COVID-19 cases have been on the rise locally in recent weeks, but at least one local healthcare professional said it does not appear as if another new wave of infections are hitting this area.

“We are beginning to see a slight increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19,” said Maggie Simmons, assistant health director for the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center. “Surry County has an 11% positivity rate which appears to also be on a slightly upward pattern. Even though our numbers are slowly climbing, we can’t assume that we are experiencing another wave,” she said Monday.

In Surry County, there have been 154 new cases reported over the previous seven days, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. That puts the daily average at slightly more than 22.

Over the previous 14 days, the county has seen 373 new cases, or nearly 27 a day. On Tuesday, just 10 new cases had been reported. Overall, since the pandemic began, 237 people in Surry County have died from the sickness.

While the numbers have not been climbing dramatically — and even may be trending downward in recent days — cases requiring more advanced health care intervention have kept officials at Northern Regional Hospital busy.

As of Monday, the hospital’s intensive care unit, with 10 beds, and its 12-bed step-down unit, for patients whose condition is not generally quite as severe as ICU patients, were both full. Eight of the ICU beds were filled with coronavirus patients, as were three of the step-down unit beds, according to Robin Hodgin, senior vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer.

In an email, Hodgin said there were no flu patients in either unit.

“We have averaged 26 COVID inpatients over the last couple of weeks with numbers being down over the Thanksgiving holiday,” she said. On Monday, the hospital had 20 COVID patients. Of those requiring hospitalization, she said 70% are not vaccinated against the virus.

She added that the hospital’s emergency department remains quite busy, with longer-than-usual wait times for patients needing to be seen, and those who are admitted may find themselves remaining in the emergency department care longer than would be ideal.

“As often happens when patient censuses are high, not just in our facility but tertiary facilities down the road, some patients are cared for longer in our Emergency Department while they wait for the appropriate level of bed to become available at Northern or, if the patient requires a higher level of care, they may have to wait for a bed to open up at one of the larger medical centers,” she said.

Simmons, from the nutrition center, said the advice for those hoping to avoid COVID is the same as it has been for months.

“Vaccination remains as our number one defense against COVID-19,” she said. Simmons said 49% of the population of Surry County is fully vaccinated, with 52% having at least one dose. “Surry County Health and Nutrition Center has administered a total of 38,543 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with approximately 4,000 of those being booster doses,” she said. Her department does not compile statistics on how many local cases are among vaccinated or unvaccinated patients.

“We would once again like to encourage Surry County residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Surry County Health and Nutrition Center is offering all three brands of vaccine and booster doses to those who are eligible. We accept walk-ins Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., but those wishing to make an appointment may do so by calling 336-401-8400,” she said.

She said there are some simple steps to slow the spread of the virus:

– Protect those not yet eligible for vaccination such as young children by getting yourself and other eligible people around them vaccinated;

– Wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth if you are in public indoor settings. Even those who are fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks until Surry County is no longer experiencing substantial to high community transmission;

– Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces;

– Don’t host or attend gatherings if you are sick or have symptoms;

– Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

Seventh graders study the Age of Exploration

Fire on the mountain: day 5

Surry County recorded its first COVID-19 death on Friday, then saw its total confirmed virus case jump from 13 to 17 on Saturday. The person died early Friday “from complications associated with the virus,” according […]

For the third time in a seven-day period, a Surry County resident has died as a result of complications related to COVID-19.

Similar to the growing season that fuels its existence, a farmer market reflects an evolutionary process each year — emerging slowly and eventually sprouting into huge bounties of fresh produce.

First Lego League clubs have become prominent in Surry County with local schools making it to regional and state championships.

First Lego League, or FLL, is a club that allows students to participate in the creation of a Lego robot. They learn technical skills, how to code, and the wide array of steps it takes to build a functioning robot.

These robots that the students build compete at local competitions in hopes to advance to regionals. After the regional competition they compete at the state level for top prize.

The competitions are split up into four areas. The students and their robots are judged on these.

In early 2012, Dr. Ashley Hinson, then the superintendent of Surry County Schools, was contacted by Sam McCormick and Joe Kromer about starting a Lego league in Surry County.

With the help of sponsors such as Insteel Industries, SouthData, Northern Regional Hospital, Renfro Brands, NCFI, and Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, this was able to become a reality.

Dr. Hinson soon contacted Dr. Greg Little, who at that time was superintendent of Mount Airy City Schools. They joined forces to offer this new opportunity to both school systems.

In March of 2012, the first Surry County Lego teams were created.

Since 2012, the number of students participating has grown with there being 150 kids in Surry County on a Lego team.

“Mount Airy Middle School consistently has two Lego teams compete,” says School Counselor and Lego Team volunteer, Kelly Anders.

Technology teacher and faithful parent volunteer, Rick Haynes, plays a pivotal role on the Lego team. Haynes assists the students with building their robots as well as coding their robots.

Austin Taylor and Kelly Anders assist in creating projects that the kids take to tournaments.

This year there were two teams at Mount Airy Middle School, the Postal Bots, and the Kargo Kids. they were tasked with finding solutions to cargo issues in our community.

The Kargo Kids won “Best Robot Design” at this year’s Surry County Lego League Competition.

“Both teams went to Regionals and were in the running to go to States but unfortunately fell short,” said Anders.

The Kargo Kids will be an alternate for the upcoming state competition.

Mount Airy Middle School has had plenty of success in the past winning multiple awards in Surry County Competitions as well as Regionals. They have been Design Champs multiple times as well as winning a handful of Innovation awards, Judges Awards, and Robot Runs.

Mount Airy Middle School also went to states during the 2019-2020 school year.

“The FLL (First Lego League) competition allows our students to authentically engage in team building and real-world problem solving. The experience that these students are given builds leadership skills in a dynamic fashion,” said Principal of Mount Airy Middle School Levi Goins.

FLL teams are evaluated in four areas. Innovative Project, Robot Design, Core Values, and Robot Run.

For Innovative Project a theme is given each year. This year’s theme was “Cargo Connect.”

Teams had to prepare a five-minute presentation using the following elements that revolved around how we transport goods.

Identify and research a problem to solve within cargo transport. Design a solution that helps others or your community. Create a model or prototype of your solution. Share your ideas, collect feedback, and iterate on your solution. Then, this solution is communicated at a competition.

The Ice Cream Scoopers from Pilot Mountain Middle School were the Innovative Project Champion at this year’s Surry County competition.

Robot Design is another five-minute presentation given by students. They are tasked with identifying a mission strategy and designing and programming the robot to accomplish different tasks. The robot must be built with Legos and be coded to find a solution to their mission strategy.

The Kargo Kids from Mount Airy Middle School were the Robot Design Champions at this year’s Surry County competition.

The Core Values award is given to the team who exhibits the core values of FLL during all their presentations and during the Robot Games.

The core values include applying teamwork and discovery to explore a challenge, innovate with new ideas about your robot and project, show how your team and your solutions will have an impact, and having fun in everything you do.

The CMS Fury from Central Middle School were the Core Values Champions this year at the Surry County competition.

Robot Game is the last of the four events. Teams are to build and program a Lego robot to accomplish various missions on the robot game table. Teams have two and a half minutes to complete as many missions as possible.

The CyberElks from Elkin Middle School were the Robot Game Champion at this year’s Surry County Competition.

Several Surry County Schools have made it to State level competitions.

Gentry Middle School currently still has two teams in the competition and will compete at States in January.

Pilot Mountain Middle School has one team acting as an alternate in the Greensboro Qualifier Event.

A Mount Airy church is finding itself high and dry with plans to build in a new location that lacks all-important access to municipal water and sewer service.

At a recent council meeting, city Public Works Director Mitch Williams described that site along U.S. 52 at the southern edge of town as being in “No Man’s Land” for purposes of such utility availability.

However, Refuge City Church might at least take some solace in the fact it is not alone in being cut off from easy access to those services, based on an investigation by Williams into the situation surrounding the church and other property owners.

Williams displayed a map during his Dec. 16 presentation at a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting showing sections all around town with either no public water or sewer access — including some without both.

Roughly 140 parcels lack sewer availability alone, he said.

Most cases involve open land being developed over the years with adjoining portions behind property lines left vacant and effectively cut off from access.

That is the predicament facing Refuge City Church, which owns 4.18 acres along the northbound portion of South Andy Griffith Parkway (U.S. 52) west of Newsome Street, about a quarter-mile north of the Chili Verdi restaurant.

“For whatever the reason that property was cut out,” Williams said of it being isolated from existing connection points. “It’s sort of a mystery.”

The church with about 100 members now rents space in a small shopping center on South Main Street. The triangular-shaped land along U.S. 52 was donated to Refuge Ministry Inc. and it has intended to construct a new facility there — until encountering the utility-access roadblock.

Andrew Bullins, a co-pastor of Refuge City Church, had appeared at an earlier, Dec. 2 council meeting to request the city water/sewer service, which sparked the research by the public works director into the utility issue.

Williams reported back on Dec. 16 that the cost of extending a 1,300-foot 8-inch water line to the site from the Newsome Street intersection along the U.S. 52 right of way and an 8-inch sewer line would total $302,520.

City officials bristled at that sum.

“It’s a lot of money,” Mayor Ron Niland said of the cost to serve a relatively small user. Niland also gained an assurance from City Attorney Hugh Campbell that there is no legal requirement for the municipality to supply the lines under its policy or past precedent.

This counters the assumption by some that being inside the city limits guarantees utility access.

In pointing out that not funding the line extension would be consistent with actions of the past, Niland said the Refuge City Church request boils down to a board decision.

And the commissioners seemed unanimous in their objections to the project.

“I don’t think it’s our responsibility to do that,” the board’s Jon Cawley said of furnishing water and sewer service to a landlocked site. “Our responsibility was to get it to the property before it was divided — and we did.”

The city government must be able to justify such costs, according to Cawley, who said, for example, that if was a matter of serving a building that would hire 300 people, the municipality eventually would recoup its outlay.

“We are under oath up here to take care of city funds.”

”The economics don’t make it work,” Niland concurred regarding the prospects of serving the church.

“As it is now, I don’t see how we can fund it,” said Commissioner Marie Wood.

“I agree with Marie — $300,000 is just not feasible,” fellow board member Tom Koch remarked.

The request from the church essentially was denied by consensus.

“It sounds right now that it’s 5-0 not to do that,” Commissioner Steve Yokeley said of approval.

“I guess what I’m hearing is a reluctance by the city,” the mayor said in summarizing the discussion.

However, Mount Airy officials were sympathetic to the church’s plight.

“Sorry we couldn’t give you the answer you wanted,” Niland told Bullins, seated in the audience. “We know your heart’s in the right place.”

Williams, the public works director, mentioned that Refuge City Church likely could address the sewer need by installing a septic tank on its property.

But the water service can’t be supplied through the usual alternative of digging a well, which would not provide enough pressure to suppress a fire in the building as would hydrants on the city system.

Suggestions including possibly getting a neighboring property owner to allow access for the extensions emerged during the meeting.

An extension project through nearby apartments was ruled out because of the major disruption Williams said this would cause there.

Mayor Niland also told Bullins that Refuge City Church might consider selling its parcel along U.S. 52 and using the proceeds to buy property elsewhere for the new facility.

The co-pastor replied that he believes it was God’s will for the church to have the land.

The Surry Arts Council will be celebrating Christmas the old-time way with the Blue Ridge Mountain holiday musical tradition “Breaking Up Christmas” on Saturday, January 1, at 7:00 p.m. at the Historic Earle Theatre, 142 North Main Street in Mount Airy.

The dance will feature live music from Backstep, featuring Chester McMillian on guitar, Nick McMillian on bass, Michael Motley playing banjo, and Mac Traynham on the fiddle.

This Christmas tradition takes its name from music and dance celebrations in this area, where residents used to “Break up Christmas.” The celebration included two weeks of nightly house parties that were filled with music. Each night musicians would announce the location of the following night’s celebration. The hosts would move all the furniture to make room for dancing.

“They’d go from house to house almost – have a dance at one house, then go off to the next one the following night and all such as that. The week before Christmas and the week after, that’s when the big time was,” Lawrence Bolt a fiddler from Galax has said of the celebration.

“They’d play a tune called ‘Breakin’ Up Christmas’, that was the last dance they’d have on Christmas, they’d have Wallace Spanger play Breakin’ Up Christmas. There’s an old feller by the name of Bozwell, he’d cry every time.”

A song and an event that still evoke memories is just the reason for having the dance at the Historic Earle Theatre again this year. “Maintaining area traditional music and old-time traditions remains important to the Surry Arts Council, especially during these continued challenging times,” said Tanya Jones the Surry Arts Council’s Executive Director.

Beyond maintaining the connection to the traditions of the past, the dance is a terrific opportunity to cut loose. “It’s a great chance for folks to get out and dance or just listen and tap their feet,” Jones suggested.

Tommy Jarrell and numerous other local musicians recorded the tune “Breaking Up” Christmas.” The popular lyrics are –

“Hoo-ray Jake and Hoo-ray John

Breakin’ UP Christmas all night long.

Way back yonder a long time ago

The old folks danced the do-si-do,

Way down yonder alongside the creek

I seen Santy Claus washin’ his feet.

Santa Claus come, done and gone,

Breaking up Christmas right along…”

Backstep, an award-winning old-time band, performs old-time string band music in the “Round Peak Style.” Known for its driving rhythms and prominent melodies, Round Peak music is just the thing to make you kick up your heels and dance. In 2004, Backstep won first prize at both the Fiddler’s Grove fiddler’s convention and the Mount Airy Fiddler’s Convention.

Chester McMillian, one of the founders of the band, was born in Carroll County, Virginia, into a musical family and community. He has played traditional Old-time Round Peak style music since childhood. Chester is the recipient of the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award.

Chester played guitar with Tommy Jarrell for fifteen years, and he developed his guitar style specifically to play with Tommy. He has also played and recorded with Dix Freeman, Kirk Sutphin, and Greg Hooven, with whom he founded Backstep.

Nick McMillian, Chester’s son, was raised in the Round Peak community surrounded by music. He is truly of the tradition, bringing a whole family history into his banjo, fiddle and bass playing. Nick’s musical mentors include Fred Cockerham, his grandfather Dix Freeman, and of course, his father Chester McMillian.

Michael Motley plays banjo with the band and is well-known for his old-time banjo and his dancing. Mac Traynham, an award-winning master, is an advocate for the traditional ‘sound’ of old-time music and is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in Clawhammer banjo and old-time fiddle in a style that attracts flatfoot dancers. He has worked with numerous old-time bands playing for local community events, and has performed for audiences in the UK, Denmark, and Australia over the past eight years.

Come and join the Surry Arts Council and Backstep as they continue a tradition only found right here. For those who cannot attend or for whom curiosity will not allow them to wait, please find a link to a recording of Tommy Jarrell and string band, at the Edwards-Franklin House during the annual Sonker Festival, July, 1983: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGg2gUgkT0

Tickets are $10 General Admission, and can be purchased online at www.surryarts.org, at the Surry Arts Council office (336) 786-7998, 218 Rockford St, Mount Airy, NC, or at the door one hour before the show.

The celebration of the new year will be accompanied by changes in garbage-collection schedules for the city of Mount Airy.

This includes no commercial collections next Monday, although these will operate under the normal schedule on Friday, New Year’s Eve.

The Friday residential routes also are to be serviced as usual.

However, no yard-waste pickups will occur next Monday.

City offices are scheduled to be closed Friday in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday.

• Shamal Niqual Cox, 25, of 152 Sheets Lane Trail, No. 10, was charged with second-degree trespassing on Dec. 17 while at Dollar General on North Renfro Street, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Cox, who had been banned from that property by a store manager, is facing a Jan. 24 appearance in Surry District Court.

• The Circle K convenience store on Rockford Street was the scene of a larceny on Dec. 16, when two 18-packs of Natural Light beer valued at $26 were taken by an unknown suspect.

• Donna Kirby Martin, 61, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was charged with second-degree trespassing on Dec. 15 stemming from an incident at the residence of Cynthia Kirby on Inglebrook Trail where officers responded to a civil disturbance call.

Martin had been asked to leave the property by Kirby but refused and was arrested, police records state. She was released under a $500 unsecured bond to appear in District Court next Monday.

As the final days of 2021 wind down, unseasonably warm weather will continue in this area — offering what some people might consider a final holiday gift in the form of lower heating costs.

This has been accompanied by high temperatures in the 70s, including during the weekend when any thought of a white Christmas was limited to a distant memory from the past.

While heat records were shattered in some parts of the nation, that did not happen in Mount Airy — but came close, according to figures from F.G. Doggett Water Plant, the city’s official weather-monitoring station.

The mercury hit 71 here on Christmas Day, which flirted with the local record for Dec. 25, a 75-degree reading in 1984.

It was even warmer on Sunday, when a temperature of 72 was logged at the water plant. But that mark also fell short of the all-time high locally for Dec. 26 — another 75-degree record established in 1990. Weather statistics have been kept in Mount Airy since 1924.

After a slight cooldown on Monday, the unseasonable warmth made its return on Tuesday, when highs in the mid-60s occurred.

And temps in the lower 70s are forecast in Surry County both today and Thursday, before dropping to the mid-60s on Friday and also New Year’s Day on Saturday.

The reason for this phenomenon involves another battle of North versus South.

“It’s basically because the jet stream’s pretty far north,” explained meteorologist Ken Kostura of the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, the local forecast office for areas of North Carolina including Mount Airy.

Jet streams are narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere, which follow boundaries between hot and cold air.

“And our prevailing flow is from the Southwest,” Kostura added, which means continued warmer conditions for the foreseeable future.

“Actually, it’s going to stay that way for the rest of the week,” the meteorologist said.

A gradual return toward normalcy will unfold Sunday when a high in the upper 50s is anticipated.

“That’s still pretty warm for this time of year,” Kostura said.

To put that into perspective, just four short years ago — in 2017 — the mercury plunged to 15 degrees on both Dec. 28-29, according to figures from F.G. Doggett Water Plant.

The Student Government Association at Mount Airy High School hosted its third annual Holiday Toy Drive from Nov. 1- Dec. 17. The donations were collected at decorated Toy Drive boxes around the school and during home football and basketball games.

More toys were collected this year than ever before.

“Student Government decided to hold a toy drive this year to help those less fortunate in our community,” said student body president Calissa Watson. “There are many kids who may not receive Christmas presents this year and as students, we can help create smiles and joy on Christmas morning. The toy drive allows students to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and it is a blessing knowing that you will impact countless children this Christmas season.”

In addition to toys, the Student Government Association was busy collecting canned food as well. The food drive was for students in need, as well as for the Mount Airy High School community outreach program led by Polly Long. SGA leaders had the idea to incentivize the food drive and give the students a chance to “vote” with cans of food to see a particular staff member dress up as a Christmas elf.

On Tuesday, Dec. 21, students were rewarded with a visit from School Resource Officer Garrett Chamberlain and English teacher Shelli Owens, dressed as elves. Noah Khuri, senior class vice president, said, “Our community does so much to support everything that Mount Airy High School has to offer its students; this food drive is the very least we can do to give back to the community.”

Cadet SSG Owen Hughes was recently chosen as the East Surry High School JROTC Cadet of the Semester.

His appointment came after a competition between several cadets at the school. In order to qualify for the competition, all those cadets wishing to take part were required to maintain an “A” average over the semester leading up to the competition.

The competing cadets were graded on military bearing, appearance, and execution of drill. Each cadet was asked a maximum of 10 questions. They were all scored on how well each individual answered the question and how well they executed their drill movements.

The panel judging the cadets was made up by Cadet Command Sergeant Major Dylan Myeres, Cadet Major Maria Chilton, Cadet Second Lieutenant Kallie Orosz, Cadet Captain Nathaniel Pack and Cadet Captain Travis Watson.

Owen will receive a promotion to the next highest rank and all the cadets who participated earned a ribbon to display on their dress uniform.

N.C Farm Bureau is celebrating a milestone anniversary with one of its employees.

“We would like to congratulate Laura Sumner for being with the Surry County office for five years,” the company said last week. “Laura is not a newcomer to Farm Bureau by any means as she has been with the company for 13 years. We are very proud to have her as a Surry County North Carolina Farm Bureau associate agent.

“We at N.C Farm Bureau are very proud of our Surry County staff. With a combined 49 years’ experience, Lance Leftwich, Sally Bryant-Whitaker and Laura Sumner strive to bring you the very best in customer service for your home, car, life and health insurance needs. In addition, they can help you with auto and equipment loans along with help with credit cards,” the company said.

Shay Smith has joined the staff at Scenic Automotive Group.

“Shay has been selling vehicles for several years and brings a wealth of knowledge to Scenic,” the company said in announcing his hiring.

In addition to his work with Scenic, Smith has a number of hobbies and interests.

“Shay is an avid fisherman and his favorite sport is baseball,” the firm said. “Shay’s family is very important to him. He has two sisters, one brother, and two nephews and loves spending time with them all.

“Join us in wishing him the best of luck and stop by to see him if you are in the market for a vehicle,” the company said.

Six non-profit organizations in Surry County have been awarded Grassroots Arts Program Subgrants. The Surry Arts Council will award the winning organizations in the upcoming year. The grants provide funding for quality arts programming within the local community, including multicultural events, with $10,526 being awarded overall.

A committee of six panel members was hosted by the Surry Arts Council to discuss the grants in mid-December. Members of the subgrant committee included Surry Arts Council board members Terri Champney, Swanson Snow, and Lenise Lynch as well as other representatives in the community including Kelly Merritt, Kathy Pruett, Jody Crawford and Heather Elliott. The Surry Arts Council Board of Directors approved the committee’s recommendation to fully fund all six projects at its December meeting.

The African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County received $3,500 for artist fees to offer African drumming and traditional African dance workshops to the community at no charge. Mount Airy Downtown Business Association received $1,000 for artist fees and marketing associated with Mayberry Farm Fest. The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History was awarded $1,100 for artist fees to offer traditional Mexican dance workshops and a Cinco de Mayo celebration with traditional Mexican dance, related crafts and a historical presentation by the Lam Museum of Anthropology.

The Mount Airy Photography Club received $1,000 for artists fees to bring a professional photographer for a community workshop and presentation. The Round Peak School of Music was awarded $1,000 for artist fees to offer a community program which will consist of traditional Appalachian music taught by local old-time masters. Veterans Memorial Park Inc. was awarded $2,962 to assist with artist fees for free workshops, jams, and demonstrations prior to the Mount Airy Fiddler’s Convention. The six projects will enrich the lives of thousands of adults and children in and around Surry County.

Since 1977, the N.C. Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided North Carolina citizens access to quality arts experiences. The program distributes funds for the arts in all 100 counties of the state primarily through partnerships with local arts councils. Surry Arts Council is the designated county partner in Surry County and manages the funds received from the N.C. Art’s Council Grassroots Arts Program. The Surry Arts Council subgrants 50% of the funding received from the Grassroots Arts Program to county agencies that provide arts programming.

For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org.

It’s that time again: when nominations are being sought for the Greater Mount Airy Sports Hall of Fame.

It recognizes persons whose athletic careers throughout the decades have brought recognition to them as individuals and the community by their involvement. They also must have contributed to the promotion and success of sports in the area by their actions.

Names of potential inductees are being solicited from the public through an application process in which nomination forms must be completed and postmarked by Jan. 31. It is headed by Mount Airy Parks and Recreation.

“Mount Airy accepts nominees every two years (even years),” explained Parks and Recreation Director Darren Lewis, who presently also is serving as interim city manager.

That biennial process has been in place since 2016.

“We induct five total individuals each year,” Lewis added regarding the periods in which the program runs, which includes four for the sports hall of fame and one Granite City Award winner. The latter goes to someone who has contributed to the promotion of sports in the community other than as an athlete, coach or administrator.

The selections are made by a city Hall of Fame Committee, with the latest class to be announced early next year.

To date more than 80 individuals or teams had been inducted into the hall, since its first class in 2003, and their names engraved on a monument on the grounds of the Municipal Building as a lasting tribute.

The last inductees in 2020 included Kirsten Parries, Matus Kriska, Tyler Hull, Jordan Hiatt and the person tapped for the Granite City Award, Scott Graham, who was honored posthumously.

To avoid duplication, persons in making a nomination can consult a list of pre-2020 inductees at https://www.mountairy.org/DocumentCenter/View/1169/SportsHallOfFameInductees?bidId=

The defined area of the Greater Mount Airy Sports Hall of Fame covers the city limits of Mount Airy, inclusive of the Mount Airy City Schools District and the one-mile extraterritorial (ETJ) zone long in place for areas just outside town.

It is open to nominees who’ve played a role in the entire sports history of the area, either living or deceased.

If being recognized as a coach, administrator, referee, umpire or other official in a sports program in the defined area, and still active in their craft, the nominee must have been involved as one of these individuals for a minimum of 25 years.

Inductees are required to be of good character and reputation, and must have upheld the ideals of good sportsmanship and been a resident of the defined area by birth or relocation.

In order to be elected to membership, a nominee may receive no more than one dissenting vote from the selection committee.

Information that can be submitted about nominees includes scrapbooks, which will be returned at the end of the application process, with those making applications asked to attach as much detail as possible.

Nomination forms are available at Reeves Community Center, City Hall and Mount Airy High School.

The completed applications can be sent by the application deadline to Parks and Recreation Director Darren Lewis, City of Mount Airy, P.O. Box 1232, Mount Airy, NC, 27030, or emailed to dlewis@mountairy.org

A local minority organization is mounting a campaign to buy the former Jones School property in Mount Airy in order to ensure its ownership by those who shaped the rich history of the campus.

“We as a group of the African-American community believe we should have all rights to that building,” LaShene Lowe said Thursday of the facility that operated as an exclusively black school during the last century.

It has been declared surplus property and put up for sale to the highest bidder.

Lowe, who is president of the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County, pointed out that Jones was the only high school open to those students in the county. And the land it sits on was donated by Bob Dyson, an African-American, she said.

In addition, the school was named for John Jarvis Jones, a pioneering black educator who moved to Mount Airy in 1914.

The campus located on Jones School Road in the northern part of the city opened in 1936 and dispatched its final high school graduating class in 1966 — corresponding with the desegregation of public education locally.

Later, the former high school served both white and African-American elementary pupils until the mid-1990s, when a new J.J. Jones campus opened on Riverside Drive. It is attended by the city’s intermediate students.

The old school property is now owned by the Surry County government and leased to the YVEDDI organization that operates Jones Family Resource Center there, which houses various community agencies including Head Start.

Yet the site has remained a source of pride among former students, which included its addition to the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year.

A potential shakeup of the status quo surfaced in July, when the Surry County Board of Commissioners voted to declare the former school site as surplus property and put it up for sale along with other holdings.

“Extensive maintenance costs” posed by the aging structures on the Jones site was cited as the main motivating factor for the county’s decision to seek purchase offers.

When asked Wednesday if any response had been generated among prospective buyers, county government spokesman Nathan Walls replied that “there’s nothing to report now.”

Meanwhile, the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County is mobilizing to fulfill the role of potential purchaser.

Lowe said the motivation for this surrounds a fear that the history of the former campus might not be respected or preserved if a party other than people who’ve been the foundation for that legacy through generations of students becomes its owner.

“Our ancestors are the core of that history,” said the group’s president, a retired educator who taught for 30 years.

The purchase effort includes the scheduling of an organizational-type meeting for next Thursday at 3 p.m. in the Room 204-205 section of Jones Family Resource Center.

“It is open to everybody that’s interested in saving Jones School,” Lowe said.

The African-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County only has about 10 members, she added.

Yet there’s a belief that the goal of acquiring the property could be realized through large fundraisers and donations from the African-American community at large, especially those with connections to the school that left a wide footprint locally and beyond.

A second organization tied to the property is the J.J. Jones High School Alumni Association, which owns the Jones Alumni Auditorium located adjacent to other former school facilities.

The auditorium is not part of the surplused property the county is looking to sell.

Nancy Bowman Williams, the president of the alumni group who graduated from Jones High in 1965, said Thursday that Lowe approached her about it joining forces with the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society in pursuing the purchase.

Williams declined, citing financial reasons.

“We can barely manage to keep the auditorium going,” she explained.

Taking on the added burden of overseeing the property at large would be daunting for any organization to tackle, in the alumni president’s view.

“The school building is in need of significant repairs and it costs a significant amount to maintain,” said Williams, who believes the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society is not adopting a long view of the situation.

“All they’re focusing on is ownership.”

Walls, the county government spokesman, has said that in accepting a purchase offer for the property, an upset-bid procedure will be used.

Under that process, a proposal submitted by a prospective buyer is advertised in the newspaper and subjected to a counter-offer. That bid must be a certain percentage higher than the previous one and the procedure continues until purchase interest is exhausted.

A first-year Mount Airy teacher is among 27 teachers from across North Carolina who have been selected as finalists for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2022 Prudential NC Beginning Teacher of the Year Award.

One of the finalists will be named the NCCAT 2022 Prudential NC Beginning Teacher of the Year. The award is scheduled to be presented Feb. 17 at the Bardo Center on Western Carolina University campus.

Candice Fenton-Haynes, who teaches at Jones Intermediate School in the city, is among those finalists.

NCCAT Executive Director M. Brock Womble said the 27 teachers have all gotten off to a strong start as educators and that their schools and students are the real winners.

“Public school educators across our state work hard every day to make an impact on the lives of North Carolina students,” Womble said. “Taking time to honor excellent beginning educators across our state through the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2022 Prudential NC Beginning Teacher of the Year program is important, as we are continually striving to elevate the teaching profession and emphasize the significance of the work they do every day.

“Congratulations to these finalists and the school districts they represent. We look forward to having them with us for a week of professional development and a special night to honor the teaching profession.”

NCCAT provides professional development for educators from across North Carolina. With its main campus in Cullowhee and a second campus on Ocracoke Island, NCCAT offers programs and seminars designed to provide North Carolina teachers activities structured to develop renewed enthusiasm for teaching. The focus of NCCAT is year-round series of residential programs that incorporate the N. C. Standard Course of Study, which defines what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of each school year or course.

It has been a good year government-wise for Mount Airy-Surry County Airport, which has been tapped not only to receive state funds but most recently money from Uncle Sam via the federal infrastructure bill.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced in mid-December that the facility in the Holly Springs community, along with Elkin Municipal Airport, will be beneficiaries of that legislation along with other airports around the state.

The aid for the two in Surry is part of more than $458 million secured for North Carolina’s airports over the next five years, to come from the Airport Infrastructure Grant included in the bipartisan infrastructure package supported by Sen. Tillis.

Figures from Tillis’ office show that Mount Airy-Surry County Airport and Elkin Municipal Airport each will receive a yearly allocation totaling $159,000.

Mount Airy-Surry County Airport Manager George Crater says no determination has been made as to how the funding will be utilized there.

“I have not received clarification of the potential uses of this funding,” Crater advised this past Monday.

“Many times this money is earmarked for safety projects only,” he explained. “I hope to get a list of potential uses in the next few weeks.”

One safety project at the airport which recently has been a focus involves the completion of a parallel taxiway, a path for aircraft which connects a runway with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities. This allows planes to vacate the runway quicker, permitting others to land or take off in shorter time frames.

The state budget finalized in November included $1.5 million for the completion of the parallel taxiway.

That budget also included $2.9 million for the construction of a new terminal building at Mount Airy-Surry County Airport.

“North Carolina airports will receive more than $458 million over the next five years and these investments will go a long way in improving major and regional airports across our state,” Sen. Tillis said in a statement regarding the federal funding.

“This airport funding will continue to drive economic development throughout our rural and urban communities,” he added, “and I look forward to seeing these investments deployed to improve our critical infrastructure assets in the state.”

Surry Community College Nursing students in NUR 221, LPN to ADN Concepts I, completed individual community services projects as part of their course curriculum for the fall 2021 semester.

The students were required to complete a combined 222 hours of community service. They exceeded this goal by completing a total of 253 hours.

Candace Wilmoth, nursing program student and an employee of Wayne Farms, held a coat drive for children as her community service project. She reached out to coworkers, friends and family members for donations, with Wayne Farms providing a monetary donation. These coats were sent to Dobson, Rockford, and Cedar Ridge elementary schools for children in need.

“I have children of my own, and we are so fortunate to have warm clothing. I wanted to help provide that to other children who are not as fortunate,” Wilmoth said. “I purchased a coat rack for each location using gracious monetary donations. Through the help of my amazing team at Wayne Farms along with monetary donations from the company and donations from the community, I was able to collect 100 coats. I have enjoyed this project and hope that many children will benefit from the community’s kind heart through donations.”

Other students’ community service projects included participating in a dozen COVID vaccine clinics and two Red Cross blood drives, creating handouts about sober living and community resources, volunteering at local food pantries and shelters, participating in medical ministries, manning a first aid tent at a 5K race, working at the SECU Family House in Winston-Salem to prepare care packages for cancer patients, volunteering with an animal therapy program and running a blanket drive to distribute blankets to local nursing homes.

Nurse Educator Jennifer Mitchell, MSN, RN, OCN, commended her students for their hard work. “These students went above and beyond and thought outside the box to get these community service hours done. I am proud beyond measure of the things these students did to help their communities.”

SCC nursing students have many educational pathways. They can choose to complete the three-semester Practical Nursing program; Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), which is a two-year program, or currently Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) can choose to complete the LPN-ADN program, which is a three-semester program. SCC also offers opportunities for students to pursue a baccalaureate degree in Nursing (LPN-BSN and RIBN collaboration) through a partnership with Lees-McRae College.

For more information about Surry’s Nursing programs, contact Leona Childress, coordinator of special admissions at childressl@surry.edu or 336-386-3358 or Dr. Yvonne Johnson, associate dean of health sciences at johnsony@surry.edu or 336-386-3368. Follow the nursing program on Facebook @surrynursing.

Dobson Elementary Student Council sponsored the annual food drive once again this year. The school collected 974 cans that will benefit the friends in the community through Foothills Food Pantry.

“We appreciate the support of our students and families of Dobson Elementary in the efforts to provide for our community during the holiday season,” school officials said of the effort.

It was early Wednesday morning when the day’s first group of diners walked into the Olympia restaurant.

Melissa Hale, who has been waiting tables and working the cash register at Olympia for more than 20 years, approached the six women as she does any other customers — wishing them a good morning, introducing herself and then taking their orders.

Roughly an hour later is when Hale realized this was no normal breakfast party — at least not for her. When she returned to see if anyone wanted a final cup of coffee, the group had placed six $100 bills on the table.

“This is for our breakfast. Anything left over is yours,” one of the group said. Given that the breakfast tab ran about $60, Hale found herself with a $540 tip.

“It was really shocking,” Hale said later that day. “Yeah, it was very nice, very sweet. It made me cry,” she recalled. “When I went back to the table, one of the ladies had the money in a clear box…and said, ‘We came out this morning to bless someone, and that’s you.’ We’ve had people who give us a little money for Christmas, but never anything that large.”

The group of six women requested to remain anonymous, but one said she recently had wanted to do something to help a local individual or family this holiday season. She called several of the resource agencies which oversee efforts to ensure underprivileged local children and families have Christmas presents and food, and they all reported to her all their needs were met for the holiday season.

About that time a friend of hers forwarded to her an article about a group of individuals in another city who visit a restaurant together from time to time — everyone dropping $100 into a collection, with all the money left after the bill is settled going to the server or waiter.

Soon there were six of them all committed to the idea, and Wednesday, at Olympia, is the restaurant they decided to visit.

“We decided which restaurant we’re going to because we know how hard the ladies there work. We all know how hard the service industry is right now. When we gave her the money, she said ‘You have no idea how much I appreciate this, and I’m humbled people are this kind.’”

It did not take long for their generosity to set the tone for others to follow. Upon receiving the tip, Hale almost immediately called the other server working that morning, Jessica Velazquez, to the back.

“I was busy with other tables when the people gave her the tip,” Velazquez said. “I heard something, but I wasn’t sure what was going on…I went to the kitchen, and she (Hale) told me.”

And then Hale told her she would be splitting the tip evenly with Velazquez.

“I was like ‘No,’ and She said yes, and I was all surprised. It made me so happy. I almost cried. Seriously, I almost cried.”

The organizer of the anonymous group said the blessing was a two-way street.

“Those two servers weren’t the only two who were blessed. We were all blessed, to be able to do something like that. We are blessed because we met new people…made new friends.”

As they were leaving, she said the group noticed there were stockings hanging in the restaurant, with staff names on each one, so they gave more for the rest of the staff — putting a little more cash, along with gift cards, in the stockings for the rest of the workers there.

As the group dined, even before they gave the money to the servers, one of them said “We should do this every month, in some form or fashion,” the group’s spokesperson said. Each month, the group plans to visit a restaurant, or coffee shop, or some sort of service-oriented business to leave a large tip, or gift, to some of the staffers.

Rather than seeking any sort of credit or public recognition, she said the group is hoping for just two things. First, that they are able to make a difference in the lives of those who receive their gifts; and second, that more people in Surry County will take up the effort and do something similar, to help even more people.

“I realized I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my whole life and I’m probably way more blessed than I deserve,” the group’s spokesperson said, a feeling shared by her dining mates. “As we were sitting there, all of us who were sitting there at the table are really blessed, and we decided to do this, to share blessings with others.”

Some people might be hard-pressed to name their favorite holiday movie, but not Mitch Williams — he will tell you right away that it’s “A Christmas Story.”

Williams has watched the popular film probably more times than he can count — “dozens,” he said this week. It was released to theaters in 1983 and reappears every Christmas on television to the delight of viewers, telling the story of a 9-year-old boy named Ralphie Parker who desires only one present: a Red Ryder BB gun.

That aspect of the plot for a family oriented movie set in the 1940s revolves around a scenario familiar to generations of American males who’ve been warned that they would shoot an eye out if they received the coveted air rifle.

“I guess the fact that I could always identify with Ralphie’s quest for the Red Ryder BB gun,” Williams explained Wednesday regarding his appreciation for the movie.

“I remember there were years when I was wanting a special Christmas gift from Santa and would drop hints to my parents and Santa, hoping that it would be under the tree,” he added. “I also love the feeling of nostalgia presented by the music and old toys used in the film.”

For Mitch Williams, his fascination with the charming story goes much further.

“My love for it runs so deep that I seek out and try to find antique toys and props that are shown throughout the film,” disclosed Williams, who is Mount Airy’s public works director.

“But my main fascination throughout the years has been trying to find an authentic advertising sign that ricochets Ralphie’s BB from his Red Ryder and nearly shoots his eye.”

In the movie, Ralphie is surprised to actually get the air rifle for Christmas, and takes it outside to fire at a target perched on the metal sign in his back yard. The ricocheting BB comes back and knocks off his glasses, and while searching for them Ralphie thinks he has indeed shot out an eye.

Williams thought for years that the sign was advertising either Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Orange Crush soft drinks.

After high-definition TV emerged and the scene became clearer, he realized that it was a Golden Age Beverage sign instead.

Williams advised that Golden Age was a regional company located near Cleveland which produced drinks from the 1930s to 1970s. The Parker family house where “A Christmas Story” was filmed is located in Cleveland, so the use of that sign was a natural occurrence.

Given his interest in trying to locate such items appearing in the movie, Williams searched the Internet only to learn that Golden Age Beverage signs were extremely rare and virtually non-existent.

In the past four years, only a few have shown up on the eBay marketplace website and those weren’t entirely made like the one appearing in “A Christmas Story,” according to the local man.

Didn’t stop there

Being someone who is artistically and mechanically inclined as a longtime professional engineer, Williams then decided to take matters into his own hands.

A few years ago, he was able to obtain some high-definition photographs of a “close-enough” original image of the sign. Using these photos, other online images and screen captures of the famous Christmas morning scene, Williams was able to recreate Ralphie’s sign in vector software that is used in graphic design to create digital art.

This was in 2017, when the local man had the correct artwork for the sign, but could not find a company to manufacture a replica of the marker.

“Luckily, Cyndy Goins Vipperman at Imperial Images helped me create two ‘prototypes’ that were made by wrapping vinyl prints over sheet metal,” Williams further recalled. “They were very, very nice but they did not quite have the feel of a genuine vintage advertising sign.”

Despite that, Williams took one of the prototype signs to the house in Cleveland in 2018.

“While there, I showed the sign to the staff and they later relayed to me that they were interested in acquiring one,” Williams related. “Since I was such a big fan, I eventually donated it to them thinking they were going to hang it in the gift shop or someone’s office.”

To Williams’ surprise, he received a picture a few days later showing that the staff had placed his recreated Golden Age sign in the back yard of the house. It was in the exact spot where the iconic scene was filmed in the early 1980s with the sign positioned vertically.

Williams was elated about the use of his sign outside the building in Cleveland, which earlier had been restored and reconfigured inside to match the soundstage interiors and is open to the public as the A Christmas Story House.

“I’m humbled and honored that the staff of A Christmas Story House thought that my sign was detailed and authentic enough that they placed it in the back yard,” he remarked.

Yet Williams still wasn’t satisfied with just having rendered a couple of prototypes.

“I wanted to find a sign company that would produce them to original specs with the correct-gauge metal and embossed letters,” he remembers. “I also wanted them mass-produced so they would be available to fans of the movie.”

This quest led to Williams locating a reproduction antique sign company in late 2020, which was willing to take on the project to which he has devoted four years of efforts.

He sent it the artwork and after a few minor color-adjustment tweaks, the company began production.

It took about five months to manufacture the signs, which were distributed throughout the U.S. in May. Since then, Williams has seen them for sale on eBay, in antique shops and at flea markets.

The gift shop at the A Christmas Story House also offers the signs, which usually sell online for around $100.

“I haven’t made a dime off it yet,” Williams said of the venture.

However, he is pleased to have perpetuated a part of movie history — while also offering the usual admonition surrounding the initial appearance of the Golden Age sign:

“If you do buy one, please be careful and don’t shoot your eye out,” Williams warned.

• A theft-related incident at Walmart has led to a Dobson man being jailed, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Kevin Brent Heath, 45, of 7814 U.S. 601, was encountered by officers at the store on Dec. 15, when he was found to have allegedly stolen two DVD movies (“Venom” and a “Rambo” compilation) along with men’s shirts — merchandise with a total value of nearly $100.

The items were recovered intact, with Heath accused of larceny and possession of stolen goods. He also was found to be the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court, which had been issued on Dec. 8. Heath was held in the Surry County Jail under an $800 secured bond and is scheduled to be in District Court on Feb. 15.

• Gerald Dean Beasley, 58, of 158 Whitewood Lane, was encountered last Saturday on Springs Road at Jones School Road and charged with driving while impaired in reference to a traffic crash involving a 2005 Nissan 350Z he was operating.

Testing revealed Beasley to have a blood-alcohol content of .22 percent, police records state, nearly three times the legal limit for getting behind the wheel. He was released on a written promise to appear in Surry District Court on Jan. 31.

• LRS Trucking on Starlite Road was the scene of a larceny discovered on Dec. 9, which involved two sets of wiring harness with a total value of $800 being cut from a trailer and hauled away.

In addition to the trucking business, Marshall U.S. Transportation in Ararat is listed as a victim of the crime.

• It was reported on Dec. 9 that a Piedmont Advantage debit card of Katelyn Miree Lardner, a Rockford Street resident, had been stolen by someone with the intent to use it in a fraudulent manner.

The incident occurred at the local Shepherd’s House homeless shelter.

• Police were told on Dec. 7 that Vivian Holder Seal of Hawks Road in Lowgap had been a victim of fraud-identity theft, which involved an unknown party using her personal information including documents.

Records show that this came to light at Blue Ridge Cardiology and Internal Medicine on Rockford Street.

Sad stories of small businesses being bankrupted and towns depleted of cash are all too common from the pandemic, but the financial position for the city of Mount Airy actually has improved over the past two years.

That is evidenced by the most recent independent audit of the city’s books which is required annually, showing that if it were a corporation the municipality would be firmly in the black and not the red.

However, city officials caution that observers shouldn’t read too much into the bottom line, saying it reflects unusual factors and the delaying of expenditures that have been kicked down the road which will burden future budgets.

The latest audit, for the 2020-21 fiscal year that ended on June 30, shows a key barometer of Mount Airy’s finances — the available fund balance — aka its savings or surplus — increasingly significantly from the previous year.

It rose by more than $1.5 million, according to an audit presentation at a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners last week.

This is on top of a similar disclosure from the previous, 2019-20 fiscal year, when the available fund balance grew by nearly $1.7 million. That surplus fund is defined as money that is accompanied by no restrictions, which may be used for any purpose.

As of the end of June, it stood at roughly $12.6 million, up from $11 million the fiscal year before.

Putting this into perspective, a state regulatory agency, the Local Government Commission, recommends that a city maintain a surplus representing 8% of its annual budget, covering what would be required to run things for about one month with no revenues generated.

In Mount Airy’s case, its surplus would be sufficient to carry the municipality for 12.5 months, based on its 2020-21 general fund expenditures of just over $11.7 million.

“So the city is doing pretty well in this area,” summed-up Kelly Gooderham of the Martin Starnes and Associates accounting firm of Hickory, which has been auditing city financial records since 2011.

City council members seemed pleased by such results given the coronavirus crisis, though Mayor Ron Niland suggested that the good showing is somewhat artificial in nature.

“There are some underlying factors to those numbers — as we know, the COVID and us being short on people and delaying expenditures we’re going to have to look at” down the road, Niland explained, while also acknowledging the “good healthy report” presented.

He was referring to vacancies that have gone unfilled, for example in the Mount Airy Police Department, corresponding with savings occurring from salaries and benefits but posing available manpower issues.

Total costs of the public safety category in the municipal budget, covering both police and fire services, consequently decreased by 7% from $5.3 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year to $4.9 million for the year ending on June 30.

Overall expenditures for 2020-21 fell by more than $575,000, or 5%, compared to the year before, while revenues grew by $335,000, or 2%.

The revenue picture was aided by property tax proceeds rising by $149,000, or 2%t, which Gooderham said was due to increased values of property. Among other audit highlights, sales tax proceeds and revenues from ABC profits also grew.

In response to a question from Commissioner Tom Koch, it was disclosed that no federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds designated for the city government earlier this year were included in the audit period.

Meanwhile, Mount Airy’s water-sewer operation — an enterprise fund supported by user fees which is maintained separately from its general fund — additionally enjoyed a healthy year.

There was an upward change in its net position of $2.6 million during 2020-21, audit figures show, weighing such factors as cash flow from operations and the required servicing of debts.

City Finance Director Pam Stone said the water-sewer situation was boosted by Mount Airy supplying all of Dobson’s water needs for a three-month period during the year.

In commenting on the overall results of the audit, Interim City Manager Darren Lewis pointed out that while the municipality came out $1.5 million to the good during the last fiscal year despite all the challenges, more loom on the horizon.

He cited $642,000 in expenditures for items not completed and paid for being rolled over and the freezing of 13 employee vacancies for part of the budget period.

“Once again, it was still a great year,” Lewis added. “But that’s not going to happen this year — we’re not going to have $1.5 million to the good.”

Lewis mentioned that about $1.3 million already has been committed from the available fund balance just midway through the 2021-22 fiscal year.

It has been allocated for Spencer’s redevelopment costs, downtown projects and a new grapple truck costing $185,000. The Surry Arts Council also was designated to receive $400,000 for a new building. Lewis mentioned that needed vehicles such as fire, dump and leaf trucks also must be funded in the near future.

“Is it a clean audit and are there any recommendations?” Commissioner Joe Zalescik asked.

“It was a clean audit,” Gooderham responded. “Everything was good.” The audit presenter praised the work of Stone, the city finance director, in being thorough and straightforward.

There were no findings of questionable costs, Gooderham said of the audit by Martin Starnes and Associates.

“We issued a clean, unmodified opinion, which is the best opinion we can provide.”

The annual Surry County Schools Science Fair Showcase was broken into three different levels this year.

The Senior division event was held at North Surry High School on Nov. 19, while the Junior and Elementary division events were held at Meadowview Magnet Middle School on Nov. 23 and Nov. 30. Across all divisions, student scientists were competing to participate at the regional science fair.

American Astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble once stated, “Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure science.” That is exactly what has been happening at all 20 schools and was displayed at North Surry High School and Meadowview Magnet Middle. Students, curious about science, each embarked on their own adventures and showcased their work, celebrating their discoveries with their peers. The following students from each division will be moving forward to the Region 5 Science and Engineering Fair with the date and location to be announced later.

Elementary Division: Streamline, by Emilynn Haymore, PMES; Brightest Whitest by Madeline Calhoun, Easton Branch, DES; Will it Grow, by Reid Cockerhan, Charly Lineberry, Mikaila Southard, MPES; Its Getting Hot in Here, by Kylee Tate WPES; Suspension Bridges, by Nathaniel Murphy, CES; Eggsplore Tooth Decay, by Leeland Inman, CES; Winning Races at the Starting Line, by Camden Hull, FES.

Junior Division: Unmasking the Truth, by Parker Slate, Dare King, MMMS; Erosion and Stormwater Management, by Emma Mae White, MMMS; How to Mow Faster , by Bailey Ray, MMMS; Play Your Heart Out, by Ryland Taylor, MMMS; Germs Everywhere, by Vela Mabe, CMS; Which is Better: Water or Alkaline, by Maggie Richardson, Abigail Easter, GMS; Dissolving Desserts, by Kayson Beck, Brooklyn Yopp, PMMS.

Senior Division: Ew Germs, by Kalei Mauldin, SOMS; How different chemically induced flames can assist fire departments, by Morgan Payne, Kaesi Blythe, Alex Kinton, SCHS; Rethink what you drink, by Khloe Bennett, Calie Robertson, NSHS; Varity of Twinkles, by Vy Phan, NSHS; SPF vs UV, by Anel Adame, Airam Casas, NSHS; Amp it up, by Luke Creed, SCHS; Heart racing movings, by Mattie Bare, Destiny Kelly, Carter Hull, NSHS.

“Watching students work through the scientific method is beyond exciting for everyone involved and gives me the opportunity to recall my own experiences as a student working through hypotheses,” said Superintendent Dr. Travis L. Reeves. “I can remember my own science fair days and how one failed experiment in the fifth grade taught me the lesson of a lifetime: If you cannot fail, you cannot learn. By conducting these experiments, working through trial and error, these students are also learning to embrace the scientific method and learning a lifelong lesson. It is an absolute pleasure to congratulate our students on their advancement to the regional competition and see the great things they have accomplished thus far.”

Three area residents, along with an Albemarle man, have been arrested and jailed — three with bonds at $1.7 million or more — after allegedly kidnapping, torturing, strangling and trying to kill another woman.

Lakin Nicole Harvey, 28, of 111 Fortune Cookie Lane, Mount Airy; Gregory Todd Sawyers, 53, of 153 Moondreamer Lane, Mount Airy; Grayson Gregory Sawyers, 32, of 994 Maple Grove Church Road, Mount Airy; and Travis Ray Hall, 38, of 24892 Odell Drive, Albemarle, were all arrested in the case on charges that included kidnapping, attempted first degree murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.

The case emerged on Dec. 1, when the Surry County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to “a cutting incident in the Crossroads Church Road community” Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt said in a statement about the incident.

When patrol deputies arrived on the scene, they found a female victim, Kathy Jo Miller, 45, “with an apparent stab wound to the lower extremities.”

The victim was sent for medical treatment while deputies and detectives worked throughout the night investigating the case, leading to a search warrant being issued for the address of 153 Moondreamer Lane. “During the investigation, detectives determined that the victim had been kidnapped, stabbed and burnt with a metal object,” the sheriff’s statement said.

The sheriff said no additional information will be released about the investigation nor about the condition of the victim. He said the probe is still active, though all of those suspected in the case are in custody.

Hall was charged with one count of attempted first degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, one count of first degree kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to commit first degree kidnapping, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Hall was jailed under a $1.8 million secured bond with a Jan. 12 court date.

Harvey, of 111 Fortune Cookie Lane, was charged with one count of attempted first degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, one count of first degree kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to commit first degree kidnapping, and one count of assault by strangulation. She was jailed under a $1.7 million secured bond with a Jan. 12 court date.

Gregory Todd Sawyers was charged with one count of attempted first degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, one count of first degree kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to commit first degree kidnapping, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Sawyers was jailed under a $1.86 million secured bond with a Jan. 12 court date.

Grayson Gregory Sawyers was charged with one count of first degree kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit first degree kidnapping. He was jailed under a $50,000 secured bond with a Jan. 12 court date.

Thursday evening, the Embers were back in town at the Andy Griffith Playhouse with the group’s annual Christmas Show.

More than 300 local residents and band followers from out of town enjoyed traditional holiday songs by one of the region’s more popular band.

The show was complete with Santa, Frosty, and Rudolph,” officials with the Surry Arts Council said of the event. “The stage and lobby helped ensure that the Christmas spirit was present from the time you entered until you departed.”

Katie D. Bowman, mathematics instructor at Surry Community College and Pilot Mountain resident, has earned the Education Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Community College Leadership from North Carolina State University.

Bowman’s dissertation investigated the effects of Reinforced Instruction for Student Excellence (RISE) on students’ success in mathematics using a regression discontinuity. She specifically looked at the effectiveness of corequisite courses for gateway mathematics courses aiding students in North Carolina community colleges.

“I am hopeful that my research will help improve student success statewide. Remedial education has been under constant reconstruction, so it is imperative that we stay on top of the research to ensure our students are getting the best assistance possible,” Bowman said. “Successful mathematics completion is an indicator of successful college completion, which means we have to find the best ways to help the students who may be placed into remedial courses.”

Bowman has been an instructor at Surry Community College for more than six years. Completing the doctoral program gave her a greater appreciation of what is happening in community colleges administratively. It also allowed her to connect with her mathematics students on a new level.

“I have been able to share this journey with my students. Being transparent with them that I was also a student always seemed to be of great interest to them, and they were continuously checking in on me just as I was on them. It also gave me a platform to share my educational journey with students and give them insight on what an educational path can look like. Some of them weren’t aware that you could obtain a doctorate degree in fields outside of medicine. This was a great teaching and advising opportunity for me.”

Dr. Susan Worth, mathematics division chair, commended Bowman on her work as an instructor and a doctoral student.

“In her six years as an instructor at SCC, I have had the fortune to watch her grow as a teacher and a person. She completed a M.A. in Mathematics with a Concentration in College Teaching at Appalachian State University and an Ed.D. in Community College Leadership at NCSU in this short period of time. Her work ethic and determination are astounding. Equally impressive is how she fits into our division and works well with her colleagues. I cannot express how proud I am of her.”

The upcoming holiday weekend periods pose a perfect storm situation when it comes to traffic — and hazards — on area roadways, but the local N.C. Highway Patrol division is prepared to handle that forecast.

With Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on Saturdays, normal weekend volumes of those kicking up their heels will be intensified by travelers to and from holiday destinations — sometimes in celebratory moods — thus magnifying problems including impaired driving and speeding.

And motorists committing such violations will get no breaks just because of the holidays, according to First Sgt. J.M. Church of the Surry-Stokes Highway Patrol unit.

“Its going to be one hundred percent zero-tolerance,” Church said Monday in outlining efforts by troopers to maintain safe travel conditions during the two holiday weekends.

“We’re definitely taking a proactive approach,” he added.

When major holidays fall in the middle of the week, there’s a separation between the typical weekend periods when people cut loose after work ends on Friday — but all that will be merged this Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The Christmas holiday heavy travel period began today and will continue through Sunday, with a similar situation posed by the Jan. 1 holiday and the traditional New Year’s Eve revelry that increases the risk of alcohol-related collisions.

“New Year’s is known for a lot of parties and things of that nature and people make bad decisions,” Church said.

The N.C. Highway Patrol will be focused on four main violations: drunk driving, speeding, seat belt/child-restraint use and distracted driving, he disclosed.

While other violations also will be targeted, “those are the ones that cause people to get hurt or killed,” Church said.

Patrol efforts will include deploying double the regular manpower of troopers on patrol in Surry and Stokes counties during the days leading up to and immediately after the holidays.

“There’s going to be extra coverage during the days and nights,” Church said.

Troopers will be mounting stepped-up speed enforcement efforts on major highways such as interstates 77 and 74 and U.S. 52, but less-traveled roadways will not be overlooked, according to Church. Measures such as traffic checkpoints also will be in the mix.

Don’t blame officers

With the arrival of a new year especially lending itself to alcohol consumption, Church is most concerned about that holiday period, but says major repercussions — including traffic fatalities — can be prevented with a few simple precautions.

“Plan ahead,” he said of arranging for preventive measures such as designated drivers.

“Make good decisions — use Uber,” Church mentioned further in reference to the popular ride service not available everywhere, but with taxis fulfilling the same purpose.

He mentioned that the Highway Patrol will even go so far as respond to tips about locations of holiday parties by setting up surveillance efforts nearby to catch those drivers who didn’t get the memo.

The local sergeant acknowledged the fact that law enforcement officers can come off as mean or hard-hearted when cracking down on violators such as speeders around Christmastime. But he reminded that they might cause death to themselves or others through irresponsible actions that have lifetime repercussions for everyone affected.

“We’re not the ones making the decisions,” he said of dangerous behaviors behind the wheel. “People determine their own fate.”

Church indicated that one of the toughest parts of his job involves notifying people about loved ones being killed in traffic crashes, a testament to the fact tragedy respects no holiday.

“I have had to give death notifications on Christmas Day,” he recalled.

“And I would ask the public not to put us in that situation.”

The celebration of Christmas in Mount Airy will be accompanied by changes in city sanitation operations this week and early next week.

This includes no residential garbage pickups being conducted on Friday, Christmas Eve, with the collections normally scheduled for that day to occur on Thursday instead.

Meanwhile, Thursday’s residential route will be serviced under the normal schedule.

No yard-waste collections are on tap for next Monday.

Commercial garbage service also is affected, including no pickups on either Friday or Monday.

City offices will be closed both Friday and Monday for Christmas.

Fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” have the chance to own some memorabilia from the show, and personal items belonging to Betty Lynn, who played Thelma Lou.

But it may cost them.

That is because personal belongings from the late Betty Lynn’s estate are being auctioned online, now through Dec. 30, and bidders are already running the price up on many of the items.

Near the top of the bidding list so far is a 12.5” by 10.5” framed drawing of the characters Thelma Lou and Barney Fife, drawn by Henry E. Kidd and dated Oct. 14, 2017. As of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the high bid stood at $2,250.

Another item drawing quite a bit of attention is a simple recipe box filled with faded, handwritten recipe cards. The bid on that item stood at $1,250 Tuesday afternoon.

“When I saw that recipe box, when I opened it and saw that handwriting, I said ‘This is Betty Lynn’s. She wrote these recipes,’” said Mark Rogers, of Rogers Realty & Auction Co. Inc., which is overseeing the estate auction.

Rogers and his company have done thousands of estate auctions over the years, including the estate of Frances Bavier — Aunt Bee from “The Andy Griffith Show” — so he has an idea of how such procedures generally go.

“With most of these online auctions, it’s just a process,” he said. “They start slow, or low, and pick up momentum at the very end, often in the last hour.”

That has not been the case with Betty Lynn’s estate.

“This one took off immediately when we posted. We have bids on every piece of merchandise.”

While Rogers and his firm have conducted many such auctions, this one takes on a little more personal meaning to him and his family.

“She was a friend of our family,” he said. “We had some dinners together. She was a star, but if you spend some time with her she made you feel like you were her best friend for life. That was really special. That’s part of her legacy.”

Lynn died Oct. 16, at the age of 95, after a brief illness.

She was best known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou, Barney’s long-suffering girlfriend on “The Andy Griffith Show.” Prior to and after her run on the show, she had a long entertainment career that began at age 14, including stage work, movies, and voice work. She had roles in movies for MGM, Fox, Universal and RKO, along with scores of semi-regular and guest starring appearances in television shows throughout the 1950s and 1960s, along with a wide body of work in radio drama.

In 2007, after several visits to Mount Airy for Mayberry Days, she moved fulltime to the town. For many years after her move, she routinely appeared at The Andy Griffith Museum, signing autographs for fans.

“The fans are so sweet,” she once said of her interactions with people coming to see her. “I really love meeting them and having the chance to visit a little bit. They come from all over the country. It’s so touching that they still remember my movies and love “The Andy Griffith Show” like they do. And especially for the Griffith show, there are lots of young children who are fans, too. So, I think the show’s popularity is carrying on through the new generations. That makes me happy.”

“That’s part of her legacy,” Rogers said this week — the way she was always so welcoming and appreciative of fans. “Some fans will end up with some nice collectibles that I hope they will treasure for years to come,” he said of the items being auctioned.

He said Lynn had already provided for the proceeds from the auction to go to various charities she supported over the years.

Among the items listed for auction are a 10.5” by 10.5” framed picture of her and Don Knotts (the bid stood at $575 Tuesday afternoon); a Things Remembers musical jewelry box ($530); an 18.5” tall mantel clock ($390); a Grace China set “made in occupied Japan” ($338); 20” by 24” wide wood frames of both her grandmother and grandfather, from their early adult years; a number of paintings — some done by Lynn’s mother; and a host of other items.

There are even more mundane items from daily life included — three different televisions she owned; a walker she used; the frame of a roll-away bed; a trash can, sweeper and brooms being auctioned together; and assorted items.

Rogers said some people have asked about certificates of authenticity.

“There are no certificates of authenticity,” he said. “We tell people we knew it came from her apartment at Ridgecrest, that’s all the authenticity we can offer. And most folks are okay with that.

“We are honored to be a part of this,” he said of his firm’s work. “I hope everybody who wants to will participate and have a good experience. I think some people are going to find a treasure there.”

The auction runs until noon at Dec. 30. For a complete list of items, and for information on how to bid, visit:

https://www.rogersauctiongroup.com/auctions/detail/bw73598

Mount Airy Museum of Regional History found itself in the same boat as the Surry Arts Council in June 2020, when city officials disallowed previously approved long-range public funding for both organizations.

A good chunk of the money that had been tapped for the arts group effectively was restored by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners last Thursday night.

However, no similar action has occurred on behalf of the museum, which is leaving its leadership feeling a bit like those scorned by Scrooge in the classic Dickens story.

“Well, we are frustrated at this point,” said Paul Madren, a member of the governing board for the downtown facility and the group’s treasurer.

In the September-October period of 2019, Mount Airy officials had OK’d a total of $2 million to aid building-related projects of the Surry Arts Council and museum.

The arts organization was granted $1 million toward a new multi-purpose building near the Mount Airy Public Library, to be paid at the rate of $200,000 annually spread over five years. The commissioners later voted to appropriate $100,000 to the museum annually over the next decade for a $1 million total, to aid major renovations at the facility on North Main Street.

There was an understanding at the time that future commissioners could not be committed to those funding levels. And after the city board’s makeup changed, a vote to undo the long-range “commitment” occurred — except for what was approved for the fiscal year covered by the previous commissioners’ tenure.

There has been no mention of restoring museum funding at any recent commissioners meeting, although its executive director, Matt Edwards, was in the audience for a Dec. 2 session when the Surry Arts Council formally requested the $400,000, and didn’t speak.

But Madren says that will change.

“We have a presentation we plan to put in place to ask for $250,000,” the museum treasurer and board member said Monday.

Madren explained that this particular sum coincides with recent improvements that have included a total redo of what he called the an “old-time” area on the museum’s first floor and work on a children’s play section on the third floor. The entrance to the facility also has been moved from a side door on its north side to its original location when a hardware business occupied the building.

“We’re looking to get some support from the city on that,” Madren said of assisting with the cost of the renovations.

The municipal funding is sought as an acknowledgement of the museum’s value to the local tourism industry which the improvements will further aid.

Certain efforts have been occurring behind the scenes leading to an official request.

“We have been in contact with most of the council members,” Madren disclosed.

“I have had a serious conversation with Cawley and Tom and some of the others,” he said of commissioners Jon Cawley and Tom Koch, short of a formal presentation.

“The timing on that has been delayed a couple of times,” Madren said, mentioning that a couple of the commissioners have told him to just wait, and a “we’ll take care of you kind of thing” will result.

Some tall convincing could be in store to sway the majority of board members.

Madren said in his discussions with Commissioner Cawley, the latter seems to harbor the idea that the Surry Arts Council is the greatest thing “since sliced bread” in terms of its tourism value with programs and exhibits.

But the museum board member/treasurer says that facility also is a key player in this regard locally, with groups and individuals coming from near and far for tours.

One difference between the museum and the new multi-purpose facility being built by the Surry Arts Council is that the arts center will be owned by the city government once finished and leased to the arts council.

A Florida woman has been accused of stealing a wreath honoring legendary local musician James Easter, who died earlier this month.

The memorial wreath had been placed on the front door of Mayberry Music Center, a business that Easter — the last-surviving member of The Easter Brothers gospel-bluegrass group — long operated on North Main Street in downtown Mount Airy.

City police say the white cross with flowers was recovered later on the same day it was stolen — from a location nearby in the possession of the woman linked to the theft, who also is accused on assaulting a postal worker.

Tamara Lynn Gross, 60, of Winter Haven, Florida, is charged with larceny, possession of stolen property and simple assault stemming from the alleged crimes that occurred last Thursday and reported by the Mount Airy Police Department on Monday.

Gross was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $1,500 secured bond and slated for a Jan. 3 appearance in District Court.

James Easter, 89, had died on Dec. 11 after battling COVID-19. He and his brothers Edd and Russell formed a popular group that recorded at least two dozen albums while garnering multiple music industry awards.

The wreath stolen from the doorway of Mayberry Music Center is listed as the property of Grant Welch, a resident of Sheffield Lane and close friend of James Easter who spearheaded a project to provide a mural of the brothers.

It occupies a wall of a rest area across the street from the music shop. The mural was dedicated earlier this year during a heavily attended event featuring James Easter and members of his family.

Police records indicate that the wreath was removed sometime after 2:15 a.m. on Thursday.

Gross was encountered by police around 11:30 that morning during a suspicious-vehicle investigation at 174 W. Pine St., the address for an apartment house located around the corner from North Main Street where the music store operates.

Police records say that after stealing the memorial wreath, the Florida woman assaulted Aubrey Collins, a U.S. Postal Service employee who resides in Cana, Virginia. This involved Gross “pushing and grabbing” the female victim, an arrest report states.

The wreath, meanwhile, was recovered intact and returned to Welch. It is valued at $75.

“That’s pitiful”

Welch indicated Tuesday that multiple decorations had been placed in front of Mayberry Music Center, and last week’s incident was one of three wreath thefts occurring there.

He said this type of crime contradicts the image in which most people would prefer to view Mount Airy.

“Friendly town and all that stuff, and people stealing wreaths — that’s pitiful,” Welch remarked in trying to make some sense of the motivation involved. “I just don’t know.”

In the wake of the most recent larceny, Welch advised that efforts to honor his late friend via the wreath route have been abandoned.

“I took them all up Saturday night,” he said of items placed at the front of the store, “because I couldn’t stand no more — it just broke my heart.”

• A crime involving property damage was discovered Friday in a parking area at Moody Funeral Home on West Pine Street, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

It targeted a 2018 Mazda CX-5 owned by Barbara Ann Steffy of Meadowstone Lane, which was “willfully damaged” by a known individual who scratched the paint on the passenger-side rear door of the vehicle. The damage was put at $400.

The case was undergoing further investigation at last report.

• Devin Blake Haynes-Burnett, 25, of 647 Turner Mountain Road, was arrested at a Hillcrest Drive location and charged with driving while impaired Friday after a traffic crash involving a 2013 Infiniti G37 he was operating.

Haynes-Burnett was released on a written promise to appear in Surry District Court on Jan. 31.

• Walmart was the scene of a theft on Dec. 9, when a wallet owned by Michelle Manuela MacNeilly of Ivy Circle in Elkin was stolen from a shopping cart. The wallet, purple with green dots, contained an unspecified sum of money.

• A traffic crash investigation resulted in the arrest of Bonnie Sue Monday, 27, of 169 Grey Ghost Lane, on Dec. 8.

Police records indicate that the crash occurred at 2227 Rockford St., the address for the Circle K convenience store. During the investigation, Monday was found to be the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court which had been issued in March 2019 in Stokes County.

Monday was jailed under a $1,000 secured bond and was scheduled to be in District Court in Dobson on Dec. 13.

• Police were told on Dec. 7 that property valued at $1,200 had been stolen from a tool box that was pried open on a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado pickup at the Scenic Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership on Rockford Street. Included were a Milwaukee six-piece tool kit, a Fluke multimeter test device and miscellaneous electrical tools.

Landon Clay East of Eaton Street, an employee of the dealership, is listed as the victim of the crime.

• Morgan Cortese Duncan, a resident of Old Rockford Street, told police that money was stolen from her wallet on Dec. 7 by an unknown suspect, with the sum undisclosed. The theft occurred at 1910 N. Main St., the address for the Circle K convenience store.

East Surry High School students took on several projects leading up to the holidays, with the aim of spreading Christmas cheer in the community.

The Interact Club held a food drive, with the class collecting the most winning a Krispy Kreme breakfast. Alison Hooker’s first period class took top honors in the context. Second place was Dr. Amy Jessup’s class and third place was Lisa Handy’s class.

A total of 245 cans were donated by competing first period classes which was all donated to Pilot Mountain Outreach.

The East Surry Student Council raised around $650 for St. Jude’s during the organization’s Penny Wars Campaign among first period classes. Brandon Holmes’ first period was the winner and celebrated with a pizza and ice cream party.

East Surry HOSA donated 55 kits to Bethesda Center for the Homeless at Thanksgiving. East Surry Chick-fil-A Leader Academy collected new and gently used books for young cancer patients in the hospital.

The North Carolina Longleaf Commitment Grant is now available for 2020 high school graduates, along with 2021 high school graduates. The grant also includes 2020 and 2021 high school equivalency graduates who obtained their high school diplomas by taking the HiSet or GED tests. All these students could potentially earn free tuition at Surry Community College.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of stress for everyone including students,” said SCC President Dr. David Shockley. “However, there have been some bright spots in the pandemic including this excellent opportunity for recent graduates to receive an incredible amount of financial aid for tuition that does not have to be repaid. Students should take advantage of this unbelievable opportunity.”

The Longleaf Commitment Grant helps students access up to $2,800 per year for two years—which means they could potentially earn a degree from Surry Community College tuition free.

Students do not have to complete an extra application to apply for the Longleaf Commitment Grant. All they must do is complete the FAFSA, which is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and enroll at Surry Community College. Then, the SCC Financial Aid office will inform students about their grant awards based on eligibility.

Awards range from $700 to $2,800 per year to pay for tuition. Funding for the grant program comes from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund using money from federal COVID-19 relief packages. The NC Longleaf Commitment grant program is a partnership between the NC Governor’s Office, the NC Community College System, and the State Education Assistance Authority. More details about this grant are available on surry.edu’s homepage.

Anyone unsure about educational or career goals is encouraged to stop by Surry Community College’s Purpose Center on the Dobson campus in the A-Building for assistance in determining goals. At the Purpose Center, the career coaches will give a career assessment and introduce visitors to the college’s many educational programs.

Surry Community College is registering students for spring classes. The deadline to register for spring classes is Wednesday, Dec. 22, before the college closes for Christmas break. Spring classes will start Jan. 7. Go to surry.edu to learn more about spring registration. Contact Student Services at 336-386-3264 or studentservices@surry.edu for assistance with college application, financial aid or class registration.

Spiking levels of COVID-19 in parts of the country are being attributed in part to people staying inside for warmth due to cold weather. That in mind and close quarters holiday events forthcoming, Surry County Health and Nutrition Center are reminding that vaccine boosters against the virus are free and available now.

Everyone ages 16 years and older can now get a booster dose of the COVID vaccine. Vaccination remains effective in preventing severe disease, recent data suggest vaccination becomes less effective over time at preventing infection, especially in people aged 65 and older.

The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID.

“Health experts predict that once omicron is in a community, it will be nearly impossible to contain, making vaccines and boosters essential in protecting people from severe illness,” the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a press release.

Recent evidence shows that among some frontline workers, vaccine effectiveness against the virus is decreasing over time. This is due to a combination of lessening protection since time of vaccination, as well as the greater infectiousness of newer variants.

CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said, “Although we don’t have all the answers on the Omicron variant, initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants. We know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) have approved booster doses for the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Booster doses strengthen and extend protections against severe illness from COVID. At this time, only the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 16 and 17.

Surry County Health and Nutrition Center offers Moderna (ages 18+) and Pfizer (ages 16+) booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccination for those who received their second shot at least 6 months ago. They will offer Johnson & Johnson booster doses for those individuals ages 18 and older who were vaccinated at least two months ago with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Individuals 18 years of age and older are eligible to receive their choice of brand for their booster shot. Some people may prefer the vaccine type they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster.

The CDC announced Thursday a new preference for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines over Johnson & Johnson. They went on to state, “Given the current state of the pandemic both here and around the world, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reaffirmed that receiving any vaccine is better than being unvaccinated.”

Surry County Health and Nutrition Center will offer booster doses Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm. Call 336-401-8400 to schedule an appointment, walk-ins will be accepted. Identification will be needed if you cannot provide your vaccination card. Residents are urged to not let losing their card keep them from getting a booster shot.

For more information, please call us at (336) 401-8400 or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SurryCountyHealthandNutritionCenter/ for the latest updates.

New releases available at the Mount Airy Public Library:

The library story times are open for anyone who would like to come in and join us. Masks are recommended if you have not been vaccinated. Mondays at 4 p.m. Bilingual storytime for children — listen to a story in English and Spanish); Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., Toddler Time for children ages 2 and 3; Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Book Babies for children aged birth to 2 years old; Thursday at 11 a.m., Preschool Storytime for children ages 4 and 5.

Surry Community College is offering a fun and free English as Second Language (ESL) class at the Mount Airy Public Library Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Jennifer Pardue at 336-386-3674.

Hooked – Come join our crochet and knitting club, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Bring your own yarn and make the group project or bring your own project to work on. This month’s project is a Christmas tree.

Tai Chi has returned to the library. Join us each Friday at 10 a.m. This class is beneficial for those with limited mobility.

Classic Movie Monday on Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. We will be watching The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. A New York City swindler has until Christmas to come up with the $10,000 he owes a gangster, prompting him to go into scamming overdrive.

LACE — Romance Readers Book Club meets Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. The novel for this month is Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn.

Make It Mondays will meet the third Monday of each month, craft materials will be provided. Registration recommended.

Letters to Santa – Write a letter to Santa telling him how good you have been and bring it by the library to mail to the North Pole.

Cookies with Santa -Dec. 21 at 4 p.m., for stories and cookies with Santa. You can also have your picture taken with Santa.

The Mount Airy Public Library will be closed Dec. 22 – Dec. 26 for the Christmas Holidays and a long winter’s nap.

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

Roadside litter has been on the minds of the residents of the county, and they have been calling their county commissioners about this problem that refuses to rectify itself. Surry County is now opening its wallet to offer a solution to roadside litter and put some well-earned money in residents’ pockets.

Litter is an embarrassment to the community and a blemish to the lovely land of Surry County, as open forum speakers have told the county commissioners. Suggestions have been made at those meetings like adding cameras onto telephone poles near the convenience dumping sites to spot and fine illegal dumpers. When citizens take time to produce an idea and give up their dinner hour to come speak to the board, it does get noticed.

The signs along the highways and large thoroughfares like Independence Boulevard have the signage “Adopt a Highway” that announce a group has stated their intent to clean that tract. These groups are effective, and the end results of their work can be seen. If more groups signed up to participate, the litter problem would not be so great. Generally, though, trash on the ground seems to be considered someone else’s problem and stays that way.

More hands-on deck are needed than what the adopt-a-block groups and state cleanup crews can do on their own. This is where contract labor comes in to play, and where some on the Board of Commissioners see a place to return to old school road crews made up of those who are the guest of the county lockup.

Commissioner Van Tucker said he spoke to the North Carolina Sheriffs Association about litter and was directed to Sheriff Sam Page of Rockingham County. “I called him up and I said, ‘Sheriff, do you guys get up litter over there with your work force, your inmates?’” Page replied they do.

“If it’s a terrible idea, I’d like for somebody to tell me why,” Tucker said of the road crew idea that has been discussed yet never goes anywhere. “At least we can have that conversation until we get those answers. If it’s a wonderful idea, I’d like to get on it just as quick as possible.” He has since told the board it was time for more than email exchanges on this matter.

The board has approved funding for such an effort was advised by County Manager Chris Knopf in October that Surry County Sheriff Steve Hiatt is still thinking about its implementation. Hiatt “wants to have discussions… and he plans to attend a conference where he will discuss it with other sheriff’s departments from across the state.”

Looking to further diversify the litter pickup effort is not without merit. In early October, it was reported that year to date 146,130 pounds of trash and debris had been picked up in Surry County. Of that, it was the contact labor that accounted for more than 143,000 pounds of the total collected. Despite best effort, paying for a service to be rendered does seem to be more successful than the largesse of the community.

Some may not know that such contracts for road cleanup exist, or that there is a new bid open right now for these contracts. The county is soliciting proposals from any local business or contractor for litter collection along local roadsides.

As there is such large interest in getting the roadways cleaned, funding has been added to the Surry County budget to help address this lingering issue. This is not a request for volunteering, the county is looking for people willing to work and get paid for their effort in making the community a cleaner place.

Litter collection efforts will be needed along selected roadways and the county will designate the areas where roadside litter pickup will occur. The scope of services include:

• Picking up litter along both sides of the designated roadways. Timing, location, and scheduling of litter pickup will be established with selected vendor at time of selection and throughout the contract duration.

• Providing on-call service within 72 hours to provide litter pickup on an as-needed basis.

• Collecting within the NCDOT’s right-of-way only.

• Disposal of litter at the Surry County Landfill in Mount Airy. Invoicing Surry County the cost of disposal documented in weight tickets from the landfill without mark up. All other costs, including but not limited to transportation, labor and profit shall be included in the individual road segment pricing.

• Displaying proper safety signage to warn the public of litter pickup activities as defined by the latest version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

• Providing service data to the County, including but not limited to location, hours worked, number of litter bags collected, tonnage of material collected and copies of disposal weight tickets.

• Maintaining a solid waste hauler license in Surry County.

• Complying with all local, state and federal regulations regarding the collection, transportation, and disposal of materials. Complying with all NCDOT and OSHA regulations regarding the collection, transportation, and disposal of materials.

Anyone interested in providing roadside litter collection services should contact Denise Brown at 336-401-8203 or brownd@co.surry.nc.us.

And then there was one.

After a three-month nationwide search to recruit a new city manager for Mount Airy, the field has been reduced significantly.

“We have narrowed it down to one candidate,” Mayor Ron Niland said in updating the process through which he and members of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners are replacing longtime manager Barbara Jones.

The finalist for the job — which attracted 21 applicants altogether — has not been identified pending further negotiations, presumably involving issues such as salary.

“We are in the process of talking with that candidate and coming up with some kind of agreement,” Niland said.

The continuing effort to hire a new city manager was discussed behind closed doors during a council meeting Thursday night due to a personnel issue being involved.

Jones had announced her retirement on Sept. 9, becoming effective on Oct. 1, capping off a 30-year career in city government. She had served as city manager since August 2010 and held the distinction of being the first female in that position in Mount Airy’s history.

When Jones’ departure was disclosed, Niland announced an immediate effort to secure her successor.

After the 21 applicants had come forward by a Nov. 1 deadline, officials decided on which ones would be interviewed, with the pool subsequently reduced to five people.

Niland said that number included two who live in North Carolina and one each from Virginia, Georgia and Texas.

He declined to name the location where the finalist is from, because of the discussions still being under way.

But according to the mayor, it won’t be long until Mount Airy has a new city manager on board to direct the day-to-day operations of the municipal government, which has about 170 full-time employees at full strength.

“The expectation is we will hopefully have this done by the first week of January,” he said of filling the vacancy.

Such timing has been considered key by Mount Airy officials since that month is when preparations begin for the annual city budget.

Since Jones left, Parks and Recreation Director Darren Lewis has been serving as interim manager while juggling his regular responsibilities.

• A Mount Airy man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot his son, according to city police reports.

This is said to have occurred Wednesday at the residence of Frankie Lee Shuff, 70, at 217 Burgundy Road, which he shares with the son involved, Barry Donnell Shuff.

The elder Shuff was charged with communicating threats later that day. He was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $500 secured bond and slated for a Jan. 3 appearance in District Court.

• A crime involving property damage occurred Tuesday at the Lady Bug coin-operated laundry at 615 N. South St., where a water valve inside the business was targeted by an unknown party. The damage was put at $50.

• Rebecca Odell Hylton, 38, of 308 New Crosswinds Drive, is facing a long list of felony drug and theft-related charges stemming from a Dec. 6 incident at Walmart, where she allegedly stole assorted beauty and makeup products valued at $132, 16 in all, and was found in possession of controlled narcotics. These included a white rock-like substance and a brown sticky substance, police records state.

Hylton is accused of fraud/identity theft (for which no details were listed), possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, which all are felonies, along with five misdemeanors: larceny; possession of stolen goods; carrying a concealed weapon; resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She also was found to be the subject of two outstanding orders for arrest for failing to appear in court in Surry County which had been issued on Nov. 9 and Sept. 22. Hylton was jailed under a $38,000 secured bond and is scheduled to be in Surry District Court on Monday.

• Dollar General on North Renfro Street was the scene of a larceny on Dec. 6, when “miscellaneous hygienic merchandise” valued at $10 was taken by an unknown suspect who concealed it and left the store.

The Small Business Center at Surry Community College will be offering multiple online webinars in January and February free of charge. These webinars cover a variety of topics ranging from eCommerce, networking and website building

The webinar Facebook Shops & Facebook Marketplace will be held Jan. 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Marketplace is a way to market your small business and sell in your local area. Customers can look through your listings or search for items near them to find great things to buy.

The webinar Website Building 101 and 102 For Small Businesses will be held Jan. 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This seminar can help you quickly and design a website for your business with little technical knowledge.

The webinar The Building Blocks of Networking for Small Businesses will be held Jan. 26, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. This seminar will teach the importance of doing things virtually and still making business work positively. This seminar will be held again on Feb. 2, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The webinar Turning Prospects into Profitability will be held Feb. 9, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. This workshop provides the importance of finding the right target market, researching the right type of client to make it worth your time, making connections with social media virtually and community outreach for connections. This seminar will be held again on Feb. 16, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The webinar Understanding eBay Stores: Selling from Your eBay Website will be held Feb. 10, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This hands-on course will provide a step-by-step approach to those individuals who are ready to become eBay Store owners. You will learn how to start, brand, and optimize your eBay store website.

The webinar How to Start a Small Business will be held Feb. 15, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. You will understand the basics of starting a business in this seminar that takes you from idea to opportunity. Learn key strategies for start-up, financing and marketing as well as important information about legal issues, licensing, zoning, operations and more.

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

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

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

The following marriage licenses were issued in Surry County:

– Richard Knight Catania, 25, of Montgomery County, Virginia, to McKenzie Anderson Cooper, 24, of Montgomery County.

– James Harlan Simmons, 66, of Surry County to Glenda Jane Lowe, 48, of Surry County.

– John Asten Shelley IV, 24, of Surry County to Alexis Kailey Sweat, 22, of Rock Island County.

– Marcos Lovaton, 26, of Surry County to Zaide Moran Munoz, 23, of Jalpan De Serra County.

– Dalton Lee Castle, 18, of Russell County, Virginia to Madison Grace Mullins, 16, of Buchanan County, Virginia.

– Francisco Javier Olmos Martinez, 41, of Surry County to Alexis Marie Gammons, 22, of Surry County.

In a reversal of a reversal, Mount Airy officials have allocated $400,000 in city funds to the Surry Arts Council to help it complete construction of a multi-purpose facility.

The 4-1 vote Thursday night by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners approving that effectively undid action taken in June 2020. The council decided 3-2 then not to fulfill a $1 million pledge to the arts group made in 2019 before the board’s makeup changed with a municipal election that year.

That sum was to be paid in annual increments of $200,000 over a five-year period to support the building project. But after three new commissioners came aboard, the majority decided in 2020 to keep intact the $200,000 tapped for the Surry Arts Council for that fiscal year covering the previous commissioners’ tenure — out of respect for them — but deny the rest of the $1 million.

Then-Mayor David Rowe cast a tie-breaking vote for the defunding that was supported by new commissioners Tom Koch and Marie Wood and opposed by longtime board members Jon Cawley and Steve Yokeley. Ron Niland, now Mount Airy’s mayor but then its at-large commissioner, was absent from that meeting, necessitating Rowe’s intervention.

Fast-forwarding to Thursday night, Cawley, Yokeley, Wood and Commissioner Joe Zalescik voted in favor of appropriating the $400,000 that had been formally requested by the arts organization on Dec. 2, with Koch adopting the same position he’d advanced in 2020.

Koch said then he could not support the long-range funding for the arts organization because the city needed new police, fire and sanitation vehicles and these items should take priority over aiding outside groups.

He again expressed financial concerns Thursday night in voting against the Surry Arts Council appropriation, which according to a budget amendment to provide the $400,000 will come from the municipal fund balance, or savings.

Koch charged that the city government has had “no input” in the planning for the new arts facility now taking shape on a site along Rockford Street near Blackmon Amphitheatre and the Mount Airy Public Library, where construction began Sept. 27.

This includes not being able to review the building specifications, which he said might have reduced the cost of the project bearing a $3.5 million price tag, with Koch questioning whether costly materials such as marble are part of the mix. He expressed further concern over the Surry Arts Council launching construction without all the funds needed for it being secured.

Koch also reiterated a previous request for financial records from the organization, including its balance sheets for recent years, which he had made when the board met earlier this month.

“I asked for it two weeks ago and I’ve got nothing,” the North Ward representative said of the financial data.

Koch tried unsuccessfully Thursday night to delay a vote on the funding until he got some answers, saying that would be “prudent.”

Koch’s concerns were addressed by Surry Arts Council Executive Director Tanya Jones, who was in the audience for Thursday’s meeting.

Jones said the arts group has sought to plan the facility in a fiscally responsible manner. “There is no marble in the building,” she commented at one point in countering Koch’s statement about that material.

The Surry Arts Council has been in constant collaboration with the city government during the more than four years in which the project has taken shape — since Day One, Jones continued.

She said the construction started when it did in order to be in compliance with contributions from other funding sources for the multi-purpose facility.

Jones also repeated a disclosure during the board’s Dec. 2 meeting that the Surry Arts Council financial records requested by Koch are already on file at City Hall, due to being submitted during the annual budget process. Commissioner Joe Zalescik said financial information about the group also is available online.

“The amount of money left to raise is $800,000,” Jones said of all the crooks and turns that have brought the project to this point. “We are $800,000 short.”

Surry County officials have been asked to supply the remaining $400,000 needed, but no action has been taken by them.

“We have not as a board committed to the $400,000,” said Larry Johnson, a county commissioner in attendance Thursday night, who represents the Mount Airy District.

The city commissioners’ 4-1 vote came in the wake of a presentation by a Surry Arts Council board member on Dec. 2 touting the tourism benefits expected from the new facility along with other SAC fixtures such as the Andy Griffith Museum.

Its new multi-purpose facility will contain office, classroom and exhibit space, including a museum and statue dedicated to the Original Siamese Twins who lived near Mount Airy in the 1800s. Accommodations for artist and scholar presentations also are to be provided along with public restrooms.

The city government will own the building once it is completed and lease the facility to the arts group.

Those commissioners who support the $400,000 allocation voiced no comments Thursday night to highlight their position.

But Cawley had said during the Dec. 2 session that he fully backed this move:

“I look forward to voting in the affirmative to support that.”

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Tammy Joyce of Mount Airy attended Barron’s 2021 Top Women Advisors Summit held virtually Dec. 7-11. This is the eighth time Joyce has taken part in the invitation-only event.

The conference gathers some of the nation’s most accomplished women in wealth management to discuss their practices and portfolios and enables them to network with their peers and discuss challenges and opportunities.

“The summit was an amazing learning opportunity, and I am thankful I have this chance to learn from my industry peers,” said Joyce. “I am excited to incorporate what I learned into my practice and the service I provide for my clients.”

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. The firm’s nearly 19,000 financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients with a total of $1.8 trillion in assets under care.

The Mount Airy High School Quiz Bowl team placed first in the Virtual Fall Tournament League going 10-0 in its season. The Virtual Winter League begins at the end of January, and the team will also participate in the Mount Airy Public Library’s Quiz Bowl Competition on Feb. 19 at the Andy Griffith Playhouse.

Central Middle School students have been enjoying their new outside classroom this year.

Thanks to Stephanie Boone Cook for being the recipient of the North Carolina Outdoor Advisory Council Grant, the school is able to use this space for outside learning. This space contains whiteboards, picnic tables, and other useful tools to help students make the most of outside learning.

Director of the Surry Community College Small Business Center (SBC) Mark Harden has received a Level 2 Credentialing award from the N.C. Community College System Small Business Center Network.

This award was presented to Harden for completing the required training milestones in the credentialing program. The award is based in part on establishing active partnerships with federal, state, county and municipal agencies and organizations.

Harden’s work has included providing seminars with the U.S. Small Business Administration, N.C. Secretary of State as well as the N.C. Department of Revenue. The SBC and Harden also partner with Thread Capital (N.C. Rural Center), N.C. Small Business Technology and Development Center, local chambers of commerce, and economic development partnerships on various economic development activities, as well as other community activities.

Harden has made significant contributions to the community during his three-year tenure as the director of SCC Small Business Center. He received the North Carolina State Small Business Center’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2020.

Harden has counseled hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners while supporting small business start-ups, resulting in over 150 new and retained jobs in the region. Additionally, the SCC SBC has offered more than 100 business seminars with nearly a thousand attendees in the region during his tenure.

The counseling and seminars cover a diverse range of important topics including business plans, capital funding, e-commerce, marketing, accounting, QuickBooks, income taxes, sales taxes, licenses/permits, website design and much more.

Harden has served local communities by collaborating with them in support of the Shop Local campaign by American Express and serving on many economic development and workforce training committees throughout the region. He participates in Leadership Surry County and Leadership Yadkin County.

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

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

To register for upcoming virtual seminars or to view a complete listing of the upcoming Small Business Center offerings, visit www.surry.edu/sbc.

During the season of giving, United Fund of Surry officials want to remind people to consider donating to their agency, which in turn can help other organizations.

“There are 15 days left in the year to give and receive a charitable deduction” Melissa Hiatt, executive director of the United Fund of Surry, said on Thursday.

She said this year — the second in which fundraising has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic — has been different than years past. The United Fund of Surry has a fundraising goal this year of $430,000, money to be used to help support its 26 member agencies.

“Although the campaign is going well and receiving gifts is a little ahead of schedule, the needs are much higher,” Hiatt said. “Surry County is very giving but also nurturing. Although we are blessed with multiple nonprofits in the community there are still unmet needs. This year there are new nonprofits emerging and some have already reached out to the United Fund for support. It is unknown at this time if the new requests will meet the funding criteria, but we want to be prepared to support the citizens in need of services,” she said.

The United Fund of Surry’s mission is to strengthen and support the community. The 26 member agencies provide services that focus on youth and family services, senior services, crisis intervention and medical intervention.

“All donations received support citizens of Surry County and no administrative cost leave the county,” Hiatt said. The United Fund of Surry’s motto is #keepitlocalsurrey.

“No matter what path you choose to give, #keepitlocalsurry means that your investment in your community is creating an impact that is immeasurable. You are improving the quality of life for those most in need both today and in the future,” stated Hiatt.

There are a number of ways individuals can help support United Fund and the work it does in the community. Among those are:

– Start or participate in a work-placegiveing campaign that allows an office or branch of a company to donate, volunteer and speak out for causes that matter to them;

– Donate online at http://www.unitedfundofsurry.org/donate;

– Mail a donation to P.O. Box 409, Mount Airy, NC 27030;

– Make a Legacy Gift: A gift to the United Fund to ensure maximize use of dollars to support the community for years to come. Call 336-789-3087 to discuss a legacy gift;

– Volunteer to serve on a committee to the United Fund’s board of directors.

For more information on The United Fund of Surry County, visit http://www.unitedfundofsurry.org/

Access to services can be a common complaint of marginalized groups and their grievances sometimes require legal action to bring about change. Some situations though cannot wait and require an innovative approach to solve an ongoing problem.

When it came to accessing care for those battling substance use disorder in Surry County, a large obstacle was getting the patients to the care they needed. A transportation initiative was launched in May that was funded by the county as well as grants called ‘Ride the Road to Recovery.’ The funding allowed the team to hire staff and purchase vehicles to be used to take the patients to their treatment.

“A lot of substance use disorder patients don’t have adequate transportation to get to the treatment that’s mainly in cities in Surry County, so we’re going to them to provide that for them,” said Nathan Walls of the county manager’s office.

The number of requests for rides since the program’s inception has already climbed at a rate that shows how needed this transportation service is and appreciated it may be going forward. The report from the county said: “Requests rose from 31 in June to 122 in October, climbing each month.

“Between July and August, numbers almost doubled from 41 to 79. Starting in May, trips increased from 13 to 55 in June, to 129 in July, to 145 in August, to 195 in September and to 256 in October. That represents an overall increase of over 1,869% ridership.”

That growth means this program needs help in the form of volunteer drivers. A newly initiated volunteer driver program called T.I.R.E.S. (Together Ideal Results Emerge Successfully) seeks volunteers who will operate program vehicles and transport residents to needed services.

This novel approach to get the patients to the care they need by using volunteer drivers may be on the vanguard. It is thought to be the only program of its kind in North Carolina, with no other documentation in the state of “other local governments primarily providing transportation services to substance use patients.”

Getting those in need to their treatment is just part of the goal for Ride the Road to Recovery. Beyond those important rides to treatment, “also rides to medical, probation, court, TASC, Vocational Rehabilitation and NC Works appointments, because they have no other means to get there,” said Mark Willis, the director of the county’s Substance Abuse Recovery Department.

“If we are truly helping people get on the road to recovery, the only way we can do that is to connect county residents to their other needs, as well. Thanks to this big picture view of recovery, and our marketing efforts, we’ve seen a rise in riders.”

The TIRES initiative is just launching and as transportation coordinator Deborah Giep said, it gives the residents of Surry County a chance to connect with and help their neighbors in need.

COVID-19 fears, she said, could play in to concerns people may have in participating but the county is helping with those personal safety supplies for riders and drivers. “We supply safety gear; every rider is provided with a mask if they do not have one.”

Early this year, the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery asked for the public to participate in a survey on their experiences and perceptions of substance use disorder and those battling the disease. Seven hundred and thirty V.O.I.C.E.S. (Volunteering Opinions & Information Concerning Eliminating Substance Use Community Surveys) were collected from Feb. 8 to April 14. With participation across demographic groups, and more than 200 additional write-in answers from the public, it provided a snapshot of this community’s understanding and perceptions of the problem.

What was found from those 730 surveys was that there is wide knowledge of an ongoing substance use problem in this area, and an equally alarming number of participants said finding drugs in their community was easy.

Of 677 responses to the question “Do You Know of a Local Family Who Has Been Negatively Impacted by Opioid Use?” 588 said yes, they know of such a family, which is 87% of respondents.

“Do You Think Your Community Has an Opioid Addiction Problem?” 97.8% answered yes.

When asking if “Illicit Opioids, Including Illicit Prescription Medication and Drugs like Heroin, are Readily Available in my Community” 94.1% replied they felt these were easily found.

One data point shows public perception on substance use disorder has changed over the years. The community surveyed were presented with options on what the root cause of substance use disorder may be: choice, a failing of moral character or disease. Residents of Surry County acknowledge what medical professionals agree on – these people are dealing with an illness.

Pastor Michelle Mathis said in a video found on SurryCountyCares.com that for some people who see substance use disorder as a moral failing, she wants to remind them, “None of us are without sin. Jesus even said, he who is without sin shall cast the first stone.” She is reminded of a phrase she borrowed from a pastor in Ohio, do you want to be a stone thrower – or do you want to get down like He did and help?

Addiction is a chronic and debilitating disease from which some will not recover despite all best efforts. That does not mean all best efforts will not be made. Helping neighbors in need and bringing them to the treatment that can help alter the trajectory of their lives can be a game changing experience for the one who is suffering and their loved ones.

For every $1 spent on prevention, $10 are saved on long term treatment costs alone, according to the Surry County Substance Abuse website. Getting one person to a facility such as Daymark for treatment can prevent a litany of other issues associated with withdrawal. One less person looking for an unlocked car door at the gas station would be a net positive for the entire community as well.

“They see the light,” Giep said of the participants in On the Road to Recovery, “(They) want to continue on the route and the journey and are looking forward to finishing up their programs.”

The programs exist, the grant money is in place for the vehicles and the county staff to facilitate the ride share program. What is needed now are the drivers, and the community is asked to help.

To request a ride from the transportation program, or become a volunteer driver, residents should contact Deborah Giep at 336-401-8266 or submit a message at www.surrycountycares.com/transportation.

Mount Airy officials are considering city zoning ordinance changes regulating rooming houses — for which action was planned Thursday night — on the heels of Church Street residents complaining about a transient lodging establishment operating in their neighborhood.

That occurred earlier this fall in response to activities surrounding a boarding house at 204 W. Church St. creating concerns among neighbors, who were prompted to address the issue during a public forum of a council meeting.

“There’s been a lot of activity with the police,” said one forum speaker, Elizabeth McDowell, who identified herself as a former military flight nurse living across the street from the rooming house involved.

“We’re all just very unhappy about this,” said another West Church Street resident, Daphne Ayers, who mentioned that problems were caused by the short-term presence of occupants who were renting rooms by the month.

What began as a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house that was bought by a younger local resident ballooned from there with more bedroom and bathroom spaces, according to Ayers. The maximum number of people staying there at a particular time was not known.

“We feel like it’s transient people coming and going,” Ayers added in reference to vehicles parked there which another speaker said displayed license tags from all over the U.S., including such states as Texas and Arizona. “We’ve had the police over there numerous times.”

McDowell said her two teenage daughters were not comfortable getting into the car to drive to school each day because of safety issues regarding the rooming house that she termed a “public nuisance” during the forum.

“So we need this safety issue involved.”

Tim Ayers, another forum speaker, pointed out that as a neighborhood located in an R-6 (General Residential) zone, it is predominantly made up of single-family homes although apartments are located there.

But the presence of the rooming house had greatly disrupted its character, he indicated.

Tim Ayers told city officials that 15 families had gone on record as opposing the use in question.

“We do not want a rooming house in our neighborhood,” he said.

“We would like to change the ordinance so it doesn’t happen,” Daphne Ayers stated, which the forum comments suggested should include not only banning such establishments throughout the city in the future but disallowing the one in existence.

McDowell referred to language in the Mount Airy code of ordinances which states that the intent of these regulations is to promote public health, safety, morals and the general welfare of citizens.

Mount Airy Planning Director Andy Goodall reacted to the residents’ concerns’ by pointing out that no city permit had been issued for the rooming house, because the owner of the property decided to abandon that use.

Strict building codes were given as his reason for this, according to the planning director.

But Goodall said the Mount Airy Planning Board — an advisory group to the commissioners — would be discussing and considering changes as to how rooming and boarding houses, which are allowable uses in the municipality, are handled.

That has now occurred with the development of proposed ordinance amendments, which will require a public hearing to be held before the changes can be approved and put into effect. The commissioners were expected during a meeting Thursday night to schedule the hearing for another council meeting on Jan. 20 at 6 p.m.

One proposed change in Mount Airy’s residential use guidelines would involve removing the term boarding/rooming house and replacing it with rooming house alone — separated into transient and non-transient facilities.

The transient rooming house is defined as any single dwelling unit containing no more than five guest rooms and limited to that number of people where rent is paid, with transient specified as less than 30 days.

Such a facility would have to meet city minimum housing and state building codes before a certificate to operate was issued.

The proposed amendments also call for a house to be overseen by a resident manager.

One parking space would be required for each guest room and one for the manager, located at the side or rear of the structure.

Wording that has allowed boarding/rooming houses in the R-20 (Single-Family Residential), R-6 (General Residential) and R-4 (Office-Residential) zoning districts was stricken for purposes of the amendment package.

Transient facilities would be allowed only in R-4 zones with a special-use permit, based on city government documents, with greater leeway proposed for the non-transient variety.

• An Ararat, Virginia, man has been jailed under a huge bond after he was discovered to be a fugitive from justice during a suspicious-vehicle call, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Catlin Joe Moncus, 36, of 3321 Willis Gap Road, was encountered late last Saturday night by officers at Jasper Pointe Apartments off North Franklin Road, who discovered his name entered in a national crime database as being wanted in Virginia on an unspecified matter.

Moncus also was found to be the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court in Surry County. He was confined in the county jail under a $50,000 secured bond and slated for a Jan. 3 court appearance in Dobson.

• Christopher Reuben Clark, 38, of 274 Hiatt Road, was charged with larceny Monday at Walmart, where he allegedly was found in possession of stolen goods by management personnel. The merchandise involved was not specified.

Clark is scheduled to be in Surry District Court on Jan. 7 and has been banned from Walmart properties.

• Two women are facing larceny and drug charges stemming from a Nov. 25 incident at the Dollar General store on South Main Street.

Ashley Luann Goins, 34, of 511 Gillespie St. in Dobson, was found in possession of miscellaneous makeup and hair products valued at $37 after a probable-cause search of her purse, police records state, which were recovered intact. She is accused of larceny along with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of a Schedule III controlled substance and possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance.

Sophia Danielle Shelton, 25, listed as homeless, also allegedly was found with stolen merchandise and an illegal drug and was charged with concealment of merchandise, possession of stolen goods and possession of a Schedule III controlled substance.

Oxycodone and alprazolam pills were seized during the incident along with Suboxone strips and an unknown white powdery substance that has been sent to the state crime lab for analysis.

The two women are scheduled to appear in District Court on Monday.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — A group of area veterans has received a special salute recognizing its long record of service to ex-military members.

This involved a presentation of the 75th Diamond Jubilee Award during a gathering earlier this month of Pilot Mountain Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9436, marking that many years of overall service to the veteran community.

Visiting VFW officials from the state and district levels were on hand for that occasion, which occurred during a Christmas dinner for the group provided by its Ladies Auxiliary.

Post Commander Kem Byrd explained Thursday that the Pilot Mountain Veterans of Foreign Wars has been in existence for about 40 years.

However, it has become combined over time with VFW posts in Pinnacle, King and Collinstown. The King VFW was launched right after World War II, with the 75th Diamond Jubilee Award given based on its longevity.

And the Pilot Mountain post officially was recognized since it is now the spearhead group for all the others, Byrd indicated.

The combined organization has 60 members representing the multiple communities involved.

Byrd, who served in the U.S. Navy in the 1980s during the Lebanon conflict, says the Pilot Mountain VFW conglomerate is involved in a number of activities to aid former military personnel and raise awareness about them.

This includes participating in the VFW Buddy Poppy program, which provides compensation to veterans who assemble the poppies — replicas of vivid red flowers symbolizing the great loss of life during war.

The program helps the VFW live up to its motto “to honor the dead by helping the living.”

Byrd also mentioned that the Pilot Mountain post participated in a Veterans Day parade in November.

Another way in which it makes a valuable contribution involves joining with Mount Airy Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2019 to form a combined Honor Guard that bestows military honors at funerals of veterans.

The VFW Honor Guard was inactive as 2021 got under way — due to COVID-19 — but since March has participated in nearly 90 funerals, Byrd said.

Pilot Mountain VFW members meet on the second Thursday of each month at post headquarters in the town.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News