Police Probing Theft at Solar Farm
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A1 Vol. 131, Issue 274 .50 Bears maul Vikings Page 6 INDEX Obits ... page 3 Opinions ... page 4 Business ... page 5 Sports ... page 6 Classifieds ... page 7 Partly Cloudy Serving Surry County since 1880. High Low Forsubscriptions, call 786-4141. 56 43 The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Printed on recycled newspaper Saturday, October 1, 2011 Police probing theft at solar farm Tom Joyce Olsen, managing director of under investigation by the After months of annexa- water Treatment Road for the facility online as planned. STaff ReporteR O2Energies, a firm based Criminal Investigation Divi- tion and other approvals development. A ribbon cutting is sched- in the Charlotte area which sion,” Quesinberry said Fri- from Mount Airy officials, The rows of solar panels uled on Oct. 10. “We’ll have launched the solar farm in day of police efforts to solve work began earlier this year now at the facility will pro- 150 dignitaries from across Mount Airy police are Mount Airy. the case. “The investigation on the solar farm. It will be a duce enough electricity to the state,” Olsen said. investigating a crime at the The theft was discovered is definitely ongoing.” type of facility to which few supply hundreds of homes In addition to supplying city’s new solar farm which Tuesday morning at the facil- O2Energies announced communities can lay claim, per year, with the extra ener- a form of “green” energy, resulted in a property loss ity located at 318 Wastewa- plans last year to build the officials have said. gy to be available at a time of the solar farm is expected to and damage estimated at ter Treatment Road, which is solar farm on city-owned The project, represent- day when usage is at its peak. aid economic development $20,000. known as Strata Solar. property in the vicinity of ing a $5 million to $6 mil- Olsen added Friday that locally and serve as an edu- However, the developer Electrical wires and un- its waste-treatment plant at lion venture, originally was although this week’s crime cational resource for solar of the facility said Friday derground connections were the south end of town. The expected to encompass a has presented a stumbling technology. that he still plans to open it stolen from solar panels, project is resulting from a six-acre tract of city property block to the solar farm’s “It will put a very good on schedule in less than two which also caused dam- mandate that major electri- that O2Energies is leasing. completion, some “lee- spotlight on Mount Airy,” weeks. age, according to Sgt. Brad cal companies such as Duke Its scope later was expanded, way” was built into the Olsen said. “It’ll be a little bit of a set- Quesinberry, a Mount Airy Energy supply a certain per- which led to officials voting construction timetable to Contact Tom Joyce back, but I hope to still be on- Police Department detective. centage of their power from earlier this year to annex an- allow for any such contin- at 719-1924 or tjoyce@ line on (Oct. 10),” said Joel “At this time, the case is renewable sources. other 32 acres at on Waste- gencies and still have the mtairynews.com. Rees awarded highest honor at PNC conference mondee Tilley STaff RepoRTeR It was the best kept se- cret at the annual Preserva- tion North Carolina confer- ence this year — that a local businessman who is known for his work in historic res- toration, Gees Rees, was awarded the PNC’s highest honor, the L. Vincent Lowe Jr. Business Award. Myrick Howard, presi- dent of the PNC, was the master of ceremonies for the awards ceremony on Friday at the Earle Theatre. Mondee Tilley/The neWs Eddie Belk, left, poses with Gene Rees, center, and “It is our honor to award Gene Rees of Mount Airy Rodney Slate after Rees was awarded the L. Vincent with the 2011 L. Vincent Lowe Jr. Business Award during the Preservation North Lowe Jr. Business Award. Carolina annual conference award’s ceremony at the Gene has repeatedly shown Earle Theatre Friday morning. See REES, page 2 Morgan Wall/The neWs Rotarians reading to students Copeland Elementary School students enjoy field day games on the ball field moRgan Wall behind the school as part of Friday’s health and nutrition day. STaff RepoRTeR Flat Rock Elementary Copeland promoting School’s kindergarten stu- dents received a special treat on Friday, one that will con- health and wellness tinue three other times dur- ing the year. moRgan Wall Center and the Surry County Coopera- During two different STaff RepoRTeR tive Extension to encourage students to be sessions, members of the healthy and active. Mount Airy Rotary Inter- “We’re continuing with our healthy national Club visited the DOBSON — Copeland Elementary active kids initiative with getting the stu- school to read to kinder- School is continuing its tradition of pro- dents to understand the importance of get- garten students. The effort moting student health and wellness this ting active every day and making wiser is part of the Rotary’s liter- year with scheduled healthy activity days. food choices,” said Copeland Principal On Friday, students participated in the acy project and encourages Sharia Templeton. “Our School Health members to get involved first field day-like event as they rotated Advisory Committee chairs put a lot into through stations focusing on physical fit- it this year with making sure to reach out by volunteering in the ness as well as health and nutrition. The to local business partners.” schools, specifically at Flat school engaged community partners such Rock and B.H. Tharrington as the Surry County Health and Nutrition See HEALTH, page 10 Primary School. The local Rotary Club has purchased books for each student so they will be able to take Morgan Wall/The neWs them home at the end of Macon Sammons reads to Tucker Childress, a kinder- each reading session. Fri- garten student at Flat Rock Elementary School, Friday See STUDENTS, page 3 morning. Hutson named queen Morgan Wall/The neWs Demi Hutson is named Mount Airy’s homecoming queen during half- Beachball volleyball is just one of the many activities set up for students at Co- time of Friday’s win over North Stokes. Presenting the crown is Meg peland Elementary School on Friday. Pruett, the 2010 queen. A2 2 Saturday, October 1, 2011 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, N.C. www.mtairynews.com anchors in the district for Committee for Picot-Ar- over 50 years.” mistead-Pettiford house. Howard went on to say The Stedman Incentive REES: that Rees also has success- Grant assists a non-profit Continued from page 1 fully used tax credits for organization in the rescue two more renovation proj- of an endangered histori- ects in the downtown area, cally and architecturally a vision and creativity in his the Smith building on the significant property. Initi- use of the rehabilitation tax corner of Main and Oak ated in 1975 by the late credits to revive small-town streets and the row of build- Marion Stedman Covington historic industrial and com- ings on Market Street. of Greensboro in memory mercial properties,” said “The name Gene Rees is of her father, this $10,000 Howard. synonymous with the high- grant is now funded annu- He said Rees was the est standards of excellence ally by the Marion S. Cov- first developer in North in historic preservation, ington Foundation. Carolina to apply the feder- and his signature work is Selina Boyles of Tus- al and state tax credits in a a mark of excellence not keegee, Ala., and Willie pass-through structure that only in Mount Airy and Drye accepted the Stedman allowed the buyer of the North Wilkesboro, but Incentive Grant. property to benefit from tax throughout North Carolina. The Robert E. Stipe Pro- credits on historic proper- Through his guidance and fessional Award was pre- ties that had been rehabili- encouragement, additional sented to Ted Alexander for tated. historic projects have been his contribution to historic “He successfully sold completed in Statesville preservation in North Car- out both the Renfro Lofts and Charlotte. Gene Rees olina that is rooted in the in Mount Airy and the Key is most deserving of the foothills, not far from his 2011 Lowe award for his hometown of Morganton. City Condominiums in Mondee Tilley/The news North Wilkesboro by the vision, inspiration to others The Stipe award is North completion of construction, and commitment to historic Carolina’s highest award Visitors to the Preservation North Carolina annual conference enjoyed a boxed creating residential condo- preservation,” said How- presented to working pro- lunch consisting of sandwiches, potato salad and cookies from Roselli’s Bakery. minium developments that ard. fessionals who demonstrate are predominately owner- As Rees accepted the an outstanding commitment award, he welcomed the to historic preservation as nearly $2.9 million to sup- During lunch, Emily Activities for the PNC occupied. Each of these port preservation projects Henson from Canton said conference continued large mill conversions is crowd to Mount Airy. part of their job responsi- “We are real proud of bilities. in North Carolina. this is her fourth time at- through the day Friday, stunning and the combined Following the awards tending a PNC conference, and although the confer- tax base on these properties our little town as I’m sure The Ruth Coltrane Can- you are proud of all your non Award was given to the ceremony, those partici- and so far, Mount Airy has totals over $14 million,” pating in the PNC confer- impressed her the most.