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Eagles set to Vol. 130, Issue 112 $.50 honor survivors INDEX Obits ... page 3A Opinions ... page 4A Business ... page 5A Sports ... page 1B Partly Cloudy High Low page 1B Serving Surry County since 1880. 72 50 For subscriptions, call 786-4141. The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Printed on recycled newspaper Thursday, April 22, 2010 Fire departments make budget requests MEGHANN EVANS Thompson said the com- ate very carefully. projects. Bannertown VFD re- fire tax rate is at 5.5 cents, and ably needed an increase a few STAFF REPORTER missioners are dedicated to “We don’t want to (raise quested a 1.5-cent increase, Skull Camp VFD has a tax years ago.” not increasing the county tax fire district taxes) unless it’s Skull Camp VFD a 1-cent in- rate of 8 cents. Four Way He said the department has DOBSON — Several local rate. He said it would be a dif- an absolute have to,” Johnson crease and Westfield a 1.5- VFD’s rate is 7.5 cents, while been putting off purchasing fire departments met with a ficult decision for them, de- remarked. cent increase. Franklin’s is 5.6 cents. additional equipment, which subcommittee of the Surry ciding whether to keep fire Of the nine departments For the 2009-10 fiscal year, Johnson said, “We’re is needed to help lower its ISO County Board of Commis- district tax rates the same or that attended the meeting, four the county’s fire district taxes working to keep it down, and I rating which is used to calcu- sioners on Tuesday night to not. did not request an increase. ranged from 4 cents on $100 think we can do that.” late fire insurance premiums make what one official de- Board Chairman Paul These were White Plains Vol- in Pilot Knob VFD district, In recent years, Johnson for homeowners in the com- scribed as “modest” budget Johnson was at the meeting, unteer Fire Department, South which also receives funding and Thompson said there have munity. requests. and he said, “More than likely Surry VFD, Mountain Park from Stokes County, to 10 been few increases to fire dis- “The balloon keeps getting County Manager Dennis there will be very little in- VFD and Pilot Knob VFD. cents on $100 in Jot-Um- trict tax rates in the county. bigger and bigger on things, Thompson said, “They were creases if any this year.” Four Way VFD and Franklin Down VFD district. Jeff Inman, chief of West- and you can’t keep putting it very modest, but still that He added, though, that sev- VFD may need increases but Westfield VFD, which also field VFD, said his depart- off,” Inman remarked. “We doesn’t mean the commission- eral departments have special were not sure yet of the final receives funding from Stokes, ment probably hasn’t had a need the increase to be able to ers as a whole will approve circumstances that the com- amounts needed due to uncer- has a fire tax rate in Surry of tax rate increase in many offer the same level of servic- them.” missioners will have to evalu- tain figures with some of their 4.7 cents. Bannertown VFD’s years. He said, “And we prob- See FIRE, page 2A Perkins tapped at annual award gathering MONDEE TILLEY board, read off the accom- STAFF REPORTER plishments of this year’s win- ner. But when Needham said This year’s Administrative the winner had been married Professional of the Year, for 53 years, she suddenly re- Shirley Perkins, was practical- alized that she might just been ly speechless after her name talking about her. was announced as the winner “Those who know me, find of the honor at Wednesday’s it hard to believe I was almost Greater Mount Airy Chamber speechless. I appreciate very of Commerce Administrative much being selected as Ad- Professional Day Luncheon. ministrative Professional of Perkins said she wasn’t the Year. It has been wonder- even paying that close of at- ful working with the group at tention as Britta Needham, Haynes Strand and Company. chairman of the chamber See PERKINS, page 6A MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS Flat Rock Elementary School student council members and ambassadors raised enough money to send a veteran on the Triad Flight of Honor. FLAT ROCK STUDENTS SENDING VET TO D.C. MORGAN WALL “Part of student council is raising Once students made the decision to STAFF REPORTER awareness of community service. Each try to sponsor a veteran, they set to work year they vote on what they would like campaigning around the school to help Each year, the Flat Rock Elementary to do,” said Sue Johnson, health and raise awareness for the cause. It was up School student council takes on a com- physical education teacher. “In Septem- to the students to explain about the Tri- munity service project for the school ber, myself and Ms. (Lynda) Taylor told ad Flight of Honor to their peers. MONDEE TILLEY/THE NEWS “I told them we needed money for Shirley Perkins, right, said she couldn’t believe she was named year. the children what the Flight of Honor This year, the council members was. We listened to all the ideas and the person that would go to Washington. the 2010 Administrative Professional of the Year as chamber chose to try to raise the funds to sponsor there was a unanimous vote to send a I said instead of spending money on official Britta Needham prepares to hand her the award. a veteran on the Triad Flight of Honor. veteran.” See VET, page 6A Battle of the AirCare helicopter to Books team be stationed in Elkin clinches MEGHANN EVANS STAFF REPORTER regional title DOBSON — If all goes according to plan, the county will MORGAN WALL soon have an AirCare Critical Care helicopter stationed in Elkin. STAFF REPORTER On Monday night, the Surry County Board of Commissioners approved Surry County Emergency Services to enter into a con- PILOT MOUNTAIN — Pi- tract with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to base lot Mountain Middle School’s a helicopter at Elkin Airport. The contract is still in the works, Battle of the Books team is and it will need to be approved by the county attorney. state competition bound after “We think this is going to be a very positive move for the success recently. county,” said John Shelton, Surry County Emergency Services The team won the regional director. competition, which consisted The AirCare helicopters allow patients with critical injuries to of 16 teams, this past weekend be transported to Baptist, giving faster transport than by ground. to advance to the state compe- One to two patients could be transported at a time. tition along with eight other “If you’re having a heart attack or a stroke, those 15 minutes teams. Pilot Mountain Mid- could be life saving,” said James Bryant, emergency services di- dle’s team advanced to the re- rector for WFUBMC. gional competition by winning the countywide competition Shelton explained that Baptist had approached the county earlier this year. Even with the about basing a helicopter in Elkin. The county’s contract with benefit of having a county Baptist will include hiring four Surry County paramedics, with competition under its belts, the Baptist funding all salaries, benefits, insurance, uniforms, train- team felt the regional competi- ing, medical director oversight and administrative costs. The tion was a different experi- county will invoice Baptist monthly to receive payment to cover ence. these costs. “It was a lot harder,” said MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS Bryant said stationing a helicopter in Elkin would open the Emily Chilton. “We only did Pilot Mountain Middle School’s Battle of the Books team won the regional title recently to center to a greater area. See TEAM, page 3A advance to the state competition in May. See ELKIN, page 8A 2A Thursday, April 22, 2010 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, NC www.mtairynews.com PAGE TWO Trial date unclear in mass-murder case TOM JOYCE held in the Surry County Jail endar for that two-week ry after the fact of the shoot- amount on Dec. 9, a jail parking lot of Wood’s TV on a STAFF REPORTER without privilege of bond on term, she said. ings. spokeswoman said Wednes- Sunday afternoon, with a four counts of first-degree In all, four people have Warrants against Atkins ac- day. number of witnesses present. murder. tually were issued last Nov. Two other people also were No official motive has been DOBSON — Nearly six been charged in connection “Right now, we do not with the fatal shootings out- 10, nine days after the four charged with four felony released for the killings, but months after an illegal immi- deaths; however, his involve- unconfirmed reports have in- have a date set for it,” a side Wood’s TV on Worth counts of accessory after the grant allegedly gunned down ment in the case has come to dicated that the incident spokeswoman at the Surry Street last Nov. 1, including a fact, Gregory Brandon Holt, four people in Mount Airy, it County District Attorney’s light only recently after that 35, and his mother, Kathy Lee stemmed from a love affair man whose arrest as an al- remains unclear as to when a Office said Wednesday re- was made known through an Barnett-Young, 57, both of gone bad. trial will be held in the mass- garding the trial of Gonza- leged accessory has only re- anonymous call to The Mount Claudville, Va.