Wadesboro Police hunt murder suspect across county lines https://ansonrecord.com/news/37951/wadesboro-police-hunt-murder-suspect-across-county-lines 2024-03-08T03:48:00Z Lauren Monica Anson Record

WADESBORO — On Wednesday, March 6, at 12:50 a.m., the Wadesboro Police Department responded to a call at the Oak Hill Apartment Complex.

Upon arriving at the complex, officers discovered a single victim suffering from numerous gunshot wounds.

Officers identified the victim as 30-year-old Jamarcus D. Sellers of Rockingham. Sellers was taken to Atrium Health Anson where he succumbed to his injuries.

Working quickly, the Wadesboro Police Department, in conjunction with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, determined there to be one suspect in the case, 26-year-old Dewon Rayquan Hailey of Wadesboro.

Within hours of this determination, warrants were obtained for the arrest of Hailey, now charged with First Degree Murder.

Despite a relentless search, officers are unable to locate Hailey at this time. Law enforcement suspects Hailey may be in the Union County area. As he is a fugitive from justice wanted for murder, Wadesboro Police Department ask the public to report any sightings of Hailey or have information regarding this case, please call 911 or the Wadesboro Police Department Tip Line at (704) 694-2160.

In a released statement, Chief Chewning thanked the men and women of the Wadesboro Police Department, Anson County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe Police Department, and the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections Division of Community Supervision.

“I would like to send my personal and our department’s most sincere condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Sellers. It saddens me to see such a young vibrant life taken in a senseless act of violence.”

Chewning went on to assure citizens, “The Wadesboro Police Department will not condone criminal behavior and will work tirelessly to make Wadesboro a better and safer place.”

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Commissioners collide on Trillium Board vote https://ansonrecord.com/news/37949/commissioners-collide-on-trillium-board-vote 2024-03-08T11:50:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer
Little-Reid Courtesy photo

WADESBORO – At the commissioner meeting on Feb. 20, commissioners were charged with voting on two new members to be inducted into the Trillium Regional Anson Advisory Board.

According to officials, Trillium provides specialty care for residents suffering with serious substance abuse issues, mental illness and intellectual or developmental disabilities. Trillium Regional Advisory boards include one County Commissioner from the county they are operating in, as well as one other candidate, meeting Trillium’s outlined criteria, to be appointed by the Board of Commissioners.

A unanimous vote was made by commissioners to select fellow Commissioner Priscilla Little-Reid to the Trillium Health Resources board following a motion made by Jarvis Woodburn and seconded by Lawrence Gatewood.

“Next we have two candidates listed and we need the appointment of one of these candidates to serve along with Commissioner Little-Reid on this board,” said Chairman Jamie Caudle.

Answering the call, Gatewood made a motion to select one of the candidates, Kishia Dunlap to the position.

“Mr. Chairman, I would like a discussion before we appoint Ms. Dunlap,” interjected Little-Reid. “Because a lot of the commissioners are not aware, including yourself and Mr. Bricken, I don’t think y’all really know Kishia or Sherika [Staton], for the simple fact that she just came to the board meeting. I want to give y’all a little more detail on what they are expecting because we had a meeting with Mr. David Peterson and Anthony Ward (Representative of the Trillium board), the County Manager and myself. Mr. Mims, he was invited, but he didn’t show up.”

Little-Reid stated, “I want everybody to have a paper on what the criteria and that statute is so that way you (Caudle) and Commissioner Bricken can get a little bit more details about the two that is running instead of we just nominating somebody.”

“Normally this is not how we do it, we just have one person and go on, but this particular time we have two,” she said.

Outlined in the paperwork Little-Reid provided the commissioners with was a detailed synopsis of the criteria requirements for serving on the board. According to general statute 122C-118.1, potential candidates must have social service expertise and experience in the field of mental health, intellectual or other developmental disabilities or substance abuse services.

Stating a desire for commissioners to have a detailed picture of the criteria required for the position and of the candidates in the running, Little-Reid went on to read to commissioners the bio provided by Staton: A representative for the Sandhills Board of Directors, Staton has 18 years experience serving in the field of mental health, participating in a psychosocial rehabilitation program for Sandhills Mental Health. She has a degree in criminal justice focusing on victimization, and is the chair for the Juvenile Crime Prevention council. A former employee of the Anson County Department of Social Services, Staton has five years of experience with the Child Protection Service Department.

After stating her recommendation that the board consider Staton for the position, Little-Reid added, “Before you vote, everybody needs to look at what the criteria is and listen to what is being said and not just vote because you were asked to vote for somebody else.”

Wrestling back control of the meeting, Caudle requested the board proceed with voting on the motion previously made by Gatewood and seconded by Robert Mims to appoint Dunlap to the position — unless commissioners had a need for any further discussion on the matter.

“I have some discussion,” Little-Reid interjected. “Commissioner Mims, that is his sister-in-law, so is that not a conflict of interest?”

“No, it is not,” confirmed County Attorney Scott Forbes after Caudle directed Little-Reid’s question to him regarding the legality of the vote.

With legality determined, Commissioners Caudle, Bricken, Gatewood and Mims voted in favor of appointing Dunlap to the board, with Commissioners Little-Reid and Woodburn casting the only dissenting votes.

Commissioner Harold Smith, who has not been present for eight out of 10 meetings, was again not present to vote and again did not designate someone to vote in his stead.

Signaling the discussion did not end with the vote, Little-Reid then inquired, “I would like to say that this has never happened before because we never had two people to take the motion. When I talked to several of you, and I am not going to call your names because I don’t want to put you out there, but you said you didn’t really know her and you were going to look to see what the other Commissioner, Commissioner Mims said. I am not going to call your name but if you don’t know somebody and then you haven’t researched the person, how can you vote for them?”

Eliciting laughter from the crowd, Little-Reid continued, saying, “I am just asking a question. I am not pertaining it to no one person, you know how you voted, and you know whether or not you knew the person that you voted for.”

Meeting the stare of his fellow commissioner, Caudle asked, “Are you expecting a response… I don’t know who you are addressing.”

“Do you know Kishia?” demanded Little-Reid.

Appearing surprised by his colleagues’ request for a defense of how he cast his vote, Caudle answered, “I do not know Ms. Kishia Dunlap or Ms. Sherika Staton. I did my research on both candidates and spoke with individuals who know both candidates and I made my decision.”

“Oh, did you? What about you, Mr. Bricken?”

Responding to Little-Reid, Bricken answered, “I know Ms. Dunlap and I have always felt like she was a very qualified candidate.”

Continuing to follow up, Little-Reid then asked Bricken, “Is it because you know her because she comes to the meetings or because you know her personally?”

“I just know of her experience. I know the position she has in social services and I made my decision,” he stated.

Dunlap was appointed with a 4-2 vote, with Little-Reid and Woodburn dissenting.

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Law Enforcement seek public assistance in hunt for murder suspect https://ansonrecord.com/top-stories/37942/law-enforcement-seek-public-assistance-in-hunt-for-murder-suspect 2024-03-06T03:20:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer

WADESBORO — Chief Chewning has requested assistance from the public in locating a murder suspect. The suspect, Dewon Rayquan Hailey, is described as a twenty-six year old man with long black hair, 5”7 in height, and weighing approximately 200 pounds.

The suspect is charged with a murder that occurred shortly after midnight on the morning of Wednesday, March 6. Working in conjunction with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Wadesboro Police Department has obtained warrants for Hailey’s arrest.

Though law enforcement has released no further information at this time, Chief Chewning is assuring the public more details will be provided tomorrow. Anyone with information regarding Hailey’s whereabouts is requested to call the WPD tip line at (704) 694-2160.

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Citizens share concerns and suggestions with Board of Education https://ansonrecord.com/news/37935/citizens-share-concerns-and-suggestions-with-board-of-education 2024-03-06T10:30:00Z Lauren Monica Anson Record

ANSON — Local creative talent and entrepreneur, Garrett Snuggs, addressed his concerns and suggestions regarding low testing scores and diversity within the Anson County School District when the Board of Education met on Monday, February 26.

“The data that I am looking at, as far as the performance of our schools at this current time, shows our school’s score is 42 out of 100. Even though it is a D score, it is two points away from a F score,” lamented Snuggs.

“We feel like the children in our school system are not getting the proper education that they deserve. If you look at our math scores, we have 6.5% of our kids operating at a proficient level.”

The lack of diversity is a concern that Snuggs shared he feels plagues the Anson County School district, citing his main areas of concern are in Administration and Athletics.

In regards to athletics, Snuggs confides that coaches are traveling throughout Anson, Union, and Richmond counties, working with young men, and are in need of additional funding and support.

Previously discussed as a way to alleviate the burden of securing locations for practice, is usage of various school gyms and training facilities during times of the year that do not conflict with that school’s athletic programs.

Assured by the board and superintendent of facility availability, Snuggs is now perplexed by reports that students are being denied entry into gym facilities.

“We are wanting to know what is going on with that and what y’all plan to do to address that situation.”

Mr. Fred Davis, whose children were all educated by the Anson County School District, had concerns and suggestions of his own to share with board members.

Davis began by assuring the board, “This is not directed at anyone, person, or school. It is a concern for children, period.”

Starting off with a solution, Davis suggested, “I want to start off with CTE, possibly adding a Barber school and Cosmetology to that curriculum.”

Referencing the former speaker, he promoted, “Mr. Garrett Snuggs already has a barber school set up. It would be very little cost, they are already certified, and is another avenue for our kids to utilize.”

Two years ago the Anson Record had the pleasure of reporting on the one-year anniversary of Triad Barber School and its first proud Anson graduate, Marcell Robinson. Since inception, Snuggs has not looked back, his school annually churning out highly qualified and uniquely talented graduates.

“I have a daughter at Spellman, she went through here, I had to send $200.00 every six weeks for her to get her hair done,” painfully recalls Davis.

“I was down at Spellman Saturday, in the commons area, girls are doing hair and they are getting paid. We have to give our kids another opportunity, where at $20 bucks a haircut, that is money right then and there. This school system has been great to my children. All of them graduated and all of them are successful.”

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School Board provides update on new middle school project progress https://ansonrecord.com/news/37937/school-board-provides-update-on-new-middle-school-project-progress 2024-03-05T10:35:00Z Lauren Monica Stafff Writer

ANSON — Chairman George Truman recently provided an update on where the school district is in the process of constructing a much needed second middle school for the district.

“I wanted to address the public and let you know where we are in the process of finishing the contract with Pinnacle for our new [middle] school for $41 million dollars.”

Transparently outlining where monies allocated for the project are coming from, Truman stated, “There is five million dollars coming from local sources, 30 million from state construction funds, six million from accumulated Lottery funds, and miscellaneous school construction funds. All of these monies are eligible to be used towards new school construction.”

Originally eligible for an additional twelve million dollars to fund the project, the Anson County School District fell prey to sabotage.

“A false rumor circulated in Raleigh that our system had received multiple options for a cheaper middle school, but we chose not to use it. Therefore it was decided that Anson County did not need the money,” he explained.

“Folks, that is hurting our children,” Truman lamented. “That rumor is false. We only had one legal bid to choose from, and that is the bid that we chose. There were never any other options that were legal that could have been chosen,” he reiterated.

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Writers’ Club announces contest winners https://ansonrecord.com/news/37926/writers-club-announces-contest-winners 2024-03-02T08:31:00Z Submitted to the Anson Record
Youth winners, front row from left, Alivia Williams, Carmen Harrington, Tina Andonovich, Isabella Zamora Saldana Back row, from left, Kaylee Caulder, Jiya Shah, Justin Morton Submitted photos

WADESBORO — The Anson County Writers’ Club (ACWC) announced the 2023 winners of its annual contests in prose and poetry at the H.B. Allen Library on February 25.

ACWC President Kaye Ratliff welcomed the winners and their families. “The mission of the writers’ club is to encourage talent in Anson County,” she said.

Ratliff memorialized three members who sadly passed away in the past two years: Ruth Waddell Hickman, Beverley Bushong Getzen, and Helen Goodman.

Hickman, a founding member, made many contributions to the people of this county, Ratliffsaid. She was an example of grace, dignity and positive attitude, and demonstrated her faith — “She was an angel among us,” Ratliff said.

Getzen moved to Wadesboro 15 years ago with her husband, Rufus. Both immediately wereimmersed in the community. The Getzens were instrumental in in the success of the CarolinasWriters’ Conference and Back Porch Stories.

Goodman, an accomplished author, was chairman or the Sneedsboro Project Committee. She obtained the grant and oversaw the construction of the amphitheater at South Piedmont Community College, which is named after her. The outdoor drama, “A Ripple in the River”, was performed at the college for 10 years.

“From the beginning, the club has been blessed with remarkable members,” Ratliff said.

The contest committee, composed of Ratliff, Kelly Liddington, and Randy Tarlton, then awarded each winner with certificates and cash prizes. Ratliff stressed that all entries were judged by impartial outsiders.

2023 contest winners

Youth Poetry grades 3-6: First Place, Carmen Harrington, Lilesville Elementary School,

“Missing Christmas”; Second Place, Tina Andonovich, Lilesville Elementary School, “Christmas

Day You’re Here!”; Third Place, Alivia F. Williams, Lilesville Elementary School, “To Me Christmas Is”.

Youth Prose grades 3-6: First Place, Jiya Shah, Peachland-Polkton Elementary School, “The Happy Ending”.

Youth Prose grades 6-8: First Place, Isabella Zamora Saldana, home schooled, “Drowned Screams”.

Youth Poetry, grades 9-12: First Place, Jamie Howard, Anson County Early College, “Reflection”.

Youth Prose, grades 9-12: First Place, Kaylee Caulder, Anson County Early College, “What

We Do in the Dark”; Second Place, Justin Morton, Anson County Early College, “Count This as Your Last Meal”.

Adult Poetry: First Place, Kaye Ratliff, Wadesboro, “Sticks and Strings”; Second Place,

Susie Knight Williams, Polkton, “Lament”; Third Place, Ulises Zamora-Tenorio, Polkton, “It Rains Love”.

Adult Prose: First Place, Mario Kersey, Raleigh, “Forgetting Copernicus”; Second Place,

Mary H. Jordan, Polkton, “Three Wild Seeds”; Third Place, Kelly Liddington, Polkton, “Does

Tuckman’s Developmental Sequence of Small Groups Still Hold True?”.

The ACWC held its first contests in 1989 and since published 1I anthologies of the winningentries. Anson Pathways XII will be published in 2025. Anson Pathways X and XI are available for purchase from amazon.com. (choose “books” and then “Anson Pathways”).

Membership is open to anyone who is interesting in fostering the art of writing in themselves or others. The club meets at 3:00 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month except December and July at the First Presbyterian Church fellowship all. All ages are welcome

For more information, visit the website at www.ansoncountywritersclub.org.

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Anson Sheriff controversy awaits judgment from NC Court of Appeals https://ansonrecord.com/news/37922/anson-sheriff-controversy-awaits-judgment-from-nc-court-of-appeals 2024-03-01T12:22:00Z Matthew Sasser Editor
The contentious Dec. 6 meeting of the Anson County Board of Commissioner’s meeting was standing room only to parse out who exactly would be the Anson sheriff. Scott Howell would be appointed by the board that night, although the matter now stands before the NC Court of Appeals. Daily Journal file photo

WADESBORO — In December of 2022, chaos and confusion broke out with many different factions claiming either Wadesboro police officer Gerald Cannon or Anson County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy Scott Howell as the presumptive Anson County Sheriff.

A record of appeal, a collection of court documents, affidavits, depositions and evidence, was finalized and submitted to the North Carolina Court of Appeals in December of 2023. 15 months later, it is unknown when, or even if, a judgment will be rendered.

Chronological buildup of events

Chief Deputy Scott Howell was unanimously appointed by the Anson County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 6, 2022, to fulfill the term of long-time Sheriff Landric following his passing.

On Oct. 10, the Anson County Democratic Party convened and cast 90 votes from their executive council.

The Anson County Democratic Party selected Sgt. Gerald Cannon, a 21-year veteran of the Wadesboro Police Department, for Sheriff for the 2022-2026 term. The press release from this decision, dated Oct. 17, 2022, was featured in the Anson Record. Reid’s name would still appear on the forthcoming November ballot according to existing North Carolina general statutes.

The selection of Cannon by the ACDP was subsequently overturned by the North Carolina Democratic Party weeks later. Petitioners for the grievance included Howell, who stated that the process that unfolded by the ACDP was unfair.

According to the grievance that was filed, a uniformed Wadesboro Town Police officer was given a list of names of names by the ACDP to decide which Democrats were allowed into the Oct. 8 Executive meeting. Registered Democrats were denied entry to the meeting. Anson County Democratic Party Chairman Dannie Montgomery testified that she did not know the open party provision of the meeting and that she had prepared the list of attendees for the meeting.

Proxy voting was allowed at the Executive meeting in writing or by a selected delegate, although those votes were incorrectly gathered in Anson County via text message or an unofficial delegate. Montgomery testified that she prepared proxies and signed them herself on behalf of other persons. Additionally, some individuals who were contacted to vote were not aware of what they were voting for, and notice of this meeting was not given to all committee members at the same time.

By unanimous vote, the Council of Review deemed the grievance valid and ordered that the Oct. 8 meeting of the Anson County Democratic Party was invalid. The selection of Gerald Cannon as Sheriff was voided. The Council of Review also condemned the use of uniformed law enforcement to restrict Democrats from attending meetings.

The ACDP was deemed unorganized by the state. A cluster meeting was held on Nov. 12, at the Hampton B. Allen Library in Wadesboro to verify precincts and determine who was qualified to vote in the recertification process. That day, Democratic voters exceeded the maximum capacity of the library and were tasked to formalize their chairs and delegates precinct-by-precinct.

On that day, registration was checked by Montgomery, who was appointed by then-NCDP Chair Dr. Bobbi Richardson to serve as temporary chair, and Chris Hardee, President of the Coastal Caucus of the NCDP. At one point during the reorganization, Howell asked for a redo for the Morven chair tabulation after he observed Montgomery telling people to change their vote. Afterwards, Montgomery denied the accusation.

Around that time, a message alleged to have been sent by then-commissioner Vancine Sturdivant seemingly alluding to Howell caused a buzz online. “I need as many as you can contact from Anson County, especially Morven, Wadesboro and Lilesville,” reads the phone message. “Our young males can not take 4 years of this racist. Please Come. Please do not put on Facebook. I love you. Momma V”.

On Dec. 1, 2023, a meeting of the Anson County Board of Commissioners declined to take any action on the sheriff vacancy. It was stated in the open meeting by chairman Jarvis Woodburn that action would not be taken until their next scheduled meeting on Dec. 6.

New county officers would be selected at a Democratic Party county convention on Dec. 3. Immediately following that meeting, a County Executive Committee would elect the nominee for Sheriff. Similar to their initial, invalidated vote, Cannon was again selected as the nominee for Sheriff. It remains unclear if this second voting process could be considered valid since Reid remained the nominee for Sheriff despite his death. The Nov. 7 election and Nov. 18 canvassing had already taken place and the votes could not be held in trust for such a period of time.

Dec. 5 and 6 — contested meetings occur

On Dec. 5, an emergency meeting was held at the Board of Elections in Wadesboro. There, Chairman Ross Streater read a letter from Paul Cox, associate general counsel for the North Carolina Board of Elections, stating that the local Board of Elections did not have the authority to fill the vacancy created by Reid’s death and couldn’t undo the canvassing results that declared Reid the winner and give them to Cannon. It was stated that the Board of Commissioners did have this power.

According to an affidavit from BoE member Kelly Newton, following the emergency meeting at the BoE, there was a “surge” to a soon-to-be called emergency meeting of the board of commissioners at the Anson Government Center. Anson County Attorney Scott Forbes attended the BoE as a member of the public. Following the meeting, he began to travel to Greenville to visit a friend. Forbes was unaware that an emergency BoC meeting was about to be called.

Then-chairman Jarvis Woodburn was responsible for calling the meeting. According to a deposition by Anson County Clerk Denise Cannon (wife of Gerald Cannon), she was notified at 4:46 p.m. on Dec. 5, shortly after the BoE meeting. Woodburn did not respond to four subsequent phone calls by Cannon for further details.. At 5:29, an email was sent to all of the Anson commissioners regarding the meeting. Only two commissioners, Vancine Sturdivant and Harold Smith, were physically present at the meeting. JD Bricken phoned into the meeting while he was driving and later hung up, Dr. Jim Sims was at the meeting via a conference call and Robert Mims stated to Cannon that he just got home but would be coming to the meeting. Two NC general statutes offer competing statements on whether this called-meeting was even possible due to the fact that two of commissioners may not have been eligible too vote. According to Forbes, one statute states that a commissioner’s term ends on the first Monday of that month, while another states that a commissioner retains their seat until the next commissioner is sworn-in.

A quorum of board members for the meeting could be considered established only if the non-physically present members were included. It remains unclear if commissioners who were not physically present at the meeting were able to establish the necessary quorum; Forbes has stated that the existing rules are unclear and there is much debate among the UNC School of Government regarding this topic.

It was stated in multiple depositions that county IT employees had already gone home for the day and were unable to post video of the meeting to YouTube. Audio recording of the called meeting was later posted to the county website.

At the called emergency meeting of the board of commissioners, Montgomery stated that the ACDP executive committee had completed their precinct reorganizing and Cannon was their nominee. Anson County Manager Leonard Sossamon read again the letter that was sent by Cox. Sturdivant made a motion to accept Cannon, seconded by Smith. Woodburn requested a roll call vote. Four out of the seven commissioners (Sturdivant, Sims, Smith, Woodburn) voted to accept Cannon, who then took an oath of office that was administered by a notary. A photo of this oath circulated on Facebook. “The board of commissioners do not have to have an attorney present,” Forbes said. “They’re like anybody else. They can act on their own. They do not have to take the advice of an attorney or seek the advice of an attorney.”

Cannon has stated that he received a phone call later from Forbes that the Dec. 5 commissioner meeting was not valid. Cannon states that Forbes told him not to show up on the morning of Dec. 6 to report to the position of Anson Sheriff.

In court documents, Howell’s camp has stated that the less than hour’s notice of the meeting and less than 20 minute notice for the commissioners violated North Carolina General Statutes regarding open, public meetings. “A public body must give notice of a special meeting at least forty-eight hours before the meeting,” states the NC GS. No notice was posted outside of the Anson Courthouse of the meeting, which is typically done. No media outlet received notice of the emergency meeting, although Cannon’s camp has stated that no media outlet has submitted the proper paperwork to be the recipient of such information. In a deposition, Forbes stated that the only times that an emergency meeting has been called before was in the event of a natural disaster. In a deposition, Sossamon stated that he did not believe, in his capacity as a long-time county manager, the events of that day constituted an emergency meeting. Meetings that are deemed a “true emergency” can bypass notice requirements.

The Anson County Board of Commissioners “took all reasonable efforts to notify the members of the board of the emergency meetings” reads an injunction filed by Cannon.

On Dec. 6, the always-planned meeting of the commissioners took place. It began with the swearing-in of new commissioners Jamie Caudle and Priscilla Little, replacing Sturdivant and Sims. Various citizens spoke about the sheriff debacle during the public comment section.

“In this process, democracy was what we were most focused on,” Montgomery declared at the meeting that had swelled to exceed the maximum capacity with well over a hundreds citizens waiting out in the cold. “Democracy is something we cannot afford to lose. We need to not let hate and bigotry get in the midst of us, Racist and racists’ behavior are a part of a system — it is not a people. It is not a people. We need to fight against our racist system.”

After attending to various other small matters, the commissioners entered into closed session.

“After consulting with the attorney, through a very difficult, a very, very, tricky issue, I make a motion that we appoint Mr. Scott Howell as the Anson County Sheriff immediately and extending through the next four years,” commissioner Lawrence Gatewood said after the over 30 minute wait.

Bricken, Mims, Gatewood and the newly-sworn in Caudle had voted for Howell. Woodburn, Smith and Little had voted for Cannon.

“It’s been a long ride,” Howell said after the vote to a group of reporters. “My best friend passed on Sept. 21 and I was appointed by the county commissioners. It’s been heavy on peoples hearts. ….As we go forward, I promise to lead this community with honesty, integrity and professionalism as I always have for every citizen in this community.”

According to Montgomery, there were 59 votes for Cannon and 54 votes against him at the Dec. 3 meeting of the ACDP. It was shared that an upcoming meeting of the Anson NAACP would discuss the “travesty of justice” that ignored the votes favoring Cannon.

Where everything stands now

Cannon filed a second preliminary injunction following the Dec. 6 meeting. Superior Court Judge Stephan Futrell’s ruling stated that the Monday, Dec. 5 meeting was not a legitimate meeting. “Judge Futrell is very thorough and listens to both sides and makes a decision based on what he understands the law to be,” Forbes said. “As far as research and precedent and laws, you won’t find somebody who can outresearch or outstudy him.” Cannon was advised that he could file a writ of quo warranto, which can be used to challenge a person’s right to hold public office. Forbes said that a somewhat similar quo warranto case was last raised to the NC Court of Appeal in the 1950s to challenge a city councilman dispute from the small town of Marven. No decision was issued in that case.

The appeal by Cannon states that defendants Anson County, the Anson board of commissioners, the individual commissioner and Howell have prevented him from the position of Sheriff. “Anson County has refused to allow the plaintiff to assume his office as Anson County Sheriff,” states the court document, adding that Howell has since “purported” to be the Anson Sheriff. It adds that the second, Dec. 6 meeting of the commissioners, was illegal and not the Dec. 5 meeting.

A public hearing was held on May 8, 2023, for this matter. “A hearing was held before a Superior Court Judge in the matter of the Office of Sheriff,” stated the ACSO Facebook page at the time. “The case was dismissed in Sheriff Howells favor, and he is to remain the Sheriff of Anson County.” This was the Sheriff’s Office second public statement on the matter, following a February 2023 post that stated that the initial lawsuit was dropped and a second lawsuit was filed.

“Going through all the components was a law school exam,” Forbes said. “Because of the statues and the scenarios changing day to day, and the outside actions of the local Anson County Democrat party, things changed. This would have been a completely different scenario, and would not have exacerbated to this , and would not have have transpired to where they are had it not been for the….overturning of the Democrat Party decision.” Forbes said this incident has certainly been the most controversial in his role as attorney for Anson.

Cannon’s injunction states that the emergency meeting of the board of commissioners was not property challenged within 45 days of it taking place. This is included in the record of appeal. They also state that Forbes said in open court that the Dec. 5 meeting was ‘illegal’ and that the county wouldn’t be taking further action on the sheriff decision since they “were out of this fight”; Forbes said that he apologized for stating his opinion in open court and that he was wrong to assume the intention of the board for their pending decision.

Forbes made sure to be clear that both Howell and Cannon have valid, legal arguments. In his deposition, Forbes was very clear to refer to both as Sheriff Howell and Sheriff Cannon.

“If [Cannon] is successful [in his lawsuit], then he’s the sheriff,” Forbes succinctly stated. “Both men are professional and, if that happens, I expect and would be surprised if anything less than a professional exchange of office happens. Cannon would be sworn and follow the procedure of being the sheriff. Whatever the court decides, we need to support the sheriff, whichever side that may be,” Forbes said. “Both men have a tremendous amount of support.”

The three-panel North Carolina Court of Appeals has not decided if it will hear the case. If there is a hearing, it’s expected that oral arguments will be made. If the Court of Appeals declines to the case, Futrell’s ruling will stand, unless Cannon would like to appeal it to the State Supreme Court.

Both Howell and Cannon did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

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Anson Superintendent Howard McLean to retire following 2023-24 school year https://ansonrecord.com/news/breaking-news/37920/anson-superintendent-howard-mclean-to-retire-following-2023-24-school-year 2024-03-01T08:46:00Z Submitted to the Anson Record

ANSON — Anson County School District Superintendent, Mr. Howard McLean, has announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

His retirement becoming effective on May 31, 2024.

Superintendent McLean began his career with Anson County Schools in January 1987 as a 9th grade Health and Physical Education Teacher. During his time in Anson County Schools, he has served as Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, and Associate Superintendent.

In July 2020, Mr. McLean was unanimously named as Superintendent of Anson County Schools. During his tenure in Anson County Schools, Mr. McLean received several honors, two of which were him being named Wachovia Principal of the Year for the 2002 and 2007 school years. Mr. McLean entered his position of Superintendent during the pandemic, and his first task as Superintendent of Anson County Schools was the safety of all students and staff. The pandemic was in full force, schools were shutting down, and leadership in this area was new to everyone.

Mr. McLean and his team worked with our local health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance. His efforts during the pandemic led him to be selected as the 2021 NC Healthy Schools Superintendent of the Year by NC Healthy Schools and NC SHAPE. His leadership and support of the whole school, whole community, and whole child model in our community was recognized by Anson County School District Staff and the North Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), especially during his tenure in a pandemic year. His leadership during those two years will never be forgotten.

Mr. McLean has always focused on improving the lives of the students we serve, and under his strong leadership, we have seen schools grow in many areas. During the 2022-23 school year, our district testing data showed bright spots in most of our schools; however, much work is still to be done. During the January 2024 school board meeting, five of our schools were recognized by NCDPI for achieving and exceeding expected academic growth under North Carolina’s Accountability System. If the Anson County School District continues this trajectory, it will have great success. Over the years, Mr. McLean has built relationships with Commissioners and Legislators, helping ensure our district receives the funding we need.

On October 30, 2023, the Anson County School Board unanimously approved to move forward with a $41 million new middle school project. The new school will house 7th and 8th grade students when it opens with the option to build a 6th grade wing at a later time. Superintendent McLean helped to secure over $15 million of these funds to build this new facility. Citizens of Anson County should be proud of this accomplishment.

Serving the community has been a priority for Mr. McLean and he has wholeheartedly served his community exceptionally well over the years. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Anson County Economic Development, and Wadesboro Rotary Club. He previously served on the Anson County Partnership for Children Board of Directors.

He is also a member of numerous professional organizations, including North Carolina Association of Educators, North Carolina Association of School Administrators and the Sandhills Region Education Consortium. In serving his community, Mr. McLean has always had a heart for mission and outreach, primarily when it benefits the lives of our very own students. He has supported numerous projects, including Barn Blast, the Christmas Giving Project, United Way, Anson County Animal Shelter, Homes for Hope, and civic organization fundraisers that directly benefit students through scholarships.

“It has been an honor to serve the families, students and educators of Anson County Schools for the past 37 years. I am grateful for the opportunity to have led this district. I will always cherish the friendships and lessons learned throughout my career here in Anson County. I will always remember my mentors (Tommy Cooper, Michael Freeman, Carolyn Bennett, Norma Lassister, Dr. Jim Sims, Dr. Altheria Patton) and so many others. These are life-long friendships that will never be forgotten. It’s time to say good-bye to a place I truly love; a place “Where Greatness Grows” in Anson County,” stated McLean.

On behalf of the Anson County Board of Education, the Anson County School System and the citizens of Anson County, Chairman George Truman stated, “We want to thank Mr. McLean for his many years of outstanding service to our children. His leadership and commitment to quality education spread through the pandemic and the aftermath until most recently leading five of our schools to exemplary growth. We hope he excels in his retirement as he has repeatedly done for all of us.”

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Lease renewed for Anson County Farmers Market https://ansonrecord.com/news/business/37918/lease-renewed-for-anson-county-farmers-market 2024-03-01T02:12:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer

WADESBORO — The lease of the Anson County Farmers Market has been renewed.

“It is my understanding from Ms. Lee, the [Farmers Market] will be opening up in April of this year, as opposed to waiting until the latter part of May. They had a great season last year and hopefully they will have an even better one this year,” shared County Manager Leonard Sossamon at the Feb. 20 meeting following a unanimous vote by the commissioners.

Agreeing with Sossaman, Chairman Jamie Caudle, said, “It is a great opportunity to utilize the farmers market, buy local, it’s a great opportunity for our citizens.”

The Market’s Manager, Leslie Lee, announced in early January a plant sale slated for Saturday, April 27 to take place at the Farmer’s Market located on Hwy. 52, to kick off the Spring season. The Farmers Market will have vendors selling vegetable starts, herbs, and flowers this Spring. For more information about the event, email Lee at ansonfarmersmarket@yahoo.com.

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Becoming a “Chicken Tender” with Richmond County 4-H https://ansonrecord.com/news/37908/becoming-a-chicken-tender-with-richmond-county-4-h 2024-02-27T01:59:00Z Erin Barnes, 4-H Youth Development Agent Extension @ Your Service
Youth pick up their chicks for the 4-H Chicken project. Photo courtesy of Erin Barnes

As the weather begins to warm and the first flowers start peeking out of the ground, you can feel that Spring is just around the corner. With Spring comes spring chicks. Richmond County 4-H has jumped head on into several activities where our youth get hands-on learning experiences with chickens.

Already in full swing is this year’s 4-H Chicken Project. Through the Chicken Project, participants learn about the chicken life cycle, how chicks’ needs change as they grow from chick to adult, and how to properly show their adult chickens in competitions. Before receiving their chicks, participating families must attend a class to learn the ins and outs of being a “chicken tender”.

While the youth have the majority of the responsibility for taking care of their chickens, the 4-H Chicken Project is a family affair. Daily care is carried out by the child, with support from the parents if needed, but the whole family learns together how chickens grow, change and what it takes to care for another living creature. Participants are not only learning about a chicken’s life cycle and chicken care, but may be developing skills to better care for themselves as well. Studies by the National Institutes of Health have shown that caring for an animal can improve the responsibility and diligence a youth takes in caring for themselves. Owning an animal has also been shown to reduce stress, and as well as blood pressure.

By the end of the project, each participant will have created a Project Record Book. Throughout the project youth document their chicken tending efforts and what they have been learning. They will compile all this in something similar to a scrapbook. This is the Project Record Book. Through this, youth will learn documentation and organizational skills. At the completion of the Chicken Project, participants’ project record books will be sent to Raleigh where they are judged against other project record books from their district. Youth have the opportunity to win awards with a really outstanding project record book.

The Chicken Project culminates in the county Poultry Show held in June. Throughout the months between chick pick up and the Poultry Show, youth train and prepare their chickens to be shown. At the show, youth interact with judges and demonstrate not only the excellent care they put into their animals over the past several months, but the understanding of their chickens which they have developed throughout the project. This teaches showmanship, confidence in themselves and their ability to speak and present in front of others.

Along with the Chicken Project, Richmond County 4-H also has an embryology school enrichment program, partnering with local schools to provide 2nd grade classrooms with hatching eggs, incubators, and activities. The embryology program works in conjunction with existing curriculum taught in the schools, to enhance learning with hands-on experiences. As each class cares for their eggs, they track the development of the chicks inside. This is done through a process called “candling”, where a flashlight is held under the egg, illuminating the contents so they can be seen from the outside.

Learning what to look for, from diagrams and presentations, youth candle their eggs, practicing identifying various developmental milestones until the chick hatches after about a 21 day incubation period. Their learning does not stop with the eggs, however. Through several activities over three weeks, they gain understanding of the whole chicken life cycle, from how eggs develop inside a hen, how chicks develop in the egg once the eggs are laid, and development through adulthood. Teachers report that these activities increase class participation, understanding of life cycles and interest in related STEM topics by students.

For more information about Richmond County 4-H, including clubs, Summer Fun activities, camps and more, or how to get involved as a 4-H volunteer, please contact Erin Barnes, 4-H agent, NC Cooperative Extension, Richmond County Center, at erin_barnes@ncsu.edu or call 910-206-9542. Visit our website at Richmond.ces.ncsu.edu and follow us on Facebook, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Richmond County Center.

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Matthew Sasser | Fascination, fear, joy, animosity — AI raises questions and emotions https://ansonrecord.com/opinion/op-ed/37906/matthew-sasser-fascination-fear-joy-animosity-ai-raises-questions-and-emotions 2024-02-26T11:45:00Z Matthew Sasser Editor

“ChatGPT stands as a powerful and versatile language model, offering users assistance and information on a myriad of topics. However, beneath its seemingly benign surface lies a landscape fraught with potential pitfalls and risks that demand our attention. As we embrace the capabilities of ChatGPT, it becomes imperative to explore the shadows cast by this sophisticated AI tool.”

I did not write that opening paragraph, but I did ask ChatGPT to write the beginning of a newspaper column about the dangers of itself.

Artificial intelligence arouses fear, wonder, joy and animosity — it’s captivating in its scope, bewildering in its capabilities. Pew Research states that as of 2022, 19% of American workers were in jobs that could be replaced or assisted by AI.

Over the past year, I’ve included many stories about artificial intelligence in the Daily Journal. While that may partly be due to my own interest in the field, AI has also become impossible to ignore. Media attention on the proliferation of AI is nonstop, itself an ever-changing reaction to the advances of the technology each week.

I am a writer — this technology is somewhat of a threat to the career path I’ve chosen. But it’s also so wildly entertaining, I can’t help but play around and be entertained with it.

As fun as ChatGPT is, it’s just the start of AI. ChatGPT is merely a language model that gathers information and outputs the information into text. Its database of information is billions of pieces of information from the internet, social media, novels and even human conversations. ChatGPT doesn’t possess any signs of higher intelligence, but its rudimentary functions are still fascinating to toy with.

ChatGPT can answer millions of questions, write essays in the style of a first-grader or Shakespeare and be a repository for loads of information. Anyone can use it, even two New York lawyers who submitted bogus case briefs with the technology. School systems around the country are having to adapt to how they handle cases of plagiarism due to AI.

Wired ran a compelling story last year about a ChatGPT user who created a story generator that inserts his family into the world of the children’s show Bluey. Anyone can generate personalized stories starring their children with their favorite characters. It’s a light-hearted story that also creates more questions than answers regarding intellectual property law.

Sora, announced last week by OpenAI, may be the most fascinating AI development yet. It’s not available yet, but Sora is a high-quality text-to-video generator. Give Sora a prompt and it will deliver exactly what you asked for.

Prompt: “A movie trailer featuring the adventures of a 30 year old space man wearing a red wool knitted motorcycle helmet, blue sky, salt desert, cinematic style, shot on 35 mm film, vivid colors.” The accompanying video posted on X (formerly Twitter) matches the prompt so well you would think you were sitting in a movie theater.

What before required a team of professionals and a Hollywood budget of millions can now be accomplished in the span of about ten seconds of writing. Other videos of the Sora technology on X are wildly entertaining; I would encourage anyone to check them out.

It’s not all rosy with the future of AI. The potential for misinformation, lawsuits and deepfake videos is deeply troubling with no real answers in sight. The Washington Post profiled a Google engineer, responsible for interacting with burgeoning AI technology, who believes that LaMDA (Langugae Model for Dialogue Applications) is functionally real and sentient.

Part of what drove my decision to write this column was to stamp my own neophyte knowledge down at this point in time; I feel that even maybe ten years from now, AI could have so many applications in daily life that my novel understanding presented at this time would already seem obsolete. It would be like reading a news article of someone’s inability to understand how to use a computer fifty years ago. There are so many questions surrounding the field of AI, but one thing is crystal clear — The genie is out of the bottle and AI is here to stay. We are all venturing into uncharted territory together.

As we delve into the dangers associated with ChatGPT, it is essential to strike a balance between harnessing its capabilities and acknowledging its limitations. The road ahead involves not only refining the technology itself but also establishing a framework of responsible usage and ethical considerations.

I didn’t write the preceding paragraph. That is both horrifying and amazing simultaneously.

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Outrage over Flea Market leads Commissioners’ to enact six month moratorium https://ansonrecord.com/news/37904/outrage-over-flea-market-leads-commissioners-to-enact-six-month-moratorium 2024-02-26T07:22:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer
Crystal McKenzie, a local nurse practitioner whose family have been members of the Burnsville community for many years, brought too attention several concerns, primarily crime, traffic patterns and safety, regarding the flea market. Lauren Monica | Anson Record

WADESBORO — For the second time, citizens came before Anson commissioners to air their grievances regarding the news of a flea market coming to the area on Faulkner Rd. near Hopewell Methodist Church in the Burnsville community.

Crystal McKenzie, a local nurse practitioner whose family have been members of the Burnsville community for many years, brought too attention several concerns, primarily crime, traffic patterns and safety, regarding the flea market.

“Are we communicating with district DOT engineers, and if so what feedback have we received for the ability of Hopewell Church and Faulkner roads to accommodate the increased traffic we expect this to bring?” questioned McKenzie.

McKenzie also wondered how a ten-acre plot of land with three poultry barn sized buildings on site, would be able to accommodate the necessary parking spaces needed for such a business venture. Additional traffic concerns shared by McKenzie were for people walking up and down the road, cars being consistently parked along the shoulder of state roads, and the ability of emergency vehicles to travel in and out of the area should an emergency situation occur.

McKenzie stated that their local volunteer fire department has struggled with membership over the last several years and has been unable to do any community fundraising.

“If we are not able to accommodate a fundraiser, do we have the people to address an emergency in what may be the largest mass gathering Anson County has had to contend with?” McKenzie asked.

She noted that in rural communities such as Peachland and Burnsville, citizens understand they face a longer response time from law enforcement than those that live in town, leading her to ponder what that means for the community should there be an increase in crime.

McKenzie stated that she was informed that the flea market is classified as an “event” as opposed to a “business”, which she felt was by design in order to negate issues a business would be required to address, such as Porta Potty availability.

In closing, McKenzie further stated, “This is registered as a business, it is an LLC, it is doing business in the same place, in the same time, consistently every week. It is taking a lot of resources from different county departments….I do not see any revenue coming from this into Anson County.”

Linda Vann, whose property backs up to the site of the proposed flea market, has concerns related to the impact the “event” will have on the quality of life for those living in the area. Vann shared that she felt disheartened that commissioners are unable to prevent the event from coming to the county.

“I just found out about this flea market this morning when I read the article about it and I am really disturbed about that,” Vann said. “In our Anson County community, we can’t seem to get information out to the community about what is going on around here.” Her statement is a pervasive issue in the county frequently mentioned by other citizens during commissioner meetings.

“That property backs up to our property; you can hear the building going on now. What are we going to hear every weekend when we are sitting on our deck and want to enjoy our time? Right now, it is peaceful, you don’t hear anything,” said Vann.

In addition to traffic concerns related to sharp turns and church letting out near the event on Sundays, Vann shared her anxiety that the flea market has the potential to drive down home value.

“We pay taxes and our homes values are going to go down,” said Vann. “Nobody is going to want to bring their children out there and buy a three bedroom, two-bath house when you have a flea market running every weekend in your back yard. It is not fair to us it is not fair to the people in the community about their property value, it is just wrong to have this place open up there. They are supposed to be selling animals there, running a flea market and farmer’s market there, letting people camp there… what are we going to be dealing with every weekend? Which one of y’all wants to come buy our house for us today, a three bedrooms and two-bath house, at a good price? Would you want a flea market in your backyard? We do not.”

“I would appreciate if there is something that we can have done about this before something bad happens, and that is what is going to happen. It is what happened to Sweet Union [Flea Market in the Monroe area of Union County], you saw what it looked like in the end and we do not want that in our community or in our backyard,” Vann said.

Founded in 1984, the Sweet Union Flea Market hosted 300 vendors at its zenith. Sweet Union’s final day of operation was December 31, 2023. Different owners than the Sweet Union Flea Market will operate the proposed flea market coming to Faulkner Rd., though vendors from that flea market may be enticed to come to the area.

Again coming before the board to share his concerns, Art Taylor said, “I wanted to bring up waste management there as far as that place will generate a lot of traffic. We have a dump facility in Burnsville and is that going to be filled up also,” he stated.

“Let’s get a definition of an event and a business,” Taylor said. “If this thing is going to be running all the time, we need the schedule, we need to know what is going on… its needs a start and end time if it is an event.”

“There are incidences were characterizing this as an event may stipulate different regulations than a business,” interjected Chairman Jamie Caudle. “All of this is being looked at by our Planning Director, our Building Inspector, Fire Marshal, and Environmental Health. We have those in place for a reason like this, to ensure that this is up to par if they are going to operate a business.”

Tina Tomasicchio, another Anson County resident with anxiety over a potential spike in area crime, shared, “I feel like some of the issues like law enforcement and the Fire Department are major concerns. If you live in the area you do have to worry about crime, with people’s homes getting robbed as it is and this just brings more of that into the community — Not only that but you have animals, and I don’t know what the laws are written here, but I know there are a lot of animals that go unvaccinated. If you are having unvaccinated animal waste product from animals and from people that is a lot of waste and contamination in creeks, in your environment, and what you inhale.”

Tomasicchio asked why there is no zoning in the county.Commissioner Caudle has previously stated that zoning meetings held in the past had low attendance and received pushback from citizens.

“But how come no one in this county knows about this flea market?” Tomasicchio asked. “There was just a Facebook page and three weeks later, there is an article. It puts property owners, homeowners, and taxpayers in a bad situation. There are a lot of people with a lot of concerns that were not able to attend the meeting. There should be a way for people to voice their concerns, with Fire and Safety that is number one.”

Though the proposed flea market is not going in his district, Commissioner Lawrence Gatewood stated, “We have an issue here. I think as the board of commissioners we are in charge of Anson County and I would like to make a motion that we take the necessary steps to implement a moratorium until we [Commissioners] have a chance to study the impact of this flea market on the citizens, Burnsville in particular, Peachland, and Anson County more broadly,” he suggested.

Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn seconded Gatewood’s motion, explaining, “I will second the motion on the grounds that, to add to what Commissioner Gatewood has said, we see what kind of information we can get from Union County on why they are leaving Union County. I don’t know if we have had that told to us before or if we have any background on that. I think that would be some information that would help us in this situation as well.”

Woodburn added, “I think back over the years since that flea market has been on 74 it was really nice to start with and here in recent years it has really deteriorated.”

Clarifying the law in respect to a moratorium, County Attorney Scott Forbes stated, “The length of the duration ought to be less than or more than sixty days. If we do it for sixty−one days we can make sure that we get the notices out, though there is no time limit. It has to be noticed by one statute if it is over sixty days; it has to be published in a paper if it is under sixty days.”

“Given that, I would say a six month moratorium, that is my recommendation,” declared Gatewood, who amended his motion to that affect, still seconded by Commissioner Woodburn. Following a vote, the motion passed unanimously.

Weighing in on behalf of law enforcement, Sheriff Scott Howell issued a statement following the meeting. Howell shared that he has concerns related to theft, fraud, and confrontations between citizens that might locate their stolen items for sale at the the flea market. Though he is not certain that the flea market will generate extra crime in the area such as break-in’s and larcenies, Howell does envision theft and larceny occurring from the property of the flea market and that the potential is present for stolen items to be sold or traded at the flea market.

“The selling of counterfeit goods which includes clothing, footwear, purses, accessories, movie DVDs and music CDs is one of the biggest crimes,” Howell said. “This type of crime takes jobs from Americans. It also makes buyers think they are purchasing a real name brand item when it is a fake.”

“If crimes are happening, and I’m sure they will, the Sheriff’s Office does not currently have the resources to handle the flea market and our normal calls throughout the county,” Howell stated. “I want the citizens of Anson County, Anson County Commissioners and the people who will be opening the flea market to know, I strongly oppose it.”

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Wadesboro Fire Department controls vacant apartment fire https://ansonrecord.com/uncategorized/37876/wadesboro-fire-department-controls-vacant-apartment-fire 2024-02-26T12:32:00Z
A vacant apartment on East Wade Street in Wadesboro caught fire around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday. “Engine 2 arrived on scene and found a 2 story duplex with heavy fire on the Charlie side,” stated a Facebook post from the WPD. “Engine 3 secured the water supply. Station 3 members provided man power. An aggressive stop was made controlling the fire to one portion of the structure.” The fire department was spotted packing up their equipment around 9:00 a.m. that morning. Submitted photo

A vacant apartment on East Wade Street in Wadesboro caught fire around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday. “Engine 2 arrived on scene and found a 2 story duplex with heavy fire on the Charlie side,” stated a Facebook post from the WPD. “Engine 3 secured the water supply. Station 3 members provided man power. An aggressive stop was made controlling the fire to one portion of the structure.” The fire department was spotted packing up their equipment around 9:00 a.m. that morning.

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Black History Month wax museum educates and delights https://ansonrecord.com/news/37879/black-history-month-wax-museum-educates-and-delights 2024-02-26T11:05:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer
Lauren Monica | Anson Record

WADESBORO — The Caraway Foundation’s annual Blacks in Wax Museum by the Anson Youth Leaders Academy (AYLA) was held at the South Piedmont Community Center Lockhart Taylor Center Sunday, February 25, 2024.

A completely free event, Ansonville Mayor Angela Caraway greeted attendees as they entered the exhibit. Seventh and eighth grade students presented their well researched displays celebrating Black History Month. Each display showcased information about Black Americans who have been integral in shaping the nation and striving for advancements in American culture, arts, science, entertainment, and politics.

“I got the idea from my mother,” shares Caraway, an integral spear-header of the event. “She did something very similar in her classroom during Black History Month with her students.” Attendees enjoyed perusing each exhibit at their own pace, able to press a red button located on each table, signaling students to begin their presentation on each Black American hero of history.

Students had displays showcasing political icons such as Vice President Kamala Harris and former First Lady Michelle Obama. They were able to choose who they would like to research and present on. Sport professionals like Lebron James and Michael Jordan were also represented at the event, along with contributors to changes in society in the form of Ms. Rosa Parks.

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HOLLA! kicks off first installment of the History of Soul Music https://ansonrecord.com/news/37886/holla-kicks-off-first-installment-of-the-history-of-soul-music 2024-02-26T09:07:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer
In a special moment of the night, the program openened with “The Processional of the Elders and Children.” Lauren Monica | Anson Record

WADESBORO — HOLLA! Community partnered with the North Carolina Arts Council to present the first installment of History of Soul Music, Part One-The Beginning.

Featured at the event was percussionist Chi Sharpe from Winston Salem. Part One The Beginning took place at the Lockhart Taylor Center on Saturday, February 24, 2024, with a dress code of leather and African culture attire. The event focused on the history of African drumming, dancing and singing.

In an exciting and historical opener to a three part event, Part One touched on gospel hymns, solo and quartet performances, and spoken word. The event featured various talented performers; Abigail the Story Teller, Telesha Rae Heiling, Frederick Allen, and local sensation the Gatewood Brothers.

Another featured attraction of the event was the ribbon cutting on the All We Need Is Love Art Exhibit on display inside the Ingram Room. Guests were encouraged to walk through the exhibit, soaking in the meaning of the art while taking a silent moment to muse on the emotion each displayed work instilled in the beholder. Produced by Anson County native Dr. Florita Bell Griffin, who now resides in Houston, Texas, the All We Need Is Love exhibit is an AI generated tribute to the contributions made by black men in society.

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Anson County Schools participate in teacher recruitment opportunity https://ansonrecord.com/news/37872/anson-county-schools-participate-in-teacher-recruitment-opportunity 2024-02-26T08:26:00Z
Dr. Joshua McLaurin particiapted in a teacher opportunity taking place at Methodist University on February 21.

ANSON — As part of its ongoing teacher-recruiting mission, Anson County Schools participated in a teacher recruitment opportunity held at Methodist University on February 21.

Over past two weeks, the district has worked with Wingate University, Livingstone College, Coker University, and North Carolina Central University.

Other recruiting visits are scheduled to take place over the next two months at Wingate University, UNC Charlotte, UNC Pembroke, East Carolina University, Appalachian State University, Pfeiffer University, and the National Teachers of Color Virtual Recruitment Fair. The school district is continuing to make every effort to think outside the box when it comes to providing well−trained educators to teach Anson County students.

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Anson Early College inducts new National Honor Society members https://ansonrecord.com/news/37874/anson-early-college-inducts-new-national-honor-society-members 2024-02-26T07:46:00Z For the Anson Record
Anson Early College recognizes its newest National Honor Society members. NHS has long been celebrated for equipping students with the knowledge and skills required for effective leadership. Provided for the Anson Record

Anson Early College recognizes its newest National Honor Society members. NHS has long been celebrated for equipping students with the knowledge and skills required for effective leadership.

For the Anson Record

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Richard Hudson | Holding the administration accountable and protecting our energy security https://ansonrecord.com/opinion/op-ed/37867/richard-hudson-holding-the-administration-accountable-and-protecting-our-energy-security 2024-02-21T04:19:00Z Congressman Richard Hudson For the Daily Journal

Have you noticed the price of gas lately?

Across our region, prices are up nearly 10 cents a gallon. This is the last thing families need who are already struggling to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, President Biden and extreme Washington Democrats have continued to pursue an America-last energy policy.

Under Biden’s presidency, we have seen how our national security continues to be put on the backburner by the President’s war on American energy. Just last month, the Administration announced they would be imposing a ban on issuing permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.

This is yet another ploy to cave to climate activists over our own energy security, weakening the national security of the United States and our allies, discouraging investments in natural gas production, jeopardizing good-paying jobs, and empowering foreign adversaries like Russia. We must ensure the President cannot play politics with our energy security. That is why last week, we passed the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024 (H.R. 7176) to hold the President accountable and reverse this blockade.

Like their America-last energy policies, the Biden Administration’s disastrous open borders have also continued to pose a threat to our national security. As your Congressman, I will not sit idly by as the Administration exacerbates this crisis and will ensure there are consequences.

Month after month, the crisis at our border continues to get worse due to the disastrous immigration policies of the Biden Administration. Under Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ watch, there have been around 8.5 million illegal crossings at our Southern border, in addition to more than 1.7 million known “gotaways.” Even more concerning, over 169 people on the terrorist watch list have illegally entered the United States. This has posed a grave risk to our national

security and threatened the safety of not just border communities, but every community.

Secretary Mayorkas has one core obligation: to protect the homeland. Unfortunately, throughout his tenure, Secretary Mayorkas has willfully ignored U.S. immigration laws and intentionally disregarded his duty to keep our country safe and secure the border.

If Secretary Mayorkas truly wanted to take action to stop this chaos, he would start enforcing our immigration laws and orders already enacted by Congress and President Trump. Yet, he has made it clear he has no intention to begin complying with our laws and regaining operational control of our border. Worse, Secretary Mayorkas has repeatedly testified falsely that the border is “secure” - a blatant attempt to mislead Congress, breaching the American people’s trust. That is why last week, we held him accountable by exercising our Constitutional duty and voting to impeach him.

Energy security and border security are national security. While the situation facing our country seems bleak, I’m focused on ways to unleash American energy, secure our border, and stop the Biden Administration from further threatening the safety of our homeland and our energy independence. Rest assured, I will not stop fighting for the best interests of you and your family.

Until Next Time,

Richard Hudson

Member of Congress

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County Crime Report: Feb. 11 https://ansonrecord.com/news/37865/county-crime-report-feb-11 2024-02-19T03:03:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer

February 2

WADESBORO – At 11:22 a.m., Deputies responded to Caple Dairy Rd. following a report of a lost firearm. The reporting victim stated that he was riding an ATV in the area when he believed his Taurus .38 special revolver valued at $200.00, fell from his holster. Deputies were unsuccessful during a later search of Caple Dairy Rd. for the handgun. The case has been closed by means other than arrest.

February 3

WADESBORO – At 12:33 a.m., Deputies responded to Pineview Circle following a report of a domestic dispute from a female caller requesting assistance. Deputies met the female outside the residence where she reported that her boyfriend had beaten her and stole her phone before running away. Case remains active.

MORVEN – At 11:29 a.m., Deputies responded to Sandy Ridge Mobile Home Park in response to a simple assault taking place. A female victim met deputies on scene, explaining that she had been assaulted and cut with a beer bottle. The suspect was described as a white female who left in a white van driven by a black female, headed towards Chesterfield, SC. The suspect had arrived at the residence to speak with the brother of the victim when the altercation ensued. The case is active.

WADESBORO – At 8:12 a.m., Deputies responded to Morning Dr. following a report of damage to property. It was determined that Demetria Littlejohn damaged the property of Reginald Odell Jr. by removing his mailbox from the ground and busting a rear window to his home. In return, Odell used a metal dog cage to bust the windshield and damage the hood of the vehicle driven by Littlejohn. It was discovered that the vehicle was a rental. Both the male and female subject advised Officer Sam Mullis that they had been involved in an altercation previously taking place in Rockingham. In the prior incident, the female stated that Odell had shot into her residence with a firearm. Rockingham police were contacted and stated that they had responded to the female’s Rockingham address in regards to the damage. Upon arriving, Rockingham deputies report that Odell had thrown a brick into her residence, the brick still lying inside on the floor of the residence. RPD advised her to speak with the Magistrate in regards to filing charges, but state that Littlejohn never did. Both subjects were taken before the Magistrate, with the female producing video of Odell assaulting her vehicle with the dog cage. Charges were obtained and served on both suspects, both were placed in jail. Case closed by arrest.

February 4

POLKTON – At 3:15 p.m., Deputies responded to Wightman Church Rd. following a report of someone breaking and entering into a residence in what appeared to be a landlord and tenet dispute. The female tenet stated that her landlord left her a message that she needed to be out of the camper by Monday, February 5, which she states that she agreed to do. However, while the victim was away from the camper she received a call from a neighbor stating that her landlord had entered her camper and begun throwing her belongings out onto the ground. The victim returned and observed her landlord standing in the doorway of the camper brandishing a broom which he was using to push her property out of the camper. The victim asked him to stop and leave the camper, resulting in a confrontation between the two. The landlord was able to enter the premises via a broken lock that the victim had previously reported being broken to her landlord, who refused to fix it. The only damage inside the residence was a rip in the victim’s couch. Deputies made contact with the landlord via public service and advised him of the eviction process. Case has been closed by means other than arrest.

February 9

POLKON – At 12:28 a.m., Deputies responded to Fallow View Rd., following a report of damage to the victim’s Honda Accord front and rear bumpers, value unknown. Unable to locate the damaged vehicle, Deputies went to the residence and were able to contact the victim there. She stated that she had gotten into an altercation with another female. Deputies were informed that the verbal altercation occurred because of a dispute involving the victim’s father. Following the verbal altercation, the female suspect attempted to run over the victim’s father. When the intended male victim jumped out of the way of the approaching suspect’s car, she then allegedly rammed her vehicle into the Honda Accord. Following ramming her car into the victim’s, she then allegedly drove her car into a tree leaving a trail of pieces of plastic around the tree. Due to conflicting stories Deputies were unable to determine the sequence of events and both parties were advised of their options. Case is active.

WADESBORO – At 9:43 p.m. Deputies arrived at North Carolina 109 N following a 911 hang up call. Responding to the scene, Deputies determined a female victim had been assaulted. The victim stated that Mr. Jameil Sowell had struck her on the head. Sowell was in the process of leaving the scene upon Deputies arrival. Both parties were detained and transferred to the Magistrate’s Office. Sowell was arrested and placed in Anson County Jail.

February 10

WADESBORO – At 9:29 a.m., Deputies responded to Country Club Rd. following a report of larceny. Upon arriving on scene, Deputies were shown by the victim the damage to his truck. The offenders externally cut the hood release cable to gain access to the vehicle’s battery. Additionally, the seat had been removed from the victim’s golf cart revealing several batteries inside that were not taken. After searching the premises, no additional items appeared to have been stolen. The offenders stole the truck battery, valued at $100.00 The case is active.

February 11

ANSONVILLE – At 9:55 a.m., Deputies responded to Godfrey Ave. following a report of damage to personal property. The victim stated that he noticed new damage to the front and passenger side of his vehicle. According to the victim, the vehicle was secure around 5:30 p.m. on February 10. When he went to the store someone pointed the new damage out to him. The damaged vehicle is a black 2018 Nissan Altima and is valued at $500.00. Case is active.

WADESBORO – At 10:45 a.m., Deputies responded to Martin Rd. following a report of a domestic disturbance. Arriving on scene, Deputies assessed the victim, determining she had redness and swelling around her lower lip. The victim stated she was in an argument with Tyler Westin, who pushed her face into a wall located behind her. Sergeant Kelly caught up with Westin walking on Mount Vernon Rd. He stated to Kelly that the victim was arguing with him and when he tried to walk away from her, she walked up behind him. Westin stated that when he turned around he inadvertently struck the victim in the mouth with his elbow. Westin was taken to the Magistrate’s Office, charged with assault on a female, and placed in Anson County Jail.

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Wadesboro Primary celebrates fitness with new Cubs on the Run afterschool program https://ansonrecord.com/news/37862/wadesboro-primary-celebrates-fitness-with-new-cubs-on-the-run-afterschool-program 2024-02-19T01:49:00Z Lauren Monica Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of Anson County Schools

WADESBORO ­­−─ The Wadesboro Primary School has started Cubs on the Run, an after school program geared towards getting students off the couch and running towards a goal.

Despite the club’s fresh launch, Cubs on the Run is already seeing speedy students out on the track. Students Jayceon Easterling, Jashaun McKoy, Kayden Owens, Arion Marshall, and Jeremiah Tillman impressed with their remarkable stamina and speed, running a mile in under 12 minutes.

The after school program is available to students in second and third grades. Practice meets for Cubs on the Run are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week.

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