PILOT MOUNTAIN — Following heavy rainfall on Aug. 4, two ponds located off of Lola Lane in Pilot Mountain flooded and washed out, creating public concern.

When the larger of the two ponds broke containment and poured out much of its water, a submerged car was revealed at the bottom. It is unclear how long the car has been in the pond and who owned the car.

On Wednesday afternoon, Michael Boaz, interim town manager, said that he didn’t want to comment on the car, although he did say that the vehicle appears to be an older model.

“All we’re trying to do now is just find a VIN on it and figure out whose car it was,” said Daryl Bottoms, chief of police, adding that foul play is not suspected.

According to Boaz, the owner of the pond is Ron and David Construction Inc., run by Ron Moorefield and David Inman.

However, Inman said he was not involved with the property as an owner and refused to provide any additional comment or information.

As for when the ponds were constructed, Boaz said that the best estimate that town officials can provide is sometime in the 1950s.

Matt Linville, a resident of the condominium complex that sits between Lola Lane and the ponds, said that he and his wife woke up Thursday morning to what smelled like a “pigsty” due to the washed out ponds. The complex where Linville resides was constructed by Ron and David Construction Inc., according to Boaz.

Linville described the scene as looking like “low tide at the beach” and “an eyesore.”

In addition to the visual concerns with the ponds, Linville said that the breech of the ponds has displaced geese that resided there as well as killed the fish and shell fish.

“We don’t want to be known as zika-ville on our side of town,” Linville said of the mosquitoes that he assumes will gather if the pond situation isn’t resolved quickly.

Boaz was first notified of the concern when town Commissioner Kimberly Quinn approached him recently, which prompted him to walk the entirety of the stream to assess the damage.

Boaz said sewer lines that are close to the dam have been eroded over the past week, but said that the pump station was not damaged.

“They’re still intact, they aren’t broken,” Boaz said. “There doesn’t appear to be eminent failure so I’m pleased about that.”

Boaz said that he contacted a division in the Department of Environmental Quality that specifically deals with dam safety, which prompted officials from the agency to come to Pilot Mountain and evaluate the situation.

“The issue that we have is that the dam isn’t regulated, which means that they don’t monitor it,” Boaz said. “They know that it’s there, but they don’t do anything with it.”

Boaz explained that the dam isn’t regulated due to its relatively small size and that it poses a “relatively low impact on downstream property owners.”

“There’s little that the dam safety folks can do to force the property owner to rebuild the dam,” Boaz said, but added that state officials are researching options.

According to Boaz, Mount Airy and Dobson offered advice on possible steps forward and suggested addressing the issue from a nuisance standpoint.

“We’re looking at potential ways to encourage the property owner to reconstruct that dam and deal with the nuisance, the smell, the killing of the fish, the unsightly appearance, that sort of thing,” Boaz said.

“If it rises to a health and safety issue, the board can act on it,” Ed Woltz, town attorney, said of the board of commissioner’s options, adding that he plans to look at the plat that the developer of the property originally submitted and see if there are any notes from regulatory authorities that the town might be able to us to dictate the restoration of the ponds.

The question of proper construction of the ponds and dam has been raised by town officials, with Boaz noting that he observed what appeared to be an “unsophisticated” standpipe, although he can’t say for sure where the outside of the pipe is.

Woltz said that the ponds were constructed without spillways.

“The maintenance, or lack thereof, of this dam is what’s responsible for the degradation of the water and sewer pipes,” Mayor Dwight Atkins said.

As for an immediate solution, Boaz said that the town doesn’t have a detailed plan for moving forward yet, noting that it doesn’t have an ordinance that addresses dams and stormwater retention.

“This is not something you think about until one breaks,” Boaz said. “We’re going to do everything that we can to see to it that it’s repaired.”

The town attorney said that Pilot Mountain is looking at the possibility of pursuing a stream restoration grant, noting that the recent occurrence might help push the grant forward.

Woltz also mentioned that the attorney for the owners of the two ponds approached him roughly a year ago and said that the owner wanted to give the ponds to the town. A commissioner noted that the town probably didn’t act on the offer due to liability concerns.

A car was discovered in a pond located off of Lola Lane in Pilot Mountain following heavy rains.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Pond1.jpgA car was discovered in a pond located off of Lola Lane in Pilot Mountain following heavy rains. Aila Boyd | Civitas Media

A pond located behind a condominium complex on Lola Lane in Pilot Mountain washed out last Thursday.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Pond2.jpgA pond located behind a condominium complex on Lola Lane in Pilot Mountain washed out last Thursday. Aila Boyd | Civitas Media

DOBSON — Those looking for a “ladies’ day out” might find just what they need at an event on Saturday.

Lee Freeman, from a local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, said Saturday’s Women in the Outdoors event at Fisher River Park is set to be a day those in attendance won’t soon forget.

“There’s something to appeal to everybody,” said Freeman, who is president of the Tri-County Ridge Runners NWTF chapter.

Freeman said just like in years past, women and girls 8 and older can partake in events such as pistol shooting, rifle shooting, skeet shooting, archery, kayaking and many others.

The event, which is in its eighth year, will also include a yoga class and a basic survival skills class this time, according to Freeman. Another highlight will be a day-long fishing derby.

“In the past, the fishing derby has been only part of the day. This year it will take place throughout the whole day,” explained Freeman. “That should be appealing. It gives ladies time to fish on their own time frame.”

Freeman said bait is provided. However, those who attend the event must bring their own rod and reel. Most everything else for the day is provided in the $15 fee for the event.

“It includes ammunition, lunch and prizes,” said Freeman.

Freeman said throughout the years women and girls of all competencies in the day’s many events are welcomed.

“If you’re advanced, it’s just all-day fun in the outdoors,” remarked Freeman.

However, Freeman said many ladies come with no knowledge of the outdoor activities, and many leave with a new-found interest.

“It’s a great opportunity for a lady who wants to learn or try something new,” said Freeman, noting past examples of women who came to the event afraid of firearms and left with plans to purchase their first gun.

Freeman said every class is taught by a trained professional, making the Women in the Outdoors event the perfect place to learn or find a new passion. No participant will be made to feel inferior because she has no knowledge or prior experience in any of the outdoor activities.

As Freeman noted, “Even the professionals were beginners once.”

The $15 fee buys admission to the event and pays for participation in all of the classes. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the park on Saturday, and Freeman said it should wrap up around 3 p.m. The day includes a lunch.

According to Freeman, the proceeds from the event go toward the federation’s mission of conservation and will also help local chapters such as his host other events.

Those who wish to participate may register at Fisher River Park on the morning of the event.

Una Freeman paddles down the Fisher River as part of a kayaking class at a previous Women in the Outdoors event.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_FisherPark7_filtered.jpgUna Freeman paddles down the Fisher River as part of a kayaking class at a previous Women in the Outdoors event. Submitted photo

Penny Harrison shoots at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Women in the Outdoors event.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_FisherShoot_filtered.jpgPenny Harrison shoots at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Women in the Outdoors event. Submitted photo

For those who’ve missed seeing trains in Mount Airy in recent days, take heart — local railroad traffic is expected to resume soon after repairs are completed around a section of track damaged by recent rains.

Heavy downpours last week not only caused flooded roadways and basements, vehicular accidents, power outages and other problems, but overwhelmed a culvert along the Yadkin Valley Railroad Line — washing out the ground to leave a portion of track exposed.

That damage occurred in the vicinity of Community Building Road in the Ararat area southeast of Mount Airy where a small creek feeds into the Ararat River. Ararat and surrounding communities were the hardest hit by last week’s storm system that reportedly dumped around 13 inches of rain over a period of about three days.

But the good news is that repairs are under way to the affected railway section.

“We’ve got a crew on hand up there actually working on that now,” the manager of the Yadkin Valley Railroad office in Rural Hall said Tuesday afternoon.

“It should take us about a week, and we should have everything back up and going then,” added the railway official, who declined to provide his name.

“We just have to replace a culvert that that amount of water had overtaken,” he said in reference to the 13-inch total.

Railroad tracks do fall victim to certain events from time to time, but last week’s storm approached the realm of the abnormal, the Yadkin Valley Railroad spokesman indicated.

“That was kind of a freak rainstorm, just so much at one time — we’ve had things happen in the past, but nothing lately like that.”

Until the work is completed, rail shipments to the Mount Airy area will be delayed.

“It just slows everything down for a week or so,” the railway official said of the net effect.

“Our customers are not in dire need of their products yet,” he said, expressing hope that the track can be reopened before any major difficulties occur along those lines.

A train typically makes a run to Mount Airy once a week, twice weekly at times, according to the Yadkin Valley Railroad manager.

Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.

Tracks are left exposed after a freak rainstorm last week washed out a culvert along a section of the Yadkin Valley Railroad line in the vicinity of Community Building Road in the Ararat area. Work now under way there should allow the railroad to reopen next week.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Flood-tracks.jpgTracks are left exposed after a freak rainstorm last week washed out a culvert along a section of the Yadkin Valley Railroad line in the vicinity of Community Building Road in the Ararat area. Work now under way there should allow the railroad to reopen next week. Submitted photo

DOBSON — The deadline to make nominations for the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame is quickly approaching.

The Hall of Fame committee opened the nomination period for the 2016 Class on June 1 and will close it at 5 p.m. on Aug. 26.

Those who stand out among the nominees will have their names placed on the Hall of Fame monument at Fisher River Park. There is also an induction ceremony hosted at Surry Community College in October.

There are two ways people or organizations can be nominated.

The Ring of Honor “recognizes individuals, teams, corporations and companies or organizations that have made a significant impact on sports through contributions in the field of athletics” other than as a player or coach, according to the statement.

According to Daniel White, Surry County Parks and Recreation director, the Ring of Honor is often reserved for those entities in support roles, such as organizations which financially support the county’s sports programs or volunteers who have played support roles.

Hall of Fame inductees are often players, coaches or athletics administrators who have made outstanding achievements in the arena of their sport or sports, explains the statement.

White said there are a number of other criteria a person, team or other organization must meet to be considered for either honor. Eligible candidates are those who have made their contribution in Surry County, were born and raised in Surry County or played at least two years of high school sports in the county.

There is also a five-year waiting period for a person or organization, said White. In other words, five years must have passed since the achievement for which a person has been nominated. There can be an exception made to this policy, though White said it rarely happens.

Every year six members are added to the Hall of Fame, and three are picked for the Ring of Honor. According to White, there are plenty of eligible candidates.

“We have tons of nominations,” said White, noting the nomination forms remain active for five years following a nomination.

White said a board is appointed to sift through the nominations, and the committee will make its determinations after the Aug. 26 deadline.

Following an announcement of the inductees, a ceremony will be held on Oct. 29 at Surry Community College and the Class of 2016 will be added to the memorial at Fisher River Park.

Nominations may be made at at the Surry County Parks and Recreation Department, Elkin Recreation and Parks Department, Armfield Recreation and Civic Center and Reeves Community Center. A nomination form can be downloaded at http://www.co.surry.nc.us/2016%20HOF%20Nomination%20Ballot.pdf.

White said anybody with questions may reach parks and recreation staff at 401-8235.

Most people in Mount Airy are unfamiliar with the word “turbidity,” but it has been a key to the recognition of municipal water-treatment personnel on the state and most recently local level.

On the heels of receiving the Area Wide Optimization Award earlier this year from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, employees of the city’s F.G. Doggett and S.L. Spencer water-treatment plants were honored during a council meeting last week.

Those employees include Water Treatment Supervisor Marty Semones, Assistant Water Treatment Supervisor Andy Utt and water treatment operators Jonathan Creed, Dylan Garren, Stan Goins, Paul Hensley, Will Hodges, Brian Tickle and Bobby Titan.

Personnel of the city’s two treatment plants had received word of the state award during the spring, for their surpassing of federal and state drinking water standards for 2015.

It stemmed from the facilities’ outstanding turbidity removal. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of water, which indicates the concentration of participles in the supply.

Turbidity is important with treatment because particulates in the water interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth which also can mask the presence of bacteria.

Plants are awarded when water meets thresholds of turbidity during the entire treatment process and the finished product falls under a certain level of federal guidelines for filtered water.

Tom Boyd, senior specialist at the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, attended last week’s council meeting to officially present the framed award to the local staff.

Out of hundreds of water-treatment facilities in the state, 56 received the Area Wide Optimization Award.

Along with the purity of water produced there, Boyd mentioned that the local treatment facilities are some of the cleanest in the region.

“You can literally eat off the floor,” said Commissioner Shirley Brinkley, who has visited the facilities, with City Manager Barbara Jones heartily agreeing.

The award was achieved as a result of two main factors, according to city Public Works Director Jeff Boyles.

“We are blessed with good raw water quality in our rivers and we carefully monitor and maximize the efficiency of the many steps of water treatment throughout the entire process,” Boyles said in a statement.

Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.

DANBURY — A Dobson woman accused of embezzling from a local youth cheerleading team may have turned herself in to Stokes County authorities last week.

Sherri Pratt Mosley, 36, of Windsor Park Drive, was arrested Aug. 3 at 1012 Main Street, Danbury, which is the address listed for the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office, jail and courthouse.

She was released under a $1,000 unsecured bond.

Mosley was indicted Aug. 1 in Surry County with seven counts of embezzlement and one count of felony obstruction of justice.

The indictments allege that Mosely, a former president of Dobson Eagles Little League Cheerleading, embezzled about $1,200 from the organization and provided false information to a special prosecutor in an investigation earlier this year.

Mosley is scheduled to appear in Surry County Superior Court on Sept. 6. She is represented by Brandon West, a King attorney, according to court documents.

Mosley

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_SHERRI-MOSLEY.jpgMosley

A Surry County softball team will soon enter the international arena.

In June, the Surry County Special Olympics softball team brought home gold medals from the state summer games. Soon they will travel to Roanoke, Virginia, to play against teams from across the U.S. and beyond.

“There are teams from Wisconsin, Maryland and others staying in the same hotel us,” said team coach Frances Early.

The locals will play against teams from those states and others from Aug. 18 through 21.

Daniel White, Surry County parks and recreation director, noted there will even be teams from beyond the United States at the event. Some squads will travel from Latin American countries, Canada and the Caribbean to take part in the competition.

Earley said the invite to the national tournament is a result of the team’s finish at the state competition. At those games teams are broken into divisions based on their abilities. The Surry County athletes earned gold medals in their division.

“All the gold medal winners are placed in a drawing for which ones will go to nationals,” explained Earley. “This year our team was picked to go.”

It will be a first appearance for Earley’s team at the grand tournament, though the softball team has placed at states each of the past four years and has twice won gold.

Earley said there will be some differences for the team’s members, coaches — who include Earley’s husband and daughter — and chaperones.

“At states we stay in dormitories,” said Earley. “In Roanoke we will stay in hotel. That could present some challenges.”

Logistical challenges aside, Earley said her team is focused on competition and is as ready as they will ever be to take on the best of the best teams throughout North America.

“This is an awesome opportunity,” said Earley, who noted the team began practicing for the state games once a week in March.

Winning the state games was an encouraging turn of events, which Earley noted was a true team effort. That stated, it only helped her team focus on its next endeavor in Roanoke.

“That first practice after state, they played just as hard as they did at state,” said Earley, who finished up practices on Saturday.

Earley said her son, Levi, and his 15 teammates are ready to head to Roanoke, and no matter what happens, they will win.

“We go into all of these with an attitude of if we win, we win. If we don’t, we don’t,” noted Earley. “They are all winners no matter what happens on the field.”

Surry County’s Special Olympics softball team poses for a picture after winning the gold at this year’s state summer games.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Softball-Team.jpgSurry County’s Special Olympics softball team poses for a picture after winning the gold at this year’s state summer games. Submitted photograph

Members of the Surry County Special Olympics softball team celebrate after a big win at the state games.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_SOSoftball2.jpgMembers of the Surry County Special Olympics softball team celebrate after a big win at the state games. Submitted photograph

John Edwards walked to his vendor space at Bonnie Lou’s Flea Market in Mount Airy — a simple utility shed with its contents concealed by tarpaulins — which at first glance offered little to capture a visitor’s attention.

Then Edwards untied a tarp at one corner and peeled it back to reveal a virtual treasure trove of glassware, books and other items he proudly displayed, which no one would have ever guessed were there.

Bonnie Lou’s is typical of outdoor flea markets — rows of stalls filled with no-telling-what and you-name-it which are hallowed ground to antique lovers, collectors of every item under the sun and those simply seeking bargains among cut-rate merchandise.

People tend to flock to such venues on weekends, perhaps driven by the curiosity and excitement of finding a coveted piece of Americana they never expected to encounter. It is a scene repeated around the nation at flea markets, which have become ingrained in the culture.

“It’s part of the American way,” Dean Brown, a member of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, said at a meeting of the board last week when the role of such businesses was discussed. “I think it’s a good thing.”

Regulatory push

Yet all is not well in Flea Market Land locally, due to a movement under way to increase regulation of those types of operations. These include Bonnie Lou’s on Carter Street and another well-known enterprise, Mayberry Flea Market, located on North Andy Griffith Parkway.

At the same meeting in which Commissioner Brown made his comments, another board member, Jim Armbrister, asked that the city government begin exploring new rules for outdoor flea markets in Mount Airy, and obtained a consensus to green-light that process.

“I’ve had a significant number of citizen comments…(asking) to bring attention to flea markets,” Armbrister explained.

“We’ve got a lot of people visiting them,” he said.

Armbrister expressed concerns about the variety of buildings on the grounds of flea markets, such as canopy- and camper-type structures, suggesting that there needs to be uniformity.

“We have issues of sanitation for public restrooms,” he said of another concern.

However, Armbrister was quick to add that his intention in seeking more regulation is not to discourage the presence of outdoor flea markets in the city limits. “We want to enhance it,” he said of his intent to have the municipal planning staff identify increased regulation for the businesses.

Those involved with flea markets aren’t so sure about Armbrister’s goals, and are wary of the regulatory movement now under way.

“There was a rumor they were going to try to shut it down,” Edwards said of Bonnie Lou’s Flea Market.

Roger Tyree, an operator of Bonnie Lou’s whose father Roy is an owner of the site, on Wednesday questioned the timing of the recent regulatory push. “We’ve been there all these years,” Tyree said in wondering why there is an effort to “change things up” at this point.

“Everything needs regulating — the thing is, why now?”

There is some speculation that the recent construction of a greenway connector, which runs right by Bonnie Lou’s and is in clear view of trail users, is somehow a catalyst for the increased scrutiny of flea market operations from an appearance standpoint.

Unfairly targeted?

Edwards, an Ararat resident who mows and cleans up at Bonnie Lou’s in addition to being a vendor there, agrees that regulations are a way of life. But he fears the flea market is being unfairly targeted and might be subject to increased enforcement that could hamper its existence.

“They were talking about trash,” said Edwards, who was among local flea market personnel attending last week’s council meeting.

“And it was blowing from up here,” he said Wednesday while pointing to an adjoining area that includes a small shopping center.

Edwards also pointed to a port-a-john on the grounds, another apparent focus of the regulatory effort.

“They have the same thing in downtown Mount Airy during the Autumn Leaves Festival,” he said.

Edwards does admit that some of the flea market’s vendors — the total number of which was unavailable — could do a better job with their stalls appearance-wise.

But he said efforts are constantly under way to keep the area looking nice, especially now that more rules are being considered. “We’re working on it — I’m working on it as best I can.”

Edwards and others say outdoor flea markets are filling a niche on the local business landscape.

“People like me, I’m on a fixed income and you can find things cheaper,” he said in listing items ranging from wrenches to lawn mowers. “People buy glass and different things — everybody’s got a hobby.”

Commissioner Brown also lauded the benefits of flea markets during last week’s meeting, saying he goes to those sites occasionally and has been able to buy items at one-tenth the normal cost.

“I think you meet some good people,” Brown said of the local flea market industry that also injects money into the community from purchases, including by those venturing here from out of town. “I think it brings business — it brings visitors.”

The effort to increase regulation of flea markets is apparently the latest in a series of appearance-related moves tackled by Mount Airy officials. This also has included rundown properties, and new sign rules stemming from another commissioner’s concerns about billboards.

“Here we go again,” Armbrister said last week when seeking to put a now-familiar process into motion with the planning board studying an issue and returning with proposed regulations.

Yet he and Brown stressed that the city government does not want to harm local flea market operations.

“We just want them to look a little prettier,” Brown said.

Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.

John Edwards displays some of the items he sells as a vendor at Bonnie Lou’s Flea Market in Mount Airy, which could be affected by new regulations targeting such operations in the city.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Flea-this-1.jpgJohn Edwards displays some of the items he sells as a vendor at Bonnie Lou’s Flea Market in Mount Airy, which could be affected by new regulations targeting such operations in the city. Tom Joyce | The News

Bonnie Lou’s Flea Market is visible in the distance on Carter Street behind the Big Lots shopping center.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Flea-this-2.jpgBonnie Lou’s Flea Market is visible in the distance on Carter Street behind the Big Lots shopping center. Tom Joyce | The News

DOBSON — A Pilot Mountain woman and former Mount Airy Meat Center employee was arrested Aug. 6 on two counts of felony embezzlement.

Warrants accuse Marlana Evonne Wood, 31, of Towe Road, with stealing a total of $10,584.30 while employed as a cashier at the Buck Shoals Road butcher shop.

Wood had worked at the business for about two months, according to a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office.

She was booked into the Surry county Detention Center and scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 30 under a $10,000 secured bond.

• Donnie Gary Outlaw, 26, whose address was redacted on the arrest report, was issued a felony violation for littering more than 500 pounds.

According to a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office, Outlaw had reported that two junk boats filled with garbage, household trash, construction trash and clothing had been dumped illegally.

“It was determined that the items had been dumped there by Mr. Outlaw,” the spokesperson stated in an email.

The arrest report listed the weight of the debris at 7,500 pounds.

Outlaw was released from the magistrate’s office with a written promise to appear in court. His next scheduled court date is Sept. 7.

• Evelyn Juanita Dawson, 44, whose address was redacted by the sheriff’s office, was charged with felony violations of possession of a schedule II controlled substance and maintaining a drug vehicle or dwelling, as well as misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was confined in the Surry County Detention Center under a $45,000 secured bond and scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 24.

• Michael Reves reported on July 29 that a tree had been cut down on property he had recently purchased on Union Hill Road in Thurmond. The tree, which was found still lying on the property, was described as a 50-foot silver maple worth $2,000. The case remains under investigation with no suspects at this time, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson.

DOBSON — A person found unresponsive on the campus of Surry Community College is dead.

According to an email sent to college staff, the college’s campus police chief found the person inside a vehicle in the college’s parking lot Thursday morning.

“At 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, the Surry Community College police chief spotted an isolated vehicle at the edge of the campus parking area. Upon investigating he found an unresponsive individual,” reads a statement sent to all college staff members.

The chief notified additional authorities upon his discovery of the male, according to the statement.

Dr. David Shockley, college president, said he was also summoned to the scene, which was near the entrance to the baseball field. He confirmed that the male occupant was deceased.

Shockley said he did not know the identity of the individual or whether the individual’s family had been notified. Thus, he did not know whether the person was a college student or had other ties to the school.

He added no foul play was suspected in the death.

Surry County EMS Director John Shelton said the body had been sent to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem for an autopsy.

DOBSON — A Lexington man allegedly found with 12 grams of meth and cocaine in his vehicle was arrested Aug. 2 by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, according to a statement released Friday.

Sanson Penaloza Rodriguez, 55, of Bookington Drive, was charged with manufacture of a schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a drug vehicle, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance.

According to information provided by the sheriff’s office, officers had received information about a drug sale that was to take place at an Aberdeen Lane residence just east of Dobson.

Deputies arrived and found Rodriguez in his vehicle in the driveway.

A search allegedly revealed the methamphetamine and 4 grams of cocaine “in a magnetic storage device attached to the firewall,” stated Sheriff Graham Atkinson. “Six alprazolam, a schedule II controlled substance, was found on Rodriguez’s person.”

He was released from the Surry County Detention Center on Aug. 9 under a $20,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 24.

Warrants were issued charging Amy Marie Hoyt, who resides at the Aberdeen Lane home, with trafficking methamphetamine, maintaining a drug dwelling and possession of drug paraphernalia.

As of Friday, those warrants had not yet been served.

Man arrested on pot charges

In an unrelated cased, James Andrew Moseley, 19, was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, maintaining a drug vehicle and possession of marijuana paraphernalia on Aug. 8.

He was pulled over by a narcotics detective for allegedly displaying fictitious tags. After smelling the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, the detective searched the car and found 7 grams, which is about 0.25 ounces, packaged for sale, according to police records.

Moseley was also cited for no operator’s license and displaying a fictitious tag. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 24 under a $2,500 secured bond.

Rodriguez

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Rodriquez_mug.jpgRodriguez Submitted

Hoyt

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Hoyt_Mug.jpgHoyt Submitted

Moseley

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Moseley_Mug.jpgMoseley Submitted

DOBSON — A pair of men from Asheboro were arrested in High Point on Wednesday a few hours after they allegedly broke into two Surry County homes.

Officers with the High Point Police Department pulled over a vehicle occupied by Glen Elwood Hiatt Jr., 33, and Kenneth Warren Young, 26, and issued a speeding violation, according to a statement released Friday by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office.

The officers observed the vehicle to be filled with household items such as computers, televisions and gaming consoles, which were found marked with personal identifying information not matching that of the suspects.

The Surry County authorities were dispatched to the addresses list on those items and discovered the homes, one on Cook School Road and the other on Jessup Grove Church Road, had been “ransacked,” Sheriff Graham Atkinson said.

One victim was aware of the crime and the other was not, the sheriff said.

Property worth more than $10,000 was returned to both victims.

Hiatt and Young were served with warrants charging each with two counts of breaking and entering and two counts of larceny after breaking and entering.

As of Friday they both remained confined in the Surry County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond and scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 1.

“Charges for possession of stolen property may be pending in High Point in relation to the traffic stop,” Atkinson stated.

The suspects have no apparent connection to Surry County, Atkinson said, noting that it’s common for those committing a crime to head somewhere where they are not known or easily identifiable.

“They drive in here from out of county and disappear,” he said.

Hiatt

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Hiatt_Mug.jpgHiatt

Young

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Young_Mug.jpgYoung

• A Mount Airy man was arrested Tuesday on fraud and break-in charges, according to city police department reports. Timmy Lee Brannock, 33, of 105 Pentecostal Church Road, was encountered by police at 319 N. Renfro St. and found to be wanted on two felony counts of financial transaction card fraud, felonious breaking and entering of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor larceny, which had all been filed on Aug. 2 Details regarding the charges were not given, with Brannock released on a written promise to appear in Surry District Court on Sept. 21.

• Devin James Norris-McDowell, 19, listed as homeless, was arrested Monday on Newsome Street and charged with resisting, obstructing or delaying a public officer after he was encountered during the investigation of an attempted breaking and entering. Norris-McDowell ran from the scene and was ordered to stop, arrest records state, and was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit. He was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $2,500 secured bond and is scheduled to be in District Court on Sept. 21.

• Wayne Derrick France, 36, of 321 Eleanor Ave., turned himself in at the police station Monday on felony charges of sale or delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver, which had been filed through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office on May 9. An order for arrest also had been issued for France on the same date for two counts of failing to appear in court. He was jailed under a $13,000 secured bond and a $300 cash bond and is to be in court on Aug. 27.

• Heather Renee Moser, 29, of 2248 Zephyr Road, Dobson, was arrested Monday on a felony charge of obtaining property by false pretense, which had been issued on June 16 through the Elkin Police Department. Moser was taken into custody after being encountered at Northern Hospital of Surry County by Mount Airy police who knew of a warrant for her arrest. She was held in the Surry County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond and is slated for a court appearance next Tuesday. Details concerning the false-pretense violation were not given.

On July 3, The News posted a photo of Moser as part of the Surry County Community Corrections’ weekly most wanted list. At that time, the agency said Moser was wanted on a post-release warrant and was on supervision for 30 counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense.

• Philgene Montgomery Jr., 44, of 583 Pell Road, Claudville, Virginia, was arrested last Saturday night during a suspicious-vehicle call on Fancy Gap Road at North Franklin Road. Montgomery was the subject of an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in court that had been issued on July 15 and was charged Saturday with possession of methamphetamine, a felony, which resulted from a search subsequent to his arrest. He was jailed under a $1,300 secured bond, with Sept. 29 his District Court date.

• Two men from Cana, Virginia, Richard Joseph Banner, 43, of 381 Old Greenhill Road, and Kevin Lee Humphries, 37, of 182 Horizon Drive, were arrested on drug and other charges after police investigated a larceny call at Walmart on July 17. Both are charged with possession of methamphetamine, a felony; possession of drug paraphernalia; and concealment of merchandise. Arrest records state that Banner owes $142 in restitution to the store and Humphries $37 as a result.

Banner additionally is accused of possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance and simple possession of marijuana. He and Humphries were confined in the Surry County Jail under a $1,000 secured bond each and are scheduled to appear in District Court on Sept. 19.

A Surry County lawmaker says federal courts need to give some guidance if North Carolina is expected to redraw legislative districts.

On Thursday, a panel of three federal judges ruled North Carolina’s legislative districts were drawn in 2011 in an unconstitutional manner, with race playing a key role in the construction of gerrymandered districts.

“After careful consideration of the evidence presented, we conclude that race was the predominant factor motivating the drawing of all challenged districts,” reads the opinion of the court.

“We therefore must order that new maps be drawn.”

The court even went as far as to call one legislative district, the 48th House District, “bizarre and sprawling,” noting it included portions of Hope, Robeson, Scotland and Richmond counties.

The “base” of the district serves as a “land bridge between African-American populations,” according to the court. It divides four counties and five municipalities.

“The evidence suggests that these divisions occurred largely along racial lines,” notes the court.

Rep. Sarah Stevens, Surry County’s representative in the N.C. House of Representatives, said she had yet to read the opinion of the court on Friday. However, if past precedent proves true, the General Assembly will have to guess at exactly what the court is looking for.

“I’m hoping they have given clear instructions,” said Stevens. “We did draw some districts based on the requirements of the Voting Rights Act.”

The Voting Rights Act requires some districts to be drawn as “majority-minority” districts, districts which have a majority racial minority population.

“In 2011, we looked historically at what had been approved previously under the Voting Rights Act,” remarked Stevens.

She said it is hard to ensure all guidelines are met when redistricting, and rulings which throw out legislative district maps but provide no specific instructions for redrawing legislative districts only make that job harder.

“We try to follow the law,” said Stevens. “We really have tried to draw districts in a fair and legal manner.”

The challenge to the 28 legislative districts — 19 House districts and nine Senate districts — was filed in May of 2015. Thursday’s decision comes on the heels of a similar court decision which threw out the state’s districts for U.S. House of Representatives.

In that case, a special election had to be held in the newly drawn districts. However, that won’t be the case for the state legislative seats.

“Like other courts confronted with similarly difficult circumstances, we will still allow the November 2016 elections to proceed as scheduled under the challenged plans, despite their unconstitutionality,” explains the court, after noting the proximity of the ruling to November’s election.

The court was also harsh in its opinion of how state legislators harmed the state’s voting population when they drew what the court construed to be racially gerrymandered legislative districts.

“Plaintiffs, and thousands of other North Carolina citizens, have suffered severe constitutional harms stemming from Defendants’ creation of 28 districts racially gerrymandered in violation of the Equal Protection Clause.”

North Carolina officials have been ordered to redraw the districts in their next legislative session.

DOBSON — Five years ago, Sherie Haymore attended her first Women in the Outdoors event.

She had no previous experience shooting a gun, fishing or using a bow.

But, she had taken her teenaged son to another event hosted by the Tri County Ridgerunners (a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation). That event was Wheelin’ Sportsmen, a deer hunt for those with disabilities, and she was impressed.

“I saw how everybody collectively came together to help people,” Haymore said, adding that her subsequent participation in the women’s day out lit a fire.

“I thought, I’m going to learn archery,” and she didn’t just learn it, she attended James Madison University and became a level-two archery instructor.

On Saturday, at the eighth-annual Women in the Outdoors held at Fisher River Park, Haymore helped fellow women as inexperienced as she once was.

“It’s just cool,” she said. “If you ever wanted to learn any of these skills, this kind of event is place to do it.

“Had it not been for events like this, I never would have experienced that,” Haymore said, referring to an activity that has become far more than a hobby.

Organizer Lee Freeman said that is the whole point.

“There’s a lot of new ladies here learning new outdoor traits,” he said. “The possibilities are endless of where it can go.”

The event featured various stations that were set up in the park, including archery, pistol, rifle and skeet shooting.

A fishing derby was ongoing all day.

The $15 event ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and included lunch. In the morning, survival skills and yoga were taught and in the afternoon, kayaking was available on the river.

Jennifer Willis attended with her 13-year-old daughter Cacey Willis.

“We like coming to it,” she said. “We’ve learned a lot,” such as how to build a fire out of a pop can split in half and a splash of alcohol.

The mother and daughter both enjoy hunting, “which is something most women haven’t gotten to do,” Willis said.

Julie Roberts, 28, of Siloam, said while she enjoyed shooting, she came to the event for the first time because of the chance to enjoy those sports in the company of other women.

“It’s not just a man’s thing,” she said.

Ginny Forestieri, of Dobson, who moved to the area from New York, attended to get more familiar with the outdoors.

“Living in Surry County, I just thought it would be good to avail ourselves of the local surroundings,” she said.

Sisters Christina Eliason and Suzy Coley attended with their mother, Judy Ledbetter.

The trio headed to the river to fish after lunch.

Were they experienced? They said no.

“We’re going to try,” Eliason said. “That’s what it’s all about, being able to try different things.”

Archery instructor Sherie Haymore gives Julie Roberts some tips at the Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday at Fisher River Park.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_160813_WomenOutdoors-R1.jpgArchery instructor Sherie Haymore gives Julie Roberts some tips at the Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday at Fisher River Park.Terri Flagg | The News

Sisters Christina Eliason, left, and Suzy Coley, with their mother, Judy Ledbetter, head on down to the fishin’ hole at the Women in the Outdoors event held at Fisher River Park on Saturday.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_160813_WomenOutdoors-R2.jpgSisters Christina Eliason, left, and Suzy Coley, with their mother, Judy Ledbetter, head on down to the fishin’ hole at the Women in the Outdoors event held at Fisher River Park on Saturday. Terri Flagg | The News

Four-year-old Maecee Quesinberry practices target shooting with the help of Scotty Holbrook at the Tri County Ridgerunners Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday at Fisher River Park.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_160813_WomenOutdoors-R3.jpgFour-year-old Maecee Quesinberry practices target shooting with the help of Scotty Holbrook at the Tri County Ridgerunners Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday at Fisher River Park. Terri Flagg | The News

Julie Roberts, left, of Siloam, and Ginny Forestieri, of Dobson, made friends at the Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday at Fisher River Park.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_160813_WomenOutdoors-R4.jpgJulie Roberts, left, of Siloam, and Ginny Forestieri, of Dobson, made friends at the Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday at Fisher River Park. Terri Flagg | The News

Carrie Wood, 19, poses with her target used at the Women in the Outdoor event held Saturday at Fisher River Park.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_160813_WomenOutdoors-R5.jpgCarrie Wood, 19, poses with her target used at the Women in the Outdoor event held Saturday at Fisher River Park. Terri Flagg | The News

Suzy Coley casts a fishing line into Fisher River at the Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_160813_WomenOutdoors-R6.jpgSuzy Coley casts a fishing line into Fisher River at the Women in the Outdoors event held Saturday. Terri Flagg | The News

Jill M. Chappell has been appointed branch manager of the Ararat, Virginia and Woolwine, Virginia, offices of Carter Bank & Trust.

Chappell is a native of Pilot Mountain and a graduate of East Surry High School. She earned an associate degree in general education from Surry Community College in Dobson and a Bachelor of Science Degree in business administration from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs. She is planning to begin work on a masters degree from West Virginia University this fall.

The veteran of more than 10 years in banking resides in Mount Airy. Chappell is an EMT-Advanced with the Cana, Virginia, Volunteer Rescue Squad, and attends Whitaker Chapel United Methodist Church in Pilot Mountain.

Chappell

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Surry Central graduate Zach Cochran recently received a $5,000 scholarship from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms.

The son of Jeff and Kellie Cochran of Dobson is one of 15 recipients of the scholarship, given to children of Perdue employees and independent contract farmers. Winners were selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement.

Zach, whose father is an area coordinator at the Yadkinville facility, will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue a degree in biology.

In June he graduated from Central, ranked fifth in his class of 186 students, and earned a weighted grade point average of 4.5.

Active at school and in the community, he was a member for two years in the National Honor Society, the National Technical Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society, of which he served as president.

He was an all-conference tennis player and a three-year starter for the boys’ basketball team.

Other honors and awards include the Math Honor Society for three years, first place in the Surry County Arts WOW contest, and receiving the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award. He is a junior volunteer at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital.

In May, the Edward M. Armfield Sr. Foundation announced that Zach would be one of 10 students from Central to receive a foundation scholarship.

Zach plans to attend medical school and become a surgeon.

“Beginning at a young age, I have been certain of my future career goals,” he said.

Zach Cochran, a Surry Central High School graduate, recently received a $5,000 scholarship from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Robert-Cochran.jpgZach Cochran, a Surry Central High School graduate, recently received a $5,000 scholarship from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. Submitted photo

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

• Aaron James Epperson, age 21, a white male who is wanted on a post-release warrant and is on supervision for 2 counts felony breaking & entering and 2 counts felony larceny;

• Anthony Shawn Poteat, 26, a white male who is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for three counts felony breaking and entering, four counts felony larceny, possess stolen goods, felony possess with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver schedule VI controlled substance, felony manufacture schedule VI controlled substance, felony maintain dwelling for controlled substances and use/possess drug paraphernalia;

• Jimmie Wayne Vernon, 46, a white male who is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for felony obtain property by false pretense, possess stolen goods and use/possess drug paraphernalia.

• April Denise Thompson, 38, a white female who is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for shoplifting.

View all probation absconders on the internet at http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi and click on absconders. Anyone with information on any probation absconders should contact Crime Stoppers at 786-4000 or probation at 386-9742.

*****

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

• Nelson Ray Stewart, a white male, 27, who is wanted on charges of felony possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver methamphetamine and sell/deliver methamphetamine;

• Heather Marie Puckett, a white female, 30, who is wanted on charges of felony breaking/entering, larceny after breaking/entering and injury to personal property;

• Timothy Lee Tate, a white male, 52, who is wanted on a charge of failing to pay child support;

• Adrian James Snow, a white male, 42, who is wanted on a charge of failing to pay child support.

Anyone with information on these individuals should call the Surry County Sheriff’s Office at 401-8900 or Crime Stoppers at 786-4000.

Epperson

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Poteat

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Stewart

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The following marriage licenses were issued in Surry County.

• Angel Perez-Lopez, 33, and Shelia M. Duncan, 20, of Lowgap. Issued Aug. 4.

• Cory J. Craddock, 25, of Greensboro, and Emily F. Spainhour, 22, of Kernersville. Issued Aug. 4.

• Christopher R. Bohner, 35, and Valerie A. Evans, 26, of Thurmond. Issued Aug. 4.

• Travis L. Knott, 27, of Mount Airy, and Lisa A. Alley, 45, of Lowgap. Issued Aug. 5.

• David W. Shelton Jr., 25, and Haley F. Carico, 21, of Dobson. Issued Aug. 5.

• Wesley D. Smith, 19, of Mount Airy, and Elizabeth L. Payne, 19, of Cana, Virginia. Issued Aug. 5.

• Paul G. Elkins, 50, of Mount Hope, West Virginia, and Shawn M. Mills, 48, of Sophia, West Virginia. Issued Aug. 5.

• Justin P. Oplinger, 32, and Emily J. Homberger, of Hilliard, Ohio. Issued Aug. 5.

• Benjamin C. Littell, 32, of Dudley, and Jenna B. Enfield, 25, of Mount Airy. Issued Aug. 5.

• Cordell R. Whitaker, 20, and Kristina F. Potter, 18, of Thurmond. Issued Aug. 8.

• Samuel K. Harris, 20, of Dobson, and Meagan E. Hutson, 21, of Ararat. Issued Aug. 10.

• Michael P. O’Rourke Sr., 44, and Robin L. Narehood, 42, of Dobson. Issued Aug. 10.

• Derek J. Mabe, 28, and Wanda N. Sparks, 24, of Pinnacle. Issued Aug. 10.

• Justin W. Barber, 18, of Galax, Virginia, and Shania M. King, 20, of Mount Airy. Issued Aug. 10.

• Jonathan T. Perdue, 44, and Veronica J. Poe, 54, of Bluefield, Virginia. Issued Aug. 10.

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

• Stephania R. Daniel to Larry D. Puckett. 0.94 acres in Dobson. $200

• Patrick Creed to Bradley and Tammy Whitaker. 1.98 acres in Surry County. $232

• David and Tiffany Brown and Mary A. Hiatt to Justin and Kayla Clark. Two tracts in Franklin Township. $110

• Estate of Katherine Marion to Marisol G. Guillen Cerrillo. Lot in Mount Airy. $44

• James, Marlene, Kenneth and Virginia Johnson to Imo-Gene Melton. 2.639 acres in Westfield Township. $69

• Roger and Glenda McKinney to Chris Berman. 5.47 acres in Surry County. $175

• Janice and Sherman Layell to Elizabeth Williams Woodruff. Lot in Stewarts Creek Township. $260

• Georgia Stanley Wood to Ronald and Sandra Hudson. 418 sq. ft. in Surry County $0

• Gary D. Sechrist to Kristie and Joseph Richardson. Tract in Mount Airy. $33

• Gary D. Sechrist to Krystie and Joseph Richardson. Lot in Mount Airy. $71

• Jack, Jerry, Linda, Joey and Robin Kidd to Hal T. Kidd. 32.29 acres in Dobson. $270

• Robert and Juanita Easter to Maria M. Garcia Trejo. 1.0491 acres in Stewarts Creek Township. $36

• A.L. Goins to Charles and Karen Flippin. 27.84 acres in Mount Airy. $168

• Darlene Gilley Eads to Kristopher J. Eads and Jamie Eads Benton. 3.07 acres in Rockford Township. $0

• Kent and Lucy Tucker to JMC Dental Property, LLC. 0.1517 acres in Surry County. $400

• Shane A. Monk to William and Jean Arrington. 0.99 acres in Mount Airy. $40

• Michael W. Jessup Revocable Trust to State Employees’ Credit Union. 1.052 acres in Surry County. $1,038

• Terry and Joyce Simmons to Cathy Wood. 1.528 acres in Eldora Township. $76

• Joshua and Maria Watson to David N. Watson. 0.94 acres in Pilot Mountain. $0

• Betty Jane and Ted King to Jane Montgomery Burgess. Lot in Mount Airy. $300

• Sandy R. Wood to Treva A. Gillespie Wood. Five acres in Surry County. $0

• Reid Family Trust to Jimmy and Faye Lynch. 0.818 acres in Surry County. $40

• The E.W. Draughn Estate to Samuel and Nicole Newman. Five lots in Dobson. $0

• Robert, Betty and Nancy Hemmings to Willis and Mary Branch. 0.395 acres in Dobson. $8

• David, Peggy, Nancy and Betty Hemmings to Willis and Mary Branch. 3.486 acres in Dobson. $63

• Gregory and Joyce Ramey to Barrett and Brandi Holder. Tracts in Franklin Township. $180

• Richard and Rachel Goodman to Michael C. Adams. Lot in Surry County. $50

• Karen L. Hawks Sanders and Donna and Perry Bowman to Donna and Perry Bowman. Tract in Eldora Township. $0

• Michael J. Moxley to Juvenal Sanchez Perez. Lot in the Rox Run Subdivision. $8

• U.S. Bank National Association to John and Nettie Jones. 1.6 acres in Siloam Township. $92

• Robert and Sandra Hamlin to Steven and Sheree Barnard. Two tracts in Mount Airy. $330

• Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation to Donald Wilson. Lot in Surry County. $0

• Glenda and Waldo Coe to Glenda T. Coe. 6.98 acres in Surry County. $0

• Mary Stuchal to Chester and Ginger Lowe. 2.985 acres in Bryan Township. $100

• Ronald and Wendy Giudici to Roger and Kelly Waters. 0.767 acres in Elkin. $360

• Claybern and Peggy Taylor to Darron and Gregory Taylor and Jill T. Holder. Nine tracts in Mount Airy. $0

• Dorothy H. Harris Revocable Declaration of Trust to Rodney W. Sigmon. 40,800 sq. ft. in Elkin. $390