ready or not, it’s Bill Clinton time

Time for some historical perspective on Bill Clinton’s Tuesday visit to Surry County. No one I’ve come across can recall a time when a president or former president set foot in this area. Perhaps generations ago?
If not, when was the last time a visitor of comparable stature not named Andy set foot in the area. [...]

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Mayberry’s governor

Torn on who to vote for in the Democratic primary for governor? Andy Griffith has some words for you. Mount Airy’s most famous son just came out with an ad supporting Bev Perdue over Richard Moore, much the way he supported Mike Easley in the 2004 race. Just like their presidential counterparts, the Democratic governor [...]

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Incentives for poultry waste

It’s been more than two years now since Fibrowatt, the oft-discussed power company that generates electricity from poultry waste, teased reporters and residents of Surry and Wilkes counties with talk of opening a local plant in the “near future.” We’re still waiting. But Sampson County isn’t. That’s the site announced last week for the first [...]

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Where our water rates stack up

The numbers are coming in on Mount Airy’s water and sewer fund, and once again they don’t add up. Though we’re not looking at another 45 percent increase, a hike of 5 to 10 percent is likely for the fund to break even. For some perspective on how this compares with other municipalities, the state [...]

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Bitterness in government

So called “controversies” emerge every week in the never-ending battle for the Democratic Presidential nomination. But this weekend’s flap carries special resonance since it revolves around the plight of so many of our neighbors. During a California campaign event, Barack Obama called small town workers “bitter” and “frustrated” about their economic plight. Almost every media [...]

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The dreaded Z word

With a new planning director having just arrived, and one with pretty extensive experience for a county of Surry’s size, I’d expect we’ll see active efforts to shape development to meet he goals of the county’s land use plan. It’s hard to argue with recommendations in such planning documents to preserve the area’s scenic beauty and [...]

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What’s a good teacher worth?

The most recent budget request from the Mount Airy school system is asking for more local funds, and part of the reason is having to pay for a 10 percent salary increase Gov. Mike Easley is expected to include in his budget proposal. Most teacher positions are funded by the state, but districts typically supplement [...]

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The races too often overlooked

We’re now about one week away from the deadline to register for the May primaries, and across the state March was a busy month for elections officials signing up new people to vote. During the most recent four-week period, there were 39,324 new registrations, of which 224 were from Surry County (weekly totals can be found here). I’m [...]

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