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American Songwriter

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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 · 19h

The Tribune

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Country ham a hit at new festival in Jonesville

Jonesville’s inaugural Slice of the Valley Country Ham festival brought in the crowds on Saturday at Lila Swaim Park. Fall colors, sunshine and blue skies set the backdrop for a delightful day of music, food and fun. Live music throughout the festival included local favorites None of the Above playing bluegrass tunes and Room to Walk jam band, as attendees milled about checking out the vendor booths and activities. Pig races drew onlookers and cheers at the event as well. Earlier in the day the humans got in the run fun with the Hog Run 5k on the Jonesville Greenway, with many participants dressed up as pigs for the race. Drawing lines throughout the day was the Foothills Meat Center booth which provided one free country ham biscuit to each attendee. The shop, located at 224 S. Bridge Street, which sponsored the festival, also had holiday gift boxes of country ham, hoop cheese and jam for sale. Town Council Member Regina Adkins said she was pleased to see the strong community involvement of those who “showed up and showed out” at the festival. Vendors were pleased with the turnout as well, a spokesperson for Classic Concessions said, “The Slice of

Jonesville, NC · 2d

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 · 1d

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 · 20h

The Mount Airy News

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Pilot Mountain man marks 100th birthday

Nov. 1 was a big day for Spencer “Pa” Nelson. One of many days the centenarian has experienced. That’s because many friends and family members gathered that day to celebrate his 100th birthday. He was born on Nov. 1, 1926, in Pilot Mountain, to Peter and Daisy Nelson. In late December 1943, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served as a gunner’s mate until September 1948. After leaving the Navy, Nelson returned home to Pilot Mountain, where he met the love of his life, Helen Bateman. The two were married on April 28, 1949, beginning a marriage that would last just shy of 69 years. In 1950, Spencer began working for McLean Trucking Company. He remained with the company for more than 35 years, until it closed in January 1986. The couple became members of Brims Grove Baptist Church in 1969. His faith and church family have remained an important part of his life, and he continues to be a faithful member today, family members said. “Celebrating 100 years of Spencer’s life was a special occasion for his family and friends,” they said. “The Nelson family would like to thank everyone who joined them in celebrating this

Pilot Mountain, NC · 2d

The Carroll News

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Data Center debate takes a new direction as Alabama trip changes minds

As has been the case for the past several meetings of the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, the subject of data centers dominated the proceedings. The November meeting of the board had a decidedly different tenor however, as several citizens and supervisors alike changed their opinions after visiting a Google owned data center in Jackson County Alabama. A public hearing regarding the recently adopted Emergency Data Center Ordinance occurred at the beginning of the meeting, with the goal of making the emergency ordinance permanent. The Data Center Ordinance was formulated to place restrictions on data centers locating in Caroll County and includes limits to water consumption, noise pollution and places strict decommissioning requirements on facilities after they close. Delilah Brady came to the podium during the public hearing portion of the meeting and requested that the supervisors adapt the emergency data center ordinance and make it a permanent part of the county code. The Data Center Ordinance was subsequently adopted by a unanimous vote of the board. Google has expressed an interest in locating a data center on a piece of property owned by a private landowner near the Wildwood industrial park. Google invited members of the board to visit

Carroll County, VA · 2d

The Mount Airy News

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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 · 19h

The Mount Airy News

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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 · 23h

The Mount Airy News

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Missed opportunities doom Greyhounds against East Burke

CONNELLY SPRINGS — North Surry struggled to make the most of its opportunities in a first-round 4A state playoff game against East Burke. The No. 17 Greyhounds never led against the Cavaliers. North Surry had chances on both sides of the ball to seize momentum, even cutting East Burke’s lead to one score twice, but couldn’t follow through. Late touchdowns allowed the No. 16 Cavaliers to pull away for the 36-14 win. “It ultimately came down to not seizing control in some pretty key moments,” North Surry coach Jackson Smith said. “We had a great game plan going in, and I thought our kids played really hard, but we just didn’t win those game-swinging plays.” Turning the ball over on downs inside the 5-yard line and giving up big conversions on third and fourth downs were examples of North Surry’s missed opportunities, Smith said. “East Burke ran well, they’re well-coached, they played physical and did a good job of keeping our offense off the field,” Smith said. “You can’t afford to miss your chances against a team like that in the playoffs.” North Surry (5-6) also dealt with the loss of two starters early in the game: Damarcus McClure and

Mt Airy, NC · 1d

The Carroll News

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Hillsville mayor reelected after tough campaign

Hillsville Mayor Greg Crowder won reelection by a substantial margin in the November 3, 2026, election. Incumbent Town Councilors Greg Yonce representing the Laurel Fork Ward and Barry Jessup of the Sulphur Springs Ward ran unopposed and also retained their seats on council. Mayor Crowder garnered 535 votes out of 949 ballots cast, while challenger Katie Horton received 315 votes and Andy Kaufman had 83. Sixteen ballots were cast for write-in candidates. “This was a really tough election,” said Crowder. “It was a brutal nonstop attack with half-truths, innuendos and borderline slander towards me and my family. There’s people that have been in politics their whole life and never seen nothing like it.” “I ran against former Mayor Bill Tate, who was a very honorable candidate and is actually a very good friend of mine now,” Crowder continued. “And I ran against Mrs. Taylor, the former mayor’s wife, and we basically ran on issues. We were able to shake hands after the election and I was hoping it would be the same with this race but I don’t think it’s going to be.” Greg Crowder was first elected in 2012. This election victory ushers in his 9th term as Mayor

Hillsville, VA · 2d

The Tribune

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Elkin Middle School teacher receives statewide excellence award

Elkin Mididle School teacher Matt Garris has received the prestigious North Carolina Educator of Excellence Award, the school system announced in a press release. The statewide recognition honors educators who demonstrate leadership, service, and innovative instructional practices while making a positive impact on students with disabilities. At Elkin Middle School, Garris works directly with exceptional children, providing tailored instruction and compassionate support designed to help every student succeed. Prioritizing strong relationships with students and families, he helps young learners build confidence and early self-advocacy skills, school leaders said. Standing by his side at the ceremony was his wife, Cameron Garris, an Exceptional Children teacher in the district who also received the same award for the 2023–2024 school year. “Matt Garris is deeply committed to his students and Elkin Middle School,” said Dr. Jennifer Hall, interim superintendent of Elkin City Schools. “He works closely with teachers to analyze student data, identify individual needs, and ensure every student receives the instruction, resources, and support necessary to reach their full potential. His dedication to student success, collaborative work, and commitment to our school community make him an incredible asset to our students, Elkin Middle School, and Elkin City Schools.” Fellow teachers praised Garris

Elkin, NC · 2d

The Yadkin Ripple

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Rams ride back-to-back wins into postseason clash with Swain County

BOONVILLE — Starmount’s football team has caught fire at the right time of the season, reeling off back-to-back wins in dominant fashion to position itself as a serious postseason threat heading into November. The Rams opened the stretch with a 28-7 victory over Wilkes Central on Oct. 23, piling up 161 rushing yards and 68 yards through the air in a physical, wire-to-wire performance. Starmount’s defense was equally stout, holding the Eagles to a single score and setting the tone for what was to come. One week later on Oct. 30, the Rams were even more imposing, steamrolling Ashe County 53-0 in a shutout that was never in doubt. Starmount exploded for 19 first-quarter points and piled on 21 more in the second, taking a commanding 40-0 lead into halftime before coasting to the finish. Quarterback D. Best went 7 of 15 for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Rams’ pass rush-tested defense. Running back K. Williams was the workhorse on the ground, carrying 10 times for 122 yards and a score. Wide receiver H. Brown contributed two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown in the blowout. The Starmount defense was flawless, surrendering zero points against Ashe County

Boonville, NC · 2d

The Mount Airy News

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Granite Bears leave it all on the field against Shelby

Mount Airy’s soccer season ended with a 2-0 loss to Shelby on Nov. 9. The Granite Bears and the visiting Golden Lions played a scoreless first half before Shelby struck early in the second. No. 3 Mount Airy had chances to score but couldn’t convert, allowing Shelby to double its lead with another goal midway through the half. No. 11 Shelby fended off the Granite Bears’ final attacks to secure the shutout and advance to the 3A West regional semifinals. “I’m just heartbroken for the seniors,” Mount Airy coach Cody Atkins said. “They were definitely emotional after the game, and the coaching staff was emotional too. We felt like they gave everything they had and really put their hearts into it. “They really left it all on the field.” Atkins said the Bears played a solid match at every position, which made the loss tougher to accept. “It’s hard to swallow when you play good, make good runs, take good shots, leave it all out there and still come up short,” he said. “We felt like we were the better team, it just wasn’t our night.” Mount Airy (21-5) ramped up its offense in the second half after going down

Mt Airy, NC · 1d

Carolina Public Press

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Dissolution decisions loom for two small NC towns

Financial woes in Rowland are more severe than Ronda, but the NC Local Government Commission may be headed toward dissolution of each.

Ronda, NC · 1d

WSLS

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Virginia facing shortage of large animal care vets

PATRICK CO., Va. – For many Virginia farmers, finding a large animal vet isn’t easy. A new $890,000 state grant is working to get more veterinary care to farms that need it. The Virginia Department of Agriculture is providing funding to local large-animal veterinarians, helping them grow their...

Patrick County, VA · 1d

The Avery Journal-Times

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Avery median home price rises to $510,000

HIGH COUNTRY — Avery County’s median home sales price rose to $510,000 in October, up 6.8% from September, as the county closed on 57 residential properties, according to the High Country Association of Realtors. The High Country Real Estate Market, which includes Alleghany, Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties, had 198 closed sales of single-family properties, including condo/townhouse properties, in October, with a combined closing total of $142.0 million. The median sales price of $517,000 included all four counties for October. Nationally: Pending home sales fell 7.3% from August to September and 11.3% from a year earlier, according to an Oct. 20 report from the National Association of Realtors. All four U.S. regions declined, with the West seeing the largest drop, followed by the South, Midwest and Northeast. “Market conditions weakened in September due to fast-rising mortgage rates,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said. According to HCAR< Yun said job growth and income gains can support home purchases, but affordability is affected more by changes in mortgage rates. He said mortgage rates could be topping out, since they have already risen much more than the Federal Reserve’s short-term rate hikes. Yun added that a limited number of distressed properties is keeping

Avery County, NC · 1d

The Stokes News

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King Wildcats beat South Stokes 46-38 to win FYAL Super Bowl

The King Wildcats, formerly the West Stokes Prowlers, outscored the South Stokes Sauras 46-38 on Saturday night to win the Foothills Youth Athletic League Super Bowl under the lights at Wildcat Stadium on the West Stokes campus. The No. 2 seed Wildcats trailed 19-18 at halftime, retook the lead early in the third quarter and stayed in front the rest of the way against fourth-seeded South Stokes, which was playing in the championship game for the first time in program history. Wildcats’ Hunter Barneycastle was named Super Bowl MVP. South Stokes took its halftime lead on a play by league MVP Eli Lash, who stripped a King ball carrier and returned the fumble 80 yards for a touchdown. The extra point put the Sauras up by one point. The win was the fourth championship for King in eight title-game appearances. The Wildcats also won in 2005, 2007 and 2008, and lost in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2014. Other Super Bowl results In the JV Gold Bracket, the Pilot Mountain Cardinals beat the Mount Airy Bears 13-0. In the Varsity Silver Bracket, Pilot Mountain beat the North Stokes Vikings 24-13. In the JV Silver Bracket, the King Wildcats beat South Stokes

King, NC · 2d

The Yadkin Ripple

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Nightly closures planned for U.S. 601 in Yadkinville

An N.C. Department of Transportation contractor closed a short stretch of U.S. 601 at U.S. 421 over the weekend with more overnight closures planned for this week to finish constructing roundabouts at the off-ramps. Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, U.S. 601 (State Street) closures between the U.S. 421 ramps are expected while crews finish installing curb, concrete islands and truck aprons within the roundabouts during a weekend-long operation, weather permitting. Weekend crews reopened U.S. 601 in both directions by 6 a.m. Monday. This weekend operation is to be followed by overnight closures with drivers utilizing the same detour from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night through Friday morning. During the closures, drivers who wish to drive through the U.S. 601 corridor must follow a detour onto U.S. 421 to the next exit, turn around and return to U.S. 601. Drivers exiting U.S. 421 onto U.S. 601 must turn right onto U.S. 601 or follow the U.S. 421 detour. The $19.8 million contract with Blythe Construction includes two additional roundabouts on U.S. 601 at the Maple Street and Lee Avenue intersections. The roundabouts are designed to ease congestion and improve traffic flow throughout the corridor. The project also

Yadkinville, NC · 2d

The Carroll News

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Hillsville honors Veterans Day with parade, expanded VFW celebration

Whether on a holiday or not, Hillsville is always sure to show its appreciation toward those who have served our country. But this year, thanks to the efforts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and Heart of Hillsville, the town took its Veterans Day festivities to the next level. In addition to the local parade, a day-long celebration was held on Saturday, November 7 at the Grover King VFW Post 1115 with a catered luncheon at noon for veterans, first responders and families. Following the parade at 2 p.m., locals gathered back at the post for live music, raffles, a spaghetti dinner and more. “We took this on for the Heart of Hillsville for the parade portion back in May,” said event organizer Angela Browne. “We created a committee to plan the parade and we decided with the VFW Auxiliary to expand upon that, so this year we were able to do the parade as well as a community celebration. We added the spaghetti meal, which is a donation fundraiser; we added the raffles, the beverage garden, the live bands and the cruise-in, that was all new this year.” Additional activities throughout the day included cornhole, free massages and

Hillsville, VA · 1d

Elkin Tribune

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Surry Commissioners honor 3 Eagle Scouts

The Surry County Board of Commissioners recognized the achievements of three Eagle Scouts during last Monday’s meeting. Included were Joseph Brevard and Ridge Reeves of Troop 556 and Kimber McMasters of Troop 561. Each scout was recognized by the board and given the opportunity to speak about their project.

Surry County, NC · 2d