeth Ann Case Pike; Lot 4 Part 1, The Farm PB 7 113 Stewarts Creek; $294.

– Robert Scott Corbin and Leigh Ann Pruitt Corbin to Tony Wayne Goforth and Sheryl Blackmon Goforth; apartment contract unit 4-F and parking space 16 Renfro Lofts Condominiums BK 1 150-176 Mount Airy; $395.

– Daviation, Inc. to Gazinta, Inc.; Dolkin; 0 USD.

– Jill Draughn Cave, Jill D. Welch, Jacob Wesley Cave, David L. Draughn and Robin W. Draughn to Lisa L. Fitzgerald and Everett R. Fitzgerald III; 22.16 acres for the first road and Dobson on the second road; $636.

– Strauss Properties, LLC to NADG NNN BOJ (NC) LP; lot 4 PB 11 187 Airy Mountain; US$2,902.

– Mary Brook Higgs and Derek Leslie Higgs to Christian Corey Edward Martin and Kathryne Logan Martin; 2.452 acres PB 39 135 Mount Airy; $430.

– Robert A. Spallino and Irene Spallino to Jerry Mabe and Susan Mabe; 12.6667 acres of land 2 Rolling Springs Development PB 14 14 Marsh; USD 136.

– Amy Hawkins to William Carlton Langtry, Mary Beth Langtry, William Henry Langtry Jr. and Vicky Barnes Langtry; batches 10-13 Pine Ridge develops PB 7 14 Elkin; $330.

– Dorothy Wyatt Burchette, Charles R. Briggs, James T. Burchette, Dorothy Wyatt Burchette, and Tommie Carl Burchette to Ellen Johnson's estate; Commissioner's Deed 3.820 acres of Elkin Manor Dorothy Wyatt Burchette Document 21 SP 59; $341.

– Reeves Living Trust, Roger L. Reeves, and Nellie S. Reeves to John H. Bradley and Emily S. Bradley; Doumont Airy; US$110.

– Terri H. Jessup to Lee Ann Stalcup; Cross Creek Country Club Inc. Residential Development Phase 1 PB 29-30 Mount Airy, Block B, Lot 2; US$570.

– Hannah Brooke Barker and Adam Wesley Haynes to Ray D. Williams; 3.118 acres PB 17 83 Dobson; $254.

A specific term gradually entered the vocabulary to describe the seemingly evolving criminal activity: porch pirates.

Although traditional "pirates" are often romanticized in books and movies about brave individuals adventuring on the high seas, pirates on land will sneak out on porches and doorways in the dark or at other times when no one is noticing.

Their eponymous partner on the ship may be looking for buried treasure, but the goal of the porch pirates is to deliver packages to their homes-sadly, they are most active during Christmas and are ready for the long-awaited gifts.

"It's the season now," Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Watson said when discussing the problems that his department often encounters.

"This is the Grinch season, that's for sure," Watson said of the fictional character, who despised Christmas and stole gifts from nearby villagers in an attempt to stifle their holiday spirit.

"It's very common," he added when talking about piracy in the porch of the city. "We expect to see more this year than in previous years."

Online shopping is increasing, where the products ordered by consumers are shipped to them by one of the delivery services or the post office.

This year's well-known supply chain issues have raised concerns about the unavailability or delivery of goods to buyers before Christmas. Coupled with the threat of porch pirates stealing the gifts they received, this threat is also on the rise locally and elsewhere.

In a recent national study, 43% of respondents stated that packages were stolen—up from 36% the year before.

"Now is the season of dedication," the police chief mused, saying that this does not guarantee a happy moment in the theft.

"Some people are short."

The Chief of Police of Mount Airy provided some advice to the public to help reduce the chance of becoming a victim of porch piracy by combining modern technology with old-fashioned human interaction.

One thing he readily suggested is called a ring camera or camera, which will alert the homeowner if someone approaches the door or enters the range of the security camera.

The homeowner can then view the person's video stream and use two-way audio communication to talk to him or her, even from a remote location.

A surveillance system that records activities around the home is still an option, and it helped solve the "Grinch" case that occurred in Mount Airy during Christmas last year.

After the family’s gifts were stolen when they were delivered to the front porch of Orchard Street, the photos taken led to the suspect being identified by the police and prosecuted. This is due to posting a picture of the man on Facebook.

The other tricks provided by Chief Watson do not require paying cash for fancy technical equipment.

"Know your neighbors," he said of a common-sense approach, because they can serve as an extra pair of eyes, investigating what is happening in the home when the owner is away, and become valuable witnesses.

It is also a good idea to arrange for the package to be delivered when the recipient is at home, and specify that this will not happen unless the buyer is present to sign for it.

When discussing past porch thieves who had left unattended packages, the police chief said that some people spare no effort to identify potential easy targets, including tracking delivery vehicles to different locations.

Consumers can also use the tracking systems of major courier companies and the U.S. Postal Service to let them know when the package is placed on the truck and receive an update on the arrival time.

Chief Watson said there is no harm in establishing rapport with delivery drivers who frequent nearby.

Delivering packages to the workplace is another option.

In any case, avoid the situation where the package is left unattended on the front porch for several hours and attracts thieves.

Watson said that in addition to contacting the courier company, victims of porch piracy should also report to law enforcement officials to be on the safe side.

The Surrey County Community Corrections Office is seeking information about the whereabouts of:

• Jimmie Wayne Vernon, 51, a white male, was arrested for possessing heroin, resisting public officials, using/possession of drug paraphernalia, four counts of theft, and four counts of receiving theft. He was wanted after being released. commodity;

• Nathan Daniel Cook, 34, a white male, was wanted after his release for 15 felony counts of acquiring property on false grounds, 14 felony counts of embezzlement, using counterfeit paper, and Two crimes of theft are under supervision.

• Tina Marie Hale, 41, a white female wanted for violating probation regulations, was suspended for resisting public officials and using/possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Kimberly Ann Speer, 22, a white female wanted for violating probation regulations, she was suspended for possession of Schedule VI controlled substances and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

View all probation and absconders on the Internet at http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi, then click absconders. Anyone who has information on probation and absconding persons should contact the Fight Crime Hotline 786-4000, County Probation Office 719-2705 or Ailishan Police Station 786-3535.

The Surrey County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information about the whereabouts of:

• Richard Landon Collins, 41, a white male, wanted for failing to pay child support.

• Jamie Keith Barr, 31, wanted for felony motor vehicle theft, felony theft, and felony possession of stolen property/property. He also failed to appear in court in Surrey County;

• Tony Edward Cline, 50 years old, white male, wanted for failing to pay child support;

• David Lee Hayden, 28 years old, white male, is required to pay child support.

Anyone with information about these people should call the Surrey County Sheriff's Office at 401-8900.

From the days of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, old-fashioned lumpy Christmas candies have existed. These flavors of Christmas long ago still exist. Flavors of mint, wintergreen, spearmint, sophora, grape, apple, lemon, raspberry, strawberry, lime, cherry, orange and pineapple. A hard mix of Christmas tree, Santa Claus, candles, gingerbread house and ribbon shapes. In many candy shops, supermarkets, country shops, agricultural products markets, and the historic Mount Airy along the main street, you can find hard candies of various flavors. In many old-fashioned stores, you can scoop it out of a wooden barrel and load it into a bag by pound.

It will be fun to make your own Christmas ornaments, and you can create many Christmas memories with your children and grandchildren. To prepare this dough recipe, you need three cups of plain flour, one-quarter cup of cold water, three-quarters cup of salt, and one teaspoon of alum powder. In a large bowl, mix the salt, flour, and alum powder and mix well. Add water and stir until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball. Knead the dough on a thin wax paper lined with flour for 5 minutes until smooth. If the dough is too hard, sprinkle with water, or if it is too wet, sprinkle with flour. Use cookie cutters or handmade shapes of Christmas trees, Santa Claus, snowman, candles, stars, candy canes and gingerbread houses. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and paint with acrylic paint. Excess dough can be stored in covered plastic containers. Before baking, use nails to punch holes on the top of the decorations to decorate the hooks. You can roll the dough into a stick to make candy canes for your old-fashioned tree.

Making Christmas Eggnog Piggy Pudding

Rice pudding is very similar to the Old English "piggy pudding" (also called fig pudding) in English literature. Eggnog adds a flavor of Old English to the recipe. This is a simple recipe made during Christmas. In a medium bowl, mix a packet of Minute or Success rice, two large eggs and a cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of nutmeg, a cup of eggnog (regular or low-fat), a teaspoon of vanilla, a cup of golden raisins, and two tablespoons Plain flour, half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix all the ingredients and pour into a 13X9X2 inch baking pan or pan sprayed with Pam baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees, until hard and golden brown (usually about an hour, but also a little bit more). You can use quartered red and green candied cherries instead of golden raisins to create a Christmas atmosphere. Ice cream is delicious when eaten hot, but better when eaten cold.

Make some red mint julie

This is an interesting pepper upper on a winter evening. Put a small bag of Starlight Mint into the blender in grate pattern and sit aside. Mix two packets of watermelon Kool-Aid, two cups of sugar, four cups of water, a teaspoon of peppermint extract, and a two-liter bottle of Canadian dry ginger ale. Mix together and pour in the grated starlight mints.

There are a lot of Christmas greens in the garden

Part of our garden never sleeps in winter, because green is our favorite color, we like green things, and they grow throughout the winter. Carolina jasmine, mustard greens, Siberian kale, kale, purple radish, broccoli, cabbage and onion groups highlight the green in the winter garden. It is always fun to see green things in the garden every season.

Village shops and special places

Some of the past and present spirits of Christmas are still alive in the country shops or some extraordinary shops near you. There, you can experience the sights, scenes and scents of Christmas, allowing you to go back in time. There is Ronnie's Country Store on Cherry Street in downtown Winston-Salem, which specializes in country ham. Bacon slices, WG White old-fashioned country ham, various candies, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, hoop cheese and many traditional Christmas delicacies. A little further on the hill at 516 North Trade Street is the Mast Grocery Store, which sells vintage items, sweets, special treats, toys, gadgets, dolls, and other special items. In Kernersville, there are Musten and Cruutchfield markets. They offer homemade pimento cheese, chicken salad, bottled old-fashioned soft drinks, and fresh meat and vegetables. They are at No. 245 North Street. On the opposite side of the Cana State Line in Virginia, there are wooden floors and huge islands filled with wooden keys of old-fashioned candies, especially during Christmas. You can buy candies in plastic bags that have been mixed and weighed, or choose your own candies from the wooden keys. They also have jams, jellies, pickles, condiments, pickled eggs, assorted meats, vegetables and fruits, measured in bushels or pounds. They have fruit cakes and hard-to-find things such as old-fashioned dark chocolate candies, orange slices, ribbon-shaped hard Christmas candies, coconut macaroons, spice and fruit gum drops, various flavored stick candies, and coconut ribbon candies and coconut candies . The historic Mount Airy has several wonderful characteristic neighborhoods throughout the year, especially during the Christmas season, when the streets are full of lit snowflakes. You can visit ice cream shops, old hardware stores, great restaurants, and enjoy pork chop biscuits at Snappy Lunch. There are many grocery stores and specialty stores on the street. You can find various flavors of hoop cheese, country ham, jelly belly, canned dill pickles and many other special items that will pave the way for a fun day of shopping, entertainment and dining. During this Christmas season, take the family on an old-fashioned shopping adventure.

Buy Christmas cactus as a gift

Give someone a special Christmas cactus gift so they can enjoy it during Christmas and many upcoming Christmas periods. You can now buy Christmas cacti in full bloom at Home Depot, Lowe's Foods, Lowe's Home Improvement, Walmart, Food Lion, and most nurseries. Buy a large bag of Miracle-Gro cactus potting culture medium and a large container, and repot it immediately when you take it home. Before giving it to someone special, re-wrap the container with bright Christmas foil so that they can admire the flowers.

The mystery and charm of mistletoe

One of the mysteries of the elusive mistletoe is the fact that it exists. It is as fascinating to the ancients today as it has been for centuries. Even in this 21st century, when many acres of oak and pecan trees are bulldozers used for real estate and commercial development, how it can reproduce itself in such great difficulties is a mystery. How it evolved into a Christmas decoration is also a mystery.

The uniqueness of mistletoe is its thick olive green leaves and translucent white berries. The small seeds inside are very delicious. Mistletoe is a parasite that lives on pecans, oak trees, and other hardwoods to sustain itself. When birds peck at or bury tiny seeds in the very high branches and branches of the tree, mistletoe reproduces on its own. Surprisingly, mistletoe always thrives on top of these powerful hardwoods protected by God from storms and humans.

In late autumn and early winter, when the leaves fall and reveal huge elusive mistletoe bushes on top of these mighty oak and pecan trees, mistletoe intoxicates us. This brings us to another mystery, because in the 1950s, when we were kids, we didn’t break our necks to try to retrieve it. At that time, almost every oak tree had a clump of mistletoe tempting us, because if we You can chase girls’ schools and hang mistletoe over their heads.

I now believe that those lovely fourth-grade girls are aware of the risk of retrieving mistletoe. Seeing the rarity of mistletoe or mistletoe has fascinated them like the ancients for centuries. Maybe, just maybe, they really Want a Christmas kiss! Every December, we look for the elusive mistletoe among the dense oak trees in the forests and woodlands of Surrey County. It still exists on top of oak and pecan trees, but it is out of reach now because we are older. Can't wander the huge oak tree at the top of the tree, but we will not be old enough to kiss under the mistletoe branches!

It's time to dream of a white Christmas

As we enter December, there is still more than a week before winter, is it possible to snow before Christmas? In 2017, we had heavy snow in the second week of December. If the high altitude conditions are favorable, it does not have to be so cold that it snows or freezes, or it does not even have to be very cold. At Christmas, this is the best time to realize the dream of white Christmas.

"The voice of reason." When I see Christmas cookies, I hear two voices in my mind. One voice said: "You need to eat that cookie." Another voice said: "You heard it, eat that cookie!"

"The pie is crazy." Diner: "Is this pumpkin pie or eggnog pie?" Waitress: "Don't you know the taste?" Dinner: "No, it's not true." Waitress: "Well, what's the matter? the difference?"

Surrey County has issued the following marriage certificates:

– Nathaniel Edward Murphy, 30, of Surrey County, to Sabra Linda Ann Lowe, 30, of Surrey County.

– Kenneth Alex Pack, 30, of Patrick County, Virginia, and Sarah Beth Franklin, 21, of Surrey County.

– Kelsey Gabriel Banks, 46, from Forsyth County, Alice Virginia Cockerham, 45, from Surry County.

– Abraham Mojica Arredondo, 45, from Surrey County, Martha Idalia Meja Acosta, 53, from Surrey County .

– Armando Guarneros Garcia Sr., 36, Surrey County, and Laura Alicia Pena Martinez, 50, Surrey County.

– Ethan Phillip Bryant, 19 years old, from Surry County, to Tess Snow Harbour, 20 years old, from Forsyth County.

– Ivan Shawn Wilson, 49 years old, from Wilkes County, Lisa Gail Goad, 56 years old, from Surrey County.

– Ruben Garcia Arellano Jr., 24, Patrick County, and Abbagail Grace McCann, 22, Surrey County.

– Sparrell Jack Akers Jr., 60 years old, from West County, Tammy Michelle Taylor, from Surrey County, 50 years old.

– Reese Bryant Savoie, 60, Surrey County, and Marie Busick Paynter, 53, Surrey County.

Editor's note: Community Commentary is a regular column in The Mount Airy News that contains comments from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.

The Airy Mountain City School (MACS) school district has been successful for many years and continues to be a leader in education. Last year, we were the only school district to return to school five days a week starting in August. This year we continue to lead, connecting 52 vocational and technical education interns and 38 NextGen paid interns (20 hours a week) in the first semester. ) ), as well as new pathways to promising careers.

We have new construction projects, drone projects, technical courses, engineering courses, health science courses, entrepreneurship courses, and many other ways for students to find their talents, talents and abilities. Over the years, we have used the lessons learned in our introductory course "My Leader" to lead like a champion.

In our basic course, Leader in Me has existed for more than ten years, and it is based on Stephen Covey’s 7 habits of highly effective people. These habits make successful leaders, and we use them every day with our children and in our own decision-making. We teach our children-Habit 1: Be proactive. This teaches people to take responsibility for their reactions to their experiences. We know that when a pandemic hits, we need to react quickly, reverse the technology, and provide it to students within a few days, so that learning can continue without interruption, and prepare meals and hot spots for delivery to home . This habit encourages the child to respond positively and improve the situation. Our response is a good lesson for them.

Habit 2: It is important for children to start with the end. This lifestyle encourages students to imagine what kind of person you want to be, so that you can work towards this goal. Many of our students want to enter the fields of health, technology, education, accounting/banking, and many other careers. They can start using Xello in middle school to plan courses and pathways that best suit their natural abilities and interests. Counselors and teachers provide them with suggestions to help them turn ideas into reality.

MACS needs to consider the end at the beginning of the year and give priority to every child in school. This year we have been able to participate in Test-to-Stay to prevent any COVID exposure in the school from automatically sending children home. If we are in an environment where we wear masks, we can allow children to continue to school through rapid testing instead of quarantining them if they are asymptomatic. The goal of keeping students in school helped us make major decisions, resulting in very few students in distance learning.

Students may need help to prioritize tasks. They need to consider whether a task is urgent and important, such as getting up and preparing to get in the car on time. Or they may be thinking about homework due tomorrow or a larger project due Friday that is most important, and how to manage their time to accomplish these two tasks.

This is outlined in the advice around Habit 3: Put things first. Our school district believes that the strategies we use to ensure the safety of all students are urgent and important. We also know that it is necessary to ensure that all children receive social and emotional support, receive food every day, meet their physical needs, and the people who guide them must be present before the children can learn. Our school strives to ensure that all these needs are met and that families receive the support they need to raise their children.

The next three habits in "My Leader" outline interdependence on others. The most important lesson we can teach students is how to love their neighbors, negotiate better solutions, listen to people with different opinions, and take care of each other.

Habit 4: Think that a win-win situation is a mature way to talk, solve problems, and build a better future. We know that parents, politicians, and people in the school system always negotiate in the school. We are really grateful to the General Assembly and the Governor for using this habit in the current budget. The budget began to focus on teachers, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, administrators, managers and all employees, and increased salaries and bonuses for certain groups. This win-win habit allows everyone to reach agreement and move on, even if everyone does not get everything they ask for in the process.

Habit 5: Seeking understanding first and then being understood is a good habit we all need to develop. If we are serious about trying to truly understand what other people mean, it will help us to be able to help them. We can all move forward together. We are grateful that our community has suspended some of the destructive behaviors we have seen in other communities related to the school. We work together to ensure the safety of students, return to school together, organize sports and activities, and decide to return to normal in the next step. For our children, it is a good lesson to seek understanding and collaboration first, to see through us and our behavior.

Habit 6: Demonstrate synergy in MACS every day. Our children are arranged to complete goals in a team. Our elementary school teachers group students to achieve goals through project-based learning and inquiry-based activities. Our junior and senior high schools have sports teams, academic competition teams and clubs. MACS uses staff teams every day to demonstrate leadership through school-based teams, leadership teams, and administrative teams.

The last habit may be the most important now. Take care of yourself, develop healthy habits, maintain a happy and productive life, and sharpen your vision. This is important to our children and ourselves. We hope everyone uses Habit 7: sharpen the saw during this holiday and spend some time doing what you like to do.​​ Thank you for all the support that you continue to give to educators while we teach and practice leaders’ habits. If you want to be part of our tradition of excellence and help develop future leaders, please visit us at https://www.mtairy.k12.nc.us.

• According to a report from the city police, a Mount Airy man who was found sleeping in the driveway was eventually detained in jail with a deposit of $50,000 because he was a wanted fugitive in a neighboring state.

36-year-old Victor Shaun Hawks was listed as homeless. When he received a call from a suspicious person on Banner Street last Sunday, he ran into the police while he was lying in his residence. Driveway.

Hawkes was found wanted in Patrick County, Virginia, for unknown reasons, leading to his imprisonment in Surrey County Jail. He will appear in Dobson District Court on December 20.

• On Wednesday, a car was stolen from a 2009 Chevrolet Impala owned by Robert Earl Barr. The car was not secured when it entered Barr's home in the 1700 block of Fancy Gap Road.

The CPX-2 9mm pistol of the SCCY brand is worth $200 and is orange in color.

• Kendall Shane Ziglar, 34, lives at 237 Jones School Road and was sentenced to jail on Wednesday without bail privileges on charges of breaking into and entering and violating a domestic violence protection order.

Ziglar allegedly broke the window and entered the home of 61-year-old Mary Ziglar. The police record did not indicate her relationship with the defendant. When this happened, the protection order was effective against Kendall Shane Ziglar, who was not granted bail because the accusation was of a domestic nature.

He is scheduled to appear in Surrey District Court on Monday. Ziglar was accused of violating a protection order on December 2, involving the same victims and locations, and was sentenced to jail without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on the matter on January 31.

• Tyler John Taylor, 27, lives at 136 West End Drive. After an incident occurred on November 29, he was involved in theft of merchants, felony and resistance, delaying or obstructing public officials, and shoplifting/hidden goods. Arrested for a misdemeanor. Tractor supply on Rockford Street.

According to police records, Taylor met the officer conducting welfare inspections in the fitting room there and was found to have hidden goods worth 159 dollars. In addition, he also removed a safety device from Carhartt's coat. According to police records, The case requires compensation.

He allegedly tried to resist arrest by strengthening his arms and refusing to obey police orders. Taylor was detained in the county jail with a deposit of $1,000 and is scheduled to appear in the district court on February 21.

• On November 26, a theft occurred in Dollar General on North Renfro Street, when a known suspect took the razor and deodorant, and apparently did not charge him immediately after the incident.

Photos-Guests of all ages like to take photos with The Nutcracker, who sits in front of the Andy Griffith Theater before the Sunday afternoon performance.

SURRY ARTS COUNCIL dance students dance with the company in selected scenes.

When children want to visit and take photos during the holidays, Santa Claus is usually Big Kahuna, but recently this happy old elf ran away for his money.

On December 5th, when the young audience ballet performed the festival favorites, guests of all ages were very happy to take photos with the Nutcracker. Before the performance, the Nutcracker himself stayed in the hall for a while, visited people and asked them to take pictures.

More than 500 people attended the performance at the Andy Griffith Theater. On Monday, another 750 students from around Surrey County were sent to the show.

Tanya Jones, Executive Director of the Arts Committee, said: “This is the first time since the pandemic that students have taken a school bus to the Andy Griffith Theater. It’s great to see the school bus crowded the parking lot and the students crowded the auditorium.”

About seven years ago, the sharpening wheel broke when the young James Easter was sharpening the knife, and the fragments of the grinding wheel flew away-one of them pierced his chest.

Easter believed that he was about to die, which prompted him to assure God that if he survived, he would correct his rude ways and take straight and narrow paths.

He survived-this allowed James and his brothers Russell and Ed to embark on a 64-year career in gospel music, which made the trio a household name in most parts of the country.

The last surviving member of the trio, James Easter, died late Friday night after being hospitalized for COVID-19 less than two weeks. He was born on April 24, 1933.

He is the second of the three brothers and sisters who make up the Easter Brotherhood. All three were born and raised in Mount Airy, and eventually got together as a music group in Danville, Virginia, and they moved to work at the Dan River Cotton Mill.

Before the three of them gave their lives to God, they had a background that could be called unruly, which was more troublesome than theirs. James was even arrested and eventually sentenced to 15 years in prison. After serving five years in prison, he was released, but continued to live brutally until the sharpening wheel accident.

He kept his promise to God and established the Easter Brotherhood with his brothers in 1953. In the early days, as many other musicians and singers joined and withdrew, they were called the Green Valley Quartet, but they were eventually called the Easter Brothers.

The trio recorded a few singles and then an album, and gained followers while continuing to work full-time until 1979 when they decided to work full-time in music. At that time, the trio had a regular WPAQ show in Mount Airy, and their performance schedule eventually took them to Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Smithsonian Institution and Sydney Opera House.

Nevertheless, it was a difficult career choice, and the three had to spend a lot of time traveling to spread their music and continue to build a following.

"A lot of people don't know that we were born and raised in Mount Airy, because we have not left," said Easter at Jack A. Mount Airy's Loftis Square in May.

"It is an honour for Airy Mountain Town to let us do this today," he said during the dedication.

The three have composed and performed more than 400 songs during their careers, and many of their descendants are engaged in gospel, bluegrass and western music careers, including husband and wife duo Jeff and Sheri Easter. Jeff is the son of James.

In addition to the followers of the majority of fans, the Easter Brothers have also been recognized by their peers in the music industry. The trio was twice named the Gospel Bluegrass Band of the Year by the American Bluegrass Music Conservation Association; twice was selected as the Best Traditional Bluegrass Band of the Year; in 2001, the band's CD "Heart and Soul" was nominated for the Pigeon Award by the Gospel Conservatory of Music ; One year later, the band won the Bluegrass Song of the Year Award for "Thank God for my blessing".

Ed, the youngest of the three, died in 2019 at the age of 85, while the oldest Russell died in the fall of 2020 at the age of 90.

When looking at the raw data of North Carolina and comparing Surrey County with its neighbors, the truth of the matter is clear: With COVID-19, no one has been out of the predicament.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services have been posting regular updates on the Internet, which contain a large amount of data on the pandemic, including hospitalization rates and vaccinations.

Analysis of the numbers revealed repetitive patterns, such as a two-week lag after a social gathering. About two weeks after Halloween, and again after Thanksgiving, the COVID numbers in the area got worse.

Surrey County had an average daily COVID infection rate of 15 cases per day in the week before Halloween, and then reached a stable level about two weeks after 32 cases of infection per day.

After Thanksgiving, the bumps after Halloween were reflected again. Starting next Monday, the daily infection rate has soared to 51 cases in one day, and Surrey County has only dropped below 20 cases once. The state had 4,274 people on that Monday, compared to 1,592 the day before, indicating that demographic and county exposures may have increased at the same time.

When the state health department released the data on its dashboard on Friday, it represented the lagging and ambiguous end of the 14-day incubation period after Thanksgiving. The average value displayed during the period after the holiday is the same, with only more than 32 cases per day.

The Northern District Hospital reported that their number of COVID cases has remained stable, with an average of 25 cases per day, but the overall positive rate has increased. The 14-day positive rate in Surrey County was 10.8%, which pales in comparison to 15% in Yadkin County or 15.4% in Stokes County. Although lower than the positive rate reported here last time, a small increase in the 14-day trend has been seen in the most recent update.

Robin Hodgin, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Patient Services at Northern Hospital, said: “The ICU and the downgrading ward are full, and there are 9 COVID patients between the two wards.” “The rest of the COVID patients are in our internal medical operating room.” She also estimated that the number of unvaccinated patients was 77%.

Hawking said there have been very few flu cases at this time. However, bed space in the area is still a problem, and some hospitals cannot accept patient transfer due to lack of available beds. The northern hospital continues to impose restrictions on visits.

Looking at the entire region, Allegheny County stands out for the wrong reasons. In the past week, the county has seen 682 new COVID cases and 1,086 new virus cases in the past two weeks. Surrey County has 712 people and Yadkin County has 884 people. In contrast, Forsyth County has 396 people in the same two weeks, which is a much larger population base.

Surrey County's vaccination rate is lower than the state and national average in all categories. The most vulnerable people, those 65 years and older, have the highest vaccination rates, with 83% of people in Surrey fully vaccinated. Among all age groups, the proportions of the first dose of vaccine were 53% and 49%, respectively.

Vaccination rates across the state are rising for all age groups. In late October, there was a surge in vaccination across the state, with the first dose of vaccination surpassing the second dose for the first time in a few months. The increase in vaccination rates at the time was due to Pfizer's approval of vaccination for children aged 5-11. When this vaccination age group is available, many North Carolina families use this opportunity to improve protection.

Pfizer also received authorization to administer booster injections to eligible 16- and 17-year-olds late last week. The Pfizer booster is currently the only booster authorized for this age group. According to NCDHHS, across the country, 25% of eligible people received boosters, and more than 50% of older people received boosters.

The outgoing head of state in response to the pandemic is an early supporter of vaccinating children, including her own. NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, MD, said: “Giving your child a COVID-19 booster shot will help strengthen and expand their protection against the COVID-19 virus, especially the protection of new variants. , I encourage everyone 16 years and older to be vaccinated as we enter the holidays, boosters."

Immunizations and boosters are still the best choice for the general public to fight the COVID-19 virus. Unfortunately, starting vaccination now will not produce immunity before Christmas. In the next round of gatherings and celebrations, CDC reiterated their own holiday wish list to the public, which included the following tips:

· Get ​​the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Looking for a vaccine.

· Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help protect yourself and others.

· Keep a distance of 6 feet from other people who do not live with you.

· Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

· Test to prevent spread to others.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.

Last summer, Carr Norris from Pilot Mountain participated in a unique academic and professional development experience with elementary school students from across the state, namely the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) in Greensboro: The Path to STEM.

NYLF Pathways to STEM is one of the Envision by WorldStrides program series (www.envisionexperience.com) that enables students to explore their interests and experience learning outside the classroom. Carr was nominated by his third grade teacher, Denise Phillips of Pilot Mountain Elementary School. Due to COVID-19, he will not be able to participate in the summer of 2020. However, he was able to transfer his courses to the summer of 2021.

In addition to studying at school, Carl is also passionate about piano and plays football in the spring and autumn. He is active in his church and is always looking for opportunities to help others and take responsibility. For more than two years, he has also successfully operated a garbage and recycling route for urban residents living near him. Although he is very young, he has a dream of working in the field of computer science. When Carl was informed of this opportunity, he decided to seek help to fund the project. Thanks to the generosity of many companies, family and friends, he was able to achieve this goal.

Carr was able to participate in intensive and engaging hands-on seminars with other young students from all over the country, focusing on self-management, time management, communication, collaboration, and goal setting.

Carr explored three STEM career paths: medicine, engineering, and CSI (crime scene investigation). Some of the activities he can do include building and programming robots, dissecting the heart of a calf, creating model lungs, diagnosing snake bites, learning emergency first aid, blood drop analysis and copying, fingerprint analysis, and building bridges.

“As an alumnus of Envision, I am very happy that Carr Norris can meet, work and collaborate with like-minded students from other cities and schools,” said Amanda Freitag Thomas of Envision.

"Undoubtedly, my favorite part of participating in the Envision program is being with motivated students in an environment designed to help us challenge assumptions, meet new people, and grow," Carl said. "Creating the same learning environment is the core focus of all our projects. In the NYLF Pathways to STEM course, students build the confidence and skills needed to achieve excellent results in the classroom while being exposed to STEM fields and concepts. They learn how to adapt to the new environment. , New challenges and communicating with new people, given that the world is changing so fast due to technology and innovation, this is the basic skill for success," he said.

For more than 35 years, Envision by WorldStrides has enabled students to become the best of themselves through programs that allow students to discover their passions, explore careers, and have a positive impact on their world. In 2018, Envision became a member of the WorldStrides family. WorldStrides is the largest educational travel and experience provider in the United States, working with more than 50,000 educators every year to help more than 550,000 students see the world and themselves in a new way.

The new members are appointed as members of the local group, which plays a key role in one of the most important local industries, tourism.

The recent action involving the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority (TDA) stemmed from its two members, Jennie Lowry and Nick Patel, who were not eligible for Re-elected.

At the city council meeting on December 2nd, Chad Tidd and Jatin Patel were appointed to replace them, and commissioner Joe Zalescik was appointed as a representative of the city government to join the organization.

The Tourism Board is composed of people from different sectors of the local tourism industry who have experience or participate in promotion.

Established by the North Carolina State Assembly, the Airy Mountain Tourism Development Board decides how to use the occupancy income generated by local accommodations to promote travel and tourism in the city.

It is also part of the Surrey County Tourism Partnership and is responsible for managing marketing plans across the county.

The Mount Airy Group has a total of eight members, of which six members are limited to two consecutive terms. The other two are representatives of the city government, including commissioner Zalescik and Mount Airy Chief Financial Officer Pam Stone, who serve a one-year term. Stone is a non-voting member.

Chad Tidd is related to Chick-fil-A of Mount Airy and has worked in the Tourism Bureau in the past, as is Jatin Patel. The latter resigned due to the term limit rule, and Tidd resigned directly.

Both Jatin and Nick Patel represent category 1 of the TDA membership component, which includes the owner/operator of taxable tourist accommodation in the city.

Both Tidd and Jatin Patel are appointed by the City Council for a three-year term that will expire on January 15, 2025.

Both Zalescik and Stone will serve for one year, ending on January 15, 2023.

"Thank you for your appointment," Zalescik said at a recent committee meeting when the TDA membership action was approved.

"I am honored to serve on this committee," adds Zalescik, who owns a company called Station 1978 Firehouse Peanuts.

On September 16, he was appointed as commissioner by members of the city council to fill his vacant general seat.

As the power outage affected approximately 3,000 Duke Energy residential and commercial customers in the area, many Pilot Mountain businesses had to temporarily shut down on Saturday morning.

It is not clear what caused the power outage, but Duke Energy stated that approximately 3,000 customers were affected. Although the company stated that it hopes to restore power before 4 pm on Saturday, most customers will restore power before 1 pm about 3 hours after the power outage. At that time, about 20 customers in the town had no electricity.

Some people have also reported cell phone outages, although it is unclear how common this situation is.

Aviator Hill-East Surrey's strongest start to the season, perhaps the past few seasons, laid the foundation for the Cardinals' 64-49 victory over North Wilkes.

The Cardinals established and maintained a double-digit lead and continued for all four quarters of Friday's game. East Surrey picked up the "W" and improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the foothills 2A meeting.

Jordan Davis of the East Surrey team created the best performance of his career with 32 points. More impressive than Davis's final data line is the consecutive three-pointers that helped him achieve three-pointers.

When Davis missed a three-pointer for the first time in Friday's game against the visiting Vikings, he was not discouraged. In fact, the junior guard returned to his horse and scored a three-pointer with an assist from Daniel Creech, which allowed the Cardinals to enter the board with a three-pointer. Davis built a bit of momentum after receiving a pass from Folger Boas and again took the lead in Friday's game.

East Surrey led 7-5 with 4:01 left in the first quarter, but the lead will not remain in the single digits for long. Davis made seven consecutive three-pointers in the first quarter. His 23 points in the first quarter helped East Surrey take a 28-8 lead after 8 minutes on the court.

MaxPreps only has 2017 East Surrey basketball statistics. From the beginning of the 2017-18 season to the eve of Friday’s game, only two East Surrey players made 7 three-pointers in a single game: the first was Jefferson Boas, who was on February 1, 2019. Day, 7 out of 10; next is Dillon Mosley, who made 7 of 9 shots from the city center 25 days later.

When North Wilkes started the second quarter with a score of 16-2, the Cardinals returned to reality. Before Folger Boaz scored the fast break, the Eastern Conference went for 4 minutes and 56 seconds. Even with less than 90 seconds left in the half, this was Cards' only field goal percentage. The Vikings narrowed the lead to 10 points, and then Luke Brown's free throw and Davis' transitional layup made the halftime score 35-22.

East Surrey recovered his superstar status in the second half. Creech hit his first three-pointer of the game, leading 9-2. North Wilkes came out of the timeout and hit three consecutive points, but Dong responded with another big run. This time, the card team scored 9 points in a row and got the biggest lead of the night with 53-30.

After scoring the final goal of the game, Davis passed the baton to Joseph Grazmark. Grezmak grabbed a big offensive rebound and scored 6 of 10 points in the final quarter of the game. Bradley Davis made a free throw in the fourth quarter, giving the Cardinals 64 points.

East Surrey will put their unbeaten record on the line when the Cardinals travel to North Surrey (4-0) on December 14.

Northwest: Chris Kimmel 9, Reese Cleary 8, Brandon Holloway 7, Drew Winkler 7, Zach Wyatt 7, Trevaun Hague 6, Noah Royall 3, Solomon Panneton 2

ES: Jordan Davis 32, Joseph Graz Mark 10, Daniel Creech 8, Folger Boas 7, Luke Brown 7, Bradley Davis 1

Aviator Hill-A buzzword from Michael Jordan applies to the women's basketball team of Eastern Surrey University vs. North Wilkes.

"I have never lost a game, I just ran out of time."

The Cardinals played the Foothills 2A Conference with the visiting Vikings on Friday. There are 17 lead changes in the roller coaster race. In the four quarters of the race, the two teams have a lead of no more than 4 points. East Surrey took the lead in scoring in overtime, but became a victim of a 9-0 defeat by North Wilkes.

Cards made a comeback, even making it a one-point game, but there was not enough time to regain the lead. The Eastern Conference lost the FH2A meeting at 50-47 (OT) on Friday, falling behind 3-3 and 0-1 overall.

East Surrey scored three more two-pointers and three three-pointers than North Wilkes. The Vikings (3-4) made up for the difference in the free throw line, attempting a total of 28 free throws, while the card team’s 11 free throw attempts were 75% (21/28), while East Wilkes’ Only over 27% of the free throw percentage (3/11) came from the charity streak.

Throughout the second half and overtime, Lady Vikings scored 16 points on free throws alone. In the same period, the field goal percentage only accounted for 10 points.

East Surrey’s goal is to pass the ball to the forward at a critical moment. Kate Parks made a low shot at the beginning of the fourth quarter and the Eastern Conference led 35-33. North Wilkes' Ralee Bare made two free throws, chasing the score to 35 points, and then scoring inside, giving Lady Viks a two-point advantage.

The Cardinals made two extra free throws from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, but both missed the one-on-one front end. Meanwhile, East's defense managed to keep North without a point. When Bella Hutchins scored an inbound pass with 1:39 left in the game, Lady Cards finally equalized the score with 37 points. Hutchins forced a turnover on North Wilkes' next possession, then assisted Meri Parker Boas to take the lead.

With 1 minute and 11 seconds left in the game, North Wilkes blocked a shot from the low post and tied the score to 39 points. Both teams missed their next shots, and East Surrey turned the ball over with less than 30 seconds left in the game. North Wilkes' layup attempt was blocked with 9.6 points.

The Vikings suspended the game and fouled with 2.9 seconds left. Just before the buzzer sounded, East Surrey's Addison Goins made a desperate three-pointer, but the shot was not up to the goal.

With 3:26 left in overtime, Rosie Craven made her second three-pointer of the night to give East Surrey a 42-39 lead. The Cardinals will not score again in the nearly three minutes of the game. At the same time, North Wilkes made 7 of 8 free throws in overtime and scored twice on low blocks.

Boas, who led East Surrey by 20 points, broke the scoring drought with 26.6 seconds left. After North Wilkes increased its total to 50 with more free throws, Boas knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the night, reducing the lead to 50-47. The time has run out before the card can foul and stop counting.

When Lady Cards heads to North Surrey (3-2) on December 14, East Surrey looks set to rebound.

Northwest: Kate Brown 16, Railee Bare 12, Olivia Rhodes 10, Haili Shumate 5, Natalie Mathis 4, Brook Settle 3

ES: Merry Parker Boaz 20, Bella Hutchens 8, Rosie Craven 7, Addison Goins 7, Kate Parks 4, Cadence Lawson 1

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MTA121021V.pdf

The local church called on higher authorities to work hard to extend the city's water and sewer services to the property it seeks to relocate: Mount Airy Commission.

However, depending on the history of the location in question, some type of sacred intervention may be required to achieve this goal without paying a huge price—whether for the refuge city church or the city government.

It is located on the northbound portion of South Andy Griffith Parkway west of Newsome Street and can be described as a "no man's land" for utility connection purposes.

According to county tax records, Refuge City Church, also known as Refuge Ministry Inc., owns 4.18 acres of land there.

"It was donated," said Andrew Bullins, co-pastor of the church with about 100 members. It is now renting a small shopping mall at 1130 S. Main St., which also has a Subway branch.

"We will build a new facility," said Brings. In addition to his pastor duties, he also works as an intensive care nurse at the Northern District Hospital.

The larger structure covering 4.18 acres will allow Refuge to expand its presence in the community, including providing space for youth ministry and other components.

Although people associated with the Refuge City Church are excited about the project, plans regarding the availability of municipal water and sewer services at the site have been shelved.

Brins said that when investigating the matter at the city staff level, he was told that the church had to pay about $130,000 to extend the line there.

His understanding is that public utilities can access property within the city without having to pay such fees.

Brings was advised to refer the matter to the commissioners for possible relief, and did so in the public forum at the last meeting on December 2.

"I ask the city government to solve this problem," he said at the time of the obvious problem of the city providing utility lines for the Refugee Department's property lines without incurring huge costs to the church.

City Public Works Director Mitch Williams was assigned to study this issue during the meeting.

"There is no terrain prohibiting the installation of water and sewers for it," Williams later explained when asked to detail the status of the property owned by the Refugee Department-which is not uncommon in Mount Airy.

"I do know that there are dozens of lots around the city in the same situation," the public works director and long-term city engineer acknowledged the issue of the accessibility of existing utilities.

"I don't know the exact history of this plot, or why there is no water and sewers," Williams added, and he did mention that the same property was the subject of similar investigations conducted by Airy Mountain officials during the summer. 2016.

It involved a company that planned to build at the site and then be owned by local businessman Gary Harold, but was derailed due to barriers to utility connections.

As there is no municipal water supply or sewer pipeline nearby to connect, the unnamed company is faced with paying for the expansion project to obtain the utility services needed for its operations.

The estimated value at the time was US$195,000.

According to a discussion by officials in August 2016, according to the city's public utility policy, private real estate developers-not the local government-must pay all costs related to water supply and sewer extension lines to serve the relevant areas.

In most cases, this is not the main obstacle, but the property involved in the current request is far away from the existing line.

The tone of the discussion in 2016 was that due to high costs, the city government has no incentive to pay for such expansions of commercial or residential land—even if these areas are within municipal boundaries.

At the time, someone pointed out that this may mean that it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide services for a house, which is not feasible.

Williams said on Wednesday that he plans to prepare a report for the committee's next meeting.

This weekend plans to host a holiday open day in one of the oldest houses in Mount Airy to benefit the Salvation Army.

It is scheduled to be available at Cousin Emma's Bed and Breakfast from 1pm to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Located at 501 S. Main St., this historic residence is said to be part of the Underground Railroad System in the 1800s and was designed to help those who escaped the shackles.

Those who participate in this weekend’s activities can visit the original single-room slave huts and manor houses on site.

Emma Suzanne Brown is the owner of this house dating back to the mid-1850s. She purchased the South Street property in 2015 and refurbished it into a new role as a bed and breakfast.

Brown launched a holiday plan in 2019 as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army, which provided assistance to youth camps and other activities. Due to the pandemic, no tour was held last year.

Visitors to this house can see a rich variety of buildings, furniture, pictures and other objects from the past-as well as additional elements of Christmas decorations.

The vintage clothing guide is part of the 2019 tour, which introduces the items Brown collected during his global travels.

The antiques of Cousin Emma's Bed and Breakfast include a country lawyer sofa before the Civil War, two chairs and a clockwork wall clock of 1823 in the living room; a huge brass gas chandelier from the formal dining room of the Pinehurst Hotel ballroom; and 87 different types used by monks Wardrobe made of beautiful wood.

There is also a restored original iron claw foot bathtub with custom-made faucets and hand-held showers, as well as original maple cabinets and chestnut panelling on the walls and ceiling of the large kitchen.

The tour fee is US$10 for adults and US$8 for seniors. All proceeds will be donated to the Salvation Army. Cash or cheque will be accepted.

Dobson-The "Early Bird" candidate threw his hat into the ring this week before the court ordered a suspension of political applications, and is now waiting for the next step in the process.

After 14 people formally announced their intention to look for various local offices on the first day of their application on Monday, others did so later this week—but an order from the North Carolina Supreme Court suspended the process.

Due to concerns about the reclassification issue, it temporarily suspended all applications for the 2022 election cycle.

The Surrey County Election Commission released an updated list of candidates late Wednesday afternoon, which included all candidates submitted before the afternoon deadline on the day the order took effect.

It shows that no other Mount Airy residents have applied for the city’s threatened mayor and three commissioner seats.

So far, candidates for mayor include the current mayor Ron Nilan, commissioner Jon Cowley and Teresa Lewis.

Two people have applied to run for Cawley's North District Commissioner seat, which was opened due to the candidacy of mayor, Will Pfitzner and Joanna Refvem. But Pfitzner later stated that he would withdraw from the competition because he didn't know that a respected family friend Reevem was also seeking the position, and he thought he would do better.

A notable county seat application submitted later this week was Teresa O'Dell from Mount Airy, before she was replaced by Dobson's Neil Brendle in 2018 , Served as a court clerk in Surry for one term.

Brundle applied for re-election on Monday, and the election also included Dobson's Melissa Marion Welch.

All three of them are Republicans, and now they need to hold a primary election in May next year, and the winner will become the Republican candidate in the November general election.

At the same time, Eddie Harris of State Road applied for re-election to the Southern District seat on the Surrey County Committee this week. ).

Walter D. Harris has applied for a seat in the Mount Airy area of ​​the Surrey County Council, which is now the first incumbent Republican, Bill Goins, who has not yet done so Do.

No one has applied for a seat in the central district of the county council, which is now occupied by Mark Marion, and next year is also in jeopardy.

Other new documents not previously reported include Tony L. Hutchens from Mount Airy, who joined the competition for a seat on the Surrey Board of Education as a Republican member.

Previous applicants for the seat include current Democratic Mamie M. Sutphin and Republican Brent Long.

Tim Matthews, in Filee later this week, is seeking to re-elect his large seat to Yu Education Mountain as the Democratic Party.

The filing process will reopen at some point.

"As soon as we receive the new date for the application period, we will immediately notify everyone," Surrey County election director Michelahev announced Thursday afternoon.

When it comes to being a good neighbor, there may be restrictions. Saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, or fences make great neighbors kind and interesting, but when reality sends you 20 tons of trash-there is zero fun involved, and there is no extra at all Time for folks.

When a truck drags various items collected by a squatter from his home at 158 ​​Toast Road to the landfill, the quiet Toast community is bustling with excitement. Waiting for the county or anyone else to solve the problems in their neighborhood is no longer an option, so a group of people gathered together and made a plan.

County manager Chris Knopf brought the action to the committee’s attention at this week’s Surrey County Committee meeting. "The tenants were evicted twice, and the last time they seemed to have left. They left 22.4 tons of debris and trash." He reported that the residents of Toast organized themselves, put the equipment together, and vacated them at their own expense. Tons of debris were cleared from the house.

Located in several houses west of the old Franklin Fire Station, this single-story brick house on Toast Road has always been a thorn in the eye of neighbors. In Toast, houses are close to each other, unlike in parts of the county, large tracts of land may prevent neighbors from seeing the mess. "These are not 10 acres of land with farmhouses, it is a very dense community, most of the land is less than a quarter acre," Knopf said.

The yard was littered with rubbish, the windows were blown up, and there was evidence that there was a fire recently, and contextual clues indicate that no one lives there. However, the property owner, Surrey County Law Enforcement Department and the Sheriff’s Office will report separately. It's like the new handwritten sign that occasionally adorns this lot-announcing that someone is indeed at home.

Residents complained, and the landlord dutifully moved the tenants out. This situation is too much for an elderly person. After their failed attempt to expel, a long-term occupancy situation has formed.

The members of the committee knew about this home, and they also received complaints. "This is for the house on Toast Road, right?" Chairman Bill Gones asked. "I think I got a call from that place."

Commissioner Eddie Harris participated in the relocation project and told the Commissioner Committee that he was grateful for the work done by those organizations and people in the community who did dirty work, who took huge potential risks. "The community service staff are worthy of praise. They use their own heavy equipment and dump trucks, and the situation is very chaotic."

"The Surrey County Sheriff’s Office is there. Doug Hall (Surrey County Law Enforcement Department) received the notice. He said this was one of his problematic properties. As we all know, we have a lot of properties. He said this is his most important property. It was a bad one. The result was really very, very good."

In the past few months, the committee has discussed property nuisance issues and how and how the county should deal with these issues. When tenants, homeowners, or landowners allow their property to fall into disrepair to the extent that it may cause health and safety risks, the county does have recourse.

Progressive discipline goes from notice and inspection to fines and possible civil court proceedings. The arguments of some board members are related to the subjective nature of such claims, as there may be a nuisance to the property, which will eventually be heard by the committee.

Whether board members are the best arbiters for such decisions, and whether this is even the best use of committee members’ time was also asked. The nuisance decree was passed by a 3 to 2 vote. The then chairman Mark Marion, commissioners Larry Johnson and Goins voted in favor, while commissioners Van Tucker and Harris voted against it.

However, tonight, the county manager Knopf asked for a tip for processing the toaster that was shipped to the landfill, totaling $1,007.55. The committee members voted unanimously to pay the fee. Commissioner Tucker said that it was a small price to get rid of such a big mess.

Regardless of the laws, evictions and fines, the situation in Toast has not improved for the local people. It was useless to wait and hope for help, and there was no room for turning his cheeks.

Many people think that action is needed, so they take action for the entire community, even those who don’t know what is happening. Now that the project has been completed, and there is a little extra time for ordinary people, residents of Toast may think of the necessity of such intervention.

The North Carolina Football Coaches Association (NCSCA) recently released the region and state selections for the 2021-22 boys football season.

The NCSCA 1A statewide team consists of 14 players from 11 different schools. Only six players from traditional 1A public schools on the team were recognized, two of whom were from Surrey County.

Mount Airy junior Elkin Lopez was selected for his second statewide team. His first selection was in the 2020-21 season. Lopez ended the year with 45 goals, 15 assists, 105 points and 205 steals.

Lopez's 105 points is the highest among the state's 1A players, ranking fifth in the state in all levels, and tied for 41st in the country. His 45 goals tied for the most in Mount Airy football history, the most of all 1A schools in North Carolina, tied for fourth in the state, and tied for 36th in the country. Lopez was also named the best offensive player of the year in the Northwest 1A League.

Another county student athlete who won the 1A statewide team was Thomas McComb, a senior at Elgin High School. There are no personal statistics for McComb on MaxPreps, but the goalkeeper recorded five lockouts during the year. Buckin' Elkins ranked second in the Northwest 1A Conference with a 9-3 record and ended the year with a 13-7-1 record. McComb was also named the NW1A Defensive Player of the Year.

Holden Hurley of Mount Airy was named National Assistant Coach of the Year. Hurley has won this honor twice in his career. This is the fourth time since 2012 that the Granite Bears assistant has been named Coach of the Year.

Hurley helped the Bears achieve a total record of 26-1 and set the following school records: total wins and consecutive victories, 22 regular season wins, 12 conference wins, 100% home win rate, goals scored 156.

The 2A statewide team has 21 choices from 20 different schools.

The only local player selected for the state is Forbusch's Axel Garcia. MaxPreps for Garcia does not have separate statistics. He was named the Foothills 2A League Offensive Player of the Year and helped the Falcons win the league championship with a perfect record of 12-0. With a total score of 17-5, Forbush entered the second round of the 2A state playoffs.

Area 10 of the 1A category features schools from the NW1A and Northwest Piedmont 1A conferences. Member schools include:

NWPC: Bethany Community, Bishop McGuinness, Carver, Cornerstone Charter, Millennium Charter, NC Leadership Academy and Winston-Salem Prep

NW1A: Alleghany, East Wilkes, Elkin, Mount Airy, North Stokes, South Stokes, Starmount

The following players are selected into the 1A all-region team in the 10th zone:

Elgin: Carlos Espinosa, Marc Habana, Thomas McCom, Adam Settle

Airy Mountain: Sergio Garcia, Noah Hart, Carson Hill, Elgin Lopez, Angel Osorno, Edwin Ramirez

NC Leadership Academy: Zach Donath, Anakin Leister, Cade Shoemaker, Scott Stanley, David Truhe

South Stokes: Trey Siegel, Taylor Whitaker

Starmount: Christian Maya, Diego Zuniga

Region 10 Coach of the Year: Craig Shoemaker of NC Leadership Academy

Area 10 of the 2A category features schools from the FH2A and Zhongzhou 2A conferences. Member schools include:

FH2A: East Surrey, Forbush, North Surrey, North Wilkes, Surrey Central, West Wilkes, Wilkes Central

MS2A: McMichael, Morehead, North Forsyth, Reedsville, TW Andrews, Walkertown, West Stokes

The following players were selected into the 2A all-region team in the 10th zone:

East Surrey: Jesus Estrada, Jacob Lowe, Nick Lowry

Forbush: Axel Garcia, Craig Johnson, Juan Ramirez, Ryan Zachary

Surrey Center: Jody Avila, Johnny Garcia, Eliaza Gonzalez, Daniel Juarez

North Forsyth: Axel Benal, Jonathan Berrera, Aldo Gutierrez, Noy Sandoval, Kyle Trinidad

North Surrey: Jair Gonzalez, Dallas Raya

West Stokes: Miles Knox, Peyton Spanish Hour

Wilkes Center: Joey Andreski, Johnny Randy

10th District Coach of the Year: Forbush's Seth Davis

Just in time for Christmas, a Mount Airy man received a considerable sum of money-not through Santa Claus, but through the North Carolina Education Lottery.

Mitchell Urquiza said earlier this week that he was still shocked after a $20 scratch-off lottery ticket turned into a $100,000 victory.

The 31-year-old deliveryman stopped at the Quick Stop store on North Franklin Road in Mount Airy to buy tickets for the Grand Money lottery game.

Urquiza told the staff at the Raleigh State Lottery Office that he did not immediately scratch the lottery because he likes to spend time trying his luck throughout the day instead of announcing the results all at once.

"In the beginning I really didn't believe it," Urquiza said of the final award. "I always thought it must be a mistake."

Urquiza said that once he realized he was a big winner, he called his wife and told her what had happened.

"She doesn't believe it either," Urquiza told the lottery representative. "She let me go home so she can make sure I read it right."

Urquiza arrived at the lottery headquarters on Tuesday to collect the prize. Because of the requirement for federal and state tax withholding, he brought back $70,756.

After paying off some of the bills with his bonus, Urquiza said he wanted to help several family members and possibly buy a house for his wife and two children.

The Grand Money game he participated in was launched in September, with four top prizes of US$2 million and six prizes of US$100,000. Three prizes of USD 2 million and three prizes of USD 100,000 are still to be claimed.

Urquiza's lottery luck represents the first reported win in the area since a woman in Cana, Virginia bought a ticket to a $1,000,000 Bankroll game at the Speedway convenience store on Rockford Street in June.

She won $1 million, but chose to pay $600,000 in a lump sum and brought back $424,503 after federal and state withholding taxes.

Recently, 15 students graduated from the crisis intervention team training of Surry Community College and Partners Health Management.

Graduates include Andrew Goins, Kody Hudson, Logan Jessup, and Dustin Johnson from the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office; Hunter Blose, Chandler Bodenhamer, Dustin Bowman, Katie Cooper, Bubba Killgo, Zack Murphy, and Cecilia Thoppil from the Surrey County Emergency Medical Services Center ; Will Blackburn, James Brooks, Jessica Cave and Brian Nelson of the Elgin Police Department;

The course lasted 40 hours in five days. Topics covered by students include adult and child mental health, substance abuse disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, dementia and Alzheimer's, homelessness, post-traumatic stress disorder/substitution for veterans Trauma, demotion strategy, NC harm reduction plan, officer self-care, and involuntary commitment process. They also received suicide prevention training and were introduced to the mental health assistance program, which is an alternative to prisons or unnecessary use of the local emergency department.

The first responders all gained practical learning through different experiences, such as the feeling of certain daily functions when experiencing auditory hallucinations, listening to recordings played by MP3 players, similar to the experience of patients with mental illness. They also listened to first-hand stories of survivors with mental health problems or substance abuse disorders, and visited the Ark and Children's Center in northwestern North Carolina.

Partners Health Management aims to provide officials and EMS personnel with tools they can use to better help people who are experiencing a mental health crisis through this crisis intervention team training. This is intended to be an additional resource and tool for them to help them pay attention to and recognize behavior patterns, thereby helping people obtain beneficial treatments and resources.

Partners has become part of the Surry community and was formed in 2012 through a merger with Crossroads Behavioral Healthcare. Mental health, intellectual/developmental disability, and substance use disorder (MH/IDD/SUD) services are needed in central and western North Carolina.

For more information about the SCC Basic Law Enforcement Training Program, please contact James “Jim” McHone, Director of Law Enforcement Training at 336-386-3292 or email to mchonej@surry.edu.

For more information about the SCC Emergency Medical Plan, please contact Dr. Doug Underwood at 336-386-3584 or email underwoodd@surry.edu.

On Tuesday, North Surrey scored 21 points in the third quarter, and the visiting West Stokes Wildcats were eliminated.

Lady Greyhounds was their best in the middle two quarters of basketball. In the second and third quarters of the balanced offense, North (3-2) defeated West Stokes 37-17. Eight Greyhounds scored in the game, and North Surrey scored 14 of 22 shots and got assists.

Tuesday's game was North Surrey's first victory over West Stokes since 2019. From January 2019 to January 2021, West Stokes won 4 of 5 matches against North Surrey. Prior to this, the Hounds played 27 consecutive games against the Cats from 2006 to 2018.

There are only three leading changes between the North and the West, and they are all in the first quarter. The Wildcats (3-3) started with five outstanding points and took the biggest lead of the night. Josie Tompkins made a three-pointer for North Surrey to start, and Grace Phillips then elbowed a jumper to tie the score.

Callie Allen, who led North Surrey with 15 points, ran from coast to coast after grabbing a defensive rebound, giving the Hounds the first lead of the night. West Stokes' Bree Spainhour responded with a low shot, then Ava Santoro made a free throw to put West back in the lead. Reece Niston scored to give the Greyhounds the lead all night.

Cynthia Chaire helped North Surry steal the backcourt, either complete the steal by herself or hand it over to a teammate to help North Surry take the lead. This helped North lead 18-10 and maintained West Stokes' shooting percentage from 3:30 in the first quarter to 3:47 in the second quarter.

The Spanish Hour, which led all scorers with 28 points, shot back-to-back from the low post to narrow the lead to 18-16. The Greyhounds regrouped after a timeout and then ended the half with a score of 10-1. At halftime, Phillips made a three-pointer with two seconds left in the game, giving North lead 28-17.

The opening time of the second half is similar to the first half. The Spanish hour scored from the free throw line, low block and three-point line, while Sadie Baggett scored a jumper from the baseline, and Tompkins scored the third three-pointer of the night. North Surrey led 33-23, and Allen's layup triggered a 16-2 score.

The Greyhounds made all three-pointers in the third quarter and made no mistakes within the three-point line. Four different northern players scored in this quarter, and West's Spanish Hour was the only Wildcats to make a shot in the second or third quarter.

By the end of the third quarter, North Surrey's lead expanded to 49-25. The game seems to have been decided, but no one told West Stokes. The Wildcats scored 12-2 in the first six points of the fourth quarter to 4:00, and North’s only score this time came from Allen.

The Greyhounds narrowed their lead to 12 points with a score of 52-40, but this is very close. Malding ran in the transition to complete the layup, and then Phillips hit her third three-pointer with 2:09 remaining in the game. As the Hounds and Cats exchanged extra free throws, the two teams only made one goal in the remaining 2:09.

North scored a double-digit victory for the third time in a young season, improving his overall record to 3-2. The Greyhounds held a public meeting at the Wilkes Center (2-2) on December 10, and then returned home to face East Surrey (3-1) on December 14.

WSHS: Bree Spainhour 28, Hannah Davis 8, Sadie Knox 4, Mikayla Nixon 3, Haley Brewster 3, Ava Santoro 1

NSHS: Callie Allen 15, Grace Phillips 11, Sadie Badgett 10, Josie Tompkins 9, Sarah Mauldin 7, Cynthia Chaire 5, Reece Niston 2, Savannah Seal 2

Late Wednesday, the state Supreme Court suspended all applications for candidates for the North Carolina elections in 2022, and the spring primaries moved from March 8 to May 17.

This move is in response to two lawsuits that challenge the new boundary between seats in the North Carolina House of Representatives and seats in the state assembly, all of which are redrawn using 2020 census data.

These lawsuits were filed by a group called the Coalition for the Protection of Voters of North Carolina and another group of individuals to overthrow the new districts and force them to redraw. The plaintiff claimed that these areas were "extremely" partisan, and divided the state by ensuring that the Republican Party won 10 of the 14 congressional seats and a majority of the two houses of the convention.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court outlined a series of steps that both parties must follow in an effort to complete the litigation once and for all in the May primary election, followed by the regularly scheduled November 8 general election.

Wednesday’s ruling also put aside the normal appeal rules to speed up the Supreme Court’s ability to resolve cases before the election.

According to Wednesday’s ruling, the court has:

• Suspend the submission of candidate applications to all offices, "until a final judgment is made on the merits of the plaintiff’s claim (including any appeals) and remedial measures (if necessary) have been ordered:"

• Prevent the Election Committee from holding the primary elections originally scheduled for March 8, and instead hold the primary elections on May 17. The order authorizes the court to order a shortening of the submission period when necessary;

• Order the court of first instance to issue a ruling before January 11;

• It is required that “any party” who wishes to appeal the ruling of the court of first instance submit a notice of appeal within two working days after the ruling, and “expected to start an expedited briefing and hearing in this court immediately thereafter”.

The order stated that candidates who have been accepted by their respective local election committees are deemed to have been submitted correctly and will become part of the election unless they withdraw their candidacy.

Wednesday’s Supreme Court lawsuit was filed after two rulings made by the North Carolina Court of Appeals earlier this week, one of which suspended applications for candidates for seats in the state Congress and the General Assembly, and subsequently ordered the reopening of the application period. .

Last week, the plaintiffs provided their own reasons for the postponement of the application until the court of first instance can rule on their lawsuit seeking to force a re-division of the state. On Monday, a three-judge panel in the Court of Appeal approved the suspension for this purpose.

On Tuesday, the full appellate court cancelled the suspension, but all documents were postponed due to Wednesday's lawsuit.

This is far from the first time the Republican Party has faced such an action. The party redrawn the map of Congress and the General Assembly after the 2010 census, so that the state was embroiled in lawsuits challenging these seats until it was finally ordered by the court to redraw the map in 2016 and 2017.

The Travis Manion Foundation, one of the leading senior service organizations in the United States, recently partnered with Surry Early College to organize a food collection event for the community.

Students from Surry Early College High School Interact Club and Run-Ruck Club collected non-perishable food and donated it to Dobson Food Pantry. Class teachers race to see how many pounds of food they can collect. Every week, Interact student volunteers weigh food and record all donations. Finally, the club members sorted all the donated food and packed them into backpacks. Students from the Run-Ruck Club transported the food in the backpacks two miles to the local food storage room and restocked them in time before the holiday.

The students collected 411 pounds of food to donate.

Operation Legacy Service Projects brings together veterans, families of fallen heroes, and foundation supporters through local service projects. During the "Legacy Action", the Travis Manion Foundation united the community through a common cause. The volunteers adhered to the spirit of "If it wasn't me, then who..." While paying tribute to the hero's sacrifice, lead a movement with personality, leadership and selfless service.

Residents of Surrey County will have the opportunity to learn more about the children’s COVID-19 vaccine next week. At that time, the Surrey County Health and Nutrition Center will collaborate with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to host a live event on the topic Zoom activity.

"Understanding COVID-19 and Vaccinating Your Child" will be broadcast live on Monday, December 13th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

"Like millions of adults and adolescents, children aged 5-11 can now receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine," the Health and Nutrition Center said when announcing the Zoom meeting. "The Food and Drug Administration has approved lower doses of Pfizer's BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children of this age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children aged 5-11 be vaccinated to prevent serious diseases and help them stay healthy. ."

Dr. John Morrow, the medical director of the Surrey County Health and Nutrition Center, will host the virtual presentation, which will give residents more opportunities to learn more about the recently approved Pfizer vaccine for children (5-11 years old), as well as current Medical guidance. The interactive presentation will also provide viewers with an opportunity to use the best available science to answer questions about vaccines for children, adolescents and adults.

"We are very pleased to be able to provide this presentation to parents in Surrey County because they are faced with the decision to vaccinate their children," said Surrey County Health Director Samantha Angie. "This is a unique opportunity to delve into the science and data that proves the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine for all ages."

To register for this webinar, please visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__uSOAYjKS7-cQSjY8oJZGw.

For more information, please call (336) 401-8400 or visit the health center's Facebook page.

After four years of absenteeism, Republican Shirley Landman is seeking to return to the North Carolina Senate.

Landman applied for the newly formed 36th District Senate on Tuesday and announced plans to seek the office. The seats include some or all of Surrey, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Alexandria counties.

The longtime Republican made subjects familiar to conservatives her top priority.

In her statement announcing her candidacy, she said: "School safety is the top priority. We must demand an end to our most precious resource-our children's indoctrination, including the teaching of'critical racial theory'." "I am right. The unborn child has taken a strong stand and is committed to enacting various anti-abortion legislation. As the Supreme Court considers the possible overturn of the Roe v. Wade case, strong and experienced leadership is needed to resolve North Carolina’s outdated abortion laws .

"I wholeheartedly support our Second Amendment to the Constitution, and I sponsor the legal castle doctrine in North Carolina," she continued. "This legislation protects our Second Amendment’s right to retain and carry weapons, allowing us to protect ourselves, our families and our property. The Second Amendment continues to be attacked, and legislators must be proactive, not reactive. ."

"Castleism" means that a person has the legal right to use lethal force in his home, vehicle or workplace to defend himself without first trying to retreat. In states that do not recognize this doctrine, legally, a person must attempt to retreat before using lethal force.

Landman spent six years in the state Senate. When current Senator Don East died less than two weeks before being re-elected in 2012, she was appointed to the position for the first time. On the weekend before the election, the Republicans let Landman replace East.

After that, she easily won two re-elections until 2018, when the re-election included her and the current Republican President Dianna Ballard in the same newly created 45th Senate district. Ballard won the primaries that spring and continued to win seats in the Senate.

Although Landman lost the primary election, she was still very popular among voters in Wilkes and Surrey counties and easily surpassed Ballard in the primary elections in these two counties. However, her advantages in her hometown are not enough to overcome Ballard's advantages in his hometown, Watoga County, and nearby Ash and Allegheny counties.

Before she entered the Senate, Landman served in the North Carolina House of Representatives for four years. Prior to this, she was the long-term clerk of the Wilkes County Courthouse.

When Landman announced the news this week, she also talked about the needs of the elderly, the recovery of the pandemic, and other issues that she considers high priority.

"Our seniors are going through difficult times, and I have been working hard to ensure that North Carolina does not tax their Social Security benefits," she said. "In addition, I also initiated and promulgated the Elder Abuse Law to prosecute those who use our elderly...

"We must continue to work to restore the post-pandemic economy. With job opportunities, we need to get people back to work. Infrastructure needs are critical to economic development and the creation and retention of jobs. Agribusiness is important to our states and counties. It is very important that we must pass legislation to support and protect our farmers. For example, I helped Senator Brent Jackson pass the "agricultural rights" legislation.

"We must support and do what is necessary to help our public safety officials and medical staff. We want to thank our veterans and those currently serving in our armed forces. We created the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs , But there is more demand at the state and federal levels.

"Drugs and substance abuse are a problem in all communities and are destroying our families and communities. I was able to get 1.4 million US dollars from the General Assembly for a facility-based crisis center that has been built and opened in Wilkes County To meet the mental health and substance abuse needs of Wilkes and surrounding counties."

"During these difficult times, I am honored to be able to serve on the North Carolina Senate. This is an amazing responsibility and I did not take it lightly. In my efforts to improve the efficiency of the government, I have created opportunities for working families, creating jobs and Raising wages is very important to me."

The general election will be held on November 8. If the Republican Party nominates more than one candidate for the seat, the primary election will be held on March 8. As of Tuesday night, no one else has applied for or announced to run for a seat in the 36th District Senate.

Dobson-From 4 to 7 pm on Saturday, the Dobson area will have the opportunity to experience local historical landmarks while celebrating the festival.

This will involve the second holiday trip to Capps Mill Estate. This is an open event for the public with unique decorations, vendors including various artisans, refreshments such as biscuits and hot chocolate, and enjoy a simple Christmas of previous years in a specific environment.

The core of the site is a large mill on the Mitchell River, which dates back to 1827, and there is also a house built in the late 19th century nearby.

"We want to share history," said Christine Blydenburgh, who bought the property in recent years with her husband Joe after looking for a historic home. They now operate Kapps Mill Estate Guest House and Event Center there, a lodging place also provides space for different gatherings.

It is located at 962 Kapps Mill Road off Zephyr Road, west of Dobson.

Blydenburgh said that even though the coronavirus was raging during the first holiday tour last year, more than 200 people participated, many of whom were from Mount Airy.

She added that the owners hope to host a bigger event on Saturday.

"They can visit the house and the factory," Bradenburg said of waiting for the opportunity for attendees.

"There is something new to see," the co-owner added, who explained that some parts that were closed during the 2020 event are now open. "We added a photo display in the pavilion", she mentioned a new attraction.

"This is a free event," Bradenburg emphasized when talking about the Capsmere Manor holiday trip, encouraging visitors to come on Saturdays. "Unless they buy something from a supplier, no money is involved." Most of them are located in old mills.

Various craftsmen will provide what the organizer calls "unique gifts" for purchase.

The original plan called for biscuits and hot chocolate to be enjoyed by the fire pit, but the burning ban imposed across the state due to dry conditions in recent days would prohibit this.

Bledenburg said that during the holiday tourism activities, the warmth of the Christmas season will still be adequately supplied.

John M. Kapp bought the factory around 1843, and its ownership remained in the Kapp family until the middle of the 20th century.

In October 2018, the picturesque waterfall and dam of Caps Mills were frequently visited, but in October 2018 they became victims of Hurricane Michael and were washed away by floods.

Blydenburgh said that this historic site still has a lot to offer.

• According to a report from the city police, a gun was found stolen in a residence in Mount Airy last Friday.

This was caused by breaking into the Wendy Gal Scott home on Austin Avenue, which was not secured at the time. A 637 Smith and Wesson .38 Special pistol, gray, stolen. Its value is US$520.

• Amanda Lee Messick, 39, lives at 212 Bluemont Road, was arrested on felony drug charges last Wednesday and possesses Schedule II controlled substances.

The case was filed through the Surrey County Sheriff’s Office on November 15, when Messick was also accused of possessing drug paraphernalia.

She was detained in the county jail with a security deposit of $500 and is scheduled to appear in the Surrey District Court on January 26.

• Catherine Tiffin Spainhour, 32, from 286 Brewster Lane, was charged with theft and possession of stolen goods after an accident at the local Dollar General store on November 30. The address of the store is not listed.

Spanish Hour admitted in the investigation that she opened a package of feminine hygiene products and stole an item from it. She is scheduled to appear in the district court next Monday.

North Surrey survived West Stokes' late surge, defeating the visiting Wildcats 71-70.

The Greyhounds exploded with 25 points in the third quarter, turning a 1-point halftime lead into a 56-46 game with 8 minutes remaining. West Stokes slowly took the lead until it was 71-68 with 7 seconds left in the game.

The Wildcats came out of the timeout and had a chance to force overtime with a three-pointer. West passes the ball to Keyon Rawley. North's Jahreece Lynch went for a steal but didn't get it, so Rawley rushed to the hoop. To avoid a foul, North Surrey's defense was split when Raleigh dribbled the ball across the three-point line. Realizing that he would not be able to make a foul on the three-point line or have time to find a teammate on the three-point line, Rawley completed a layup, hoping to foul North with some time left in the game. However, the time came and the Hounds won.

With the defeat of the former West Piedmont 2A conference opponent on Tuesday, North Surrey improved the score to 3-0. North's 71 points is the fourth time since 2005 that the Hounds have dropped by at least 70 points against the Wildcats. Before Tuesday, the last performance of more than 70 points appeared in 2017, when North Surrey scored 92 points in the Divisional Championship defeat to West.

The first half of the game between the Greyhounds and the Wildcats was intense. North broke the 2-2 tie with a 9-0 score. Colby Watson made two three-pointers and both received assists from Jaris Lynch. West Stokes guard Keyon Rawley and forward Bryson Bowman dug the Cats out of the hole and tied the score 12-12. James McCreary hit back to back to give North a 17-12 lead, but this advantage was reduced to a point at the end of the quarter.

The lead changed hands eight times in the second quarter alone. North Surrey hit a jumper and relied on steals, while the larger Wildcats hit the ball inside and caused a foul. Bowman and James Spain were a force on the visitors' offensive rebounds at the hour, but the Greyhounds' steals — including a pair of blocks by Cameron Taylor — balanced it.

Both teams scored 14 points in the second quarter, allowing the Greyhounds to maintain a one-point lead at halftime.

North struggled to refuse to enter the pass in the third quarter, which allowed the Wildcats to temporarily leave the scoreboard. The Greyhounds also knocked down the first three three-pointers, and McCreary, Taylor and Watson all shot from deep.

At 42-39, the Hounds took the first double-digit lead of the night with a score of 10-0. McCreary and 1 jumper ended the game, driving the Dawg Pound student team crazy.

Matt Allen tried to get the Wildcats back into the game with 9 points in the fourth quarter. In the last eight minutes of the game, he and Raleigh alone defeated North Surrey by a score of 17-15.

North ended a shooting drought with three back-to-back victories by McCreary and Machiyone Woodbury. The Greyhounds extended their lead to 70-61 with free throws. West fought back 9-1 in the last minute of the game, but only scored two points on the last shot, leaving the Wildcats one point away from overtime.

The Greyhounds started 3-0 for the third time in the past three seasons. North Surrey defeated Allegheny 66-35 to start the season, then went to Bishop McGuinness and defeated the villain 76-72.

North Surry will open the Foothills 2A conference at Wilkes Center (2-3) on December 10. The Greyhounds returned home on December 14 against East Surrey (1-0).

WSHS: Bryson Bowman 26, Kiyon Raleigh 17, Matt Allen 11, James Spanish Hour 11, Taylor Moran 3, Cam Edmonds 2

NSHS: James McCreary 21, Jahreece Lynch 16, Kolby Watson 15, Makiyon Woodbury 8, Cameron Taylor 6, Kam McKnight 5

Surrey County tennis players have recently been recognized as one of the best tennis players in the state.

The North Carolina High School Tennis Coaches Association (NCHSTCA) honored players from East Surrey and Mount Airy Statewide teams, and also ranked the Cardinals and Bears in the year-end voting. The players at the Surrey Center are recognized in the entire district team.

HighSchoolOT also named a statewide team and announced the final team rankings, but they are not divided into departments like NCHSTCA.

HighSchoolOT's awards include not only student athletes in all four public school categories in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), but also private schools and home schools in the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA).

There were no Surrey County teams in HighSchoolOT’s pre-season survey, but two teams were included in the year-end survey.

Mount Airy ranked 9th in HighSchoolOT's year-end voting, making the Lady Bears the highest ranked 1A team in the Western Conference. In the Western or Eastern preseason voting, the only 1A team is Bishop McGuinness. The Bears defeated the villain 5-2 in the double group 1A Western Conference Finals.

Mount Airy ended the year 22-0 and won the Northwest 1A Conference Championship, the Western Region Championship and the 1A State Championship. The Granite Bears players won the individual state championships, but will be described in detail later.

The only local player to win honors in the HighSchoolOT statewide team is East Surrey junior Tara Martin. Martin, who was selected as the honorary award, ended the season with a 15-0 singles record and was named the foothills 2A player of the year

Martin ended the year 20-2 in doubles. She and Evelyn Ruedisueli (Evelyn Ruedisueli) won the FH2A Divisional Doubles Championship. The two went on to finish runner-up in the 2A Midwest Regional Championship and entered the semifinals of the 2A State Doubles Championship, but ultimately lost to State runner-up.

Starting from the team's honor, NCHSTCA publishes the opinion polls of the top 10 teams in each public school department every week starting from the preseason. Mount Airy ranked 3rd in the 1A pre-season survey, while East Surry and Surry Central were not ranked in the 2A survey.

Mount Airy's ranking has changed only once throughout the season. The Bears jumped to No. 1 in the second week and maintained it until the end of the season by winning the double-team state championship.

Surry Central has never been in the top 10 of the 2A poll, but it only ranked outside the top 10 in the second and third weeks. The Golden Eagles continued to finish second in the FH2A conference and were one of 16 teams selected from 2A West to participate in the state playoffs. The central government ended the year 9-4.

East Surrey did not rank in Division 2A before his debut in Week 9. The Cardinals fell to No. 10 in the sixth week, then returned to No. 9 the following week, and remained there for the rest of the regular season. East Surrey ranked 8th in the final 2A poll of the season and finished 11-4.

Individually, five county athletes were named statewide for their respective classifications, and the other two received regional honors.

Surry Central's Rachel Carter and Ellen Bryant were both selected to the 12-man Midwest 2A All-Region team. The duo played as the Eagles' top two seeded teams throughout the year. Carter ranked first, Kobe ranked second, and also joined forces to become the top doubles team of the Surrey Central team.

Carter ended the regular season in singles 9-3, and Kobe ended 7-5. Carter and Kobe finished 14-5 as a doubles team. The duo finished runner-up in the FH2A conference, finished fourth in the Midwest Regional Championship, and qualified for the 2A State Doubles Championship.

All of Carter and Kobe's doubles losses were lost to the state qualifiers, one of which was lost to the undefeated state championship team, and three to the team that reached the state semifinals.

East Surry's Martin and Ruedisueli are both selected for the NCHSTCA 2A statewide team. The duo were also selected for the 1A statewide team in the 2020-21 season.

Martin's resume is outlined above. Rudy Sully spent the year in singles as the No. 2 seed in East Surrey and ended the regular season with 8 wins and 4 losses. She finished the doubles with a 10-1 record in the regular season, and then won the FH2A league championship with Martin.

Martin and Rudy Sully reached the 2A doubles semifinals with a record of 17-2. Both of their doubles matches were lost to the teams that reached the semi-finals of the 2A State Championship.

Mount Airy has three local teams and is the most drafted team in the state. Mount Airy is also the only 1A school with three statewide options.

Carrie Marion, Ella Brant and Kancie Tate have been the top three seeds in the Bears' singles all year.

Marion, ranked number one, ended the year with a score of 18-3, and Brandt, ranked second, ended the year with a score of 20-1. Since the Bears won the state championship, neither player lost the NCHSAA Double Team Championship.

As a team, Marion and Brandt's only two losses were losses to the team that entered the state semifinals of the 2A State Championship. The two led 15-2 in the duo competition, won the NW1A conference doubles championship with a 3-0 record, won the 1A Western Region Championship with a 4-0 record, and then won the 1A State Championship with a 3-3-0 record.

Marion was named the NW1A League Player of the Year, and Brandt was named the MVP of the Two-Team State Championship.

As Mount Airy's No. 3 seed, Tate ended 21-0 in the duo match. She won the NW1A conference singles championship and is eligible to participate in the regional competitions. Tate reached the state semifinals and qualified for the 1A state singles championship 2-2.

Tate reached the semifinals with a 1-1 record in the individual state championship.

In the doubles, Tate and his partner Charlotte Hauser (Charlotte Hauser) ended the game 18-0.

The Surrey County Committee held its last regular meeting of the year on Monday, which was a changing of the guard when they elected new officials. Commissioner Bill Goins (Bill Goins) moved to the chair, and the board of directors elects Commissioner Eddie Harris (Eddie Harris) as vice chairman.

As with the practice of this committee, there is a rotating schedule of officials, in which the person who does not have the chairperson is selected as the chairperson, and the vice-chairperson is deleted from the chairperson.

According to Commissioner Van Tucker, the rotation format can increase transparency and eliminate the appearance of any small factions running on the board. He said that the rotation of officials can generate more and better ideas, as well as new voices in the committee.

Having a publicly functioning county committee is a huge benefit for the citizens of this county, because these officials are overseeing a huge annual budget of close to $80 million.

The outgoing chairman Mark Marion thanked the board and county staff for their hard work during his tenure. After a short break in the meeting of moving name tags and taking pictures, the committee took a seat and chaired by Chairman Bill Goens.

In other committee news:

-Introduced to the local Eagle Scouts in recognition of their highest level of honor in Scouting. As Chairman of Eagle Scout, Chairman Goins took the time to talk about the great honour of reaching Eagle and pointed out that people have noticed Eagle Scouts, and the title is still meaningful.

Although not all Eagle Scouts can participate in the meeting, everyone deserves respect, and the committee celebrated the achievements of the following individuals: Garyn Bender, Nicholas Bryant, and Alexander Kaufhold. The committee also extended congratulations and best wishes to Eagle Scouts Joshua Joyce, Ethan Faw, Chase Harris, Skylar Lawson and Jacob Haywood.

-Joan Sherif, Director of the Northwest Territories Library, talked about the state of the library system. Sherif reported on the strong circulation of the entire system and said that although the flow of people may have declined, they showed an increase in the use of online resources.

The Northwest Territories Library has 13 libraries, and she reported that the system's book circulation has increased by 10%. "It's always nice to see this. People say, "Are people still reading? "I think the answer is yes."

"The library is as important as ever," Sharif said. "They are part of education for all ages." The system uses grants from the Emergency Connect Fund to purchase Chromebooks and hotspots to help bridge the digital divide, as evidenced by this. A Chromebook is a streamlined tablet device that is mainly used for web-based services such as browsing, and does not have an advanced processor for graphics or games.

Anna Nichols from Pilot Mountain and Sherif outlined the changes and improvements of the regional system, such as Lowgap now has Saturday time, or Pilot Mountain where there is a makerspace for business development activities. Nichols explained: “We are trying to find small niches and provide help in small ways that become a big deal.”

-Commissioner Tucker provided an update on his attempt to relocate the World War II Memorial, the old school bell and track and field memorabilia from the Old Westfield School. He is in contact with local church groups, trying to find the best habitat for these "close at hand" cultural relics.

-Commissioner Larry Johnson asked specific questions about important issues he wanted to see. The issues surrounding Jones’ school property are his biggest concern, and county manager Chris Knopf said that the board’s choice has been outlined and is unlikely to change. Knoff said that at this time it was in the hands of the committee members.

"This issue is complex and wide-ranging," Commissioner Harris said. The board decided that the Jones issue requires its own retreat meeting. "We need to treat it fairly," he said.

Commissioner Johnson also investigated the county's participation in PART (Regional Transportation Committee that manages commuter bus routes). The board of directors had been uncertain in previous meetings whether the number of passengers justified further participation in PART. Johnson asked how Surrey County could get rid of the agreement.

There is no clear way to remove a county from a multi-county agreement. County Attorney Ed Woltz requested and obtained permission to speak with PART attorney Tom Terrell. "He has the best feeling about how to solve this problem...even if it may not be very desirable" for PART.

Johnson finally asked when the committee could use funds from the US rescue plan. Knopf reported that he would be happy to put ARP spending back on the agenda for discussion in January.

-The county manager Knopf reminded the committee members that at their next meeting, they will vote on part of the matching funds for the expansion of the Surry Rural Health Center on Highway 89. Dr. Challie Minton has stated that he will seek to expand and agrees with Commissioner Marion that this is necessary. "They develop so fast; they burst at the seams over there."

In the last business of the evening, Knopf submitted a funding request to the board of directors to recover part of the expenses incurred by the residents of Toast in cleaning up the nuisance property. Several board members stated that they were aware of the faulty property west of the Old Franklin Fire Station on Toast Road.

Commissioner Harris said that Doug Hall of the Surrey County Code Management Department considered this to be one of the most serious "problem properties." Community members organize and assemble heavy equipment on their own to solve their ongoing problems. They removed 22.4 tons of rubbish from the property, which has been a problem of squatters.

The committee members would like to thank the residents of Toast for their hard work and unanimously voted to pay the $1,007.55 cost of dumping garbage. Even Tucker, who is financially conservative, voted on the board: "I think if we can spend a thousand dollars to get rid of this mess, he will be happy to do it."

© 2018 Airy Mountain News