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Politics
Wilkes County opens emergency shelter, invites people from surrounding counties
WILKES COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Wilkes County is stepping up after Hurricane Helene tore through the western part of North Carolina. A shelter has been set up at West Wilkes Middle School at 1677 N. NC-16 in Wilkesboro. Officials there opened the shelter on Sunday, offering a place to rest, enjoy a hot meal and […]
Early voting starts soon in Surry
DOBSON — Early voting already has started in states including Virginia, but Surry Countians soon will get their chance to follow suit. Three locations in the county are slated to host early voting from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2, which is the Saturday before the general election on Nov. 5. These include the Surry County Government Resources Center at 1218 State St. in Mount Airy; the Surry Board of Elections...
Many schools cancelled; some will offer food, showers to residents
Hundreds of homes in Surry County remain in the dark Sunday evening following Hurricane Helene's visit last week. According to ReadyNC.gov there were 2,546 residents of Surry County still in the dark as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening. In response to some residents being without power or having difficulty getting around, most local schools are closed Monday, Sept. 30 with the exception of Elkin City Schools. Surry County Schools will...
Yadkinville native serves aboard future Navy warship
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Belza, a native of Yadkinville, North Carolina, serves aboard Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) John F. Kennedy, an aircraft carrier currently under construction in Newport News, Virginia. PCU is a designation used by the U.S. Navy to describe crews aboard vessels under construction prior to official commissioning. Belza attended Forbush High School and graduated in 2020. ...
Mayberry parade provides respite from storm
If ever folks needed an escape from reality, it was this past weekend in storm-battered Mount Airy — where the notion of retreating to the earlier, simpler time of Mayberry proved more than a tourism promotional pitch. As makeshift signs posted outside downtown businesses communicated a common refrain of “Closed — no power,” people sat in lawn chairs just feet away Saturday to enjoy a pleasant diversion: a parade of sights and characters associated with “The Andy Griffith Show.” ...
Four candidates on ballot in Yadkin commissioner race
In Yadkin County there will be four candidates on the ballot vying for three seats on the Yadkin County Board of Commissioners. Candidates running for election are incumbent David Moxley, as well as Ricky Oliver and Tim Parks, all on the Republican ticket; and unaffiliated candidate Marty Driver. Each of the four candidates responded to questions from The Yadkin Ripple on why they are seeking election to the county board. Their responses are published below in their entirety. ...
Hundreds still without power locally
Hurricane Helene made her presence felt as she passed through North Carolina and dumped months’ worth of rain across the region. In anticipation of the storm, schools had closed on Friday which alleviated one major headache that would have hampered emergency responses or worse, created more by having school busses on the road. By Friday evening, many locales were seeing the sun but the storms impact on a normal Friday, to say nothing of Mayberry Days, was already complete. ...
Sales tax referendum to be on ballot in Yadkin
Fourth time’s the charm? Leaders in Yadkin County are hoping that is the case for a sales tax referendum on the ballot this fall. The measure which is a quarter center sales tax has been on the ballot three times before, most recently in 2020, and it failed each time. Each of the four candidates running for Yadkin County Commissioner said during a forum that they were in favor of this tax which would help spread out the tax burden on more than just property...
Elkin school board candidates QA
For the Elkin Board of Education election there are two official candidates on the ballot this fall as well as one person campaigning as a write-in. For the city district seat on the school board, incumbent Dr. Richard Brinegar is running for reelection on the Republican ticket. A write-in slot will also appear on the ballot this election for the city district seat and candidate WT Stille IV is campaigning...
Elections office testing systems in run-up to Nov. 5
The North Carolina State Board of Elections said that for election officials across the state, planning for each election starts months — and in many cases, years — before Election Day. Routine preparations include registering voters, identifying and procuring polling places and early voting sites, training poll workers and precinct officials, and preparing and testing voting equipment. Those preparations include the pre-election testing of voting equipment. Board officials said that testing combined with a series of audits conducted after the election, helps ensure that voting...
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