PILOT MOUNTAIN — Area residents are invited to join in the annual memorial walk to honor the memory of fallen Pilot Mountain police officers Glenn Branscome and Ralph East.

A brief pre-walk ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, one day before the 50th anniversary of the night the officers were killed in the line of duty.

Officers Branscome and East were fatally shot on Feb. 3, 1969, along the side of Old Highway 52 Bypass behind East Surry High School. The deadly encounter occurred after the officers had stopped a vehicle matching the description of one used in two Forsyth County armed robberies earlier that evening.

Saturday’s walk will begin following a short memorial ceremony in the parking lot of the Tlaquepaque Mexican Grill, at 511 East U.S. 52 Bypass (Branscome-East Highway) in Pilot Mountain.

Participants will then make their way on foot or by van along 1.5 miles of the route over which Officers Branscome and East followed the suspect vehicle before stopping it. Van transportation will be provided for those who wish to participate but do not feel they can walk any or part of the 1.5-mile distance.

Transportation will also be provided for all participants back to Tlaquepaque Mexican Grill at the conclusion of the walk.

Upon arrival at a location behind East Surry High School, identified by a roadside cross as the site of the deadly confrontation, walkers will gather near a large granite monument memorializing the tragedy and the fallen officers. All ages are invited to attend and take part in the walk.

Local resident Chet Jessup, a retired law enforcement veteran who has been instrumental in honoring the memories of the fallen officers, serves each year as the event’s primary organizer. He organized the first gathering in 2007, in conjunction with the recognition of a section of road that was dedicated as the Officer Glenn Branscome-Officer Ralph East Highway.

Jessup, whose family lived in Pilot Mountain, was 7 years old at the time of the tragedy and over the years has grown increasingly aware of its lasting impact on the community. At the time, the Pilot Mountain Police Department was made up of just four officers, including Branscome and East.

“This made an impact on me,” Jessup said. “It influenced my decision to go into law enforcement. This changed for the better how firearms training was done and those changes are still a part of training today. For me, every time I stand and read that monument, it brings an awareness of what happened that night just a few feet away.”

Members of both the East and the Branscome families have supported the walk since its inception and are expected to take part on Saturday.

“The 50th anniversary of this tragedy will be a memorable moment for family members and others,” Jessup noted. “It’s an important part of the history of this town. I hope that in another 50 years people will still be walking and gathering at the monument. I hope that the story of these officers and their sacrifice will still be told so that people and this community will continue to remember.”

“We want to invite people to come out and join us in honoring the memory of Officers Branscome and East as well as honoring all who serve. It seems it’s always cold but we appreciate everyone who comes out to honor these men.”

Anyone requesting additional information may contact Jessup at (336) 374-5409.

Fallen Pilot Mountain Police Officers Glenn Branscome and Ralph East — their pictures part of a memorial table from a past memorial walk — will be remembered during a brief ceremony and walk, beginning Saturday morning at 8 o’clock in the Tlaquepaque Mexican Grill parking lot.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Bransco-2-.jpgFallen Pilot Mountain Police Officers Glenn Branscome and Ralph East — their pictures part of a memorial table from a past memorial walk — will be remembered during a brief ceremony and walk, beginning Saturday morning at 8 o’clock in the Tlaquepaque Mexican Grill parking lot. File photo

This monument honors the memories of Pilot Mountain police officers Glenn Branscome and Ralph East by briefly recounting the events of the night both lost their lives in the line of duty. It is located a few feet from the site of the fatal confrontation, near what is now the Armfield Civic Center. The monument was erected in late 2013 as an Eagle Scout service project by Austin Jessup, walk organizer Chet Jessup’s son.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_IMG_5345-1-.jpgThis monument honors the memories of Pilot Mountain police officers Glenn Branscome and Ralph East by briefly recounting the events of the night both lost their lives in the line of duty. It is located a few feet from the site of the fatal confrontation, near what is now the Armfield Civic Center. The monument was erected in late 2013 as an Eagle Scout service project by Austin Jessup, walk organizer Chet Jessup’s son. File photo

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The following reports were filed by the Pilot Mountain Police Department in recent weeks:

• An incident/investigation report dated Jan. 22 covers an investigation of damage to property by hitting a mailbox and knocking it over.

• An incident/investigation report dated Jan. 23 covers an investigation of civil disturbance by coming into a residence and starting an argument which led to an altercation.

• A motor vehicle collision report dated Jan. 23 details a one-vehicle collision. An unknown driver ran a 2008 Porsche owned by Thomas Joseph Fredenberg, Charlotte, off the road into a ditch.

• A collision report dated Jan. 24 details a collision between Joel Cervantes Madrigal, Pinnacle, driving a 2016 Nissan, and a deer.

• An incident/investigation report dated Jan. 24 covers an investigation of domestic disturbance by pulling victim’s hair and pushing her in the face.

• A motor vehicle collision report dated Jan. 28 details a collision between Kosher Monae Feance, Westfield, driving a 2011 Buick, and Andrea Issaacs Freeman, Mount Airy, driving a 2015 Hyundai.

• An incident/investigation report dated Jan. 29 covers an investigation of burning personal property and injury to personal property by setting fire to a vehicle and cutting two of the tires.

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A drug raid not far from another recent raid netted four suspects, according to the Surry County Sheriff’s Office.

The search warrant was executed last Thursday at 1988 Fancy Gap Road, north of the city near the state line.

According to Sheriff Steve Hiatt, this was conducted as a result of numerous citizens’ complaints in the community. Hiatt said that the citizens spoke, and his office listened.

A joint operation involving the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Airy Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations led to the search warrant.

This house is a little more than half a mile from another drug bust two weeks earlier involving these three agencies. That raid also resulted in four people being arrested. Mount Airy Police Department Capt. Barry VanHoy said that Willis Road warrant came after a few months of investigation in the area.

When the Fancy Gap Road residence was searched, detectives located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia inside, and the four people living there were arrested.

• Lakasha Marie Deluca, 38, was arrested and charged with one count of felony possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Deluca and the others were given a Feb. 20 date in Surry County District Court.

• Stacey Lee Phillips, 36, was charged with one felony count of possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, Phillips was convicted in 2013 of possession of a Schedule I drug and obtaining property by false pretense. She spent five months in prison.

• Brenda Faye Snow, 69, was charged with one count of felony possession of meth and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was convicted of five felony drug charges in 2003 and served eight months in prison. The charges were possession of a Schedule II drug, selling/delivering a Schedule II drug, selling a Schedule II drug, and two counts of possession with intent to sell a Schedule II drug.

• Keith Hylton Bean, 51, was charged with one felony count of maintaining a drug dwelling and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bean was convicted in December 2014 of second-degree arson and spent more than a year in prison.

In 2010 he was convicted of possession of a Schedule III drug. He also has three convictions for driving while impaired and two for larceny.

The sheriff’s office stated that this is an ongoing investigation with the possibility of additional charges.

Deluca

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Lakasha-Deluca.jpgDeluca

Phillips

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Stacey-Phillips.jpgPhillips

Snow

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Brenda-Snow.jpgSnow

Bean

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Keith-Bean.jpgBean

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DOBSON — Some person or group is targeting a specific auto part for theft over the past three months. The Surry County Sheriff’s Office received two reports this month that ups the theft to 37 vehicles.

CT and Sons Automotive, on U.S. 52, reported theft on Jan. 11. Jimmy and Tracy Wall reported that between 5:30 p.m. the night before and 10:30 a.m. that day someone came onto the property and cut the catalytic converter off of six vehicles. Listed as stolen were two devices from For Explorers ($300 value), and $125 converters from a Kia Soul, Honda Civic, Buick Rendevouz and Kia Sedona.

Ten days later on Jan. 21, Haynes Motor, U.S. 21, State Road, reported a catalytic converter had been cut off a 1994 Chevy 1500 truck. Jim Haynes said between Jan. 18-21 someone took the item valued at $150 from the black truck.

These incidents are part of a string of thefts over the past three months involving catalytic converters.

On Nov. 16, Jacob Creed, of Creed Enterprises, on N.C. 268 in Copeland, reported that catalytic converters were stolen off three vehicles parked at the business.

On Nov. 17, Hugo’s 601 Garage off U.S. 601 in Boonville was the site of an attack where nine vehicles stored at the garage for repairs were targeted.

On Dec. 27, McCray’s Auto Sales on U.S. 52 reported that six vehicles had been damaged.

On Dec. 28, Austin Sumner reported that his 2000 Chevy S10 pickup was parked on South Main Street in the city when someone stole the catalytic converter off of it.

On Jan. 10, Phillips Motor Co. on West Lebanon Street reported to the Mount Airy Police Department that 11 vehicles were hit on the lot.

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In other incident reports:

• Shannon Wall, of Ararat Road, Ararat, reported property damage on Jan. 7. She said around 6:30 p.m. she had an argument with a person who then broke out the front window of her residence, causing $600 in damage. The report says the case was closed when the victim declined to prosecute.

• Alexander Tevenal, of Summit Drive, Mount Airy, reported theft of mail on Jan. 11. He said between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10 a package was delivered to the home, but the package was stolen. The package reportedly contained clothing and cash, valued at $90. According to the report, the package was recovered and the case is under further investigation.

• William Figueredo, of Raleigh, reported damage to his car on Jan. 11. He said his 2014 Toyota Corolla was on U.S. 52 near N.C. 268 when a person damaged the front quarter panel by kicking it, doing $3,000 in damage.

• Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home reported theft on Jan. 11. Nikayla Marion and Spencer Moore stated that sometime between 1-6:15 p.m. the day before someone took $130 in cash from the staff’s retreat room.

• Edward Cox, of Sheets Park Lane, Mount Airy, reported property damage on Jan. 11. He said between 1-1:30 p.m. someone scratched up his 2011 Ford Edge SL, doing $1,500 in damage.

• Timothy Hanks, of Poplar Spring Road, Elkin, reported fraud on Jan. 11. He said he purchased an item off eBay and paid for the item, but did not receive the proper item, a Nest Cam IQ security camera that he paid $26.99 to purchase. The report says the case was closed as leads were exhausted.

• Bernarda Calderson, of Dobson, and Frances Allen, of September Lane, Mount Airy, reported a break-in of a vehicle at Allen’s residence on Jan. 12. Calderson said his 2016 Nissan Versa was there between 8 p.m. the night before and 11 a.m. that day when someone broke in ($150 damage to a window) and stole the battery, registration card and miscellaneous papers.

• Devin Whan, of Pilot Church Road, Pinnacle, reported identity theft on Jan. 12. He said that someone used his identity to purchase four new iPhones at a cost of $4,187.10 and a Verizon phone bill for $662.

• Jeanette Odum and Charles Church, of North Crosswinds Drive, Mount Airy, reported a break-in Jan. 12. They said around 5:25 p.m. they discovered that someone had entered the residence and stolen a wooden box heater valued at $70.

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Mount Airy City schools are joining more than 10 million students in nearly 20,000 schools in more than 100 countries in promoting acts of kindness this week.

The Great Kindness Challenge encourages students to proactively choose kindness, with activities planned for each day of the week. The program is a bullying-prevention initiative that improves school climate and increases student engagement, according to the organization’s website. Mount Airy schools are participating for the second year.

Monday began with a kindness tunnel at all K-8 schools. Students arrived at school to run through a tunnel of school staff, office staff, police and firefighters yelling encouragement and applauding the students.

“Monday morning’s tunnel was a way for staff and the Mount Airy community to surprise students with an act of kindness,” stated Carrie Venable, public information officer for the school system. “The goal was for students to feel valued and seen as they entered school and encouraged to take that great feeling and share it with others.”

Wendy Carriker, who chairs the city Board of Education, noted, “As we were cheering and celebrating the arrival of students, I noticed that each child had their name called to them as they entered the building. That was wonderful.”

Students are encouraged to perform as many kind acts as possible this week, according to Venable. Students were given checklists detailing various acts of kindness to get them thinking about ways to be kind. The 50 acts included on the checklist are as varied as: smile at 25 people, compliment five people, hug your friend, tell a joke and make someone laugh, and make a wish for a child in another country.

“Acts of kindness can be as simple as giving someone a sincere compliment or helping someone,” said Venable. “It’s the polar opposite of bullying.”

As to why it is necessary for the school system to get involved with initiatives like the Kindness Challenge, Venable said, “We have to empower our students to engage in a culture of kindness. In the world we live in, it must not be natural anymore.”

The week’s activities are designed to feel like spirit week, except with each day emphasizing kindness. Students will wear their “Bear wear” on one day; another day is set aside as Dream of Kindness Day where students wear pajamas; students are encouraged to wear their favorite sports team attire for Team Kindness Day; and Crazy for Kindness Day is much like a Wacky Tacky Day during Spirit Week. Friday has been set aside as “ Vincent’s Legacy, Kindness Rocks Day” with tie-dye being the attire of choice.

Each school also planned a surprise attack of kindness around the Mount Airy community. Vincent’s Legacy, Kindness Rocks has provided kindness rocks to each school and each school’s surprise attack will include spreading kindness through hiding kindness rocks, an activity known as “rocking.” Individual schools can also choose their own surprise acts of kindness.

Second-grade Tharrington Primary School student Xander Wilson embraces the moment of having a crowd of teachers, staff, police officers and firefighters welcome him to school.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Xander-Wilson.jpgSecond-grade Tharrington Primary School student Xander Wilson embraces the moment of having a crowd of teachers, staff, police officers and firefighters welcome him to school. Submitted photos

Members of the central office staff and B.H. Tharrington staff high-five students as they arrive at school.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_CO-and-BHT-staff.jpgMembers of the central office staff and B.H. Tharrington staff high-five students as they arrive at school. Submitted photos

Jones Intermediate School has set up a Kindness Station where students can work to complete acts of kindness found on their list of challenges. Parents and teachers are working to monitor the station and help students complete as many random acts of kindness as possible.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_IMG_4994.jpgJones Intermediate School has set up a Kindness Station where students can work to complete acts of kindness found on their list of challenges. Parents and teachers are working to monitor the station and help students complete as many random acts of kindness as possible. Submitted photos

Seen here is the student’s view of walking through Monday’s Kindness Tunnel.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_students-view.jpgSeen here is the student’s view of walking through Monday’s Kindness Tunnel. Submitted photos

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Getting one’s taxes prepared is not exactly a fun activity, but at least a free filing service is available in Mount Airy for the 2019 tax season.

“It started this past Saturday,” Surry County Senior Center Manager Missy Whitaker said of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

It is being conducted by the senior center along with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of YVEDDI (Yadkin Valley Economic Development District Inc.), in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service.

The free tax-filing assistance is offered on a first-come, first-served basis each Saturday through March at the Mount Airy Public Library, by appointment only.

It is available for low-to-moderate-income taxpayers, generally those earning $55,000 and less, who need help filing their returns on the heels of the largest tax-law overhaul since 1986.

The VITA program is returning to Mount Airy since being discontinued after the end of the 2013 tax season due to the death of its coordinator.

That has forced the Surry County Senior Center in recent years to refer community residents to other areas such as Elkin and Boonville where VITA sites were operating.

“So we thought we needed to bring it back here,” Whitaker said.

The program operates through the help of trained volunteers.

“We have four volunteers and each volunteer can handle three appointments every Saturday,” Whitaker said of a schedule in which appointments are booked between 10 a.m. and noon at the library.

“We had some college students come last week,” she said of the clientele served so far.

The assistance includes simple returns as well as processing various deductions for property taxes, charitable contributions and others. “They will look at all that if you bring it in,” Whitaker said.

A site coordinator, who is an IRS employee, is available during the program hours to answer questions and review all returns prepared. The forms are then filed electronically.

Citizens who are interested in the VITA program can call 336-415-4225 to determine if they qualify for it and make an appointment.

While the appointments are limited to 12 each week, Whitaker said if there is a large number of people seeking the tax assistance, additional times might be added, including during evening hours.

“It will be looked at,” she said.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, participants of which are shown in a file photo, has returned to Mount Airy after an absence of six years.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_File-this.jpgThe Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, participants of which are shown in a file photo, has returned to Mount Airy after an absence of six years. Tom Joyce | The News

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Recent figures on drug-overdose deaths in Surry County might suggest progress is being made with the addiction problem locally, but the problem is actually getting worse as evidenced by an increase in overdose cases as a whole.

It was announced earlier this month that the number of persons dying from overdoses fell to 31 in 2018, from 55 the year before.

“We actually ended up with 32 from last year,” John Shelton, Surry Emergency Services director, said Wednesday in updating the death total for 2018.

The 55 fatalities from drug overdoses in 2017 was the all-time record for the county.

While it is a positive sign that deaths dropped significantly in 2018, this obscures the magnitude of the problem, according to Shelton, one that shows no signs of waning.

“The number of overdoses is actually up significantly,” the emergency services official added Wednesday.

EMS personnel ran 371 overdose cases in the field in 2018, up from 237 the year before when the 55 fatalities resulted.

Narcan a key

Despite the huge rise in overdose cases last year, Shelton says the decline in fatalities was achieved due to the increased use of Narcan — the brand name for naloxone, a medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially in overdoses.

It can be administered nasally or intravenously.

“Narcan did play a big role in the decrease in deaths, and the reason being, it is a lot more readily available,” Shelton said.

Not only are public safety personnel equipped with Narcan, the medication is now widely accessible to family members of those with addiction problems and the addicts themselves, he added.

It can be obtained by the latter individuals on a prescription basis, and grant funding has been made available to supply Narcan to those who are addicted.

“Through this whole process, even those that have those addictions and their families have become more educated on what to look for — knowing the point where Narcan needs to be administered,” Shelton said in elaborating on the overdose-death decline.

Narcan can rapidly restore normal respiration to someone whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing on heroin, for example, or prescription opioid pain medications.

“We gave it 204 times last year in the field in some way,” the emergency services director mentioned. This included cases of Narcan being administered by paramedics, first-responders and law enforcement personnel. It was adminstered 131 times in 2017.

“In most cases, we give it nasally,” Shelton said.

Not always effective

While Narcan could be considered a miracle drug, Shelton believes it has promoted a false sense of security, a belief that it is a magic bullet which is going to pull every overdose victim from the brink of death.

Yet that is not the case.

“Absolutely it gives them a false sense of security,” Shelton said of those who look to Narcan as a fail-safe to prevent deaths.

“Sometimes Narcan won’t work,” he explained. “It depends on the concentration (of drugs) as to whether Narcan can be successful.”

He said that two extremely dangerous, highly publicized substances — fentanyl and heroin — continue to be prevalent locally, including newly developed variations of fentanyl. Sometimes the effects of those can be expanded and are more difficult to reverse when other drugs are used in combination.

Shelton is encouraged by recent raids in which city, county and State Bureau of Investigation officers have arrested persons involved in heroin and fentanyl distribution.

‘Narcan parties’

However, the sad reality is that the use of dangerous drugs is persisting, according to the emergency services official.

He said this has been accompanied by a phenomenon called “Narcan parties” being on the rise in Surry County.

The concept behind those activities is similar to that of a designated driver, in which friends who plan to go out drinking have someone among them who will remain sober and make sure everyone gets home safely.

With Narcan parties, a group of people with opioid addictions want to get together and use those substances.

“And there is one person designated to give them Narcan,” Shelton continued. “And we’ve seen that used in the field, with recreational use.”

Narcan parties are viewed as a disturbing trend by law enforcement officials around the country.

“It’s sad that we’ve gotten to that point,” Shelton said.

“But it’s out there.”

Laken Booker, a paramedic with the Surry County Emergency Medical Service, holds a dispenser of Narcan Wednesday afternoon, which is administered nasally to overdose victims.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Narcan-this.jpgLaken Booker, a paramedic with the Surry County Emergency Medical Service, holds a dispenser of Narcan Wednesday afternoon, which is administered nasally to overdose victims. Tom Joyce | The News

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Matt Edwards, director, of the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, recently accepted a check for $3,500 from Duke Energy Carolinas.

The check received Jan. 24 is earmarked for temporary, rotating exhibits hosted by the local museum.

“These funds give us an opportunity to bring in a larger story we wouldn’t normally be able to tell as part of our mission,” said Kate Rauhauser-Smith, guest services director for the museum.

These exhibits are generally mounted at other institutions and then travel to other locations which host them temporarily. Recent shows have been brought to Mount Airy from the Smithsonian and the North Carolina Museum, according to Rauhauser-Smith.

Recently closed exhibitions such at the dinosaur and bat shows, as well as the current David Holt show, are examples of the museum’s temporary exhibits.

“These exhibits can cost from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars,” said Rauhauser-Smith. “We do not have that kind of money in our budget. The city and the county are very kind to us, but if they have a shortfall, we are not guaranteed a set amount. So we rely on corporate sponsors like Duke.”

The current traveling exhibit, “Mentors and Heroes: David Holt Photo Exhibit,” which opened Jan. 18 and will run through March 16, pairs a traveling exhibit of more than 30 David Holt photographs of musicians who inspired Holt between the 1970s and the early 2000s with a selection of the museum’s musical instruments. Included among the instruments is a guitar for visitors to sit and play themselves in accompaniment to an old-time radio playing period music.

“It doesn’t really matter if you know how to play or not,” said Rauhauser-Smith. “Either way, it’s an incredible experience. What Matt (Edwards) really wants to do is make these experiences immersive, where you experience it at a personal level. This one really does that.”

“David Holt is an amazing photographer,” she added.

Holt, perhaps best-known for his PBS series, “David Holt’s State of Music,” has also been photographing the musicians he has been interviewing and been mentored by since the 1970s.

“He captures a person’s character and soul as only the best photographers can do,” said Rauhauser-Smith. “We have the iconic photo of Tommy Jarrell that almost everybody will recognize. And there’s a photo of Doc Watson that let’s you almost hear the music just by looking at the photo.”

Museum director Matt Edwards, left, receives a check for $3,500 from Jimmy Flythe, director, West Region of Government and Community Relations for Duke Energy Carolinas.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Duke-Check-2.jpgMuseum director Matt Edwards, left, receives a check for $3,500 from Jimmy Flythe, director, West Region of Government and Community Relations for Duke Energy Carolinas. Mount Airy Museum

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DOBSON — The Surry County Sheriff’s Office has released the following arrest reports:

• A man out on bond for a murder charge has been arrested again.

Steven Wayne Wood, 47, of Bear Creek Church Road, Dobson, was served an order for arrest Jan. 21 for a charge of felony contempt of court/perjury, dated Dec. 29 for Wilkes County. He was given a $50,000 secured bond and a Feb. 14 court date in Wilkesboro.

Before then, he has a Feb. 4 appearance in Dobson for charges of felony robbery with a dangerous weapon, fleeing in a motor vehicle to elude arrest, resisting an officer, injury to personal property, possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a concealed weapon.

On Feb. 18 in Wilkes County he faces a charge of felony possession of a firearm by a felon.

The most serious charges come on April 1 when he has his next court appearance for counts of first-degree murder, felony breaking and entering and felony attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.

On Oct. 10, 2017, the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office dispatched deputies to a reported robbery in the Roaring River community. The sheriff’s office stated that the officers found Daniel K. Walters Sr. suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to his lower abdomen. He remained hospitalized for two-and-a-half months before dying on Dec. 27.

The Wilkes County authorities announced in January 2018 that Wood and James Patrick Urick had been charged in the murder.

At that time, Wood already had been charged with the counts listed for Feb. 4 this year.

According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, Wood was convicted in 1997 in Wilkes County of felony possession of a Schedule II drug and felony maintaining a drug dwelling.

• Tiffany Leann Barker, 31, of North Wilkesboro, was served an order for arrest Jan. 20 for failure to appear in court Jan. 16 on a charge of identity theft and Oct. 25 on a charge of shoplifting. She was given a $41,000 secured bond and a Feb. 20 court date.

According to the court docket, she has a March 4 court appearance for several charges: three counts of identity theft, three counts of financial card fraud, and two counts of second-degree trespassing.

• David Lee Hayden III, 25, of Hooks Drive, Mount Airy, was served an order for arrest Jan. 21 for failure to appear in court Dec. 5 on an unspecified charge as well as a criminal summons on a charge of failure to return rental property, dated Dec. 4. He was given a $1,000 secured bond and a Jan. 22 court date for the failure to appear. He has a Feb. 22 date for the rental property charge.

On Feb. 19 he has a court appearance for charges of possession of stolen property and resisting an officer.

• At the same address, Samantha Nicole Hayden, 25, was served an order for arrest for failure to appear in court Nov. 2 on an unspecified charge. She was given a secured bond with a $1,677.25 secured bond and a Jan. 22 court date.

She has a Feb. 15 court date for charges of driving while license revoked and having an expired tag. On Feb. 19 the charge is possession of stolen property. On Feb. 21 the charge is possession of drug paraphernalia. On Feb. 22 she faces a charge of passing a worthless check.

• Amanda Mishelle Hyde, 30, of Wytheville Lane, Mount Airy, was served an order for arrest Jan. 21 for failure to appear in court Aug. 8. She was given a $300 cash bond and a Feb. 12 court date.

According to the court docket, she faces charges that day of possession of stolen goods, having a fictitious or altered registration/tag, no registration and no vehicle inspection.

She has a May 17 appearance for several driving-related charges: speeding, failure to maintain lane control, reckless driving with wanton disregard, expired registration, no inspection, no car insurance, unsafe tires, driving while license revoked, and possession of an altered, fictitious or revoked driver’s license.

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• A man who was administered Narcan after he was discovered passed out behind the wheel of an SUV Monday has been charged with driving while impaired and driving while license revoked, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports. Michael Franklin Carpenter, 32, of 838 S. Main St., was located on Leonard Road near Granite Road in a 2005 Jeep Cherokee with the motor running.

Members of the Mount Airy Fire Department and Surry County Emergency Medical Service removed Carpenter from the vehicle and administered Narcan, an overdose-reversal drug, to him. Carpenter started to recover and allegedly admitted to snorting heroin, police records say. He was transported to Northern Hospital of Surry County for treatment before being charged with the two offenses. Carpenter is scheduled to be in Surry District Court on May 20.

• Anthony Chase Walton, 34, of 165 McGee St., was charged Saturday with a drug-related felony, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop on U.S. 52 at Frederick Street. Walton was released under a $5,000 unsecured bond to appear in District Court on March 21.

• Kailey Nicole Taylor, 28, of 349 Campbell Road, was jailed under a $2,500 secured bond last Friday after a traffic stop in the area of State and Rockford streets, during which she allegedly provided a false name and date of birth.

This led to a charge of resisting, obstructing or delaying a public officer being filed against Taylor, who was found to be the subject of two outstanding orders for arrest for failing to appear in court which had been issued in Stokes County on Jan. 22. She is scheduled to be in Surry District Court on Feb. 19.

• Damage was discovered to a back wall at Tractor Supply on Rockford Street on Jan. 25, which involved the words “Slate Boyzs” being spray-painted. The damage was put at $200.

• A Master lock securing the basketball courts at Riverside Park was discovered stolen on Jan. 24. The city-owned property is valued at $25.

• Also on Jan. 24, police were told that the license plates had been taken from two vehicles at Laser Lube on Rockford Street, including a 2001 Chevrolet K15 truck owned by Surry Chemicals with tag number NTP3793. The other plate, number PCX2883, was taken from an unidentified vehicle owned by Andrea Huff Morris of Laurel Creek Drive.

• Michelle Lynette Harris, 40, of 142 Yesterday Lane, was charged with driving while impaired on Jan. 23 after she was involved in a traffic crash on South Street near Durham Street while operating a 2015 Kia Optima. Harris is free on a written promise to appear in Surry District Court on March 12.

• Olivo Vega Landaverde, 40, of 293 Clover Lane, was charged with larceny and possession of stolen property on Jan. 22 after an incident at the Goodwill store on Rockford Street, where he allegedly took shoes and a shirt that were recovered. Landaverde is to be in court on March 11 and has been banned from all Goodwill stores by the management.

• A break-in was discovered on Jan. 22 at a residence on Jessup Street owned by California resident Charlotte Crissy, which was entered through a window by a person or persons seeking shelter, according to police.

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DOBSON — A local church has stepped up to provide an unforgettable prom experience for special-needs teens and adults who may have missed out on that experience in their lives.

Salem Baptist Church will serve as one of nearly 500 churches around the world simultaneously hosting “Night to Shine 2019,” sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, on Friday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. The event is intended to give people with special needs age 14 and older a deluxe prom experience, complete with all the frills, right down to limousine arrival at a red carpet packed with paparazzi.

“Being a prom, it’s geared to a younger audience,” said Salem worship director John Kennedy. “But there is no upper age limit, and adults are welcome. Many special-needs adults weren’t able to have a prom experience in their youth.”

“We are excited to see what God is going to do through Night to Shine. Several families with special needs have found a place of community, acceptance, love and support within the church, and we want others to find this as well. We have already been blessed by the number of people who have volunteered to help make Night to Shine a reality and are thrilled to see people registering to attend,” Salem Baptist Pastor David Powell said in a press release.

Salem’s Night to Shine event has hit capacity with 100 guests registered to attend, plus an equal number of caregivers and 150 volunteers for a total attendance of 350 people. A waiting list for both guests and volunteers can be found at SalemDobson.com/NightToShine for folks to sign up for any spots that might become available. Registration on the waiting list also guarantees first notification of next year’s event.

Night to Shine is completely free to every participant. A chauffeured limousine will be on hand to transport guests from the entrance to the church’s multipurpose building where they will be greeted and ushered down a paparazzi-lined red carpet, according to Kennedy. The limo will be available for additional rides around the church grounds and immediate neighborhood for guests who wish an additional ride.

Once inside, guests receive the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe-shining areas, flowers, catered dinner, karaoke, prom favors and a photo booth, all leading up to the moment when each guest is crowned king or queen of the prom.

While the special-needs prom-goers are dancing and singing, a respite room has been set up nearby where caregivers can kick back, relax and be pampered a bit themselves, according to Kennedy.

Night to Shine is in its fifth year, but this will be Salem Baptist’s first year to participate.

“Last year, the nearest location was in Kernersville,” said Kennedy.

“Having an autistic cousin and a nephew with tuberous sclerosis, I thought it would be wonderful to see the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine happen in Surry County,” said Salem member Breann Wyse. “This event is an incredible way to show God’s love while loving on the honored guests.”

“We have several members with special-needs kids,” said Kennedy. “They feel comfortable here. They don’t feel singled out or unloved. They’re cared for. We love them like they are.” Kennedy added that through the Night to Shine prom, he would like to see other special-needs kids to feel the same care and love.

“I am blown away by how we are seeing God use the Church to step into this space as an advocate for people with special needs,” said Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation. “It’s not about my foundation or the churches themselves, but about communities coming together to love and celebrate people with differences. Every town, every village, every state, every country needs a Night to Shine for their special-needs community — a chance to be a part of something significant and life-changing … and to be blessed in the process.”

When Night to Shine launched in 2015, 44 host churches and 15,000 volunteers worked together to honor more than 7,000 kings and queens of the prom. This past February, 537 host churches and 175,000 volunteers came together to celebrate 90,000 honored guests with special needs.

For additional information on the Night to Shine event hosted by Salem Baptist Church in Dobson, to be placed on the event’s wait list, or to receive advance notification of next year’s event, visit www.SalemDobson.com/NightToShine.

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Mount Airy will encounter an “old friend” in the coming months — a state regulatory agency that in March 2018 rejected an initial plan by city government for funding a local Barter Theatre expansion.

This time around, the municipality’s impending involvement with the Local Government Commission in Raleigh is linked to an anticipated loan for an infrastructure project accompanying an apartment complex at the former Spencer’s industrial property downtown — where the theater was envisioned.

Plans for the theater, and a four-star hotel, fell through last fall, leaving the 65-unit, market-rate apartment project as the lone-remaining redevelopment prospect for the city-owned property at present.

In conjunction with the $7.8 million apartment venture, city officials agreed to fund “Phase I” infrastructure components to accommodate it, including the regrading of areas around the old Spencer’s buildings and the reconstruction of parking space.

Also on the list are improvements to adjoining streets and sidewalks along Franklin, Willow, West Oak and Virginia streets, and the replacement of water/sewer and storm-drainage facilities.

At its last meeting on Jan. 17, the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to award a $1.75 million contract to J.G. Coram Co. of Mount Airy for the work. Total funding of $2.1 million is involved, which in addition to the construction contract includes a contingency budget to cover unforeseen expenses, along with engineering and financing costs.

Loan approval required

Along with allocating the $2.1 million for infrastructure improvements, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve a budget amendment to provide temporary funding for the project.

This was done to allow that sum to be transferred from the city’s general fund balance and spent pending the receiving of a loan by the municipality to pay for the job.

That is where the Local Government Commission enters the picture, since the state agency must sign off on projects planned by communities which will require long-range financing.

The commission seeks to prevent taxpayers from being subjected to financial obligations that might put them at risk.

That was the case last March 22, when LGC analysts rejected a city plan for funding the Barter Theatre expansion, which discussions had indicated would include a long-term loan or bond financing and require increased property taxes.

A new proposal surfaced later last year for the hotel developers to bear the burden of the theater cost, but that effort also eventually collapsed.

Doug Carter, a financial adviser assisting the city government with the Spencer’s redevelopment project, told the council during the recent meeting that a bank loan at a term of 10 to 15 years is anticipated for the infrastructure work.

While Carter said the lowest-possible interest rate will be sought, no figure was mentioned.

And city officials are hoping for a better outcome with the Local Government Commission when it acts on the financing package later this year, possibly in early spring.

“I have spoken to them,” Carter said.

Although he joined his fellow commissioners in voting for the contract award and the budget transfer, Commissioner Jon Cawley did so reluctantly.

He has frequently criticized the apartment project and the related infrastructure expense to the city because it will take years to recoup that investment through extra property tax revenues generated as a result.

Cawley said he was struggling for a reason to add his “aye” vote to the latest actions.

“It’s going to be 60-some-odd years before we get paid back.”

Doug Carter, a financial adviser to the city of Mount Airy on its Spencer’s redevelopment project, shown in a file photo, told officials during a recent meeting that they will need Local Government Commission approval for an infrastructure-related loan.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Spencers-savior-this.jpgDoug Carter, a financial adviser to the city of Mount Airy on its Spencer’s redevelopment project, shown in a file photo, told officials during a recent meeting that they will need Local Government Commission approval for an infrastructure-related loan. Tom Joyce | The News

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DOBSON — The Surry County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday night in the historic courthouse, and one of the items up for discussion is a parcel of land.

Almost three years ago, the county board gave its approval for Surry County Schools to buy a piece of property adjacent to Flat Rock Elementary School and Four Way Volunteer Fire Department

At the March 2016 meeting, it was noted that school officials have been negotiating a purchase price for the parcel for about a year.

County Attorney Ed Woltz said the owner had initially asked for more than $187,000 for the property, which had two structures on it, even though the tax value of the parcel was about $103,000. Erwin Hickman, the property’s owner, settled on a price of about $115,000 for the property located at the corner of East Pine Street and McBride Road.

Dr. Travis Reeves, county school superintendent, explained at the time that the primary need for this land concerned safety for both students and parents.

On Friday Reeves said, “We plan to improve the entrance and exit to Flat Rock Elementary with the addition of the property on the corner. We need an additional traffic lane to remove traffic off (the) busy road. The additional property could also be used for parking. In the future, we will consult with a civil engineer to help determine the best plan moving forward.”

Parent pick-up has been an issue along Pine Street (N.C. 103) for years. Without space for all the cars, traffic backs up into the street.

John Shelton, emergency services director, told the board three years ago that he had safety concerns for the location.

“The vehicles sit on the road,” said Shelton. “In my opinion, it’s pretty hazardous.”

———

With the school system expanding down to McBride Road, folks in the Flat Rock community might get a traffic light they have been seeking for several months.

At an August board meeting, some concerned citizens showed up to seek the commissioners’ support for a petition to get a stoplight at the intersection of Pine Street and McBride Road (and Quaker Road across from McBride).

County Manager Chris Knopf presented the commissioners with scanned copies of dozens of pages of signatures from citizens showing their support.

“We have a big problem with our crossroads,” wrote Tammy Riddle in a cover letter with the petition. “Traffic is coming in so many directions when you are entering into the highway. It is overwhelming at times. There have been so many accidents there.”

In the area are the elementary school, the volunteer fire department and a convenience store, as well as a lot of traffic, stated Riddle, who owns Tammy’s Beauty Shop.

Years ago the community pushed to get a flashing caution light, and that served the area well for a time, she added, but now there needs to be more done. It wouldn’t even have to run full-time, just 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., then go back to flashing overnight, she suggested.

She said she had a copy of the petition in her shop, and the support has been overwhelming. She said she didn’t count them all, but she believed it was more than 1,600 signatures.

Several other testimonials followed in the information that Knopf presented to the board, along with the names.

While the ultimate decision rests with the N.C. Department of Transportation, the county board gave its approval of the stoplight to lend some weight to the petition.

Now that the school reaches the intersection, the DOT might give the intersection a higher priority.

———

What is new this week is considering if the property is ready to be deeded to the county schools.

The county attorney prepared a memo for the board stating that Don Mitchell, the county facilities director, has said that the two old buildings on the property have been demolished now. If the board is ready to turn the land over to Surry County Schools now, Woltz would have the necessary legal documents ready to go.

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DOBSON — The Surry County Sheriff’s Office has released the following arrest reports:

• Corey Devon Johnson, 32, of Randy Lane, Mount Airy, was served an order for arrest Jan. 23 for failure to appear in court Jan. 11 and Jan. 14 on unspecified charges. He was given a $2,000 secured bond and a March 11 court date.

According to the court docket, on that date he faces counts of disorderly conduct, resisting an officer, possession of a Schedule VI drug and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Before that he has a March 4 court appearance for charges of felony possession with intent to sell/deliver cocaine, felony possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver meth, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving while license revoked.

• Augusta Ann Hill, 24, of Mountain Top Road, Thurmond, was served warrants Jan. 21 for three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, dated Nov. 29. She was given a $2,500 unsecured bond and a Feb. 12 court date.

• Eva Patricia Ocampo, 29, of Grapevine Trail, State Road, was served a warrant Jan. 22 for a charge of simple assault, dated Jan. 16. The complainant is Matthew Slawter of Elkin. She was given no bond with a Feb. 18 court date.

• Jacob Ryan Bentley, 23, of Anna Drive, Mount Airy, was served an order for arrest Jan. 22 for failure to appear in court Dec. 4 on charges of driving while license revoked and misdemeanor larceny. He was given a $1,000 secured bond and a March 5 court date.

• Misty Shannon Tew, 41, of Black Mountain Road, Pilot Mountain, was served a criminal summons Jan. 22 for failure to comply with the mandatory school attendance law, dated Feb. 22, 2017. She was given a Feb. 18 court date.

• Courtney Nacord Long, 39, was served an order for arrest Jan. 22 for failure to appear in court Nov. 26 to face a true bill (a bill of indictment found by a grand jury to be supported by evidence). She was given a $20,000 unsecured bond and an April 15 court date.

• Kimberly Darlene Epperson, 41, of Claudeville, Virginia, was served an order for arrest Jan. 22 for failure to appear in court Aug. 7 on a charge of failure to pay court costs/fees. She was given a $428 cash bond and a Feb. 15 court date.

• Michael David Shew, 47, of Dodson Mill Road, Pilot Mountain, was served a warrant Jan. 22 for a charge of assault, inflicting serious injury, dated that day. He was given no bond with a Feb. 22 court date.

• Jacob Lee Stanley, 33, of Joe Layne Mill Road, Elkin, was served an order for arrest Jan. 22 for four counts of failure to appear in Surry County court March 8 on unspecified charges as well as two counts of contempt of court/perjury in Wilkes County. He was given a $500 bond and a Jan. 24 court date in Dobson.

• Brandon Levi Young, 28, of Lynnewood Drive, Mount Airy, was served an order for arrest Jan. 23 for a charge of failure to pay child support or alimony. He was given a $235.32 cash bond and a Jan. 30 court date.

• William Shane East, 35, of Beamer Road, Mount Airy, was served an order for arrest Jan. 23 for a charge of failure to pay child support or alimony, dated that day. The report says he was confined and given no bond. No court date was listed.

On Feb. 27 he will have a court date for charges of driving left of center, driving while impaired, civil revocation of his license for 30 days, driving while license revoked, and two counts of probation violations.

East was in court Jan. 23 as he was convicted of misdemeanor larceny and given and suspended sentence and 18 months of probation. The new charges could result in the suspended sentence being activated.

In September 2017 he was convicted of DWI Level 2 and had his license revoked.

• Richard Jason Zagurski, 49, of Cana, Virginia, was served a warrant Jan. 23 on a charge of violating a domestic violence protection order, dated Jan. 9. He was given no bond with a court date the next day.

• Jason Darren Love, 39, of North Bridge Street, Elkin, was served a warrant Jan. 24 for a charge of failure to pay child support or alimony in Alleghany County. He was given a $2,500 cash bond and a Feb. 5 court date in Sparta.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Sheriff-badge-RGB.jpg

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BOSTON (AP) — The family behind OxyContin raked in billions of dollars as it pushed to keep patients on the powerful painkiller longer despite evidence that the drug was helping to fuel the nation’s deadly opioid crisis, Massachusetts authorities allege in newly public court documents.

While aggressively marketing OxyContin, the Sackler family also sought to profit off the drug abuse crisis its company helped create by exploring selling drugs used to treat addiction and reverse overdoses, state lawyers contend in previously secret parts of their lawsuit against Purdue Pharma.

Attorney General Maura Healey is suing Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, along with some company executives and members of the wealthy Sackler family, in an effort to hold them accountable for the toll of the state’s drug crisis. Massachusetts’ is the first state case to personally name members of the Sackler clan, whose name is emblazoned on walls at some of the world’s great museums and universities.

Purdue had fought to keep the new allegations secret, but three courts ruled against the company. Its lawyers said after the wholly unredacted complaint was released late Thursday that Massachusetts is trying to “single out Purdue, blame it for the entire opioid crisis, and try the case in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system.”

Health officials say nearly 48,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2017 involved some type of opioid, including illicit drugs.

Massachusetts accuses Purdue of keeping track of doctors who were potentially overprescribing OxyContin, but failing to report them to authorities. In 2012, one Purdue employee told an executive that the company should tell insurance companies the names of the doctors suspected of illegal prescribing, calling it the “right and ethical thing to do.”

“If it reduces abuse and diversion of opioids then it seems like something we should be doing,” the employee wrote in an email. The executive rejected the employee’s suggestion, and the secret list of the suspected illegal prescribers, known as “Region Zero,” continued to be kept, lawyers say in the complaint.

The lawsuit, filed in state court, also details tactics that the state says Purdue and the Sacklers used to keep patients on the drugs longer and get more patients taking higher doses — even as that made them more prone to addiction. Meanwhile, the Sacklers paid themselves more than $4 billion from 2007 through last year, according to the lawsuit.

Richard Sackler, who served as Purdue president for several years, told management in a 2008 email that they should “measure our performance by Rx’s by strength, giving higher measures to higher strengths.”

Years later, the state says in the suit, consulting firm McKinsey & Co. advised Purdue that it could increase opioid prescriptions by sending sales reps dozens of times per year to visit prolific prescribers.

The Sackler family was given a report in 2012 that found savings cards to help pay for OxyContin led to 60 percent more patients using the drug for more than three months. An internal company report from that year found that every dollar invested in the savings cards brought in more than $4 in additional sales.

In 2014 and 2015, Purdue considered selling suboxone, a drug used to treat addiction, the lawsuit says. “It is an attractive market,” an internal memo read, according to the suit.

The company later explored selling naloxone — known by its brand name Narcan — which reverses overdoses, the state’s lawyers contend. A presentation made to the board in 2016 said that Narcan could bring in $24 million in sales to Purdue through 2025, the complaint says.

“Purdue’s analysis of the market for Narcan confirmed that they saw the opioid epidemic as a money-making opportunity and that the Sacklers understood — in private, when no one was watching — how Purdue’s opioids put patients at risk,” attorneys for Massachusetts wrote.

Purdue said the lawsuit is taking pieces of company documents out of context.

“Massachusetts seeks to publicly vilify Purdue, its executives, employees and directors while unfairly undermining the important work we have taken to address the opioid addiction crisis,” the company said in an email.

The company said it was doing due diligence on buying rights to the anti-addiction drug, which was already on the market. Purdue never went into the suboxone or naloxone business.

The suit is one of more than 1,000 by state and local governments pending against Purdue. A federal judge in Cleveland overseeing lawsuits filed in federal court is pushing for a settlement aimed at stemming the crisis.

Massachusetts lawyers say while the company was secretly considering ways to profit off trying to cure addictions, it was while publicly deflecting blame for the crisis. For instance, Richard Sackler said in an email at one point that the company had to “have to hammer on the abusers,” calling them “the problem” and “reckless criminals.”

Jonathan Novak, a Dallas lawyer who is representing several governments, including the state of Utah and the city of Albuquerque, in lawsuits against the drug industry, said the Massachusetts lawsuit could provide a roadmap of documents for other plaintiffs. Novak said the state’s approach is important to the telling of the opioid crisis story.

“These are the people who invented the drug,” he said. “These are people who blame patients who got addicted and call them criminals.”

FILE – In this Aug. 17, 2018 file photo, family and friends who have lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses protest outside Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, Conn. The attorney general’s office in Massachusetts is suing Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, along with some company executives and members of the family that owns it in an effort to hold them accountable for the toll of the drug crisis in the state. On Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, the company lost a legal battle to keep some parts of the lawsuit confidential. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_122174119-47388fa1497e4bc284cd41bad99f24d8.jpgFILE – In this Aug. 17, 2018 file photo, family and friends who have lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses protest outside Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, Conn. The attorney general’s office in Massachusetts is suing Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, along with some company executives and members of the family that owns it in an effort to hold them accountable for the toll of the drug crisis in the state. On Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, the company lost a legal battle to keep some parts of the lawsuit confidential. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

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Discussions on ways to provide parking to accommodate a planned events center in Mount Airy have led to a proposed zoning change that will be the subject of a public hearing this week.

If it is approved, all properties lying within the downtown Municipal Service District will be excluded from a requirement to provide a specified number of parking spaces for businesses and other facilities.

Presently, property in the downtown B-1 (central business district zone) is exempt from that mandate.

City Planning Director Andy Goodall says this addresses the fact entities in the B-1 area tend to occupy small lots where space does not exist for designated parking on an individual basis. They instead rely on on-street spaces and ones in nearby public lots.

Goodall has proposed a text amendment to extend that same exemption to other zones within the service district, which roughly includes the downtown business district, such as those with the B-2 (general business) classification. Portions of the former Spencer’s textile property now owned by the city government, being redeveloped for new uses, are zoned B-2.

A public hearing is required before the parking-related change can be implemented, which is scheduled to be conducted Thursday during a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting that begins at 7 p.m.

Events center need

Parking availability in the redevelopment area became an issue recently after plans were announced for the events center on former Spencer’s property owned by local businessman Gene Rees near the corner of Willow and Franklin streets, now zoned for industrial use.

That facility, to be completed later this year and operated by Jessica Cockerham, will host various conferences and gatherings seating up to 300 people.

The need for parking during large meetings or other events prompted Rees and Cockerham to appear before the city council in early January to request that it provide convenient parking for the center, with about 75 spaces needed.

A possible location mentioned was an old Spencer’s parking lot along Franklin Street which is now fenced in and has grass growing through the cracked pavement in some places.

After the commissioners gave the go-ahead to explore the costs of making that lot usable — such as striping and lighting needed for security, but stopping short of repaving it — an update was given at their last meeting on Jan. 17.

City Engineer Mitch Williams returned with a cost figure of around $20,000 for lighting, striping and other basic improvements to create a temporary parking lot.

“The fence is the big thing,” Williams said in reference to the expense included for removing that chain-link barrier.

Existing space eyed

During the same meeting, a case seemed to be made that the events center parking need could be addressed through existing public lots and spaces in the Westside area.

A total of 294 spaces are available there, including those in a lot located along Franklin Street in the vicinity of Moody Funeral Home; another on Virginia Street near Leon’s Burger Express; and on-street parking along Franklin, Market, Willow, Virginia and Oak streets.

That inventory, presented by city Community Development Director Martin Collins, included information showing that those spots could accommodate nearly 500 people — based on an average of 1.67 occupants per vehicle.

Commissioner Jim Armbrister asked if the existing spaces would be sufficient for the center without going to the expense of creating 75 more at the old Spencer’s lot.

“I guess the big question would be event timing versus routine use,” Collins said.

Goodall’s suggestion for the proposed text amendment, effectively exempting the events center from the requirement of having a designated parking area, was embraced by the commissioners as part of reaching a solution.

They voted to hold the public hearing this week, while taking no action on funding makeshift improvements to the old Spencer’s lot to at least allow its use on a temporary basis.

Commissioner Shirley Brinkley pointed out that officials can see how the present parking arrangement works, and if needed another lot can be established later.

A municipal parking lot located along Franklin Street in Mount Airy is a heavily used facility.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Munic-park-this.jpgA municipal parking lot located along Franklin Street in Mount Airy is a heavily used facility. Tom Joyce | The News

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The Surry County Community Corrections office is seeking information on the whereabouts of the following individuals:

• Joseph Frederick Surmanek, age 35, a white male wanted on probation violations who is on probation for two counts of larceny;

• Shane Gray Hawks, 28, white male, is wanted on probation violations who is on probation for driving while impaired and shoplifting;

• Jackie Randall Dawson Jr., 28, white male, is wanted on probation violations who is on probation for felony possession of methamphetamine and resisting an officer;

• David Michael Glasson, 25, white male, is wanted on probation violations who is on probation for consuming alcohol less than age 19.

View all probation absconders on the internet at http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi and click on absconders. Anyone with information on any probation absconders should contact the Mount Airy Police Department at 336-786-3535, probation at 336-429-2705 or Crime Stoppers at 786-4000.

— — —

The Surry County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on the whereabouts of the following people:

• Timothy David Upchurch, 43, white male, who is wanted on a charge of failure to pay child support.

• Brittany Nicole Scales Gibbons, 25, white female, who is wanted on a charge of failure to pay child support.

• Terrence Alexander Haynes, 39, white male, who is wanted on a charge of failure to pay child support.

• Brent Douglas Marshall, 37, white male, who is wanted on a charge of failure to pay child support.

Anyone with information on these individuals should call the Surry County Sheriff’s Office at 401-8900.

Hawks

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Hawks.jpegHawks

Surmanek

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Surmanek.jpegSurmanek

Gibbons

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_BRITTANY-NICOLE-GIBBONS-SCALES.jpgGibbons

Haynes

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TERRENCE-HAYNES.jpgHaynes

Upchurch

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TIMOTHY-UPCHURCH.jpgUpchurch

Marshall

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_BRENT-D-MARSHALL.jpgMarshall

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Punxsutawney Phil is not the only groundhog in town – not after some local children made their own groundhogs to get a more local weather prediction.

The turnout on Groundhog Day for a program at Mount Airy Museum of Regional History (intended for children to search for signs of spring) was not as high as usual, but that did not stop the kids who did come from taking a deep dive into the world of groundhogs with Justyn Kissam, the museum’s director of education and programs.

Groundhogs, which Kissam told the kids are also known as whistlepigs or woodchucks, are members of the marmot family, and are really like giant land squirrels, a characterization that made the kids giggle.

According to Kissam, groundhogs rouse from their winter hibernation when late winter temperatures warm just a bit, and they come out to test the waters and see if its warm enough to be outside yet, as well as to begin the hunt for a special Mr. or Ms. Groundhog. Then they go back to sleep for another month or so, and come out for good in March.

Saturday’s warm, sunny weather matched her story of groundhog biology up perfectly with the Groundhog Day tradition, as it was an ideal day of warm sunshine to make groundhogs and humans alike forget the recent frigid weather and take a peek outside.

The kids, James, Madeline and Ricky Caudill, ages 12, 10, and 7 respectively, made groundhogs out of paper, then folded and taped them into shape so they could stand them up on their short hind legs balanced by their big furry tail.

While they were working, Kissam told them more groundhog stories and grossed the kids out a bit when she told them that in times past, people ate groundhogs.

“No,” said seven-year-old Ricky.

“Yes,” insisted Kissam, telling the kids that back in the days of the Great Depression, when money was scarce, people turned to nature for food, and ate groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits and deer.

The kids thought eating deer was fine, but were not any more sold on the idea of squirrels or rabbits on the dinner table than they were on groundhogs.

Kissam told the kids the concept of Groundhog Day is mostly a North American tradition, and Canada does not recognize the supremacy of Punxsutawney Phil, but has its own mascot. Louisiana doesn’t bother with groundhogs at all, but relies on Claude the Crayfish to announce the coming of spring.

The kids listened to Doc Watson sing “Groundhog” and laughed at some of the lyrics, before moving on to learn about almanacs and do a couple more craft projects.

They had already explored outside, looking for their own signs of spring, and Ricky had discovered some daffodil stalks breaking through the earth. And strangely enough, the moss outside the museum, they discovered, isn’t on the north side of things, but more to the northwest.

The warm weather could last through Friday, according to some weather forecasts.

James Caudill, Museum of Regional History education director Justyn Kissam, Ricky Caudill and Madeline Caudill, from left to right, show off the paper groundhogs they made at the museum Saturday.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_IMG_5327.jpgJames Caudill, Museum of Regional History education director Justyn Kissam, Ricky Caudill and Madeline Caudill, from left to right, show off the paper groundhogs they made at the museum Saturday. Bill Colvard | The News

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Despite the well-publicized problems surrounding opioids, alcohol abuse continues to be a major problem in Surry County, including just recently with six deaths already blamed on alcoholism so far in 2019.

That total for January is more than occurred all last year, according to John Shelton, Surry Emergency Services director.

Alcohol abuse has dropped off the radar screen to a certain extent due to the rise in opioid abuse, and for good reason based on the latest stats.

During 2018, heroin was to blame in 20 percent of the substance-abuse cases reported for Surry County, according to a breakdown listing 10 different categories. Fentanyl accounted for 3 percent, with “other opiates” making up the largest-single category at 26 percent.

Benzos (including tranquilizers/sedatives) came in at 13 percent; alcohol at 11 percent; methamphetamine, 10 percent; and cocaine/crack, 2 percent.

The breakdown was derived from a total of 356 abuse cases logged by emergency personnel, of which 35, or 10 percent, involved “unknown” substances.

Alcoholism traditionally is the most-common substance abuse problem in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, with nearly 18 million people reported as addicted to alcohol in 2017.

“Based on my observations, I would say alcoholism is always going to be a really bad substance-abuse problem,” Shelton said Friday.

In terms of numbers, it has been eclipsed locally over the past five or six years by illegal substances and prescription drugs.

However, alcoholism remains “increasingly strong” in Surry County, Shelton added, as evidenced by the six deaths recently.

Defining abuse

In explaining what constitutes substance abuse for purposes of the category percentages reported locally for 2018, Shelton said the definition basically boils down to dependency.

“If you have to have that substance or you have to put yourself under its effects — if it renders you under the influence,” he said.

“When the substance begins to control you rather than you controlling the substance, that’s when it’s an issue and that’s when it should be termed substance abuse.”

The problem shows no signs of improvement based on present trends, says the county emergency services official, who believes a meaningful change will require a sense of vigilance and dedication of resources which aren’t at play now.

“The community has to really pull together to try to resolve these problems,” Shelton said, “and be aggressive.”

As has been pointed out by numerous experts, there is a huge void in resources to help those who are addicted, including both counseling and treatment facilities.

“All of those are very limited,” Shelton said, with services either not available at all or unaffordable to those in need.

Twelve- to 24-month programs are required to make a real difference in many cases and cost is an issue with that because it exceeds what the average addict can pay, he added.

Costs to society

“You really have to look at the total picture when you’re trying to resolve a problem like this,” Shelton commented.

An argument can be made that failing to allocate funding and other resources to the substance-abuse problem now will only result in much-larger costs to society in the long run.

This includes such areas as health care, including mental health; law enforcement, due to the impact on crime from substance abuse; social services; and general county and city services that are affected.

Some of those systems are becoming overburdened by a problem that not only takes a financial toll but a human one, Shelton said, when such factors as lost jobs and productivity, divorces and other ills are figured into the equation.

“It’s astronomical what it takes to manage the drug problem,” he said of its various impacts.

This pie chart shows the types of substances abused locally and percentages for each.

https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Substance-graphic.pdfThis pie chart shows the types of substances abused locally and percentages for each.

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DOBSON — Surry County Master Gardeners will host the first-ever gardening symposium at the Government Service Center here in April.

“Surry County has never done anything like this before,” said Terry Willis, county Master Gardeners vice president. “We’re bringing in gardeners to the county to eat in Surry and stay in Surry, to enjoy the symposium and enjoy our area.”

The Surry County Extension Master Gardener Gardening Symposium 2019 will be an all-day affair on Saturday, April 13, from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Surry County Government Service Center, 915 E. Atkins St., Dobson, and will feature three guest speakers, break-out sessions, demonstrations and vendors. Lunch catered by This & That Catering, Mount Airy, is also included in the event’s $30 ticket price.

“The symposium is geared to all levels of gardening,” said Joanna Radford, Surry Extension agent for horticulture. “There is something for everybody at all experience levels.”

Speakers

Guest speakers slated for the symposium are local experts, Wythe Morris and Kyle Montgomery, and Alex Tuchman, Floyd, Virginia.

Wythe Morris, an N.C. Extension agent, will speak on building healthy soil, the challenges of a clay soil and how to cope with them. Kyle Montgomery, York Farms, Lowgap, will give a talk “Extending the Gardening Season” and explain how gardeners can get their garden going earlier in the spring and how to extend the growing season further into the fall.

Alex Tuchman, Spikenard Honey Bee Sanctuary, Floyd, will talk about his honey bee sanctuary, Spikenard, the only one of its kind on the East coast. Tuchman will discuss his work researching and addressing the honey bee crisis and what the average person can do to keep honey bees safer.

Breakout Sessions

Two breakout sessions will include information on hydroponics and compost bubblers.

“Gardeners will learn how to set up a small hydroponic system in their basement for not a lot of money,” said Willis. “With it, you can raise a surprising amount of food to feed your family.”

Willis said that compost bubblers are very easy to make and enable one to make compost and compost tea by utilizing kitchen scraps.

Vendors from extension-operated farmer’s markets in Mount Airy, Dobson and Elkin, as well as vendors from outside the county will be on hand.

A registration form is available on the extension website, https://surry.ces.ncsu.edu/ or call Surry County Extension at 336-401-8025.

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