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The Yadkin Ripple
Dobson’s big night vaults Starmount over Buckin’ Elks
ELKIN — There was one glaring difference between the Starmount boys basketball team and Elkin during the Rams’ 58-40 win on Friday night — one team had Jordon Dobson and one did not. The Starmount junior used a big second half to help break open a one-point halftime advantage and turned it into its first Northwest 1A Conference win. Elkin, which dropped to 4-9 overall and 0-3 in the league,...
State, region experiencing high levels of respiratory illness
According to local health officials, the region is seeing an increased level of reported respiratory viruses including COVID, flu and RSV. “NC is currently one of 21 states that are reporting ‘very high’ levels of respiratory virus activity,’ said Mary F. Blackburn, Chief Clinical Officer for Hugh Chatham Health. “This is measured by emergency department and other outpatient visits and includes visits for fever, cough and sore throat. Typically this is a comprehensive measure of the prevalence of flu, COVID, and RSV in the community.” ...
2024 election season begins Friday
The 2024 primary election day is still months away, however, voters can begin casting their ballots as early as this Friday. Absentee by mail voting is slated to begin Friday, Jan. 19. The voter registration deadline for the 2024 primary is Feb. 9. One-stop voting, also known as early voting, will begin next month with dates slated for Feb. 15 through March 2. Election day is March 5. For the Yadkin County Board of Commissioners there are three seats up for election. Incumbents Kevin Austin...
ESPN VP speaks to local students
Chris LaPlaca, senior vice president for the ESPN network, spoke to Elkin High School students in a special presentation last Tuesday. LaPlaca is recently retired from his 43-year career with the 24-hour sports network. The Yadkin Valley Rotary Club was responsible for bringing LaPlaca to town, thanks to a college connection with Rotarian Jeff Yockel. Yadkin County high school seniors were slated to attend but inclement weather lead to school closure. LaPlaca said he was happy to be in Elkin as he, too, grew up...
Sex offenders charged for violations
Three registered sex offenders in Yadkin County were charged with additional violations after compliance checks that were made by the Yadkin County Sheriff's Office late last year. On Nov. 20 and 28, 2023, detectives with the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office and officers with NC DPS Community Corrections conducted compliance checks for subjects on probation and/or post release that are required to register as sexual offenders. As a result of these compliance checks several investigations were initiated after evidence was obtained of subjects found to be...
Two found dead in home on Friendly Rd.
Two individuals were found dead after authorities conducted a welfare check at a residence on Friendly Rd. According to the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office, a call was received on Jan. 11 requesting a welfare check at the home. Upon arrival deputies found signs of a fire within the structure and called for fire, emergency management, and utility resources. Additional personnel from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation responded and are assisting with the case. The names of the deceased have not yet been released. According to the Sheriff’s Office, this is an ongoing investigation and more details will be released as the investigation progresses.
Classes set for vineyard managers, specialty crop growers
DOBSON — Yadkin and Surry County Cooperative Extension are jointly presenting two winter horticulture workshops, one aimed at vineyard owners, managers and workers, with the second for specialty crop growers. The first, on Thursday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. — 12 p.m., will be an in-person Yadkin Valley Vinedressers workshop for vineyard owners, managers, workers, and others associated with the industry, to learn about disease identification and management. This training will be held at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Surry County Center, 915 E. Atkins St,...
20th anniversary of Oscar-winning movie filmed locally
This year our Yadkin County Oscar turns 20. Well, if we can claim the Oscar as our own for being filmed in Yadkin County and in nearby Winston Salem, that is. The film is Two Soldiers and it won an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in 2004. Based on a short story by William Faulkner, the movie opens in 1941 just before War World II is declared. The movie revolves around two brothers, Pete the older at 19 and Willie the younger at...
Hoops roundup: Falcon clip West Wilkes for 1st win
EAST BEND — The Forbush boys basketball team broke into the win column for the first time this winter with a 68-63 against West Wilkes on Friday night in the Foothills 2A Conference opener. In addition to winning its first game of the season, the victory also snapped a pair of lengthy losing skids, both overall (28 straight losses) and in league play (12 straight defeats), that dated back to last season. ...
Heavy rain, high winds cause school shutdown, no other major issues
Yadkin County Schools closed Tuesday due to the threat of high winds and heavy rain. In a statement Superintendent Dr. Todd Martin said buses traveling on the roadways in possible high gusting winds was the primary cause for concern. The school also operated on a two-hour delay on Wednesday morning due to flooding and low morning temperature. Ahead of Tuesday’s storm, Governor Roy Cooper declared State of Emergency. The Governor and NC Emergency Management officials at the state and local levels urged North Carolinians to...
Wrestling roundup: Cardinals, Rams, Falcons collect conference victories
DANBURY — The East Wilkes wrestling squad picked up six dual wins last week, and moved to 4-1 in Northwest 1A Conference action with an 84-0 win at North Stokes. The Cardinals, who improved to 30-3 overall, also defeated Calvary Day (84-0) and the North Carolina Leadership Academy (78-6) last Wednesday during the quad match. Against the Vikings, the Cardinals won all three of the contested bouts by pins from...
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum announced as host of 2024 NCHSAA Basketball Championships
CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina High School Athletic Association is set to return to Winston-Salem for the 2023-24 men’s and women’s basketball championships on March 11-16. For the first time ever, the NCHSAA basketball championships will be contested in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. The LJVM Coliseum Complex has been host to multiple Western Regional Championships, most recently in 2018, but has never hosted a basketball state final. “We are thrilled to be hosting the NCHSAA Basketball Championship in this exciting new format,” said Brandon Berry, General Manager of ASM Global, which operates the Coliseum for Wake...
New Clinical Medical Assistant Program at Yadkin Center
Surry Community College is offering a new program called Clinical Medical Assistant, February 5 through June 25, at The Yadkin Center in Yadkinville. This course prepares students for a broad range of skills that make medical assistants versatile and valuable to any healthcare team. Students will learn skills to perform duties in both clinic and doctor office settings. Topics covered include principles of allied health; anatomy and physiology; medical terminology;...
Yadkin County historians publish calendar featuring local architecture
During the past year, Bambi Jeanne Bond, an historical society board member, suggested that the Historical Society honor Bungalow-style houses in Yadkin County in order to encourage their preservation. She suggested a 2024 calendar featuring these styles of houses, which are located in nearly every community of Yadkin County. Bond is a professional photographer and a student of American architecture. After its first study of Yadkin County architecture in the 1980s, the Society identified only two good examples of this house: the 1922 Frank E....
Body found near Jonesville restaurant believed to have been suicide
According to Jonesville Police, the body of a Virginia man was found Saturday night in an alley beside Roma’s Italian Restaurant. Authorities said employees discovered the man lying in the parking area/alley around 10 p.m. while outside emptying the trash. The initial call to 911 indicated possible cardiac arrest, however when officers arrived on the scene they discovered the man “lying in a pool of blood with a revolver partially under his body.” The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS and medical examiner. According to police, an investigation revealed that the deceased died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The investigation is ongoing but authorities have said they do not believe there is any threat to the public. The victim has been identified as Tyriek Lebois Kello, age 36, of Hopewell, Virginia. Kello was in Jonesville staying with friends while on a work detail, authorities said.
Soup for the soul, and the waistline
It’s been two centuries since Beethoven said “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.” And he wasn’t the first to be beguiled by soup. More than a century before Beethoven, Moliere said “I live on good soup, not on fine words.” Which is high praise if you consider Moliere had some fine words. No other food seems to span the economic divide quite like soup. From the most modest of homes to the grandest, soup can be found simmering on the stove....
Lady Elks Fall to the Cardinals of East Wilkes in an intense battle
ELKIN — Long-time rivals, Elkin and East Wilkes High Schools, separated by only 4.6 miles, came together in NH Carpenter gymnasium on Friday evening for an intense match up that did not disappoint. The two teams battled hard for four quarters in the packed-out gym. East Wilkes, led by senior center Kiersten Johnson, outlasted the Elks and took the win with the score of 34-22. Both teams hit the floor running and came out of the gate playing aggressive defense. The Cardinals jumped out to...
Balanced attack boosts Cardinals past Elkin
ELKIN — East Wilkes was dialed in from long distance early in Friday night’s game. And the final result was a convincing 81-44 win against rival Elkin in boy’s basketball action inside N.H. Carpenter Gymnasium. The victory was the Cardinals’ third in the last four games and moved them above .500 overall at 6-5 and an even 1-1 in Northwest 1A Conference play. ...
Hatley signs for softball at Lees-McRae
East Wilkes’ Abby Hatley recently signed a letter of intent to play softball for Lees-McRae College. As a junior, Hatley became a two-time North Carolina Softball Coaches Association 1A all-state selection; she was also named the NCSCA All-District 7 1A Co-Player of the Year. Last spring, Hatley batted a team-best .544 with 37 hits and 13 runs batted in. As the Lady Cardinals lead-off hitter, the shortstop also swiped 24 bases and had a .642 on-base percentage.
Local athletes named all-state, all-region
Local athletes from the Yadkin Valley-area were recently announced by their respective state coaches association as all-state or all-region performers for the Fall 2023 season. In girl’s tennis, pair of East Wilkes underclassmen was named to the North Carolina High School Tennis Association all-state team. Sophomore Ava Darnell and freshman Emerson Simmons capped off a successful fall with nods to the NCHSTCA 1A all-state team. ...
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Established in 1892, The Yadkin Ripple is based in Yadkinville, North Carolina, and serves surrounding areas.
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