ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Mrs. Ruby Bennett Yarborough, 89, of Rockingham, passed away Tuesday, April 19, 2016 in Rocky Point.
A graveside service will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at Richmond County Memorial Park with the Rev. Joe Wilkes officiating.
Harrington Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family.
Online condolences may be made at www.harringtonfuneralhome.com.
The Richmond County Daily Journal
Thursday, April 21, 2016
CARTHAGE — A Moore County woman has been charged in the drowning death of her nearly 2-year-old son.
Samantha Nacole Bryant of Carthage was jailed Wednesday following an investigation into 23-month-old Rylan Ott’s drowning. Rylan was reported missing and Moore County deputies found him submerged in a local pond April 14, Sheriff Neil Godfrey said in a release.
An ambulance rushed the boy to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A Moore County grand jury indicted Bryant on charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony child neglect. She was booked into the Moore County Detention Center under a $200,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Moore County Superior Court May 31.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
ELLERBE — How to handle the county’s littering problem was a main topic of discussion for the Richmond County Board of Commissioners during a Wednesday morning planning meeting at Ellerbe Springs Inn.
Both Commissioners Herb Long and Thad Ussery said they had been getting complaints about trash along the roadside.
“It’s a huge county, and for some reason, people like to throw their trash out,” said County Manager Rick Sago.
One of the issues with the trash problem, Sago said, is that people have to be caught in the act, and there are a lot of roads with very little traffic.
“If we find a bag of trash with someone’s name in it, we can go after them,” he said.
Sago added that the county has part-time employees who pick up litter off the sides of the roads constantly.
While a lot of the roadside detritus is bottles, cans and fast-food cups and bags, commissioners said some of the garbage is flying out of the backs of trucks, possibly on their way to county dump sites.
Sago said Airport Road has always been a litter-laden location.
“Until you start fining people for it, it’s going to continue,” said Long.
Kenneth Robinette, board chairman, suggested offering a reward to residents who report the license plate numbers of people seen throwing trash out.
However, the argument against that idea was that some could file the complaints just to collect the money.
Commissioner Don Bryant suggested issuing a written warning to those dropping off garbage at one of the county box sites without having their refuse covered.
“When the county gets more conscious about it, something will get done,” said Ussery.
WATER WOES
Commissioners identified three areas that are in need of water service: Old Cheraw Highway, Derby Road and Boyd Lake Road.
While some wells in those areas are still in service, there are others that have dried up or have contamination problems.
The county has been trying for more than a decade to get water south of Cordova, but Sago said no grants have been provided for that project — despite the fact, as Robinette mentioned, that the county has received $90 million in grants in that time.
Public Works Director Bryan Land said one chicken farmer has pledged $300,000 toward the project.
“I think we should go for Old Cheraw, even if we have to borrow the money,” Bryant said, also suggesting that anyone along the water route should be charged a fee, whether or not they hook up to the county’s water system.
They agreed to continue looking into grants or other means to fund the Old Cheraw project, apply from a grant for the Golden Leaf Foundation for the Derby project and work with the city of Hamlet of the Boyd Lake Road project.
The suggestion of working with Hamlet brought up another concern regarding wastewater.
The county and Hamlet have a binding agreement for the city to take up to 200,000 gallons per day of wastewater from the Richmond County Industrial Park on the U.S. 74 bypass.
Sago said the city also once had an agreement for Rockingham to take in 250,000 gpd at $60,000 per year for 10 years, but Hamlet chose not to renew the deal even though Rockingham offered to extend it for 10 additional years at the same cost.
If an industry with a huge wastewater output comes into the industrial park, that could push Hamlet’s plant close to its limit and leaders there would need to look at expanding soon, although Sago said it’s unlikely Hamlet could get permitted to discharge additional effluent into Marks Creeek.
But if Rockingham and Hamlet were to renew the deal, he added, there would be no issue.
SIGNS AND SLOGANS
With Rockingham Speedway slated for a public auction on May 5, and the fact that it has sat largely vacant for the past three years, Bryant suggested taking off the references to the speedway and dragway from the county entrance signs.
Commissioners have also asked Sago to look into having more decorative entrance signs, similar to those in Laurinburg and Anson County.
When it came to creating a new county slogan, Robinette said more people in the community should be involved, opening a contest —suggested by Ussery — to the schools and groups like For a Better Richmond County and the Richmond Young Professionals.
Ussery also brought up the idea of hiring a public relations officer for the county.
ONE DECISION, MORE DISCUSSIONS
The only vote commissioners held during the meeting was following a public hearing on incentives for RSI Home Products, which announced plans to build a manufacturing facility in the industrial park early last month.
Commissioners decided to grant back 50 to 85 percent of what RSI pays in county property taxes the first five years, depending on its total investment.
Without taking action, the board also discussed:
• upgrades to the ball fields at the park in East Rockingham;
• the possibility of placing the sales tax increase back on the ballot;
• upgrades, and how to pay for them, at the old courthouse building;
• the future possibility of having to build a new jail; and
• selling the county-owned building to FirstHealth EMS, which the service uses.
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_toler.
ROCKINGHAM — Re/Max is usually in the business of helping others relocate, but soon, its Rockingham real estate agents will be the ones changing their address.
The company will soon be taking over the brick building located on the corner of Hancock and East Washington streets in downtown Rockingham across the street from Discovery Place Kids.
“I’ve noticed this property had been for sale,” said broker-owner Jamie Moss. “I’ve always thought it was appealing. I just saw potential. I’ve always wanted to be downtown.”
Moss said Tri-City, which owns the Richmond Plaza shopping center where Re/Max is currently situated, has plans to tear down the building that holds the realty company and First Bank after the bank relocates across U.S. 74 and potentially build a restaurant.
Re/Max’s new digs will be 1,800 square feet — a significant upgrade from its current office, which she said is less than 1,000 square feet and will make the staff feel like “We’re gonna be in heaven.”
As soon as customers walk in, a new lobby will greet them as they enter, something Moss wanted that her current office is lacking.
“I was a little worried about location because I got a lot of walk-in business at the shopping center,” she said.
In addition to the waiting room, the interior improvements are being taken up by David Bailey, who did the Arts Richmond building and renovated the Leak-Wall House. With help from Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump and Bailey, they hope to turn the current office space into an inviting environment for future Re/Max clients — something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Moss.
“It just seems like a tight-knit group of people,” she said of the downtown area. “It’s like a friendly neighborhood.”
Mac Page will be installing custom shutters for the office’s windows, and six-panel residential glass doors and awnings from Charleston Canopies have been ordered and will also be installed.
As for the outside of the building, Moss added she wants to keep the exterior’s look true to the building’s history.
Moss, now in her 31st year selling real estate in Richmond County, said the nature of real estate today is very computer-based, and with everything being automated, a lot of clients don’t even need to come into the office. She hopes Re/Max’s new downtown office will change that a bit.
“This was a situation that was too good to pass up,” said Moss. “If you’re gonna sell the dream, you’ve gotta sell it to yourself.”
Reach reporter Matt Harrelson at 910-817-2674, follow him on Twitter @mattyharrelson and listen to him at 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays on G-104.3 FM.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Thursday that transgender people should be able to use whichever bathroom they choose, voicing opposition to part of a far-reaching North Carolina law that critics says is discriminatory.
Speaking at a town hall event on NBC’s “Today” Thursday, Trump was asked about North Carolina’s so-called “bathroom law,” which, among other things, requires transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate in state government buildings as well as public schools and universities.
Trump said the law had caused unnecessary strife for the state, which he said had paid “a big price” economically.
“There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go, they use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate,” said Trump. “There has been so little trouble.”
Trump’s main rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, immediately fired back, saying that Trump is giving in to “political correctness.”
“Grown adult men, strangers, should not be alone in a bathroom with little girls,” Cruz said, calling his view “basic common sense.”
After the law was signed in late March, Deutsche Bank halted plans to add 250 North Carolina jobs, while PayPal reversed a decision to open a 400-employee operation center in Charlotte. Local tourism boards have also said they’ve lost millions of dollars thanks to cancelled conventions and business meetings.
The comments came as Trump drew closer to clinching the Republican nomination with a big win in his home state of New York earlier this week. If he becomes his party’s nominee, Trump is likely to face pressure to moderate some of his stances to appeal to independents and women in the general election.
Trump said at the town hall that he didn’t know if any transgender people work for his organization, but said that some “probably” did. Asked about Caitlyn Jenner, an Olympic gold medal winner then-known as Bruce Jenner, walking into Trump Tower using the bathroom, he said would be fine with her using any bathroom she chooses.
Still, Trump said he’s opposed to efforts to create new, transgender bathrooms alongside single gendered ones, calling that push “discriminatory in a certain way” and “unbelievably expensive for businesses and the country.”
LAURINBURG — Rampant federal spending, slipping social values, and weak defense policy are evidence to Mark Harris of a “vacuum of leadership” in Washington.
He hopes to reverse that vacuum if elected to represent North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Harris, senior pastor at the First Baptist Church of Charlotte, threaded a narrative from the book of Nehemiah through a speech he delivered on Wednesday to a dozen local ministers of the Pee Dee Baptist Association over lunch at the Main Table.
“I think that the vision Nehemiah was given is exactly the vision that’s needed for this nation,” said Harris. “Help them see the distress that we’re in, help them recognize the emergency…. I don’t have to tell you, probably, that we’re at a critical point in our nation today.”
Harris is one of three Republican candidates who will appear on the ballot in the June 7 congressional primary, along with he faces incumbent Rep. Robert Pittenger of Charlotte and Union County insurance salesman Todd Johnson. Democratic candidate Christian Cano, a Charlotte hospitality consultant, is running unopposed within his party and will advance to the November election.
Federal judges ruled earlier this year that North Carolina’s 1st and 12th congressional districts were racially gerrymandered, prompting state lawmakers to overhaul all congressional districts statewide. The redrawn 9th District includes part of Mecklenburg County, where Harris lives, along with Union, Anson, Richmond, Scotland and Robeson counties and parts of Cumberland and Bladen counties.
“This is not the same district that the so-called incumbent represents,” said Harris. “This is a different district; it’s obvious that this is a much poorer district. My values, I think match up better with the people that make up the 9th District now.”
Harris attacked Pittenger for voting for a budget that provided funding for Planned Parenthood and raised the federal debt ceiling, and said that his own background as a minister qualifies him to better serve the new 9th district.
“I believe that 30 years in ministry, of working with people from various backgrounds, various circumstances, various socioeconomic situations, and bringing them together for a greater purpose enables me to be more qualified to represent this district.”
In 2014, Harris mounted an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, finishing third in an eight-candidate field behind Thom Tillis, who went on to defeat Kay Hagan in November, and runner-up Greg Brannon.
He is running for the U.S. House of Representatives as a fiscal and social conservative with a hard line on national defense.
“We’ve got to understand from our worldview that you can’t spend more than you take in,” he said. “You can’t do it in your house, I can’t do it in my house, and we would expect that the federal government ought to have to live under the same rules.”
Harris is also a supporter of House Bill 2, the controversial state law passed last month that limits restroom access based on users’ gender at birth and rewrites North Carolina’s nondiscrimination policies. He was a leader of the group Don’t Do It Charlotte, which lobbied against the Charlotte City Council’s passage of an ordinance allowing transgender individuals to use the restrooms matching their gender identity.
With low public awareness of the upcoming congressional primary, Harris expects low voter turnout and a slim margin of victory for the Republican nominee.
“The Sunday morning attendance of the churches represented in this room right now could very well decide the outcome of this election,” he said.
Harris’ political career is inspired by his father, “the epitome of an overcomer,” who grew up in a Methodist children’s home in Winston-Salem and flew in World War II. After his plane went down over the Netherlands during his ninth mission, he spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of the Nazis.
“Your generation was the Greatest Generation because you guys, you saw America from the 30,000-foot view,” Harris told his father when he announced his decision to run for Senate in 2014. “My generation, we’re the ones who have dropped the ball. We’re the ones who have let the nation down.”
Reach Mary Katherine Murphy at 910-276-2311.
CHANHASSEN, Minn. (AP) — Pop superstar Prince, widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive and influential musicians of his era with hits including “Little Red Corvette,” ”Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry,” was found dead at his home on Thursday in suburban Minneapolis, according to his publicist. He was 57.
His publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, told The Associated Press that the music icon died at his home in Chanhassen. No details were immediately released.
The singer, songwriter, arranger and instrumentalist broke through in the late 1970s with the hits “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” and “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” and soared over the following decade with such albums as “1999” and “Purple Rain.” The title song from “1999” includes one of the most widely quoted refrains of popular culture: “Tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999.”
The Minneapolis native, born Prince Rogers Nelson, stood just 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and seemed to summon the most original and compelling sounds at will, whether playing guitar in a flamboyant style that openly drew upon Jimi Hendrix, switching his vocals from a nasally scream to an erotic falsetto or turning out album after album of stunningly original material. Among his other notable releases: “Sign O’ the Times,” ”Graffiti Bridge” and “The Black Album.”
He was also fiercely protective of his independence, battling his record company over control of his material and even his name. Prince once wrote “slave” on his face in protest of not owning his work and famously battled and then departed his label, Warner Bros., before returning a few years ago.
“What’s happening now is the position that I’ve always wanted to be in,” Prince told the AP in 2014. “I was just trying to get here.”
The same year, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame, which hailed him as a musical and social trailblazer.
“He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the Eighties,” reads the Hall’s dedication. “Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone. From the beginning, Prince and his music were androgynous, sly, sexy and provocative.”
Rarely lacking in confidence, Price effortlessly absorbed the music of others and made it sound like Prince, whether the James Brown guitar riff on “Kiss” or the Beatle-esque, psychedelic pop of “Raspberry Beret.”
He also proved a source of hits for others, from Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” to Cyndi Lauper’s “When You Were Mine.” He also wrote “Manic Monday” for the Bangles
Prince had been touring and recording right up until his death, releasing four albums in the last 18 months, including two on the Tidal streaming service last year. He performed in Atlanta last week as part of his “Piano and a Microphone” tour, a stripped down show that has featured a mix of his hits like “Purple Rain” or “Little Red Corvette” and some B-sides from his extensive library.
Prince debuted the intimate format at his Paisley Park studios in January, treating fans to a performance that was personal and was both playful and emotional at times.
The musician had seemed to be shedding his reclusive reputation. He hosted several late-night jam sessions where he serenaded Madonna, celebrated the Minnesota Lynx’s WNBA championship and showcased his latest protege, singer Judith Hill.
Ever surprising, he announced on stage in New York City last month that he was writing his memoir. “The Beautiful Ones” was expected to be released in the fall of 2017 by publishing house Spiegel & Grau. The publishing house has not yet commented on status of book, but a press release about the memoir says: “Prince will take readers on an unconventional and poetic journey through his life and creative work.” It says the book will include stories about Prince’s music and “the family that shaped him and the people, places, and ideas that fired his creative imagination.”
A small group of fans quickly gathered in the rain Thursday outside his music studio, Paisley Park, where Prince’s gold records are on the walls and the purple motorcycle he rode in his 1984 breakout movie, “Purple Rain,” is on display. The white building surrounded by a fence is in Chanhassen, about 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Steven Scott, 32, of Eden Prairie, said he was at Paisley Park last Saturday for Prince’s dance party. He called Prince “a beautiful person” whose message was that people should love one another.
“He brought people together for the right reasons,” Scott said.
Contributed photo
Motorcycle riders rumbled through Rockingham last Saturday to help cancer survivors and raise money for research in a benefit ride for Relay for Life of Richmond County. Dieffenbach GM Superstore organized the ride and served as the rally point, with bikers arriving to register at 11:30 a.m. and kickstands up at 12:30 p.m. The dealership also sold Relay T-shirts, served hot dogs and held a 50/50 raffle drawing. The 2016 Relay for Life is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 6 in the Cole Auditorium parking lot at Richmond Community College.
ROCKINGHAM — One man remains hospitalized and another is home following a Sunday night wreck.
Gus Thrift, of Rockingham, has stabilized but is still recovering from his injuries — multiple broken bones on his left side and fractured vertebrae — according to Trooper Clint Greene with the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Greene said Thrift suffered the most serious injuries after the Scion passenger car he was in crossed the center line on Mill Road, striking a tree on the driver’s side and spinning roughly 45 degrees after impact.
Both the driver and passenger were taken to FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital from the scene and later flown to Carolinas Regional Medical Center in Charlotte.
The other person in the car, William Mabe, also of Rockingham, was released from the hospital Tuesday.
Greene would not yet say which of the two was the passenger and which was the driver.
Earlier in the week, Greene told the Daily Journal that speed was a factor in the crash, but said Thursday that it appears there were no drugs or alcohol involved.
He also previously mentioned the possibility of another vehicle being involved, but added Thursday that he had ruled out that scenario due to not seeing any evidence to support it.
However, the Highway Patrol reconstruction team — which has been requested and is expected to investigate early next week — could find otherwise.
Multiple agencies — the Rockingham and East Rockingham fire departments, Rockingham Rescue and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office — responded to the wreck with sirens blaring after the call went out around 8:29 p.m.
Traffic on the east side was diverted down Church Street.
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_Toler.
ROCKINGHAM — State Rep. Ken Goodman is the most effective Democratic lawmaker still serving in the North Carolina House, according to a survey of legislative insiders.
Goodman, D-Richmond, ranked 32nd among 120 House members in the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research’s biennial effectiveness rankings released Thursday. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, who resigned last August to lead the North Carolina Justice Center think tank, is ranked 16th.
“I’ve tried to work with people from where they are,” Goodman said. “I try not to be partisan. I try to do what’s best for the state, and I think that’s paid off.”
Goodman is founder and chairman of the Main Street Democrats Legislative Caucus, a group of roughly two-dozen moderate, pro-business Democrats in the General Assembly. The caucus launched ahead of the 2015 session and likely served to raise Goodman’s profile.
“I think that’s been a huge help,” he said. “I know it’s subjective, but it is a positive, and I was very pleased by that.”
The nonpartisan Center for Public Policy Research surveyed all 50 senators and 120 representatives along with 382 registered lobbyists and 32 journalists who cover the General Assembly. The survey’s overall response rate was 46 percent.
Goodman rose from a ranking of 66th after the 2013 regular session and he was ranked 99th after his freshman term in 2011.
Legislative leaders and those who chair the most powerful committees usually occupy the survey’s top slots. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, ranked No. 1 in the House and Senate President Pro-tem Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, led the pack in his chamber.
Rep. Garland Pierce, D-Scotland, rose to 93rd in effectiveness after being ranked 114th following the 2013 session.
“I’m thankful that my colleagues took me out of the cellar and brought me back up a bit,” Pierce said.
The N.C. Legislative Black Caucus chairman, Pierce is outspoken on issues affecting minorities and on public education. With Democrats out of power, his leadership post may not carry as much influence as it otherwise could.
“I’m very vocal on a lot of issues and have helped guide the discussion on the floor,” Pierce said. “Colleagues recognize that, whether they’re Democrats or Republicans.”
Pierce’s highest ranking on the survey, 64th, followed the 2009 session when Democrats controlled the House and Senate and former Rep. Joe Hackney served as speaker.
Sen. Tom McInnis, R-Richmond, is ranked 37th in his freshman term. He faces a challenge from Democrat Dannie Montgomery of Anson County in his bid to win re-election this November, while Goodman and Pierce are both running unopposed.
“I’ll take 37th out of 50 on the first time out,” McInnis said, noting that lawmakers’ influence generally rises as they gain senioirty.
Many veteran legislators — including Senate Rules Chairman Tom Apodaca, ranked No. 2, and Sen. Bob Rucho, the chief architect of congressional and legislative districts during the 2011 redistricting process, ranked No. 5 — plan to retire after the 2016 short session that starts Monday.
Rep. Mark Brody, R-Union, who also represents neighboring Anson County, is ranked 79th in his freshman term.
Rep. Justin Burr, R-Stanly, saw his fortunes fall after a public feud with Moore and House leadership. Burr was ranked ninth most-effective in 2013 but dropped to 75th in the 2015 rankings.
The survey also tracks lawmakers’ attendance and participation in roll-call votes.
McInnis and 17 other senators shared a No. 1 ranking for vote participation, casting votes each time they were held while he was present. With only three days absent during the 137-day session, McInnis tied for 18th in attendance. Eight senators with no absences shared the first-place slot.
Goodman tied for 62nd in attendance with six days absent and two partial absences during the House’s 127-day term. He tied for 72nd in roll-call voting, casting 1,047 of 1,059 votes taken while he was present.
Pierce, who was absent for six days and had one partial absence, is in a five-way tie for 56th in attendance. Pierce cast 1,073 of a possible 1,075 votes, tying for 19th in participation.
Reach Editor Corey Friedman at 910-817-2670 and follow him on Twitter @corey_friedman.
HAMLET —In celebration of Arbor Day, city leaders, the Hamlet Tree and Beautification Group and students from Monroe Avenue School helped make the exterior to the city’s senior center a little more inviting.
With this year’s Senior Games shuffleboard tournament taking place in the background, all those in attendance were treated to a warm, sunny day underneath the gazebo located beside the senior center next to Hamlet Lake.
The theme for this year’s Arbor Day was “Celebrate trees in our community,” and Ranger Chris McGee of the N.C. Forest Service’s Richmond County office shared his passion for trees and the history of his admiration.
“I got it from my grandfather,” he said. “Many diverse items come from trees. Trees are the gateway to inviting birds into your yard. On the third day of creation, God called for the tree. How awesome is it that a little seed could play such a role in somebody’s life? Trees remind us of good memories. They help us meet our needs and brighten our day.”
Hamlet Tree and Beautification Group board member Kit McManus read a poem entitled “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer and the first line says it all in the beauty of trees.
“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree,” read McManus.
Eight students from Monroe Avenue — Kirsten Selts, Kaylin Maddix, Camden Ratliss, Sha’Quez Ratliss, Michael Oates, Lester Crawford, Lucero Martinez Huerta and Gracie Steen — then proceeded to plant two “Nellie Stevens” holly trees in front of the senior center.
“We wanted to plant at the library at Hamlet, and we had some ginkgo trees in our nursery, and we wanted to use those for our Arbor Day trees,” said Hamlet Tree and Beautification President Sheila Sellers. “It’s our understanding that the library is getting a landscape renovation. So at the senior center, the city is doing a renewal there of the landscape, and those trees were the first plantings that are gonna be in that landscape. The city fixed the beds to replant over there, so that was a natural place to plant trees because they were gonna do it anyway.
“They’re beautiful trees. The city said that that was a place they would appreciate some help so we, of course, decided to do it there. It was a nice day. The weather agreed, and the sun was out, and it was not too hot, so it went really well.”
Also in attendance were this year’s poster contest winners from Monroe Avenue art teacher Laura Newman’s fifth-grade class. Taking first place, along with a blue ribbon and $25, was Chloe Foster; second place, a red ribbon and $15 went to Brianna Dodson; and the third prize of a white ribbon and $10 went to Angalliyah Dyer.
The relationship between the Hamlet group and Monroe Avenue is one that runs strong and Sellers hopes it can continue for many years to come.
“Our tree nursery at Monroe Avenue School, the children plant the seedlings, and this spring we planted 270 seedlings. We gave away 94 trees March 17 so the students really like coming to the tree nursery,” said Sellers. “They’re really learning a lot and the importance of trees. They get instruction in what a tree does and how it helps the environment and what all trees do. They really enjoy coming to the nursery, and we enjoy having them. As far as we know, that tree nursery is the only tree nursery at a school in North Carolina.
“We really appreciate the Richmond County school system and Monroe Avenue for all the help they give us in whatever we do. We have a good group of people that work with the students. We are very blessed to have such good support and children who like to come out and do what they do in the nursery.”
Reach reporter Matt Harrelson at 910-817-2674, follow him on Twitter @mattyharrelson and listen to him at 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays on G-104.3 FM.
ROCKINGHAM — The Environmental Protection Agency has backed off on rules that some say could have negatively affected the racing industry.
The EPA announced last week that it would eliminate the following language from list of rules proposed last July: “Certified motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines and their emission control devices must remain in their certified configuration even if they are used solely for competition or if they become nonroad vehicles or engines.”
Anyone modifying certified motor vehicles or engines for any reason would have been subject to tampering and defeat prohibitions, the rules stated.
The regulation was buried at the bottom of one page in a 629-page document of proposed rules by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The EPA said the wording “was never intended to represent any change in the law or in EPA’s policies or practices toward dedicated competition vehicles.”
Steve Earwood, owner of Rockingham Dragway, said the regulation would have wiped out the aftermarket performance industry, which generates $40 billion annually.
“You could not modify a street car into becoming a race car,” he said of the proposal, which he said was just a case of over-regulation. “The exhaust system on my automobile would have been classified as a race car, not a street car.”
With roughly 3,000 active circle and straight race tracks in the country, Earwood said the regulation would have taken 60 percent of their entries away.
Earwood reached out to Rep. Richard Hudson, R-Concord — who not only represents Richmond County, but also Cabarrus County, home of Charlotte Motor Speedway — when he learned of the EPA’s proposal.
“He was very concerned about it,” Earwood said.
In March, Hudson and Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-Gastonia, introduced a bill — the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 — to put the brakes on the EPA’s proposal.
“Regulations that waste our money, time and resources are bad for jobs, but the EPA is going one step further to restrict our personal freedom,” Hudson said in a statement when the bill was introduced. “Even if I didn’t represent Charlotte Motor Speedway and a whole lot of racing enthusiasts, I would be outraged by this ridiculous government overreach.
“This legislation is a critical step to protect the way of life for many and ensure the future of racing,” he continued. “We’re not just going to sound the alarm on this — we’re going to stop it.”
During a late-March meeting between members of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power and the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy to examine the EPA’s 2017 budget, Hudson questioned agency Administrator Gina McCarthy about the proposed regulation.
“NASCAR is one facet, but what about your man or woman who likes to take a car in their backyard and fix it up and take it down to the local drag strip and race it?” he asked. “I mean, that kind of modification, it appears very clearly, is now ruled out.”
McCarthy responded, saying the agency has never “enforced on an individual of that nature.”
“What we’re trying to do,” she continued, “is get at manufacturers of these devices that they sell and make sure that they sell them only for competitive dedicated vehicles because it’s really challenging to us to make sure that the certified vehicles remain in compliance with air regulations.”
Hudson — along with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Fred Upton,from Michigan, and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Ed Whitfield, from Kentucky, both Republicans — sent a letter to McCarthy on April 12 questioning the EPA’s reasoning and justification for the rule and demanding an answer by today.
His answer came a week early when the EPA’s announcement was made.
According to Hudson’s office, the congressman is still pushing forward with the bill because the EPA didn’t retract its belief that it can regulate competition vehicles and he wants to make sure those vehicles are beyond the reach of EPA regulations. It has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, of which Hudson is a member.
“The regulation was not given an awful lot of thought,” Earwood said, adding that he appreciated Hudson’s efforts to stop it.
“It leads me to believe the system really does work,” he said. “You’ve got to be in it, you’ve got to be active.”
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_toler.
LAURINBURG — Few new details have emerged in the death this week of Scott Sica, the man convicted in 2014 of the 1996 shooting death of Jonesville Police Sgt. Greg Martin.
Sica’s death, while being called a suicide by North Carolina Department of Public Safety officials, is being investigated by the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office since the death occurred at the Scotland Correctional Institution.
According to a brief written statement by the Department, Sica “was found unresponsive in his cell Tuesday morning,” and “Prison medical staff and paramedics were unable to revive Sica and he was later declared dead.”
Sica, 40, was housed in a single cell. Autopsy results are expected to be released in a few weeks. Officials would not divulge additional information regarding his death nor the condition in which he was found. Department officials said they do not release information on whether any given inmate is on suicide watch, according to Keith Acree with the department’s communications office.
“If suicide precautions are implemented, they are at the direction of the supervising mental health clinician, who sets the conditions based on the specific needs and circumstances of the individual,” explained Acree. “They might involve housing in a cell that is monitored by a camera, frequent observation by staff and having limited items in the cell with which one might harm themselves.”
Jonesville Police Chief Roger Reece said the department was not commenting at this time on Sica’s death.
In March of 2014, 18 years after Martin’s death, Sica pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon in a plea deal under which he avoided the death penalty.
Martin was killed on Oct. 5, 1996, after pulling over a red Dodge pickup truck on Interstate 77 just outside of Jonesville.
Along with Sica, two other men, Marc Peterson Oldroyd and Brian Eugene Whittaker, were charged in the case.
During the plea hearing in 2014, Jonesville PD Detective Ron Perry, formerly of the State Bureau of Investigation, testified about the details of the 18-year-long investigation that concluded with the arrests of Sica, Oldroyd and Whittaker.
His testimony detailed the story of the three Florida men who robbed a bank and a Home Depot in Florida and then set out across the country, quickly running through their stolen cash by purchasing dirt bikes and a utility trailer. When the money ran out, the three men headed to North Carolina where a family member of Oldroyd’s had offered them a free place to stay. Still low on funds, another robbery was planned and that was what brought the trio to Jonesville on Oct. 5, 1996, and ended with Martin’s murder.
According to police and court records, Martin called for assistance at 2:43 a.m. after pulling over the truck. Five minutes later N.C. Highway Patrolman E. Vann Tate arrived on the scene and found Martin lying on the ground, suffering from gunshot wounds to the head.
Testimony at the trial indicated that Sica fired the gun nine times — with five bullets striking Martin in the head and a sixth grazing him.
Police were left with few leads on the case and it wasn’t until 2012 when a relative of Oldroyd, contacted the FBI after she saw the case profiled on the television show America’s Most Wanted. That tip tied in with work done by police authorities and led to the arrest of the three men.
In June 0f 2014, Oldroyd was sentenced to 14-17 years in prison, while Whittaker was sentence to 10-12 years.
Sica, who was 21 at the time of the shooting, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Farmers’ Market Association says it’s planning an exciting market season for 2016, beginning with opening day on Saturday, April 30 on Harrington Square.
The market will have the same locations and hours as in 2015 —8 a.m. to noon Saturdays on the square and 3:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays in the parking lot of the Richmond County Human Services Building at 125 Caroline St.
Organizers say the Rockingham Farmers’ Market will offer values on fresh, local produce and artisan crafts and goods. This year, the market will feature more local bakery items, eggs and more new vendors.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit cards are accepted at both farmers’ market locations, and Area of Richmond Transit is providing transportation free of charge to the Wednesday market.
For more savings, Pee Dee Electric Cooperative members can show their Co-op Connections cards for a $2 discount at the farmers’ market that day.
On Wednesdays, the ART buses will start their rounds at 3:15 p.m. and the last bus will leave the market at 5:30. The stops are:
• Hamlet Housing Authority, 400 E. Columbia, Hamlet
• Memorial Park, King Street and Spring Street, Hamlet
• East Rockingham Poll, 135 Sixth St., Rockingham
• Old Sara Lee/Aleo plant, 30 Fifth St., Rockingham
• Rockingham Housing Authority, Rockingham Road, Rockingham
Vendors are still needed for the 2016 season. For an application or for more information, contact market manager Laura Greene at rhamfarmersmkt@gmail.com or Susan Kelly at 910-997-8255 or susan_kelly@ncsu.edu.
Contributed photos
Richmond Senior High School junior Megan Davis receives a $75 check from Jeff Avant of Richmond County Crime Stoppers for winning first place in the annual Crime Stoppers poster contest.
Latasha Baker, a sophomore at Richmond Senior High School, receives a $50 check for winning second-place honors in the Richmond County Crime Stoppers poster contest.
Trinity Stanley, a Richmond Senior High sophomore, accepts a $25 check for winning third place in an annual poster contest held by Richmond County Crime Stoppers.
HAMLET — Small Business Administration economic development specialist April Gonzalez will provide tips on how to successfully obtain a small business loan during a lunchtime seminar on Tuesday.
The event, “Are You Ready for a Business Loan?” s scheduled from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Hamlet Depot’s rotunda room at 2 W. Main St., Hamlet. Sponsored by the Small Business Center of Richmond Community College in partnership with Richmond County Chamber of Commerce, the event is free and open to the public.
In celebration of Financial Literacy Month, learn the many Small Business Administration resources available to help you obtain funding for your business. SBA’s loan programs range from $5,000 to $5 million.
Gonzalez will share the resources available to help finance a startup or existing small business during Tuesday’s seminar.
Registration for the seminar may be completed online at tiny.cc/sbcseminars; or via email or phone by contacting Small Business Center Director Deborah Hardison at ddhardison@richmondcc.edu or 910-410-1687.
Advance registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.
ROCKINGHAM — It is not your grandparents’ library — but they are still welcome.
Preschool to third-grade children find public library activities interesting and fun.
Later that interest decreases, said Debbie Knight of Leath Memorial Library in Rockingham.
“But, we’re doing our best trying to keep their interest alive,” she said Monday night, speaking during a meeting of the Richmond County Historical Society at Rockingham City Hall.
Libraries are now competing with an assortment of electronic gadgets for the attention of young people.
Leath Memorial is among libraries in the Sandhill Regional Library System which have introduced the electronics and programs for them to keep pace.
Knight has been spreading the word about what the library has to offer people of all ages, but said spreading the word has not met with the response yet desired.
People have commented there is “nothing to do” in the community, “but we have something going on every month at the library,” she said.
So, what do people want from a library?
Knight said 5,000 letters were mailed at random through out the community seeking input as to what residents wanted in a library, but only about 400 were returned.
Some 1,500 fliers about activities were distributed through schools. The library has an active Facebook page. Add to that, notices in the Richmond County Daily Journal and on radio stations.
GETTING THE WORD OUT
Knight has taken her message about library services to senior centers, nursing homes, schools, public housing and civic clubs. She would still like to see a greater response from such efforts.
“The community needs to know their library is vibrant,” she said.
This Easter when it rained, the library hid 400 eggs for 100 children throughout the library.
“The library is not always quiet now,” Knight said. “We don’t go around saying ‘shush’ anymore.” And, she said patrons in the library enjoyed watching the children search for eggs.
Activities for children range from potting plants to dancing in the large public room at Leath.
The Summer Reading Program in the county has grown so large it now has to be held at Cole Auditorium. Last year there were 975 children involved.
A problem was that at the Cole Auditorium there were no books to check out. Arrangements have been made this year for the Anson County Bookmobile to be there to make books available.
Prizes this year for the Summer Reading Program — thanks to Richmond Senior High School — will be footballs signed by the coaching staff and players. And, season tickets to Raiders athletic activities.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, some 100 to 125 children meet at the library for story time and other programs.
OPENING NEW DOORS
“When you see people sitting outside the library before and after opening hours, they are taking advantage of the WiFi services we offer,” Knight said. A library card and “Internet card” open new avenues for information.
There is an online catalog of all books, and such services as Oneclick, Zinio, Freading, eBooks, Open Library, Overdrive, NC Live and ABC Mouse. She advised older patrons to ask any child what the services are all about.
Monthly movies are scheduled to be shown at the library in lieu of a movie theater in Rockingham. The newest Star Wars movie was recently shown — free.
In addition to 15 computers for all ages, the library has recently installed four mini-computers in the section for children. Adults must accompany children in that section.
Using home electronics, patrons can email documents to the library which will print them out for 10 cents each for black and white and 50 cents for color. Plus, for $1 the library will fax information.
Dr. John Stevenson, president of the Historical Society, expressed his concern that young people are not reading as much as they should. He said too many children are not reading at the level needed for tomorrow’s jobs.
He said they will need all the basic skills they can get because many jobs available today may not exist by the time they are ready to enter the workforce.
“Reading is still a basic skill,” said Anne Thrower, retired librarian.
For more information on the Sandhill Regional Library System, visit www.srls.info.
Tom MacCallum is a member of the Richmond County Historical Society.
ELLERBE — Ellerbe Middle School has named students to its honor roll for the third nine-week grading period.
ALL-A HONOR ROLL
Sixth grade: Emily Bass, Kelli Bass, Uriel Chaparro-Vazquez, Rolando Contreras-Gonzalez, Mauricio Felipe, Katlyn Fulp, Battle Grooms, Mayra Jimenez, Alexus King, Maya Ledbetter, Sequoyah Little, Dexter Mabe, Hailey Maness, Sheila Martinez, Hayley McCormick, Carina Morales, Benjamin Norton, Jesus Reyes, Diana Saucedo, Jamie Sears, Marissa Sweet, Kelsey Tarlton, Cody Troxler, Makayla Webb, Yingkong Xiong and Miquela Zinnerman
Seventh grade: Faith Brewington, Johan Chavez, Sandra Lopez, Cale Luckey, Sarah MacDonald, River Meacham, Ariana Pereira-Farias, Diana Recinos-Gonzalez, Cinthia Reyes and Summer Thompson
Eighth grade: Frank Atilano, Caylie Barbour, Gabrielle Bellanger, Malaeka Brown, Ananda Dixon, Vanessa Gutierrez-Olvera, Miracle Hailey, Yanet Jaimes, Monasia Kearns, Shannon Lassiter, Shelina Locklear, Jordan McBride, Jeffery Parrish, Milena Raines, Makayla Russell, Gavin Russell, Kelsey Sheffield, Briana Tarlton and Michaela Turner
A-B HONOR ROLL
Sixth grade: Paris Almon, Diana Avalos, Jenna Blevins, Dana Bruno Carmen, Benjamin Carmen-Bonilla, Kylie Carrillo, Omarion Covington, Tiahna Dalton, Breanna Garrison, Jose Gasca, Jennifer Hill, Paola Juarez, Keiarra Kendell, Naomi Linton, Jamerius McRae, Tomariea Morrison, Avilon Mosley, Ana Munoz Diaz, Raven Robinson, Daniela Ruedas-Ramos, Yesenia Ruiz-Nabor, Destiny Smith, Hunter Stutts and Alexia Watson
Seventh grade: Jokebed Aguirre, Christiana Bowden, Nymesha Cagle, Huriel Dominguez, Amaydani Hernandez, Keasia Horne, Tyler King, Joshua Mabe, Tyler Mabe, Eli Maske, Amari McCauley, Ashtin McNeill, Alison Mendoza-Gonzalez, Gustavo Mercado-Vargas, Gabriel Nabors, Julianne Richardson, Karen Solorio, Rachel Valk and Lamont Williams
Eighth grade: Angel Aguirre, Samantha Baldwin, Erik Bello Garcia, D’Andre Bethea, Ashley Carrillo, Shane Chavis, Katelynn Gomez, Arely Gonzalez, James Grace, Zachary Graham, Molly Greene, Tori Jones, Tristen Maness, Kristin Marks, Saul Martinez, Keith McNeill, Yasmine Moody, Luis Padron, Makayla Parsons, Gabriela Perez, Amanda Richardson, Jonathan Saucedo, Ariel Turner and Chason Wilson
ELLERBE — Mineral Springs Elementary School recently released its honor roll for the third nine-week grading period.
ALL-A HONOR ROLL
Third grade: Joaquain Jackson, Brianna Barnum, Jordan McCormick, Leslie Reyes, Symone Terry, Ayden Locklear, Mia Green, Garret Mabe and Ava Thompson.
Fourth grade: Zonia Contrerea Gonzalez, Natalie Meacham, Gracie Mabe, Kaleigh Cloninger, Kaemon Gomez and Caroline Hunsucker.
Fifth grade: Hayden Lee, Ashlyn Bouldin, Yuliana Gonzalez, Giovani Gomez, Diezel Green, Sylvester Harding, Kadia Rucker, Haylee Johnson, Guadalupe Juarez, Ethan Locklear, Isis McDonald, Bryan Morales, Akeya Harrison and Elijah McLean.
A-B HONOR ROLL
Third grade: Joaquin Rodriguez, Kayla Chabot, Sarah Meacham, Jayden Purvis, Mariana Estrada, Landon Wilson, Jason Perez-Zapata, Nathan Russell, Breanna Smith, Mikayla English, Randall Ramirez, Mason Murray, Savannah Powell, Natalie Primm, Ivey Craven, Ashly Gonzalez, Johnny Holmes and Jaden Oliver.
Fourth grade: Nadira Brown, Emily Juarez, Kieran Macenka, Cheyenne McDonald, Breonikia McCoy, Melissa Morales-Hernandez, Cedrea Parter, Alec Shaw, Weldon Walker, Alissa Whitlock, Emma Cooper, Adena Gibson, Jada Kegler, Wendy Lopez, Jasmin Martinez, Ally Maynor, Toby McInnis, Tap Phonchone, Brittany Manis and Jose Castanaza.
Fifth grade: Cesar Auirre-Basurto, Rebeca Avalos, Thomas Lampley, Jocelyn Mercado-Vargas, Kevin Dominguez, Layla Hayden, Riley King, Kailey McInnis, Cadence Thompson, Emily Collins, Eveie Futrell, Bryan Juarez, Kimbrly Quick, Lane Richardson and Nyla Stroman.
PERFECT ATTENDANCE
Third grade: Kayla Chabot, Camila Grijalva, Joaquain Jackson, Sofia Hernandez, Sarah Meacham, Paloma Cruz, Jayden Purvis, Joaquin Rodriguez, Roy Spencer, Kylie Williams, Landon Wilson, Amy Aguirre-Basurto, Daniel Jose-Felipe, Jayla Little, Maddie Maree, Addison Marks, Jordan McCormick, Nathan Russell, Isaac Cagle, Jaden Oliver, Kayla Woodell, Kampton Dumas, Mia Green and Garret Mabe.
Fourth grade: Zonia Contreras-Gonzalez, Emily Juarez, Jaziah Liles, Cheyenne McDonald, Natalie Meacham, Alec Shaw, Sam Thompson, Weldon Walker, Dylan Woodell, Jonathan Dominguez, Demarion Baldwin, Ellen Carrillo, Wendy Lopez, Ally Maynor, Khalil Williams, Jaimen Carrillo, Kevin Cortes, David Francisco, Brittany Manis and Diego Vanegas.
Fifth grade: Emily Collins, Curtia Crump, Eveie Futrell, Johnthan Hill, Akira Jackson, Bryan Juarez, William Manis, Kimbrly Quick, Nyla Stroman, Kevin Dominguez, Giovani Gomez, Yuliana Gonzalez, Haylee Johnson, Guadalupe Juarez, Riley King, Bryan Morales, Cesar Aguirre-Basurto, Bryceson Burr, Hailey Collins, Jh’Kwon Covington, Akeya Harrison, Savannah Hinson, Elijah McLean, Jocelyn Mercado-Vargas, Eric Sanchez Cruz, Taylor Boles, Katelyn Cagle, Christopher Collins, Genesis Hernandez-Sanchez and Katlyn Quick.
TERRIFIC KIDS
Kindergarten: McKayla Brown, Taevian Cotton, Karleigh Sellers and Ashanti Covington.
First grade: Noah McFayden, John Whitlock, Tanaja Harrison and Leslie Esteban.
Second grade: Cameron Phonchone, Kamarie Liles, Derek Evans and Zack Welch.
Third grade: Jayden Purvis, Addison Marks, Travion Smith and Jaden Oliver.
Fourth grade: Breonikia McCoy, Aiden Hyde and Tavon Green.
Fifth grade: Eveie Futrell, Kailey McInnis, Hayden Lee and Luis Hernandez-Sanchez.
‘BEAR’ STUDENTS
Kindergarten: Isabella Chavez, Ariana Marcelino, ZyRihanna Robinson and Anthony Cooper.
First grade: Kierstin Nunn, Lillian Hill, James McLaughlin and Hunter Hogan.
Second grade: Sadora McCauley, Toby Callicutt, Martha Husson and Arturo Mendoza.
Third grade: Sarah Meacham, Ayden Locklear, Randall Ramirez and Ava Thompson.
Fourth grade: Gracie Mabe, Kaleigh Cloninger and Kendall Jenkins.
Fifth grade: Bryan Juarez, Kevin Dominguez, Haylee Johnson and Katlyn Quick.
HAMLET — Fairview Heights Elementary School has announced its honor roll for the third nine-week grading period.
ALL-A HONOR ROLL
Students pictured from left to right are:
Row 1: Mattie Jo Moss, Layla Smith, Leela Lockey, Landon Dunn, Samantha Clay, Nevaeh Wilder-Harris, Noah Williams and Lilly Stubbs
Row 2: Karma Lindsey, Tucker Freeman, Dante Benel, Addison O’Neal, Jack Leviner, Jubilee Violette, Allen Taylor, Billy West and Logan Emery
Row 3: Christi Hinson, Jace Bendell, Rylie Bohman, Kalei Sriratanakoul, Jason Walker, Emma Altman, Carly Leggett and Jenna Gardner
Row 4: Alex Vaughn, Neal Butler, Elijah Swinnie-Hayes, William He, Carson Dixon, Payton Ledwell, Tyler Berry and Christi Jacobs
A-B HONOR ROLL
Third grade: Landon Allen, Kameron Bell, Saquanna Bostic, James Covington, Celeste Dawkins, Tayliah Evens, Zachary Gardner, Jonathan Glaze, Amy Helton, Deshaun Ingram, Jordan Jacobs, Matthew Leggett, Alan Luna-Esquivel, Kennedy Manley, Zakeius Martin, Jeb Perry, Jyneil Scott, Julia Standridge, Cheryl Stewart, Gage Stewart, Sariah Thomas, Nathan Thornsbury and Kalub Williams
Fourth grade: Natalie Cato, Alexander Clay, Leilani Davis, Sequoia Davis, Gavin Frank, Aldo Garcia, Linden Garcia, Chandler Garner, Justin Gibson, Juan Gomez Gonzalez, David Grant, Kady Harris, Nathan Hoffman, Christopher Hunsucker, Thomas Keyes, Sha’Daisha Lindsey, Tobey Lunceford, Jacoby Martin, Alexis Medlin, Will Schaner, Danica Smith, Faith Stewart, Layton Stubbs, Adrian Torres, Maddy Vaughn, Tristan Vazquez and Samantha Ward
Fifth grade: AJ Bennett, Austin Bullard, Alissa Cade, Anneliese Chapman, Zoe Dixon, Dustin Dorey, Logan Gentry, Peyton Gentry, Kaylee Grant, Albert Griffin, Dominic Joye, Mary Killough, Devin Liles, Colton Mayfield, Ally Moore, Heather Pike, Christian Quick, Devin Rape, Christian Robinson, Kinsley Shepard, Cody Thompson and Jayda Williams
TERRIFIC KIDS
Pre-K: Hector Perez Marquez and Wyatt Hinson
Kindergarten: Kelvin Baker, Jalil Brewington, Dannah Dickinson, Dustin Heaton, Na’Sean McBride, Addison Moore, Roberta Murphy and Mackenzie Quick
First grade: Nariyah Dennis, Aimee Lynn Dobson, Emma Rae Hinson, Tarsha Lindsey, Branden Murphy, Braelyn Nettles, Akeem Smith, Abaigail Ward, Delanie Williams and Jada Williams
Second grade: Kalli Beck, Shelby Brown, John Buchanan, Jacob Elvis, Adam Hughes, Makayla Lewis, Chasen Pankey, Sage Stanley, Jade Taylor and Daila Waddell
Third grade: Saquanna Bostic, Tayliah Evens, Meredith Hatcher, Deshaun Ingram, Karma Lindsey, Alan Luna-Esquivel, Cheryl Stewart, Allen Taylor, Jubilee Violette and Johnny Zamarripa
Fourth grade: Luis Angel Gonzalez Vides, Alexis Leak-Griffin, Cameron Player, Kilpatrick Ray, Alexis Smith, Nick Stokes, Adrian Torres and Tristian Wall
Fifth grade: Zyion Baldwin, Makayla Conoway, India Johnson, Jayden Leviner, Quston Leviner, Jeremiah McLean, Keyla Ojeda, Jaevion Troublefield and Dean Wells
