Biscoe to Host Second Annual “Dash ‘n’ Splash” this Saturday

The Town of Biscoe will host is second annual “Dash ‘N’ Splash” 8K this Sat., May 25. The race starts at 9:00 a.m. at Deaton-Monroe Park, with an expanded route through a residential area.

There is also a one-mile Mayor’s Fun Run, set to start at 8:00 a.m. Registered runners will also be invited to cool off in the park pool after the race.

Town officials say that all veterans and active duty military can participate in the 8K free of charge with proper identification.

The day’s festivities will include music, corn hole, horseshoes and a vendors gallery. Event proceeds benefit the local Fraternal Order of Police.

More information is available from Biscoe Town Hall at 910-428-4112 or online at http://www.townofbiscoe.com.

NC Lawmakers Find Opposition to SBI Plan

North Carolina lawmakers are finding opposition to their plan to realign the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

Roy Cooper was first elected N.C. Attorney General in 2000, and was reelected to a fourth term in 2012. (NCDOJ photo)

Republican senators are proposing that the SBI be moved to the state’s Department of Public Safety, which already oversees the work of the State Highway Patrol, Emergency Management and Alcohol Law Enforcement. The Department of Public Safety is overseen by an appointee of the governor.

The State Bureau of Investigation is currently under the umbrella of the Department of Justice. The department is supervised by the state’s Attorney General, who is elected by state voters.

State Senator Harry Brown of Jacksonville told media he believes the SBI shouldn’t be controlled by the state’s top attorney, and he likened the situation to having a District Attorney overseeing a local sheriff’s office of police force.

But Attorney General Roy Cooper says keeping the SBI separate from the executive branch is important in part because of what he called “the fight against public corruption,” which sometimes includes investigations into state employees and officials. Governors Bev Perdue and Mike Easley have been the subjects of SBI investigations in the recent past.

While state senators seem determined to move the Bureau, Gov. Pat McCrory’s office indicated the governor has not been persuaded the move is necessary. The governor’s budget plan does not reflect the proposed move.

Montgomery County Schools Honors Teacher of the Year

Montgomery County Schools recently recognized a number of teachers and named its “Teacher of the Year”.

East Montgomery High School agriculture instructor Adam Garner was named the Montgomery County Schools Teacher of the Year, May 11, 2013. (MCS photo)

At a banquet Mon., May 11, the school system named East Montgomery High School agriculture teacher Adam Garner as the 2013-14 Teacher of the Year. Jennifer Hare, an English and social studies teacher at East Middle School, was selected as the runner-up.

Adam Garner is a graduate of North Carolina State University and has taught at East for the past eight years. Garner says his decision to teach was influenced by his own teachers.

“The main reason I became a teacher was because of a teacher,” stated Garner. “In high school, like many students, I was unsure of my travel that life’s road would take me down. My agriculture teacher helped me make my career decision without even knowing it.”

When asked about his philosophy of teaching, Garner responded, “My philosophy of teaching is very simple. I believe all students can succeed if given the chance. A student is a lot like a seed; a seed needs four main ingredients to grow and flourish – good soil, proper nutrients, sunlight and rain.  As teachers, we must provide something very similar to this recipe.”

Garner went on to explain how the soil is an “inviting classroom” – nutrients come in the form of the helpful learning nuggets that teachers offer to their students, sunshine comes in the form of praising students for their accomplishments, and rain is the constructive guidance that teachers can provide to students to help them develop and mature into productive members of society.

Montgomery Schools Superintendent Dr. Dale Ellis said, “Mr. Garner definitely makes a tremendous difference in the lives of many students. He uses the instruction in his classroom to provide students with meaningful learning experiences that they will remember for a lifetime. We are grateful to have him represent Montgomery County Schools as Teacher of the Year.”

Garner advances to the regional level as he competes for North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

Randolph County Toddler Accidentally Shoots Self

A Randolph County toddler is expected to recover after accidentally shooting himself Saturday.

According to reports from the Courier-Tribune, the 2-year-old found an unsecured handgun, put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The incident happened at the child’s home on Spring Valley Rd., just west of the Asheboro city limit.

The child’s mother, father and three older siblings were said to have been at home at the time of the shooting.

WSOC reports that the bullet’s path missed the boy’s spinal cord and major blood vessels, though he is in serious condition at Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem.

Channel 9 says investigators are considering criminal charges about the boy’s parents.

Commissioners Rebroadcast to Be Repeated

A computer programming error caused last night’s rebroadcast of the Mount Gilead Town Commissioners meeting to start 30 minutes late. We apologize, and we understand that some of you may have missed the program.

Because of the problem, we have scheduled an additional rebroadcast of the meeting tonight at 9.

The meeting was held last Tuesday night, and speakers in the public forum were former Mayor Jim Haithcock and local resident and former County Commissioner George Knight.

Ron Kincaid also spoke about the Town’s fuel purchases, which have been taking place out of town for the last while, a situation that has been generating some strong opinions.

Hundreds Participate in Relay for Life

Montgomery County’s Relay for Life was held Fri. night, May 17. Several hundred people came and went through the course of the event, which took place from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on the football field at West Montgomery High School.

Hundreds of people took part in the Montgomery County Relay for Life, Fri., May 17, 2013, at West Montgomery High School. (Johnny Almond photo)

Dozens of cancer survivors and caregivers took a lap early in the evening, and hundreds walked the field later for the “memory lap” after a reading of the names of cancer victims who were remembered by friends and family with the lighting of a luminary candle.

Entertainment included local gospel group Potter’s Will and rock and oldies band Loaded Dice, and West Montgomery dance students also performed. Area musician Joseph Maness closed the evening with a number of country songs just before 2:00 a.m.

At last count, 376 participants on 28 Relay for life teams had raised $41,601.31 this year, though that number is likely to revised upward after the final counts are in from Friday night’s event.

The money raised by Relay for Life helps support research and recovery programs provided through the American Cancer Society. Click here for more information from ACS.

Community Calendar, May 18, 2013

The Carolina Wrestling Showcase will be in the county tonight. George South and others are on the card, and proceeds benefit Mount Zion and Roper’s Grove AME Zion Churches. Doors open at 5:30 and bell time is 6:00 p.m. at the Montgomery County Ag Center on Glen Rd. in Troy.

Perfect Peace Quartet will sing tonight at the Cedar Plantation in Troy. The family-friendly event starts at 6:00 p.m., and the game room will be open, too, at the Cedar Plantation on N. Main St. in Troy.

Destination Bluegrass will be at the Mount Gilead Music Barn tonight. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Music Barn on N. Main St. in Mount Gilead.

Tomorrow, the Moore Philharmonic Orchestra will join Sophia Pavlenko and Paul Chandley for a program at Trinity United Methodist Church in Troy. The concert will being at 3:00 p.m., and admission is free.

The Alzheimer’s Support Group will meet this week. David Harper leads the group, and the meeting is set for Wed., May 22, at 2:00 p.m. at the Montgomery Senior Center on Page St. in Troy. More information at 910-572-4464.

The American Red Cross Blood Drive will be in county this week. The bloodmobile will be at the Lake Tillery Volunteer Fire Department Thu., May 23, from 3:00 to 7:30 p.m. Appointments are not necessary, but may be made by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

And the Mount Gilead Memorial Day Observance will be held next weekend. The program is sponsored by the local VFW and American Legion, and it will start Sat., May 25, at 11:00 a.m. at the veterans memorial beside the library on W. Allenton St. in Mount Gilead.

See details on these and other events, and add you own from the Community Calendar link on our home page at http://www.wmtg.org, or call us toll-free at 1-855-881-9684.

Montgomery County Relay for Life Tonight

The Montgomery County Relay for Life is set for tonight. It will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the football stadium at West Montgomery High School.

Relay for Life is an annual event that aims to bring the community together in support of cancer survivors and in remembrance of those who have been lost to the disease. Teams of volunteers work to raise money that benefits the work of the American Cancer Society.

Among the highlights of Relay for Life is the survivor walk, which will start at 6:30 p.m. Then at 9:30 p.m., the field lights will be turned off as hundreds of lights shine and names are read aloud to celebrate those affected or taken by cancer and to honor caregivers and others who have supported them on their journey. The lights are added for a small donation and can be reserved through 7:00 p.m. at a special booth at the Relay.

Entertainment through the evening will include gospel group Potter’s Will, singer Joseph Maness, and popular band Loaded Dice from Rockingham. High school groups and local dance teams will also perform.

The night will also include a tricycle relay and other games, and a variety of food will be available from a number of the fund raising teams.

The event will end with a closing ceremony at 2:00 a.m. Relay for Life organizers encourage the public to come and go and attend as much of the event as they’d like.

Former County Commissioner Talks About Need for Unity in Mount Gilead

Mount Gilead area resident George Knight is talking about the need for unity and for support of the town’s budget process.

Local resident George Knight addresses Mount Gilead Town Commissioners at their meeting on May 14, 2013. (Johnny Almond photo)

Knight spoke to Mount Gilead Town Commissioners at their regular meeting Tuesday night, and called on citizens to consider their actions with regard to town government. He offered specific advice to local churchgoers.

“I see a bunch of churches around here, and I see people coming and going on Sunday,” said Knight. “Sometimes I wonder what you’re going and coming for. Sunday, when you go to church, you might want to think about the old Heavenly Father up there is looking down on us.”

“We used to have a town here. We had our problems, yes, and we will continue to have our problems.”

Knight spoke generally about the municipal budget and said it is important that the town be careful about expense, but also that the budget is funded in a way that provides for the needs of citizens.

“Now, when you go to the poll, I suggest you try to get those people that’s going to take care of you,” Knight said. “When you hire your pastor, who do you hire? You hire somebody that you think is going to come in there and take care of you. As parents in your home, what do we do? We take care of our children. Somebody is taking care of somebody, and I can’t understand why we in this town can’t take of each other.”

“I’ve never seen this town split like this. It’s a dad-blame shame.”

George Knight’s full comments can be heard in a rebroadcast of the entire Mount Gilead Town Commissioners meeting. It airs again Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on Community Radio WMTG.

Dick Trickle, 1941-2013

There are reports this afternoon of the death of former NASCAR driver Dick Trickle.

Retired NASCAR driver Dick Trickle competed in 303 races and garnered 36 top-ten finishes. Trickle died May 16, 2013, in Lincoln Co., N.C. (legendsofnascar.com photo)

The Lincoln County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office has confirmed to CBS News that Trickle died today as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot.

During his 24-year NASCAR career, Trickle drove in 303 stock car races. He never took the checkered flag, but did finish in the top 10 on 36 occasions. Dick Trickle was 71 years old.