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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 · 2d

American Songwriter

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 · 4d

The Mount Airy News

Shepherd's House walk to raise awareness of homeless

The Shepherds House is hosting its annual ‘Light the Way Walk’ on Nov 28. With its crowd of people carrying glow sticks illuminating Mount Airy’s greenway, officials there say the event is aimed at raising awareness for those in need of aid and grace amongst the community. Shepherds House Executive Director Jana Elliot described the homeless shelter’s function as trying to reframe the lives of their clients. With the help of their assigned case manager, clients will begin a new path of life, hopefully quitting old and harmful habits and seeing a new light at the end of the tunnel. The Light the Way Walk will begin with participants meeting in Mount Airy’s Big Lots parking lot on the night of the event. The walk itself typically starts at dark, around 5:35 p.m. Beforehand, complementary hot dogs and drinks will be provided, t-shirts will be passed out, and a raffle will take place. Participants will be asked to bring their own light up items, such as glowsticks and flashlights. However, extras will be available for those who don’t have any or who simply want extras. The walk takes place on Mount Airy’s greenway. It starts at the access by Big

Mt Airy, NC · 2d

The Mount Airy News

Granite Bears' ground game overwhelms Cardinals’ aerial attack

Mount Airy advanced to the Sweet 16 with its most dominant rushing performance in three years. The No. 6-seeded Granite Bears ran for 439 yards and seven touchdowns to beat Union Academy 50-22 in the second round of the 3A football state playoffs. Two Granite Bears surpassed 100 rushing yards, while five scored touchdowns. The Nov. 13 victory marked Mount Airy’s highest rushing total in a game since going for 459 yards against Murphy in 2023. Kylan Mason led Mount Airy with 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on just five carries. The senior’s first touch of the game was a 63-yard touchdown run. “What Kylan does for us is so special,” Mount Airy coach Austin Taylor said. Mason has more than 1,800 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns on the season. When Mason exited the game midway through the second quarter with a leg injury, multiple Granite Bears stepped up to help fill his role. Freshman Bates Currin and senior Alex Spainhour each scored twice, with Currin going for 105 rushing yards and Spainhour 95. Sophomore Ronald Locklear added two carries for 54 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter, then freshman Alex McDaniel Bell capped Mount Airy’s

Mt Airy, NC · 15h

The Mount Airy News

Downtown Mount Airy’s Girls Night Out celebrates 10 years, economic contributions

Last week, Downtown Mount Airy celebrated the tenth anniversary of its annual Girls Night Out holiday edition event, bringing economic impacts to more than 40 small businesses that participated. The event was held Nov. 5 from 4-8 p.m. and consisted of many businesses and vendors offering pop-up experiences, discounts and giveaways to customers. Many stores extended their hours for the event. According to Morgan Johnson, executive director of Mount Airy Downtown, participants took part in hands-on activities, including bingo and free trolley rides that were provided by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce. “Other activities included a flower bar at Blue Bear Café, permanent jewelry and designer purse pop-ups at Remember When Antiques, ornament-making at House of Posh, red light therapy at Varsity Club Fitness, and a silent disco at Thirsty Souls,” she said, later adding, “These collaborations helped introduce customers to new businesses and gave local makers and entrepreneurs an opportunity to reach new audiences.” The event was formed by Mount Airy Downtown’s Promotions Committee, which is comprised of owners of businesses, other community members and volunteers. Johnson wrote that the committee aimed to increase participation with stores and businesses downtown and develop creative partnership by having a

The Mount Airy News

Vietnam vets reconnect after 54 years

Military members serving together during wartime become bosom buddies who help each other through the struggle, only to sometimes go their separate ways afterward to all corners of the country — maybe never seeing each other again. While that was the case with local resident Arlis Thomas and Louis Moraga of California for 54 years, they have managed to reconnect recently. The two last saw each other in 1972, Thomas recalled Wednesday before delivering an invocation for Mount Airy’s annual Veterans Day program at Blackmon Amphitheatre. He is now a Baptist preacher along with serving with the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard. Fast-forwarding to 2026, Moraga recently ran across an online article published by The Mount Airy News in 2021, which reported on a Memorial Day event then at which Thomas was the featured speaker. One thing led to another, including Moraga calling the newspaper, and Moraga subsequently was able to contact his old friend by telephone. “I came home from church on a Wednesday night and there was a message on my phone,” Thomas said of a recent encounter that led to him calling Moraga back. “We talked for an hour — I couldn’t believe it,” Thomas

The Mount Airy News

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 · 2d

The Mount Airy News

Veterans Day special for Pilot man

On the surface, Kendall and Jessica Yarboro of Pilot Mountain were attending Mount Airy’s annual Veterans Day parade as supportive parents. “Our son’s in the East Surry band,” Jessica explained regarding its participation in Wednesday’s procession along with other local high school groups. But the parade and Veterans Day itself had a deeper meaning for Kendall Yarboro, who saw it as a way to honor two family members who had fought in major U.S. conflicts. “My dad, he served in Vietnam,” said Yarboro, while his grandfather was in the midst of fierce fighting during World War II. Refuge in enemy foxhole The latter’s experience is especially compelling, with Coba Yarboro (pronounced Coby) seriously wounded during the Battle of Metz in November 1944. It occurred in the French city by that name, then part of Nazi Germany, where the U.S. Third Army was commanded by George Patton and eventually captured Metz. “He fell into a foxhole with a dead German soldier and played dead,” Kendall said of his grandfather’s efforts to elude capture by the enemy. The 82nd anniversary of Coba Yarboro, a Roxboro native, being wounded occurred this month, his grandson pointed out while awaiting Wednesday’s parade rolling through downtown

The Mount Airy News

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

The Mount Airy News

SCC alum finds success in business, community

SCC Alum Shares Journey from Front Desk to Vice President of Company DOBSON — With the foundation she built at Surry Community College, Lenise Lynch rose from an entry-level position to the top of her profession. Lynch was born in Queens, New York, and moved to Mount Airy when she was 10. “Mount Airy is home,” Lynch said recently. She attended North Surry High School, then attended Surry Community College from 2012 to 2013 where she got degrees in business administration and accounting. She was a bank teller for seven years at RBC. Lynch is now the vice president of operations for Sunhouse Development and Hospitality Group. “My career journey has been one of growth and opportunity,” Lynch said. She started in the hospitality industry at the front desk of the Hampton Inn, where she worked for two years before being promoted to general manager where she served for sixteen years. In 2024, Lynch was promoted to vice president of operations for the company that owns the Hampton Inn, Sunhouse Development and Hospitality Group. In total, she has been with the company for almost 20 years. “Starting at the front desk and working my way into an executive leadership position

takemetotn.com

This No-Frills North Carolina Seafood Shack Still Piles A Full Platter On Your Plate For Under $18

Some of the best meals in North Carolina come from places with paper menus, padded chairs, and a parking lot that fills up fast on a Friday night. In a small Forsyth County town just east of Winston-Salem, one such spot has built a loyal crowd by doing something that feels almost rare these days: serving big seafood platters at prices that do not sting.

Forsyth County, NC · 3d

The Mount Airy News

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 · 2d

appalachianhistorian.org

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 · 2d

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 · 2d

The Stokes News

Two County Fair winners recognized

STOKES COUNTY — Two exhibits went to the NC State Fair this year on behalf of Stokes County and both of them were recognized by the King American Legion Post 290 for their outstanding work. Lynn Shouse, King American Legion Auxiliary Post 290 Vice President presented both with checks Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Legion grounds in King. Shouse also worked tirelessly as the Assistant Fair Manager this year. A lighthouse replica of Bodie Island Lighthouse was submitted by Camden Whitman, 11-years-old. The recycled materials replica was made from wine cords, a battery night light, sand, plate, sour cream container, shipping tube, cardboard, ornamental light bulb and hot glue, and had a tin pan on top. It is painted black and white. Whiteman received 2026 Best of Show — Youth Item. The second exhibitor recognized by the Legion was Donald McQuinn, 81, who won 2026 Best of Show — Adult Item. McQuinn of Westfield, build the Red Man House. Quinn said it was something that he had been working on for 9 years, and that he used tobacco sticks to make it. He said that the house was appropriate for NC History. The Log Cabin styled house had many accessories

Stokes County, NC · 2d

WFXR

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VDOT opens lanes on Route 58 as part of $300M widening project

PATRICK COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) opened new lanes on Route 58 this month, marking a final step in a widening project officials say will better connect the Commonwealth. Stretching 500 miles, Route 58 is Virginia’s longest roadway and runs across the southern part of the state. It winds through […]

Patrick County, VA · 1d

caswell.news

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 · 2d

The Mount Airy News