Tammy Dunn

During last week’s term of Superior Court, the two juveniles charged with the murder of Dawson Thompson had their rst in person appearance in Superior Court. This follows the grand jury’s returning a true bill of indictment against the two. Moving forward the two will be tried as adults and their names will no longer be withheld.

Each year, sporting events organizers host their events throughout the country, and many times, in the same community. Destinations are working with these event organizers to help create memorable moments for the participants and spectators. Whether the event is new to a community or in the same location as last year, how do we keep sporting events fresh? Everyone’s goal is to increase the number of participants and spectators over the year before and ensure that the past participants and spectators attend the event the next year.

On a busy Saturday afternoon at the Wal-Mart in Biscoe, shots rang out sending people diving for cover. The shooting was over quickly; but in the wake of events, one man was left dead, and a family was left devastated.

Just one month after having his contract renewed for another four years, Montgomery County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dale Ellis announced his retirement during Monday night’s meeting of Montgomery County Board of Education. The announcement came at the end of the meeting during the time allocated for the superintendent's comments.

Tuesday night proved to be an exercise in patience for Board of Election members and the staff left to handle operations after current Board of Elections Director Rhonda Johnson left due to illness and was unable to return to complete the elections.

During a recent teacher workday, Montgomery County Schools brought in a company to train school personnel and local of officers on how to respond during an active shooter event. The training involved teachers and of officers role playing a simulated active shooter scenario.

Montgomery County Board of Elections’ members Dree Wynkoop and John Adams close out ma chines at the board of elections’ office on election night.

At the October board meeting of county commissioners, the board asked Sheriff Pete Herron for a report on the use of force incident that occurred Oct. 3 in Brutonville. The use of force incident occurred while of officers from Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, along with Candor and Biscoe Police Departments, were executing a search warrant at a residence on Brutonville Road at approximately 4 a.m.

The deadline for the state board of elections to overrule, if they were going to, state election’s director Karen Bell’s decision to not support the Montgomery County Board of Elections’ unanimous decision to terminate local director Rhonda Johnson was Friday. However, things took a bit of a different turn on Wednesday when Johnson informed board members that she was taking 10 weeks of family medical leave and may or may not return. An individual may not be terminated while on medical leave.

Election night problems in Montgomery County started before polls even closed. When the local board of elections gathered to complete the processing of absentee and overseas ballots, a problem was quickly discovered. The absentee list did not match the machine count and the two must match or there is a problem. When board vice chair John Adams began to ask for documentation in order to figure out the issue, it was at that point that elections director Rhonda Johnson left due to not feeling well. Johnson had been ill earlier in the day and had gone home for a period of time; however, she returned and said she was okay. When Johnson left that evening, she walked by the board room door and informed board members she was leaving.