ANSON — The first ever “Athletes Give Back Day” proved to be a huge success. Students, athletes, coaches & parents showed up at Anson High School to do beautifying projects for the school like refreshing mulch, picking up trash, cleaning out and planting new shrubs, filling up flower pots, pressure washing sidewalks and pruning/cutting hedges.

The next “Athletes Give Back Day” is scheduled for the fall.

In a statement, AHS staff shared, “Thank you again to all who came out and volunteered today and we would also like to give a special shoutout to Danny Beachum Landscaping Materials and Charlie Wallace with Wallace Pressure Washing Service.”

ANSON — On Thursday, April 18, 2024, members of the Wadesboro Police Department, Wadesboro Fire Department, Anson County Sheriff’s Office, Anson County Emergency Management, Anson County EMS, NCSHP, Anson County 911, and Atrium MedCenter Air participated in a simulated crash scene for the students at Anson High School.

The event started with a presentation by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD North Carolina) in the gymnasium, followed by a simulated crash scene in the parking lot.

In addition to MADD North Carolina, BC DHHS Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch travled to Anson County with the goal of spreading the message to students to make good decisions.

Williamson Wrecker Service provided two vehicles and assisted with setting up the simulated crash scene for students.

WADESBORO — Back in January, the Anson County Board of Commissioners received a visit from David Baker, the Director of Tax and Revenue Outreach for the Association of County Commissioners, who briefly shared security concerns he noted while conducting a peer review.

Among the concerns he shared were the amount of cameras mounted within the courthouse and the angles of their scope of view.

In response to Baker’s report, some commissioners, county officials, and Superior Court Resident Judge Stephan Futrell, met to weigh cost versus need in courtroom security for Anson County.

Wading into the discussion, Sheriff Scott Howell addressed commissioners at Tuesday’s April 16 board meeting.

“Before I get started on the topic I came to address tonight, I would like to introduce to you some of the staff that we have recently hired in the last few months, to share with you some of their accomplishments, to show you the caliber of people we are now hiring in Anson County.”

First called up to the podium for recognition by the Sheriff, was Steven Marsh, who went to SPCC and completed BLET.

“There are about sixty-five to sixty-eight blocks of instruction and then you take the state exam,” explained Howell. “For his [Marsh] class, he had the highest average or highest score on the state exam in his BLET class,” the Sheriff proclaimed with pride.

Cory Howard followed, with Sheriff Howell sharing that, “Of those sixty-five tests, Howard had the highest average of testing in all those blocks in his class.”

Remarking on the speed in which Howard will be conducting foot chases, Howell jokingly commented that Howard is so fast he even missed how quickly he completed the state physical fitness test.

Saying that he had beaten the test by two seconds, Howard was forced to politely whisper a correction to the Sheriff, “It was twelve seconds, Sir.”

Whipping around to face Howard, Howell pretended to sternly thunder, “Don’t ever correct me,” while maintaining a straight face as the room erupted with laughter.

Conceding it to be an even better accomplishment, Howell added, “He was also valedictorian of his class.”

Next the sheriff recognized Jacky King, Wylder Kuhn, Jasmine Ratliff, and Taylor White.

“Taylor was in a different class from some of these guys, she went through the Richmond County program and she had the highest average of those sixty-five tests at the end of the block of instruction. She also was chosen as the most outstanding cadet by the director of BLET in her class.”

Following Taylor, Howell celebrated Nichola Leviner, praising, “Ms. Leviner comes to us with seven years experience and six years in investigation. She is doing a great job in the detective division for us.”

Wayne Jordan comes to Anson County equipped with an impressive thirty-two year history in law enforcement. Howell enthuses that, “Twenty-three of those years were in investigations.”

Acknowledging recent meetings taking place to discuss improving courthouse security measures, attended by County Manager Leonard Sossaman and Commissioners’ Jamie Caudle and JD Bricken, Sheriff Howell stated, “I saw an estimate for the installation and wiring of a camera system for the courthouse was available and I think that it is probably not the only one by our county’s rules, there might be others before this one would get submitted, but that bid was $238,726.07.”

Howell went on to share that many concerns were mentioned during the meeting, including needing to hire a deputy to watch the camera monitors.

“The only thing is,” cautioned Sheriff Howell, “is that if an assault begins to happen, that is just what you are going to see, you are going to watch it happen on the monitor.”

Howell surmises that the camera will not prevent anyone from getting assaulted.

Drawing from his wealth of knowledge, Sheriff Howell predicted, “By the time a deputy, or someone else gets there, the assault is going to be over with.”

Howell went on to share that a commissioner offered the cost effective solution of hiring additional deputies to prevent or stop an incident, rather than putting in an expensive security system that merely records incidents as they occur.

“Judge Futrell agreed that it would be a lot better to have boots on the ground than it would be to have cameras on the wall. “

Bolstered by the judge’s backing, Howell suggested, “My proposal to you is to hire three deputies to work in the courthouse. They would work security at the courthouse, the metal detector, and in the courtroom.”

Reasoning that court is not always in session, Howell is confident none of the Anson County Sheriff’s Office duties would be affected by additional security duties at the courthouse.

Howell detailed that one deputy will always be stationed by the metal detector, with two deputies guarding the basic area of the courthouse.

Recounting a 2016 disturbance at the courthouse as evidence for his claims, Howell shared,”We had a guy come to the front door of the courthouse with an AR-15, saw a deputy there, and it scared him off. The deputy had only been at that post for almost thirty days. Prior to that, we did not have a metal detector deputy, and there would have been no one there to stop him from entering the building.”

The Sheriff soberly pointed out that the deputy who saved the day back in 2016 had been transferred to that post. He had been removed from his previous position to serve at the courthouse, causing the Sheriff’s Office to be down a person on the force.

Howell further proposed that when the deputies were not needed in court, he would like to see them having a physical presence at the Department of Social Services, the Administration Building, and any other buildings that have a high volume of visitors.”

Another suggestion advanced by the Sheriff would be to have a sex offender register deputy, whose duties would be to, “Assist the administrative staff that registers sex offenders and to help ensure those sex offenders across the county are held in compliance and that they are doing what they are supposed to do, and living where they are supposed to be living at.”

Reinforcing his argument, Howell advised, “These deputies would also provide security in any kind of government building on the various occasions where law enforcement presence is needed.”

Salary discussed for the deputies ranges to $195,000.00 with benefits, and an additional $132,00.00 for patrol vehicles.

“Like last year, there is money available in our budget that would pay for this, in addition to saving the $238,000.00,” persuaded Howell.

Following the Sheriff’s address, Commissioner JD Bricken made a motion to proceed with the Sheriff’s proposal, confiding, “I was at the meetings and I think it is really great that the judge listened to the idea of having them in.”

Concerned with cost, Commissioner Harold Smith asked, “Did you say you already have the money?”

“The money would come from saving, by not having to put cameras in.”

Adding insight, Bricken stated, “The judge mandated that proposal for the cameras. He wasn’t asking us to come up with a quarter-million dollars, he was telling us to. It is nice that he has given us some flexibility when deciding what to do with it.”

“I second the motion,” spoke up Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn.

Commissioners voted five to two to proceed with Sheriff Howell’s recommendations, with Commissioners’ Little-Reed and Smith the lone objectors.

WADESBORO — On Tuesday, April 16, the Anson County Board of Commissioners began their regularly scheduled meeting with a public hearing to discuss imposing a potential moratorium against flea markets moving into Anson County.

In the beginning

Rumors began to swirl in February when the news of a proposed flea market moving into the tranquil communities of Burnsville and Peachland was first announced by the flea market owners, via a Facebook page setup to advertise for the new business.

As more information came to light, Anson County residents learned vendors from the former Sweet Union Flea Market, a large and widely-known flea market in Monroe, were moving into the area, opening the Barnyard-Peachland Flea Market on the grounds of a dilapidated former poultry farm on Faulkner Rd.

Much concern was caused by this news in the community owing to the reputation the Sweet Union Flea Market had for being a business of ill repute, garnered by the market’s gradual decline in both products and safety.

Sweet Union Flea Market abruptly closed in December, leaving its family of weekly business vendors without a place to showcase their wares.

Rumor slowly bubbled into resentment within the community, often igniting feelings of betrayal between residents and their elected officials.

Looming large over flea market discussions is the resurrected specter of poorly attended public hearings previously held on zoning, with county officials claiming its controversial consequences are now coming home to roost.

In recent weeks, residents from the Burnsville and Peachland communities have appeared before the Board of Commissioners to express concerns they have over the business’ weekly projected occupancy of 400 cars, potentially 600 people, coming in and out of narrow, dead end Faulkner Rd.

Residents have consistently expressed concern these traffic woes will spill onto NC Highway 742, affecting traffic from Hopewell Methodist Church on Sundays, hindering EMS’ ability to reach the facility or travel through the congested area, increasing crime, and potentially lowering property market values. Citizen concern has not been limited to commissioner meetings, as many commissioners report being harangued when sighted outside of board meetings.

All of this has culminated in an attempt by commissioners to impose a six- month moratorium against flea markets moving into Anson County.

In a recent board meeting, where the public hearing for the moratorium was announced, County Attorney Scott Forbes, was prompted to predict, “In the end, even with a moratorium, I do not see you ending the flea market coming to this area. Even if you have a public hearing and you implement it, I do not see that being the end of this. I do not think that it is going to cause the flea market not to come here.”

The public hearing

“The purpose of this public hearing is to consider whether or not to implement a moratorium on flea markets in Anson County. This public hearing is to gather evidence and information for the board to make that decision,” introduced Chairman Jamie Caudle, before turning proceedings over to the public for statements on the impending flea market.

Art Taylor, a citizen who has regularly spoken out against the flea market, opened public comments by reading from another’s previously prepared research.

“As of this morning the following concerns still remain from the Barnyard Flea Market, from a permitting aspect no electrical or plumbing related permits have been requested by the flea market.”

Taylor went on to add as a personal note, “I’m curious about structural inspection, because we did notice in the paper that a lot of new construction was done on the houses.”

Reminding commissioners’ of an ongoing permit concern shared by Taylor and many of his neighbors, he continued, “The driveway connection was approved after the fact with no approval request up front. The flea market was advised to provide a report noting trip generation, and data to plan that would allow the DOT to evaluate traffic patterns on a narrow dead end road. It has not been provided as of this morning.”

According to Taylor, the flea market Facebook page boasts of projected space availability for up to 600 vendors, which does not include customers.

“This would result in a massive amount of required parking, this fact alone, in my opinion, is absolutely overwhelming for Faulkner Rd., a dead end road.”

Speaking on behalf of native citizens in the community, Alana Hyatt addressed commissioners,’ sharing the emotional impact the proposed flea market has caused her family.

Hyatt began by declaring her love of a good flea market and her fear that a good flea market may not be what is moving in on Faulkner Rd.

She explained that, as avid flea market frequenters, Hyatt and her husband had previously shopped at the Sweet Union Flea Market, recalling fond memories of weekends spent perusing vendors’ wares for secret treasures. Hyatt remembers experiencing the good times turning into fears for personal safety and the secret treasures turned into cheap, imitation products.

“The last trip we made there [Sweet Union Flea Market] was downright uncomfortable. My husband decided it was no longer a safe environment for us to return to.”

Hyatts’ family is confident they made a wise decision as, “We have heard countless tales of criminal activities that took place at Sweet Union after that. Now we are being assured that many of those vendors, who are more or less evicted from Sweet Union, will be setting up shop several hundred feet from my family’s land.”

She wonders, as have many of her neighbors, “Why would a business that would greatly benefit from passer by traffic, choose a location on a dead end road, literally in the middle of nowhere, where passer by traffic is virtually non- existent? From a business standpoint that seems absurd, but from a personal and community standpoint, that seems downright suspicious.”

Attempting to hold back the anguish flooding into her words, Hyatt added, “My maternal grandparents and great-grandparents established two homes on our family land, and provided my parents with enough land to have a home and raise a family.”

Hyatt shared that her dad, worked hard as his father before him had, to afford to add to their family’s acreage. Sadly, Hyatt’s father passed away from cancer before the dream he had of his future generations settling into homes of their own on family land could be realized.

“My sister and her husband, determined to honor his wishes, were preparing to build a house on Faulkner Rd. They did their due diligence, spent a small fortune on a soil scientist, because, of course, nothing is going to perk in Anson County. Despite the odds stacked against young families that have a desire to build in our area they were getting closer and closer to groundbreaking. They felt that a quiet dead end road would be the perfect place to raise their small daughter, and hopefully, their future children. This was their American Dream.”

Invoking the night’s first note of contention, Hyatt concluded, “I thought commissioners’ and other county officials, who were voted into office by citizens of their district, would feel an obligation to support and at the very least, sympathize with, the very people who voted them into office. I am so disappointed in the way that our community members and their concerns have been received.”

Hyatt shared that she, and others, felt the flea market might be payback from elected officials, sardonically stating, “Simply because zoning laws were not voted into effect prior to this. Well, this is the way to show us, usher the flea market into our community because there is no better way to thumb your nose at the ones who did not vote for zoning. I applaud your efforts to show your support for the county residents who voted you into those seats you are sitting in.”

Visiting the construction site of the new flea market with her husband, Joan Shay, another outspoken critic of the flea market, stopped to pray with the new owner, Jose Garcia.

Through their conversation with him, the couple learned that Garcia is affiliated with three flea markets in the state of Florida.

“We have been to those three flea markets,” recalls Shay with a shudder. “We had to leave,” she declared.

“Due to the gangs,” continued Shay. “We saw gangs, drug deals, and I don’t know what else because we could not stay, it was not safe,” she reiterated.

“If one of these owners is affiliated with those groups, I am fully against having that kind of business near my house or anyone else in the rural area and I am fully for the moratorium,” closed Shay.

Rounding out the night of frequent speakers against the flea market, Linda Vann shared, “The past few months of coming to commissioner meetings has been an enlightening learning experience. At the first meeting we attended, there was talk about a moratorium being set forth on this issue. It was even released in the paper.”

Vann went on to remind commissioners that citizens were initially given a date in April for a public hearing on zoning, which has now been pushed back to May.

“At the next meeting we were informed of no moratorium, not even a chance. I found out no traffic study will happen. I feel as a resident of this community and Anson County, that we were told what some thought we wanted to hear to give a little more time to allow this to take place.”

Vann went on to acknowledge a grievance shared by many in the community; she and others were not notified until the meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Monday, March 25, to discuss the moratorium feasibility, was already underway.

“I find it odd that we didn’t know about the last meeting until about 3:30 in the afternoon, but the flea market was notified of the meeting before the community was.”

Vann added, “At the last meeting that I watched online,” she pointedly recalled, “It was hard to tell who was representing whom in that meeting. It was hard to tell whether our community was being represented, or just the flea market was being represented.”

The Response

Concluding public statements on the matter, Tona Diaz, stepped up to the podium next. He is the son of owner, Jose Diaz, and has become the reluctant face of the flea market through his role as media liaison. Diaz was unprepared and surprised to find himself called upon to fill such a role when he and his father first considered the land on Faulkner Rd.

“I generally think from all the business owners, the partners that we have in the flea market, we do not mean any harm. I think we have reiterated it, reiterated it so many times, we mean no harm to anybody in the community.”

Diaz knows the flea market coming to the area is bringing changes to the community and is not without empathy for residents living in the Faulkner Rd. neighborhood.

“We do sympathize with them to some extreme, but that is just what came to us. If we had found a better location somewhere on the road, on 74 or some other big highway, we probably would have gone there first,” he explained. “We didn’t find anything, and a lot of these people are struggling to feed their families, so we wanted to look and see what we could do as a community, from the vendors, to get these people going again, feeding their families, and continuing on with their lives as well.”

Diaz reiterated that he and his fellow vendors are deeply sympathetic to residents and their emotions over his family’s business venture.

But at the end of the day, he feels, “This is not a matter of emotion, this is more a matter of legality, like it was told at the last meeting. We are just here to sell our goods and bring positive change, even though some people might not believe it is a positive change, to the county. I think everyone has their own version of their American Dream, and I think our American Dream is building something that will withstand the test of time.”

Diaz confided his hope that a hundred years from now the flea market will still be standing with lines of families eager to come in and spend a day making a memory there.

The interrogation

Following returning proceedings back to the Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn called Diaz to return to the podium to answer questions from he and his fellow commissioners.

“Based on the concerns that we are hearing, what do you plan to put in place to ensure that what is sold at your flea market is going to be first quality items, and then second of all, what do you plan to have in place to make sure that there is no illegal activity and no violence?”

Eager to receive the question, Diaz answered, “The first part of your question, the quality of goods, in the state of North Carolina, we all know it is illegal to sell any counterfeit goods. If we see any sort of illegal activity, like selling counterfeit goods, knives, weapons, or drugs, any sort of that and they will be automatically taken off the property, local government will be contacted, and they will proceed with their legal actions, which is as much as we can do from a business standpoint.”

Diaz further confided, “All the vendors there are owners, so everybody as an owner, we, as a collective, have agreed if you see something, say something.”

The flea market has previously proposed, and spoken with Sheriff Scott Howell, to gain approval for at least two off-duty deputies to be stationed, along with their patrol car, on the premises of the property during hours of business operation. The security detail will be paid for by the flea market and not Anson County tax payers.

Detailing the relatable analogy of the scrap metal process, Commissioner JD Bricken spoke up to inquire, “If you were to bring scrap metal to the metal yard, they require a photo ID and then when you sell them the metal they will have a record of where it came from. A lot of people will bring stuff to your program project that you don’t necessarily know the origin of, would you have something similar like that [photo id for vendors]?”

Agreeing they would have a similar process in place as to the scrap metal yard, Diaz clarified, “We would have something similar where every vendor has their photo ID logged in our database at the front office. Every vendor, even if it is just once, or if they are recurring vendors every weekend, they are going to have their photo, their information, saved in our database.”

He went on to explain the information would be handed over to law enforcement, should it be needed, “and if they need any additional information we are more than happy to help. That goes for the catalogs as well, a lot of vendors work with catalogs, so we will have to see what catalogs they are bringing in, making sure that they are not counterfeits, that they are their own brand.”

Addressing parking concerns shared by citizens, Commissioner Priscilla Little-Reed interjected, “They saying there is an issue with parking, where are the people going to be parking at when they come?”

Answering Little-Reed, Diaz responded, “The way it is setup, I wish I had a picture of it, it is in the back for all the customers. We approximated there are around four hundred spots for cars. It depends on how many people come in a car, but that is just as much as we can predict, about four hundred cars that can fit in the back. On the sides of the actual chicken houses are spots for the vendors to park.”

The Diaz’s envision each vendor parking behind their booth for the day, preventing an interruption to the naturally planned traffic flow from occurring.

“There is a one way road where emergency vehicles, EMS, police officers, can get through with no issue and back out, it has all been cleared for that specific reason,” he continued.

Sticking with the same line of questioning as Little-Reed, Commissioner Robert Mims, asked, “You said there are four hundred parking spaces, let’s say five hundred people are out there, what are you going to do with the extra hundred cars?”

Diaz patiently explained his management team will be in place to help direct the flow of traffic should an unforeseen crowd of eager flea market attendees suddenly descend on the venue, adding, “We can figure out a way to deal with the extra cars, whether that be unattended vendor spaces that are not being used… we will not interrupt the flow of traffic on Faulkner Rd. We will have it inside the property,” he promised. “We as the business owners and management team will be in charge of directing traffic and making sure that nothing happens.”

“But you are aware that you cannot park on the side of Faulkner Rd., you have to be on your property,” questioned Caudle, seeking a pledge of specificity from Diaz.

“We will only be parking inside the flea market, no parking on the outside. We have purchased signs that say no parking, so if we see any parking there they will be towed at their own expense,” declared Diaz.

Desiring to bring attention to an economic boon where one can be found, Commissioner Bricken announced, with the support of Sheriff Howell, that off-duty officers hired to secure the flea market will be paid an hourly wage of $40.00.

For his part, Caudle questioned Diaz on why architectural drawings for the facility have not been submitted to date.

“It is a process where we have our structural engineer, our electrical engineer, and then as far as a plumbing engineer goes, we have not really decided yet because we are not even open yet. We cannot install bathroom facilities as a set building so we will have portable restrooms, but they will be designated, and we have spoken with the health department on how many we need. It is a process where I believe we have done structural first, and now we are just waiting on our electrical engineer to finish up his drawings so they can submit it to our architect, so that they can get all the drawings together and present one big, nice blueprint to y’all so you guys can look over it and make sure everything is good to go.”

Inviting the Anson County tax assessor and planning officer, Larry Newton, to the podium, Commissioner Lawrence Gatewood jovially sympathized that he was glad to not be in Newton’s shoes for the public hearing.

“Regarding the Internal Review Committee, could you just briefly tell us what that committee does,” he requested.

Acquiescing, Newton explained that the committee is made up of departments that are related to the influence that particular development would bring to the county. Newton cautioned that not every department will be involved in all of the review processes, but that every department that will be influenced by it, whether it be law enforcement, EMS, or Fire and Rescue services, need to contribute to the process to determine if the business is something the county can sustain and allow to be located in the county safely.

“We are basically concerned with public health, safety, and welfare,” summed up Newton.

Segueing to his next question, Gatewood again regaled the audience, reliving the horrifying moment he drove over to Faulkner Rd. and took in the totality of the proposed project. He recalled wondering in shock how the flea market got approval, and was prompted to ask, “Was there anyone from the Internal Review Committee that went up to the site to inspect it, came back, and gave a report?”

“No, there was not,” answered Newton.

“On reflection, do you think that was a mistake,” followed up Gatewood, to which Newton confidently answered, “No, I do not.”

Pointing out that Hopewell Methodist Church is within a mile from the location of the future flea market, Gatewood inquired if the church had been taken into account.

“No,” curtly answered Newton, adding, “We have to keep in mind too, that with no zoning in the county, with public, health, safety, and welfare, the issue, the people have a vested right to do what is lawful on that property. Zoning is the cushion that either slows that down or stops it and brings it into more focus, whether you allow it or you don’t.”

Continuing to question Newton, Gatewood asked, “And they have the right even in consideration of the potential impact it could have on the community and the citizens that reside in that area, lived in that area for many, many years?”

Dodging answering with a yes or no, Newton instead noted that all necessary officials and departments have been involved from the outset of the flea market planning process through the Internal Review Committee.

As long as the flea market is not conducting, condoning, or harboring illegal activity on its premises, Newton reiterated, “They still have a vested right to do what we allow them to do in those zoned areas.”

Turning to Caudle, Gatewood inquired, “Do we know when DOT will have their assessments available?”

Citing a recently received email, Caudle stated, “On March 26 an email was sent to the NCDOT’s district engineer from [County Manager Leonard Sossaman] requesting a traffic study for the proposed Faulkner Rd. flea market. He was responded to by the NCDOT, which says, ‘The NCDOT typically does not do traffic impact analysis studies for developments that are coming in. If those developments meet our criteria for a traffic study, then we would require them to do one.’”

It was further noted in the email from NCDOT that the owner of the flea market visited their office to inquire about a driveway permit process. In addition to submitting for an access permit, we have asked the applicant to provide trip generation for their site. This will give us a better idea of the volume of traffic going in and out of their site. In general, we require a traffic impact analysis for developments with an estimated trip generation of 3,000 trips per day.”

Caudle added that commissioners had received no further correspondence from NCDOT officials regarding the flea market, only that, “They [NCDOT] are waiting on Mr. Diaz to submit his plans as to the estimated trips per day (data), DOT will then see if they meet that criteria. Anson County does not have the authority to request that the DOT do a traffic study, they are telling us they don’t do it unless the company meets that requirement,” emphasized Caudle.

Following a motion made by Woodburn, and seconded by Gatewood, commissioners voted unanimously to end the public hearing.

The Vote

“I make a motion that we do not move forward with implementing a moratorium at this time. My research on moratoriums (indicates) that moratoriums do not prevent a business from locating in a place that is not zoned, based on the fact that it is going to create a change to a community.

A moratorium is issued only if it meets certain criteria, as our county attorney (Scott Forbes) has stated previously,” reasoned Chairman Caudle.

Following Caudle’s declaration, Little-Reed voiced her agreement, quietly stating, “I second that motion.”

Interjecting a final moment of clarity, Bricken interjected,“I just want to point out that all the proper authorities are still in place with or without a moratorium.”

After the brief discussion, commissioners voted 6 to 1 in favor of not moving forward with a moratorium against flea markets in Anson County.

Commissioners’ Caudle, Bricken, Mims, Woodburn, Smith, and Little-Reed, all voted in favor of the motion put forth by Chairman Caudle. Commissioner Lawrence Gatewood cast the sole dissenting vote.

MARSHVILLE — Working in conjunction with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Greensboro Police Department, United States Secret Service, and the Marshville Police Department, the Wadesboro Police Department conducted an operation that resulted in the arrest of Dewon Rayquan Hailey at a residence in Marshville, NC.

On Wednesday March 6, the Wadesboro Police Department responded to a call at the Oak Hill Apartment Complex. Upon arriving at the complex, officers discovered 30-year-old Jamarcus D. Sellers of Rockingham suffering from numerous gunshot wounds.

Sellers was taken to Atrium Health Anson where he later 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. Immediately, warrants were obtained for Hailey’s arrest, charging him with the First Degree Murder of Jamarcus D. Sellers.

Following a lengthy search and investigation for Hailey that spanned across two counties, Anson and Union, law enforcement brought Hailey into custody on Thursday, April18.

He has been placed in the Anson County Jail without bond and is currently awaiting trial.

Taking a brief moment to share his gratitude, Chief Brandon H. Chewning stated, “I’d like to thank the numerous agencies, officers, and citizens who assisted in this investigation and apprehension.”

March 22

WADESBORO — At 1:29 a.m., deputies arrived at Green Hill School Rd. following a report of suspects driving their gray Honda Accord into the front yard of the victim, damaging the vehicle of the homeowner. Taking it to the streets, the victim advised dispatch they were currently in pursuit of the suspects, who had fled the scene without determining damage or injury. When Sgt. Ryan Melton arrived on scene, he was was informed by WPD that the suspects had, “just left their homeboys house on Green Hill School Rd. when this Honda was following him all the way to his residence.”

The victims further admitted to leaving the residence without looking around to see if anything had been damaged.

Traveling back to the victim’s residence on Green Hill Rd., Sgt. Melton found the vehicle of the victim to have bullet holes in the side of the driver’s door. Two shell casings was found in the vicinity to of the victim’s vehicle. Additionally, the sounds of three gunshots was recorded on the victim’s home security, Total damage to property is valued at $300.00. Case is closed by the arrest of Rashard Little.

LILESVILLE — At 3:31 a.m., deputies responded to Power Plant Rd. following a report of stolen Landmark brand shingles valued at $6,500.00. A pallet and a quarter of shingles were stolen from the back of the victim’s parked trailer. Case is active.

March 23

POLKTON — At 8:01 p.m., deputies responded to Martin St. following a report of a domestic disturbance underway. Arriving on scene, deputies quickly restored calm and order, case closed by means of exception.

WADESBORO At 9:31 p.m., deputies responded to Pineview Circle following a report of an assault on a female taking place. Arriving to the scene, deputies spoke with the victim, obtained photographic evidence of the claimed assault, and determined the incident had occurred the previous night. Case closed by means other than arrest.

March 24

POLKTON — At 9:00 p.m., deputies responded to Wightman Church Rd. following a report of damage to a vehicle. Arriving at the scene, deputies discovered the victim’s boyfriend had an ex girlfriend, who, unhappy with her reassignment, had taken out her vengeance on the victim’s Toyota corolla. Deputies could visually ascertain a dent in the front passenger door, possibly caused by a foot. Additionally, it appeared to deputies as if the love lorn assailant bent on destruction had made a half hearted attempt to scratch a word into the hood of the corolla, before her ire may have run out of steam. Case has been closed by means other than arrest.

March 24

POLKTON — At 8:05 p.m., deputies responded to Ansonville Polkton Rd. following a report of a broken glass door valued at $200.00, case has been closed by means other than arrest.

LILESVILLE — At 6:48 p.m., deputies responded to the Magistrate’s Office following a report of a domestic disturbance previously unfolding at a residence on NC 145. The victim stated that her ex boyfriend assaulted her, and deputies sighted marking on the victim consistent with her claim. Tyreq Carelock of Union County, was found in Union County, and placed under arrest.

POLKTON — At 4:32 a.m., deputies responded to Blonnie Ross Rd. following a report of an assault involving a firearm. Deputies secured the scene upon their arrival and obtained statements from witnesses to the incident. Case closed by means other than arrest.

March 28

WADESBORO — At 9:00 a.m., deputies at ACSO heard from a victim of a recent domestic altercation. The suspect, Tyler Helms, was later located at the victim’s residence and placed under arrest at the Anson County Jail, with an unsecured bond of $1,000.00.

WADESBORO — At 7:54 p.m., deputies at ACSO heard from a victim of larceny. During a recent visit to her home, the guest the victim had welcomed into her living room had allegedly stolen her wallet from out of her purse, positioned at the feet of the would be perpetrator during their visit in the home. Value of stolen property is $ 1,660.00. Case is active.

March 29

WADESBORO — At 8:09 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a located backpack containing personal items, including two identification cards bearing the name Shaniqa Pegues. Entering the bag and its contents into evidence, the case remains active.

PEACHLAND — At 11:59 a.m., deputies responded to Tucker Rd. following a report of credit card fraud taking place, the value of monies stolen totaling $400.00. Case is closed by means other than arrest.

ANSON — In a long anticipated moment for Anson County, Dr. George Truman, Chairperson for the Anson County Board of Education and Superintendent Howard McLean, officially signed the contract to build the new Anson Middle School.

The new school will be located on land off of Highway 74, adjacent to Anson High School, and will serve the youth and citizens of Anson County for many years to come.

The contract is resultant of the many hours Mr. Freeman, and Mr. McLean, spent in consultation with the board, architects, and government officials, so the signing of this contract carries with it the Anson County School District’s tremendous gratitude to Mr. Michael Freeman, retired Superintendent of ACS’s from 2013 to 2020, and current Superintendent Howard McLean.

The pair are also responsible for putting in place the plans and funding needed to make the new middle school project a reality.

The contract for the new middle school has been a labor of love, involving many hours of planning and visits by the Anson County Board of Education and the administrative staff of our school system.

In a released statement, the ACSD shared, “It’s heartening to see the collaboration and dedication of individuals like Mr. Freeman, Superintendent McLean, the Anson County Board of Education, Anson County Commissioners, and Pinnacle Architecture all working together to make this project possible. This new school will undoubtedly benefit generations of students and contribute to the growth and development of Anson County.”

WADESBORO — “I don’t want anyone to forget about her and the five babies she left behind,” pleads Starla Gunn, three years after the murder of her best friend and adopted cousin, Felicia Ann Rollins.

Rollins, 36, of Marshville was reported missing on September 5, 2021.

For three long, anxious days her family and friends gathered in prayer and held out hope that their Felicia, the girl whose smile could brighten anyone’s bad day, would be found safe.

Gunn, who was babysitting for Felicia up until the Friday she went missing, remembers with heart breaking clarity the call she received from a DSS worker.

“At first when she said they found Felicia, I was so happy,” recalls Gunn, the moment still a kaleidoscope of jumbled puzzle pieces in her mind. For many bewildered seconds, Gunn clutched the phone, her elation preventing her from understanding what the DSS worker meant.

Her joy was to be short lived, traded for denial and despair, as understanding began to take hold. In her mind ‘found’ should have meant coming home.

“I remember my husband and my mom came rushing in,” shares Gunn, reliving the moment her pain brought her to her knees.

She had just been told that Rollins would not be coming back home to Marshville, to her babies… instead Rollins was found dumped in a wooded area in the early morning hours of September 8, at the National Wildlife Refuge.

Suddenly, the best friend Gunn had known since wearing diapers, the girl who had been present through every major milestone and hurdle in her life, was just… gone. In one quick murderous moment, Rollin’s life ended and Gunn’s would never be the same again.

“We used to love riding around with the wind in our hair… Felicia didn’t like to be a part of drama and we used to really enjoy getting away from everything on the open road,” says Gunn.

Sometimes these car trips would find them ending up at Hatley’s Skating Rink, blowing off steam as they sang along to all the latest hits thundering out of the rink’s speakers.

Both girls grew up with a love of Halloween and all things spooky. For Rollins, Halloween was a favorite holiday, and for Gunn, her birthday.

“Felicia loved sugar skulls and flamingos. She had just gotten an umbrella and bag with sugar skulls on them… those were missing too,” she recounts, reminded anew of her friend’s murder. “All of her belongings were gone, they weren’t at the hotel either.”

Gunn states that Rollins was taken to the America’s Best Inn, where it is believed that inside one budget friendly room, her life was ripped from her.

Within days of Rollin’s disappearance, and the discovery of her body, Cedric Sturdivant was arrested for her murder.

Almost three years later, and he is still residing in jail, charged, among other crimes, with concealing/failing to report a death, and first degree murder.

Gunn wonders when she will have an opportunity to face Sturdivant in court, “It has been almost three years and we have never heard anything about a trial.”

Sturdivant had an initial court date of September 14, 2021, and most recently appeared before the court on Monday, April 8, 2024.

Calls to the attorney listed as Sturdivant’s current legal representation have gone unanswered and unreturned as of time of print.

Gunn wants a chance to face Sturdivant in court and ask him why he killed her best friend, “I want him to see my face, the tears I have shed every day because he took her life.”

Sturdivant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, as is the American way, but Gunn is waiting for a trial, waiting for her chance to face Sturdivant, and hear about the last moments of her friend’s life.

Sturdivant, too, has been left waiting almost three years for his day in court.

The memories of her friend eventually proved too much to bear, and Gunn moved away from her hometown of Monroe, explaining, “I just could not take it anymore.”

She is afraid Rollins will be forgotten, reduced to a footnote in the lore of a small town or recounted as a cautionary tale to be shuddered over on dark nights.

These days, Gunn prefers to think of her friend as hidden safely away in a hum-drum life at the seashore, maybe in witness protection.

“I couldn’t see her when she died so it’s easy to imagine her off somewhere… still alive.”

According to her life-long friend, Rollins loved digging her toes in the sandy shore, lying with her face turned up to soak in the warmth of the sun.

Gunn wants people to know Rollins loved her five children with all her heart, that she was the kind of woman who wasn’t scared to voice her opinions, she loved acting silly, her favorite color was pink or any bright colors, and getting lost in a good movie.

There is currently no word on when a date will be set for Sturdivant’s trial. This is a developing story and updates will be provided as they become available.

April 17:

In 1521, Martin Luther went before the Diet of Worms (vohrms) to face charges stemming from his religious writings. (Luther was later declared an outlaw by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.)

In 1961, “The Apartment” won the Academy Award for best picture of 1960; Burt Lancaster was named best actor for “Elmer Gantry,” while the best actress award went to Elizabeth Taylor for “Butterfield 8.”

In 1961, some 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in an attempt to topple Fidel Castro, whose forces crushed the incursion by the third day.

In 1964, Ford Motor Co. unveiled the Mustang at the New York World’s Fair.

In 1969, a jury in Los Angeles convicted Sirhan Sirhan of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

In 1970, Apollo 13 astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert splashed down safely in the Pacific, four days after a ruptured oxygen tank crippled their spacecraft while en route to the moon.

In 1972, the Boston Marathon allowed women to compete for the first time; Nina Kuscsik was the first officially recognized women’s champion, with a time of 3:10:26.

In 1973, Federal Express (later FedEx) began operations as 14 planes carrying 186 packages took off from Memphis International Airport, bound for 25 U.S. cities.

In 1975, Cambodia’s five-year war ended as the capital Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, which instituted brutal, radical policies that claimed an estimated 1.7 million lives until the regime was overthrown in 1979.

In 1986, at London’s Heathrow Airport, a bomb was discovered in the bag of Anne-Marie Murphy, a pregnant Irishwoman about to board an El Al jetliner to Israel; she’d been tricked into carrying the bomb by her Jordanian fiance, Nezar Hindawi.

In 1991, the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 3,000 for the first time, ending the day at 3,004.46, up 17.58.

In 1993, a federal jury in Los Angeles convicted two former police officers of violating the civil rights of beaten motorist Rodney King; two other officers were acquitted.

In 2012, riding on the back of a 747 jet, retired space shuttle Discovery traveled from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to Chantilly, Virginia, to be installed in its new home: the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum annex in Virginia.

In 2013, 15 people were killed in an explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas.

In 2018, Barbara Bush, who was both a first lady and the mother of a president, died in Houston at the age of 92; she was survived by her husband, George H.W. Bush; their marriage of 73 years was the longest of any presidential couple in American history.

In 2020, President Donald Trump urged supporters to “LIBERATE” three states led by Democratic governors, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus.

In 2022, Ukrainian fighters holed up in a steel plant in the last known pocket of resistance inside the shattered city of Mariupol ignored a surrender-or-die ultimatum from the Russians and continued to hold out against the capture of the strategically vital port.

The atmosphere may seem a bit oppressive today, Sagittarius. You like to be free to do what you want to do, and it may bother you that the people around you don’t make themselves available to you. They seem preoccupied by their own business. This could bring out some old wounds that haven’t completely healed.

Capricorn (Dec. 21 - Jan. 19)

You may feel a bit tied down today. It won’t necessarily be a bad day, but you may wonder about certain aspects of your family life. Don’t try and kid yourself. You should think hard about what you want for your family for the next few years and how you intend to go about getting it.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 17)

There are days when you should take everything with a grain of salt. Today you may realize how important it is to gain the appreciation and respect of a certain person. It isn’t worth getting worked up about. You will only make things worse. You may just need to do something that puts the fire back into your emotions.

Pisces (Feb. 18 - March 19)

Pisces, you shouldn’t even try to find a reasonable explanation for what goes on around you today. There isn’t one. Be carried by the tides of emotions from the past that run through your body and soul. There’s no use trying to control them - they need to come out. Instead, take the time to revitalize yourself in the intimacy of your home or at a friend’s, if possible.

Aries (March 20 - April 19)

Today you may ask yourself if you’re satisfied. How is your personal life? Do people live up to your standards or are you always left feeling dissatisfied? It may be time to make some important decisions in your life. What do you really want out of life? You might find some of the answers today.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

Nothing is simple where your family is concerned. If you’ve forgotten that, don’t worry. Today will remind you. You may have to deal with some of your lingering problems with certain family members. You will find you have all the energy you need in order to find the solutions to the conflicts that have been eating at you for a while.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

You like to give people advice and help them find direction in their lives - sometimes when they haven’t even asked. But now it’s your turn to feel a little lost. You may need to get away from it all to get some perspective on your life. What about taking a trip to some faraway land? Today is a good day to make your future vacation plans.

Cancer (June 21 - July 21)

Cancer, you may put your integrity under the microscope today. We all have deep convictions that we would never let go of. But society pressures us, and it isn’t always easy to live in perfect harmony with our ideals. The question to ask yourself today is just how willing are you to change your most heartfelt beliefs in order to live in society? Do you have the courage of your convictions?

Leo (July 22 - Aug. 22)

Your freedom is more important to you than anything else in your life. It’s often very difficult for you to get involved, whether personally or professionally. Nevertheless, today you may have to think about it. Could it be that your thirst for freedom is just an escape? You may need to ponder this question. Who knows? You could decide to take the leap!

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22)

Certain very narrow-minded people may get on your nerves. You’re lucky enough to be an open, tolerant person, Virgo. You take people and situations just as they come. Today you may find yourself in the middle of negotiations between two people with opposite views. Help them open their eyes to each other’s point of view.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)

Today you will be able to explore the power of your emotions. Don’t try and fight what you call your “oversensitivity.” A force from childhood will permeate you and help you to find out what your real needs are. Shouldn’t you think about staying away from people who influence you a little too much? Think about it and go with your emotions.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)

Scorpio, you feel secure in the warmth and depth of your emotions. Today you will have the opportunity to reenergize and regenerate yourself from the inside out. Take advantage of the energies at play to deepen your relationships with the people you love. Get to know them even better. Your powers of seduction will mesmerize them.

LILESVILLE — Working in conjunction with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants at the Lilesville Game Room, located at 1522 West Wall St., and also at 100 Fellowship Dr. in Hamlet, regarding illegal gambling, on Friday, April 12.

During the search, officers discovered and seized firearms, U.S. Currency, and Narcotics.

Resultant of evidence obtained during the search, the following individuals have been charged, according to an issued press release from the ACSO,

“Monir Gorgy Scafik Dawoud, 67, of Norman, North Carolina, has been charged with Felony Operating more than 5 Video Gaming Machines. and was placed in the Anson County Jail under a $5,000.00 secure bond and has a court date of Monday, May 6, 2024, in Anson County District Court.

David Lee Painter JR., 54, of Hamlet, North Carolina, has been charged with Felony Operating more than 5 Video Gaming Machines and was placed in the Anson County Jail under a $5,000.00 secure bond and has a court date of Monday, May 6, 2024, in Anson County District Court.

Denise Ann Painter, 52, of Rockingham, North Carolina has been charged with Felony Operating more than 5 Video Gaming Machines and was placed in the Anson County Jail under a $5,000.00 secure bond and has a court date of Monday, May 6, 2024, in Anson County District Court.

Mary Christal Cummings, 53, of Wadesboro, North Carolina has been charged with Felony Possession of Methamphetamine, Felony Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver, Schedule II Controlled Substance and Misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana and was placed in the Anson County Jail under a $10,000.00 secure bond and has a court date of Monday, May 6, 2024, in Anson County District Court.

Sheriff Scott Howell would like to thank the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this case. He would like to remind all residents and businesses that it is illegal to play and/or have a business allowing others to play on any video gaming machines that have pay out cash prizes.”

POLKTON — In the early morning hours of Thursday, April 11, deputies with the Anson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Fast Stop convenience store on Highway 742 North, following a report of an armed robbery taking place.

Arriving at the scene, deputies found a female employee in the store who had been assaulted and robbed during the incident.

The victim was transported from the scene to Atrium Anson where her injuries were evaluated.

Armed with video footage of the crime from the store’s security system, in conjunction with witness interview statements, deputies developed an accurate description of the suspect.

Given the serious nature of the crime, deputies utelized K-9 Landi, who tracked the suspect to a location nearby the store.

Later that day, at approximately 1:00 p.m., deputies arrested Marvin Lee Medley at his residence.

Medley is charged with Robbery with a Dangerouus Weapon, Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury, and Larceny of a Firearm. Placed in Anson County Jail, Medley has no bond, and a court date scheduled for Tuesday, April 23 in Anson County District Court.

Following the speedy resolution to the matter, Sheriff Scott Howell issued a statement wishing to thank the Burnsville community, stating, “It’s a perfect example of when the sheriff’s office and the communities we serve form a partnership to make our communities safer.”

Sheriff Howell added that he is praying for the victim in this case to have a speedy recovery.

ANSON — Congratulations to Luke Hyatt on his commitment to Guilford College to continue his academic and football career. Anson High School Athletics hosted a Celebratory College Football Signing Day on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The celebratory football signing day was filled with excitement and pride as Luke officially committed to play football at Guilford College. Friends, family, coaches, teammates, and school staff gathered to celebrate this momentous occasion and show their support for Luke as he pursues his dreams of playing at the collegiate level. Luke’s coach (Landon Allen), teammate (Kendrick Maye), and principal (Chris Stinson) gave speeches, reminiscing on their time together and expressing their excitement for Luke’s future in football. Today’s celebratory football signing day was a memorable event that highlighted Luke’s hard work, dedication, and perseverance. It was a day of joy, pride, and anticipation for the journey ahead as he prepares to take the next step in his football career.

My wife and I have been catching up on episodes of “The Mysteries of Laura,” the 2014-2016 NBC series starring Debra Messing. Forget murders and chases. The real reason the show resonates with me is because as Laura Diamond juggles the duties of a single mother and police detective, she’s understandably a slob with her car.

Yes, my poor Altima gets woefully neglected inside and out. It’s a magnet for the abundant tree sap in my yard and the interior is home to an archive of fast-food wrappers, receipts, seasonal changes of clothing, mail I dread taking to the kitchen table, books discarded by the public library, broken CDs, etc. No room for an air freshener “tree,” so I duct-tape a couple of Tic Tac mints to the rearview mirror.

It’s like the mobile version of that legendary school locker that houses everything. I mean, there are definitely science experiments being conducted on the floorboard. And I suspect that if I ever have a collision, instead of the airbag deploying, I’ll be greeted with a voice that advises, “Walk it off, walk it off.”

My conveyance has devolved into the opposite of the trope about new cars. You know, “As soon as you drive it off the dealer lot, it loses half its value.” No, whenever I drive off a parking lot, the real estate value of the lot doubles.

Although my car is a 2010 model, it’s a throwback to the 50s. Back then, lots of cars had FINS, and I wouldn’t bet against there being an aquarium somewhere in all the clutter.

Some guys baby their car because of a midlife crisis. I face more of a midwife crisis. (“I think another mouse is experiencing a breech birth in the trunk!”)

I know. You’re supposed to take pride in your vehicle and display it as a status symbol. Well, here’s my status: I’ve got a life! When sandblasting, vacuuming, waxing and decluttering become The Most Important Thing to Do Today, I’ll buckle down. But after all this time, the National Audubon Society fears I would disrupt the migratory pattern of all North American birds. (“Divebomb!”)

Yes, I could stop at one of those Saturday morning fundraiser carwashes, but I would feel guilty about the copious amount of elbow grease it would require. A carwash should be a fun entrepreneurial enterprise for teens, not a lesson in indentured servitude. I’m not out to proselytize, either – I would hate to force the Methodist Youth Group to send out for an exorcist.

Granted, my situation makes me more cautious about traffic violations. You don’t want to hear “May I please see your license and registration?” when your glove compartment is prone to projectile vomiting.

I struggle not to be jealous of those of you who have the time, money and energy to keep your vehicle immaculate. We all have our troubles. (“Oh, pooh, Biff! I ran over a unicorn and it’s going to take AAA a whole five minutes to get here and clean it up.”)

Sometimes I do get riled up about the “perfect” people and daydream about really telling them off, but then a little voice whispers in my ear, “Buddy, can you let us out of the back seat near that big tent? If we’re late, the ringmaster will hire 12 NEW clowns.”

In 1920, the taverns ran dry. The Eighteenth Amendment, also called the Volstead Act, was passed by the U.S. Congress and the amendment was ratified by three-quarters of the nation’s states, despite a veto from President Woodrow Wilson, (bless his heart). It was never illegal to “consume” alcohol during Prohibition, you just couldn’t make it, sell it or ship it.

Alcohol was condemned as the root of all evil. Many churches required their members to sign an abstinence pledge. Alcohol was the cause of the high crime rate, domestic violence, and child abandonment.

When the 1920s came roaring in, women could vote for the first time, and with that new-found power came freedom. Women bobbed their hair, smoked cigarettes, and danced the Charleston in short fringed skirts. Speakeasies operated in the back rooms of upstanding establishments and, by knowing the correct password or that special knock on the door, one could gain entry into an exciting world where it was considered chic to defy the law.

Due to the increased demand for alcohol, the price skyrocketed. To meet this new demand, bootleggers became major suppliers and distillers. Moonshiners became millionaires. Organized crime, led by Al Capone in Chicago, bribed political leaders as well as entire police departments. Mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel became famous, or, rather, infamous. It was not alcohol, but the lack of alcohol, that caused an increase in crime.

Gambling has been around since 1665, when settlers in Jamestown held a lottery to raise funds to support their colony. In 1776, Continental Congress organized a lottery to help finance the Revolutionary War.

In 1876, Wild Bill Hickok was shot while playing poker. He held all aces and eights, which became known as the dead man’s hand. However, gambling was acknowledged as acceptable entertainment in many states. But, in the 1920s, gambling became illegal, along with alcohol, and mobsters quickly expanded their operations to include casinos and gambling halls.

Book banning is nothing new. In 1873, Anthony Comstock (the Comstock Act) prevented pamphlets about contraception from being sent through the mail. In the 1920s, many authors wanted to have their books “banned in Boston” because they knew it would increase sales. Hitler not only banned books, but cosmetics as well. The Aryan ideal was a modestly dressed woman wearing no makeup and no jewelry.

Today, friends meet at their favorite watering hole to watch ”the game.” Forty-five states now offer government-operated lotteries and all but six states have casinos, many tribal. Books that were banned and burned remain on the best-seller list, while the “banners” continue to try to “take away.”

The United States still suffers from a high crime rate, domestic violence, and child abandonment. History tells us that none of these problems were solved by taking away freedoms that people had openly enjoyed since the first colonists arrived in the New World.

In 1933, the 21st Amendment turned the regulation of liquor laws back to the states. Two states (North and South Carolina) rejected the 21st Amendment preferring to remain “dry,” while Mississippi kept its Prohibition laws for another thirty years.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt amended the Volstead Act to allow people to have a beer or two while they waited for the 21st Amendment to be ratified – and the first team of Budweiser Clydesdales rewarded him with a ceremonial case of beer.

There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who give and the ones who take it away. History has proven that “taking away” rights doesn’t always work out as expected.

WADESBORO — Following an article that appeared in the Richmond Daily Journal and Anson Record updating the case of Anson County’s Jane Doe, found behind the National Guard Armory on May 12, 2022, the ACSO released a statement on the case Friday, April 5th, that reads as follows,

“On Friday, January 19, 2024, dental records confirmed that the unidentified remains found in Anson County are not April Michelle Reid.

On January 19, 2024, Anson County called the Bullhead City Police Department in Arizona, asking to speak with Det. Sharpe and were told he no longer worked there. Bullhead City requested ACSO to contact a supervisor via email. The email was sent on the same day.

On the morning of Monday, January 22, 2024, Anson County confirmed Amber Johnston did not have dental records available via NamUS for comparison. Monday afternoon Anson County spoke with Det. Sharpe who stated we were told in error that he no longer works there. Det. Sharpe stated he would follow up with Sharon Johnston, mother of Amber Johnston, to get dental information. On this same date, ACSO spoke with Sharon Johnston.

Sharon Johnson has been an invaluable resource and has provided the ACSO with the names of every place she thought her daughter had or may have had dental treatment as well as insurance companies that would have covered the treatment. Every provided dental office and health insurance company in several states were contacted by the ASCO. The ACSO was able to obtain the dental records on February 26, 2024, from a dental office in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The records were sent to NamUs, the North Carolina Human Identification and Forensic Analysis Laboratory, and the Medical Examiner’s Office on the same date, for comparison.

On March 27, 2024, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Medical Examiner’s Office that the unidentified remains located in Anson County on May 12, 2022, were referred to a forensic odontologist with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) for dental comparison with missing person Amber Johnston. In their expert opinion, there is insufficient information to support any dental exclusion or inclusion of Amber Johnston.

IMAGES

NamUs has been provided the original unaltered photos. None of the photos related to this case are in color, and all colorized photos have been altered.

The ACSO has not applied filters to any of the images but has compared photos taken during the day by the same trail camera, and confirmed what some see as possibly being individuals in the photos is the foliage and vegetation.

THE BACKPACK

An extensive search of the area for the backpack and any other items has been completed, as well as interviewing rabbit hunters from Florida who found the backpack in February of 2022. The hunters cannot recall what the backpack looked like or what area in the woods they saw it. There has been no information from any source indicating the backpack had a large sum of money or any personal items. As stated by Captain Tice in February, this information is not sufficient to determine whether the backpack is related to the unidentified remains.”

Law enforcement would like to remind and assure the public that, “The ACSO cannot disclose all details, and actions taken by ACSO related to this case as this is an ongoing investigation. The ACSO will continue to investigate and follow up all tips and leads in this case.”

April 10:

In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was incorporated.

In 1912, the British liner RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, bound for New York on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

In 1932, German President Paul Von Hindenburg was reelected in a runoff, with Adolf Hitler coming in second.

In 1947, Team President Branch Rickey called Jackie Robinson up to the Brooklyn Dodgers from their minor league affiliate the Montreal Royals. (Less than a week later, Robinson would become the first Black player in Major League Baseball when he took the field for the Dodgers.)

In 1963, the fast-attack nuclear submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593) sank during deep-diving tests east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in a disaster that claimed 129 lives.

In 1971, a table tennis team from the United States arrived in China at the invitation of the communist government for a goodwill visit that came to be known as “ping-pong diplomacy.”

In 1972, the United States and the Soviet Union joined some 70 nations in signing an agreement banning biological warfare.

In 1974, Golda Meir announced her resignation as prime minister of Israel.

In 1998, the Northern Ireland peace talks concluded as negotiators reached a landmark settlement to end 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks.

In 2005, Tiger Woods won his fourth Masters with a spectacular finish of birdies and bogeys.

In 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczynski (lehk kah-CHIN’-skee), 60, was killed in a plane crash in western Russia that also claimed the lives of his wife and top Polish political, military and church officials.

In 2012, Rick Santorum quit the presidential race, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination.

In 2017, Justice Neil Gorsuch took his place as the newest addition on the bench of the Supreme Court, restoring a narrow conservative majority.

In 2018, during five hours of questioning from a U.S. Senate panel, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg batted away accusations that he had failed to protect the personal information of millions of Americans from Russians intent on upsetting the U.S. election, though he conceded that Facebook needed to work harder to make sure the tools it creates are used in “good and healthy” ways.

In 2019, scientists released the first image ever made of a black hole, revealing a fiery, doughnut-shaped object in a galaxy 53 million light-years from earth.

In 2021, speaking to Republican donors at his new home inside his Mar-a-Lago resort, former President Donald Trump slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as a “stone-cold loser” and mocked McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, who had been Trump’s transportation secretary.

In 2023, a Louisville bank employee shot and killed five co-workers, including a close friend of the governor, and wounded eight others in a livestreamed workplace shooting at a bank branch; the shooter, 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, was fatally shot by police.

ELLERBE — Bridget Hudson of Ellerbe passed away unexpectedly on her way to work on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the age of 30.

Bridget was born on March 3, 1994, to William T. Hudson and Dianna Culley. She attended Richmond County Schools and later obtained her Bachelor of Science from Garner-Webb. She worked for Novant Health and really and truly loved her job as a lactation consultant.

Bridget had a firecracker personality while being willing to help anyone who needed it. She was a loving mother of four. Along with her children and her fiancee, Deion, Bridget found joy at the beach.

She is preceded in death by her father, her grandparents, Ben and Lib Nuttall, Monnie “Marie” Nuttall, Carl and Ruby Hudson.

She leaves behind her fiancee, Deion Davis, and her children, Aiden, Trinity, Arianna, and Olivia, all of Ellerbe; her mother, Dianna Culley, and her husband, Michael, of Hamlet; her brothers and sisters, William H. Hudson, Jordan Wilson, Makayla Wilson, Jennifer Culley and Matt, Phillip Culley; her grandparents, Donnie Nuttall, Sr. and his wife, Dottie, of Rockingham, James and Louise Culley of Hamlet, Archie and Flo Wilson of Auburn, AL; her great-grandmother, Monnie “Took” McCormick; her uncles, Donnie Nuttall, Jr. and his wife, Shari of Jackson Springs; Robbie Nuttall and his wife, Lisa of Rockingham, Aaron Davis of Mechanicsburg, PA; her mother and father-in-law, Shanta Hicks and Howard Davis; many cousins and friends whom she held very dear.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at 3:00 pm. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. All other times at 190 Clayton Carriker Road in Ellerbe.

Interment will be in Eastside Cemetery in Rockingham following the service.

Care of the family is entrusted to Crumpler Funeral Home-Aberdeen.