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The Mount Airy News

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Data center plan OK'd, hailed as 'great document'

Mount Airy’s data center ordinance is now gospel, having been approved unanimously after months of consideration — with one city official saying the issue was a done deal in another way. “The biggest thing I’ve learned through this process is we don’t have the option to say ‘no,’’’ Mayor Jon Cawley said of an outright ban on the controversial facilities locating here. “That is not an available option unless you want to go into litigation,” Cawley added regarding the fact data centers are legal enterprises. The only thing a locality can do is adopt regulations ensuring the facilities operate in ways that don’t hamper its quality of life, city officials said, which the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners hopes was accomplished with its decision Thursday night. If it failed to enact a data center ordinance, Commissioner Calvin Vaughn said then, one could have come into town under existing regulations, “which are more lax.” Vaughn and other board members say the new ordinance protects Mount Airy in regard to various data center implications such as allowable locations and water usage. “I think it’s a great document,” he said of the ordinance spanning 13 pages, “something other municipalities can use as a

Mt Airy, NC · 3d

American Songwriter

partner publisher · 245.6K followers
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Born 81 Years Ago Today in North Carolina, the High School English Teacher Who Became a Grammy-Winning Country Music Star

On this day (November 10) in 1945, Yvonne Vaughn was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Today, she’s better known as country singer Donna Fargo, who kicked off a string of four straight No. 1 hits with 1972’s “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.”. Among the...

Mt Airy, NC · 2d

The Mount Airy News

partner publisher · 5.8K followers

Surry County Schools EC teacher recognized with award

In recognition of his role in education, North Surry High School teacher Justin Gammons was recently awarded with the 2026 Surry County Schools Educator of Excellence Award. Gammons’ distinction was posted to North Surry’s Facebook page where the post amassed numerous comments with fellow educators and community members congratulating him on the award. “Congratulations to our very own, Justin Gammons. Mr. Gammons was recognized as Surry County Schools Educator of Excellence,” the post read. This year marks Gammons’ second year teaching in the district and his tenth year teaching overall. “Way to represent not only North Surry but also SCS!” continued North Surry’s post. Gammons was officially recognized during an award ceremony at the 75th Annual North Carolina Conference on Exceptional Children (EC), which was held last Thursday in Greensboro. “I was genuinely honored and shocked at the same time,” Gammons said of finding out that he received the designation. According to the department’s award description, teachers were chosen and recognized based on their “dedicated service and outstanding contributions to the education of exceptional children in our state.” One EC educator from each of North Carolina’s 115 public school districts was chosen to be represented and recognized for their commitment

Surry County, NC · 2d

The Mount Airy News

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City land sales boosting housing market

Along with adding some extra jingle to the city coffers, recent sales of surplus municipal land are helping to provide more housing in a tight market locally. “When we sold these properties, the intent was to build houses on them,” City Manager Darren Lewis said last Thursday night when the latest transaction was approved by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners. That involved a site of about one-half acre on Carolina Avenue. It is one of 11 different parcels declared surplus property by city officials last year and put on the auction block, some of which are outside the city limits Included were lots on North Franklin Road, East Wilson Street, North Main Street, Fancy Gap Road, Lakeview Drive (three parcels), Carolina Avenue (three parcels) and Lyn Avenue. Only the property on Lyn Avenue remains unsold from that list, which is located in the Westwood area near North Franklin Road. Lewis said after Thursday night’s meeting that plans for “10-plus” houses have resulted from the sales of surplus property, meaning officials saw no future use for it by the municipality. To market the land, Mount Airy has been using GovDeals, an online marketplace geared toward government, educational and related entities

Mt Airy, NC · 3d

The Mount Airy News

partner publisher · 5.8K followers

Democratic challenger's lead over Foxx grows

With all precincts, including provisional ballots, now counted, Wilkesboro Democrat Chuck Hubbard has widened his lead over incumbent Republican Virginia Foxx. Hubbard’s advantage has grown to 335 votes, 139,788 to 139,453, over Foxx, with Libertarian Robert B. Luffman receiving 7,579 votes. After all precincts were counted on Election Day and the day after, Hubbard held a 99-vote advantage, but the newer numbers reflect all provisional ballots. Surry County, as is the case with other counties in the Fifth District, will hold the official voter canvass on Friday. Any additional military or overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 12 will be added to the totals. The totals as they stand show a difference of 0.12% between the two candidates, well within the 1% threshold, about 2,868 votes, that allows a trailing candidate to demand a recount under state law. According to unofficial election night results, Hubbard led Foxx by 99 votes. Since then, more than 1,600 provisional ballots were counted across the congressional district. Surry County had one of the highest totals of provisional ballots at 244, while Watauga had 344 and Rockingham had 340. After all of the provisionals were counted Foxx still

Surry County, NC · 1d

The Mount Airy News

partner publisher · 5.8K followers

Local man runs for 24 hours

It’s one thing to complete a marathon, half marathon, 10K or 5K race — which all can be done in a span of minutes or hours — but a Mount Airy man has managed to run for an entire day. This occurred when Charles Hiatt took on the OMR Ultra 24 Hour Challenge from Oct. 30-31 in Mint Hill, near Charlotte. Unlike some races with spread-out courses, the OMR Ultra 24 Hour Challenge involves a 1.35-mile loop that participants run over and over — “and over again,” Hiatt stated with a note of humor. The local man, an employee of Eagle Carports in Mount Airy, started the event on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. and finished on 7 p.m. the next day to cap what organizers call “a festive, Halloween-themed test of endurance.” While the running career of the former two-pack-per-day smoker previously included completing three World Marathon Majors in Boston, Chicago and most recently Sydney, Australia, he was a bit leery about the late-October event. “Running for 24 hours straight was definitely my biggest challenge yet,” Hiatt acknowledged. A friend and fellow runner, Josh Seawell of Pinnacle, had invited him to participate in the Mint Hill event. “Against my

Mt Airy, NC · 3d

The Mount Airy News

partner publisher · 5.8K followers

Greenway fully reopen after flood

More than three months after a flood devastated parts of Mount Airy including the Granite City Greenway, the popular pathway is fully reopened, Parks and Recreation officials have announced. This occurred during the weekend, which Calvin Vaughn, a recreation-minded member of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, hailed Wednesday as a welcome development with an important local resource now back up to full speed. “I think what people don’t realize is it’s probably our biggest activity in town,” Vaughn said of the greenway, which accommodates walkers, runners and cyclists. The greenway is popular not only among locals but brings hundreds of people to town on a daily basis, according to Vaughn. “I don’t think people realize how many people use it,” he said. “It’s sort of under the radar.” That wasn’t the case on Aug. 1-2, when flooding caused the Ararat River to crest at 29 feet, swamping sections of the greenway along its path. Particularly hard-hit were areas near the Chase and Charli restaurant on South Main Street, H.B. Rowe Environmental Park and Tharrington Park, which were closed for weeks afterward. While some detours were put in place in the interim, the greenway is now fully reopen as of

Mt Airy, NC · 1d

caswell.news

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Dissolution Decisions Loom for Two Small NC Towns

On the heels of a financial takeover of two North Carolina towns last month, Local Government Commission (LGC) staff are exploring the possibility of dissolving each of them once and for all. A team of LGC staff have been working with the towns of Rowland and Ronda over the past...

Ronda, NC · 1d

familydestinationsguide.com

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A Bologna Sandwich And A Horror-Movie Cameo Made This North Carolina Country Store A Local Legend

Priddy’s General Store in Danbury, North Carolina has appeared in a horror film, serves one of the most talked-about bologna sandwiches in the South, and somehow still manages to feel like the most welcoming place you’ve ever walked into. If that combination doesn’t make you want to get...

Danbury, NC · 1d

The Mount Airy News

partner publisher · 5.8K followers

Leonard wins school board seat, after provisionals

DOBSON — Kyle Leonard has become the apparent winner of a Mount Airy Board of Education race, subject to an official vote canvass that hasn’t altered the outcome of any local election in recent memory. Leonard, a Republican, was a slim (19-vote) winner on Nov. 3 when unofficial results were posted on Election Night, and through a Tuesday count of provisional ballots gained a bit of a “cushion” to make that a 22-vote margin. Both he and Democrat Tim Matthews, a longtime Mount Airy pharmacist, were seeking Matthews’ at-large seat on the city school board which the latter has held since 1996 and presently chairs. Leonard, a local financial adviser, also is an incumbent who now represents District A. Due to moving out of that district and wanting to remain on the board, he was prompted to seek Matthews’ at-seat post open to residents throughout the city school district. After the Election Night result favoring Leonard by a vote count of 1,763 to 1,744, Tuesday’s tally of provisional ballots awaited. Voters cast provisional ballots during an election whenever questions arise about their eligibility to vote, which can include not presenting a photo ID upon arriving at a polling site. Those

Mt Airy, NC · 23h

The Mount Airy News

partner publisher · 5.8K followers

Board of Elections counts provisional ballots ahead of county canvass

Following the Nov. 3 midterm elections, the Surry County Board of Elections met Tuesday afternoon to review and vote on provisional ballots, giving partial or full approval to 148 of 244 of the ballots. As with many meetings held to verify results following the election, several attendees were present to oversee the three-and-a-half-hour process. During the public forum, some attendees voiced their gratitude to the board and thanked them for running a smooth election. “We’re family right here. We got a good board,” Surry County Board of Elections Chair Chris White said following the public forum portion of the meeting. “I’m very appreciative of my board.” Elections Director Sydney Bedsaul Romine organized the review of provisional ballots into nine categories. Each ballot, which has been researched and reviewed by two election staff members, was reviewed once again in the meeting, this time by the board, where they were either approved or not approved based on state recommendations and guidelines. Some votes were partially approved based on conditions the ballot met or did not meet, which required the board to manually remark partially approved ballots on the correct ballot style. In all, 148 provisional ballots were approved by the board —

Surry County, NC · 1d

The Mount Airy News

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Veterans Day 'about real people'

Veterans Day is an occasion filled with flag waving, lofty speeches and other forms of color and pageantry, but really boils down to something more basic, according to speakers at a holiday program in Mount Airy. “Today is about real people,” Staff Sgt. Steven Munoz of the U.S. Marines Corps told a crowd gathered Wednesday at Blackmon Amphitheatre for the city’s annual Veterans Day service. “Veterans Day is not simply another holiday on the calendar,” added Munoz, who is assigned to the Marines’ local recruiting unit. “It’s a reminder that freedom is precious.” Among the legions of service members who have marched into battles worldwide are actual human beings with feelings, souls and families whose lives matter, Munoz indicated. “We may never know every veteran’s story,” the special speaker acknowledged, but Veterans Day is a time for letting it be known that their stories mean something and aren’t forgotten. Military members often enter the service for “something bigger than themselves,” Munoz said. “And that affects much more than the person wearing the uniform,” he said of how family members must deal with long absences by those in the military who miss birthdays, graduations and other important events. Some who eventually

Mt Airy, NC · 17h

whqr.org

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Renowned Virginia-based luthier makes his 1,000th guitar

Renowned Virginia-based guitar maker Wayne Henderson is being recognized after completing his 1,000th guitar. During his 60-year career, Henderson has made countless contributions to music makers across the country and around the world. He's built guitars by hand for a Who’s Who list of pickers, including Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs...

Wilkesboro, NC · 22h

wisenewsnetwork.com

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NCHSAA Round Two State 2A Football Playoff Preview, Cherryville at Alleghany

Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The Cherryville Ironmen will head to the mountains of Sparta, NC, for a second-round playoff matchup at Alleghany High School on Friday, November 13, 2026. The number five seed, Alleghany Trojans, were idle last week after earning a first-round bye. Cherryville, the number twelve seed, is coming off a dominating 63-0 performance at home against Elkin High School. This time of year is what many refer to as the second season, or the real season. Each game matters; simply put, you win, you advance; if you lose, your season is over. Each round, the competition potentially gets tougher as fewer teams remain in contention for the coveted state championship.

Cherryville, NC · 1d

The Stokes News

partner publisher · 1.8K followers

West Stokes’ Whitt signs with Southern Wesleyan volleyball

KING – West Stokes High School senior Leah Grace Whitt signed a letter of intent Thursday to play volleyball at Southern Wesleyan University, a Conference Carolinas member that competes in NCAA Division II. Whitt, a three-year starter for the Wildcats, finished her career with 607 kills, 158 blocks, 302 digs and 107 aces. She was named All-Conference as a junior and a senior and is a member of the JVA Watchlist for club volleyball. “I’m really excited. I really love SWU, and just all the way around, I can’t wait to go down there and be with the coaches, the team and the community,” Whitt said. Whitt is also a standout in track and field. She is a multiple-time All-Conference and All-Region selection and placed at the state meet in the discus throw last season. HSOT ranks her the second-best returning discus thrower in the state’s 4A division for this upcoming season in the spring. At Southern Wesleyan, in Central, South Carolina, Whitt plans to study sports medicine. “I’m majoring in sports medicine because I want to be an athletic trainer or a physical therapist,” she said. Whitt said the campus won her over on her visits. “When I went

King, NC · 1d

Ashe Post & Times

partner publisher · 5.4K followers

High Country Council of Governments presents awards at 51st annual banquet

BOONE — On Oct. 16, High Country Council of Governments held its annual awards ceremony at the Grandview Ballroom on Appalachian State University’s campus to recognize outstanding achievements and contributions by elected officials, local government employees, and advisory committee members. The High Country Council of Governments (HCCOG) is a regional organization dedicated to serving and supporting local governments in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties. Award winners were nominated by elected and appointed officials from the seven-county region. Mayor of Jefferson Peter Eller was selected as the 2026 Outstanding Local Elected Official in the High Country region. This award honors outstanding service and leadership to the community. This award is voted on by managers, administrators, staff, and local elected officials in the region. Few people know the Town of Jefferson as well as Peter Eller, and few have given more of themselves to it. A lifelong Jefferson resident, his service to the town began before he was old enough to vote: his very first summer job, taken in high school just after he earned his driver's license, was working for the Town of Jefferson. Decades later, he returned to lead it. Mayor Eller spent 35 years with

Jefferson, NC · 1d

rowancountyweather.com

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One Cold Morning Is One Thing. Several Freezing Nights Are Another.

We've spent much of this week talking about the colder weather heading toward Rowan, Davie, Davidson and Cabarrus counties. Now that we're getting closer to the weekend, I want to focus on something that sometimes gets overlooked when we talk about freezing temperatures. It's not always just how cold it...

Rowan County, NC · 23h

appalachianhistorian.org

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Lambsburg, Carroll County: Mills, Schools, and the Railroad That Never Came

Appalachian Community Histories – Lambsburg, Carroll County: Mills, Schools, and the Railroad That Never Came. In the southern reaches of Carroll County, Virginia, near the North Carolina state line, lies the community of Lambsburg. Situated near the headwaters of Stewart’s Creek, between Fisher Peak and Sugarloaf Mountain, the settlement developed in a landscape of mountain farms, wooded ridges, and roads connecting southwestern Virginia with the Piedmont of North Carolina. Although Lambsburg is a relatively small community today, its history reaches back to an era when local merchants, mill operators, and farmers depended upon wagon roads rather than railroads to move their goods between markets.

Carroll County, VA · 1d

appalachianhistorian.org

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Cana, Carroll County: Moravian Churches, Mountain Schools, and the Apple Industry

Appalachian Community Histories – Cana, Carroll County: Moravian Churches, Mountain Schools, and the Apple Industry. Along the southern edge of Carroll County, Virginia, where the Blue Ridge Mountains descend toward the North Carolina Piedmont, the community of Cana developed through generations of farming, religious activity, education, and commerce. Situated near the state line along the corridor now followed by U.S. Route 52, Cana became closely connected with nearby Mount Airy, North Carolina, while retaining the institutions and traditions of its mountain surroundings.

Carroll County, VA · 1d

The Carroll News

partner publisher · 1.7K followers

Data Center debate takes new direction as Alabama changes minds and Cavaliers complete historic season

“My whole goal in this was to go down there and get with the locals because the locals are just like us,” said Delilah Brady, who turned the microphone around and faced the audience. “I wanted to find all the negatives…. I went everywhere and I talked to everybody and they were happy. It was almost like they lived in this little utopia or something… Overall, I mean, everybody liked them.” Goodge owned data centers made a big impression on Carroll County visitors. Carroll County pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat James River 40-20 in Buchanan, Va. on Friday, November 6, in the process completing the first perfect regular season in program history. “It’s a blessing,” said running back Hunter Gravley. “This is something I thought Carroll County would never see and I’m just grateful to be part of it.”

Carroll County, VA · 1d