Team Battles Into Second Place MORGAN WALL Olina at Greensboro Which Required That STAFF REPORTER They Know 27 Books Forwards, Back- Wards and Inside Out
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Vol. 130, Issue 131 $.50 East Surry beats Mount Airy in the first round INDEX Obits ... page 3 Opinions ... page 4 Business ... page 5 Sports ... page 6 Scat’d T-storms page 6 Classifieds ... page 8 High Low Serving Surry County since 1880. 67 59 For subscriptions, call 786-4141. The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Printed on recycled newspaper Tuesday, May 11, 2010 Team battles into second place MORGAN WALL olina at Greensboro which required that STAFF REPORTER they know 27 books forwards, back- wards and inside out. They read the PILOT MOUNTAIN — Preparations books multiple times. They quizzed started the day the book list came out last each other. They took out other competi- spring and paid off Friday as Pilot Moun- tors in both the district and regional tain Middle School’s Battle of the Books competitions to advance. team placed second in the state competi- However, the state competition, which included nine teams, was a different ex- tion. SUBMITTED PHOTO The 12 team members practiced at perience, according to Rene Mosley, the least once a week all year for the com- team’s coach. Pilot Mountain Middle School’s Battle of the Books team placed second in the petition at the University of North Car- See TEAM, page 3 state on Friday. High-speed chase crosses into Virginia; suspect in custody MONDEE TILLEY STAFF REPORTER Two suspects are in custody after a Surry County Sheriff’s deputy witnessed what he thought was a drug deal in the Holly Springs area Monday afternoon. According to Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson, Deputy Larry Lowe was patrolling in the Ararat area of the county when he saw a suspicious vehicle. He fol- lowed the vehicle to the Holly Springs area where he witnessed an alleged drug transaction. Another deputy followed the Mitsubishi truck back to Ararat-Longhill Road where Scotty Douglas Spurlin, 46, of 141 Spurlin Lane, Lowgap, was stopped. Lowe continued to follow the 1991 Honda Accord to U.S. 601 where a chase was initiated in front of the Cook Out restaurant. The car was being driven by Ron- nie Nelson Poole, 38, of 127 Spurlin Lane, Lowgap. Poole continued westbound to Interstate 74 where speeds reached about 100 miles per hour. Poole contin- ued onto Interstate 77 North where he drove through the median several times, even traveling north in the south- See CHASE, page 2 TOM JOYCE/THE NEWS Mitch Freeman of Freeman Concrete Construction of Mount Airy uses heavy equipment Monday afternoon Wreck closes to remove old pavement from the Riverside Park basketball court, which soon will be the site of a city skateboard facility. highway, sends Work begins on city skateboard park TOM JOYCE As Haymore spoke Monday af- couple of months. STAFF REPORTER ternoon, heavy equipment manned “I’d like to try it out as soon as three to hospital by personnel of Freeman Concrete it’s built,” added the 72-year-old Construction of Mount Airy was commissioner, who isn’t shy about MONDEE TILLEY A moment some might have STAFF REPORTER tearing up pavement on the basket- trying to learn new activities, even thought would never be possible oc- in-line skating several years ago. curred Monday when work began on ball court at Riverside Park. The A two-car collision shut down U.S. 52 at the Worth a skateboarding park in Mount Airy. new skateboarding plaza is expected “I’m eager to try it out,” he said Street intersection for more than two hours Monday after- “It’s a relief — it feels good,” to open at that site in July. of skateboarding. noon after the traffic light pole was splintered almost in said Wes Haymore, one of the or- Haymore and several others who One of the motivations for the two. ganizers of an effort that has been have played a key role in the skate construction effort was establishing According to Senior Officer Ryan Bennett of the under way for more than two years facility’s development gathered at a locale for skateboarders to enjoy Mount Airy Police Department, a Chevy TrailBlazer being to provide a home for the city’s Riverside Park for Monday’s his- their sport in a safe venue apart from driven by Dolores Cumberland, 81, of Virginia, struck a skateboarders. toric start of construction, along public streets and sidewalks and pri- gray Toyota Corolla driven by Julia Mitchell, 52, of Elkin. “It’s exciting,” added Haymore, a with city commissioners Dean vate properties where the practice The passenger of the Toyota was pinned in the vehicle and member of the board of Skate Brown and Steve Yokeley. has caused damage and other prob- had to be extricated by members of the Mount Airy Res- Mount Airy Inc., a non-profit group “I think it’s great,” Brown said lems. cue Squad. that has held numerous fundraisers of the skateboard park that is A group of local parents led by See WRECK, page 2 to make the project a reality. scheduled to be completed in a See PARK, page 2 CENTRAL CONTINUING CARE CELEBRATES Veteran educator to speak at banquet TOM JOYCE STAFF REPORTER A man who graduated from J.J. Jones High School in Mount Airy more than 50 years ago is making a homecoming this weekend to speak at a Surry County NAACP event. Thomas J. “Buck” Rawley, who lives in Thomas J. “Buck” Delaware, will be the Rawley keynote speaker Saturday night for the 45th annual said of Rawley, who has Freedom Fund Banquet of worked in school systems the local branch of the Na- in several states as a tional Association for the teacher and administrator. ONDEE ILLEY HE EWS Saturday’s catered ban- M T /T N Advancement of Colored Residents and staff of Central Continuing Care release balloons into the air Monday afternoon for the kick-off quet begins at 6 p.m. in People. Central United Methodist of Nursing Home Week. Each balloon has a resident’s name and the address in the hopes that whoever finds it “He’s a world-renown will write to tell where the balloon was found. educator,” Faye Carter See SPEAK, page 3 2 Tuesday, May 11, 2010 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, N.C. www.mtairynews.com PAGE TWO City drive-through window to close ATV accident sends teen to hospital STAFF REPORT from their vehicles, will not be operating MONDEE TILLEY boy was hit by the truck, driving the 1987 Chevy today or Wednesday. STAFF REPORTER but did not sustain life- work truck which struck The drive-through window at the Customers still can enter the building threatening injuries. He the ATV. His vehicle sus- Mount Airy Municipal Building will be on South Main Street to make payments or PILOT MOUNTAIN — was not wearing a helmet tained damage mostly to closed two days this week because of re- handle other matters at an inside finance A 16-year-old boy was sent at the time of the crash. the front right corner. Sel- pairs, according to an announcement from window. to the hospital Monday af- Trooper Jimmy Selba ba said Crump tried to Interim City Manager Barbara Jones. City personnel also will accept pay- ternoon after he drove out with the North Carolina avoid the accident. This window, which connects to the fi- ments over the telephone using VISA or in front of a pick-up truck Highway Patrol said the Sands was knocked off nance division and allows city residents to MasterCard credit cards, or customers can on a four-wheeler near his accident happened shortly the four-wheeler upon im- pay various bills or handle other business mail them. home. after 5 p.m. at the intersec- pact and landed face down tion of Jessup Grove in the roadway. The ATV Jordan Sands of 360 Church Road and Cleo was fairly heavily dam- Jessup Grove Church Road Cain Road. aged on the left side, Selba was taken to Wake Forest “He has a head injury said. University Baptist Medical and it looks as if he’s going “He’s a very lucky Center in stable condition to be OK. He was riding young man,” said Shelton. with a head injury. through his yard and trying Members of the West- According to John Shel- to jump a bank. If he field Volunteer Fire De- ton, director of Surry would have had a helmet partment, Pilot Mountain County Emergency Ser- on, he would have proba- Rescue Squad and Surry vices, the teen was riding bly been able to walk EMS assisted on the scene. with friends when he went away,” said Selba. Contact Mondee Tilley up a four-foot embankment Jack Everett Crump of at and onto the road in front 656 Hills Presbyterian [email protected] of the truck. He said the Road, Pilot Mountain, was or at 719-1930. TOM JOYCE/THE NEWS On hand for Monday’s start of construction on a new skateboarding park on River- side Drive are, from left, Jake Long and Mitch Freeman of Freeman Concrete Con- struction; Wes Haymore and Kathy Bentley of the Skate Mount Airy Inc. group, which is spearheading the project; city commissioners Steve Yokeley and Dean Brown; and Hannah Shoemaker and Staci Hiatt, two other key organizers for the MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS effort. Julia Mitchell of Elkin and her passenger, who were in this Toyota Corolla, were rushed to the hospital following a two-car collision on U.S. 52 Monday afternoon. Bentley said Monday already for the facility, a to- the new park will accom- tal that includes two grants, John Shelton, director of the lights which had PARK: modate skateboarders of all one from the Tony Hawk Surry County Emergency dropped about three feet.