Looking back at the big events of the year 2000 As we prepare to move forward into the year 2001 and the new millennium, it is an appropriate time to look back at the year 2000. It was a year of economic woes and hardship as several established businesses and industries closed in the county, leaving more than 600 workers without jobs. The impact of those closings is still being felt today in the county, as the unemployment rate hit 9.3 percent in November, the highest point it has reached this year. However, there were bright spots during the year, including many new building projects here. Magnolia Manufacturing announced an expansion that helped to create 80 new jobs, while the county continued work on a school facilities improvement plan which included major updates for all but one of the county schools. (A large portion of Sparta Elementary was built in 1993 and did not need major renovations). The following is a month-by-month recap of the year 2000, as seen in the pages of The Alleghany News.

NEW FLAG - The county selected a flag for the first time in its history during the year 2000. A representation of the flag is shown above, while the original is on display at the county office building.

• January saw Chris Walker buy out Claude Reedy and gain C&E Enterprises, which held the garbage contract for the Town of Sparta. The business also handled the county's recycling. Walker immediately began to make improvements, a move that was lauded by several local officials. Also early in the month, N.C. Department of Transportation official Wade Hoke retired, turing over the reins to Carl McCann. McCann took over as Division 11 Engineer on Jan. 1.
• The Alleghany County Board of Education agreed to hold two meetings per month on Wednesday, instead of holding one meeting per month on Monday. The move passed on a 3-2 vote. The measure was later reversed in December; however, the board continues to meet on Wednesday instead of Monday.
• The N.C. Department of Transportation approved funds to help purchase Bullhead Mountain. Those funds, in addition to funding raised through conservation agencies and locally, helped preserve the 203 acre tract, which is part of the Blue Ridge Parkway's viewshed. The final $192,000 needed came from the N.C. Natural Heritage Trust and was awarded in early May.
• Brandon Whitaker was named as county maintenance engineer for Yadkin and Alleghany counties.
• The school system announced limited bus routes to help alleviate pressure on school schedules because of bad weather. The routes help students attend school by utilizing main roads for buses.

• The county finished work on the Alleghany County Courthouse. The work began in 1999 after lead-based paint was discovered in the structure. The final bill was more than $85,000 for the work, which had been budgeted to cost $8,000.
• The county agreed to post a ban on pre-1976 mobile homes to keep Alleghany from becoming a "dumping ground" for older model homes. Similar measures were already in affect in contiguous counties.
• The filing period for local elections ended with numerous filings for both school board and county commission. John Hampton, Patrick Woodie and Mickey Hall sought two Democratic nominations, while J. Warren Taylor was the lone Republican. Hampton was defeated in the primary. In the school board race, Marie Carlson, Steve Carpenter and Sonia Joines registered for the Republican party. Carlson was defeated in the primary. On the Democratic ticket, Bobby Irwin, Stephanie Vogler and Jim Halsey vied for two seats. Irwin, the incumbent, lost his seat in the primary. In the race for register of deeds, David Andrews faced off against incumbent Lizabeth Reeves Roupe. Andrews was defeated in the primary.
• Local farmers took a blow when the quota for burley tobacco was cut by 45 percent. Burley was responsible for $1.3 million in income here during 1998.
• The Adult Developmental and Vocational Program, formerly ADAP, broke ground on a new facility. The building was to be located off Dan Osborne Road.
• The state approved the purchase of a 226-acre addition to Stone Mountain State Park. The land was purchased for $678,000 and is located within Alleghany County's boundaries, near the Wilkes County line.

• Sandy Carter was named the Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce's member of the year for her work for the chamber in 1999. Carter is the chamber president.
• Gregory "Trent" Beaver was named the division construction engineer for Division 11.
• A turning lane was scheduled for Grandview Drive, but the lane still has yet to be constructed. Work was stalled while money was sought to move power lines.
• A lawsuit filed by Mark Reynolds on behalf of his father, Jackie Dean Reynolds, was put on hold indefinitely. The suit named the sheriff's department and several others. The suit is still in limbo. Reynolds died after an altercation at the jail in which he was pepper sprayed and strait-jacketed after attempting to cause harm to himself and others.
• The murder trial of Billy Dean Whitaker was moved to Ashe County by Judge Michael Helms. Whitaker was charged with the murder of his former wife, Brenda Whitaker, and the injury of John Wayne Mullis after a knife assault.
• The school board agreed to spend $90,000 on a two-acre property that adjoins both the Alleghany High School and Sparta Elementary School properties.
• Keenia Spurlin won the "Miss Mount Airy" pageant to earn the right to represent a five-county area in the state beauty pageant for the right of being crowned, Miss North Carolina.
• The county was moved back into the Fifth Congressional District as redistricting continued. The issue is now made null and void as the new census information will require a redistricting of the entire state.
• Grandview Drive was closed for bridge replacement work, which is still not completed.

• Alleghany County picked a new flag design, featuring the county logo and a field of blue on the left with the year the county was founded, 1859.
• The county manager released a list of $90,000 in "lost" inventory. The inventory for the county had not been updated properly and the missing inventory was noted when the list was being updated. Many of the items were sold at auctions by the county and never recorded off inventory lists. By the time the inventory was "written off," the total had declined to $8,000.
• The family of late Commissioner Bob Greene was honored with a plaque that is on display at the county office building. Greene died in office in June 1999.
• The county got a grant to begin a volunteer center, which is staffed by Debbie White. The grant paid for half of White's salary.
• A Mountain City, Tenn. firm was selected to do work on a water and sewer extension from the town to NAPCO. Bids were opened on April 10.

• A 44-year-old Ennice man was killed after a single-vehicle accident on state road 1494. Walter Lee Johnson was driving a 1989 Jeep that belonged to Fang Alford, also of Ennice. No charges were filed.
• The Billy Dean Whitaker trial began in Ashe County. Later in the month, Whitaker was found guilty and given life in prison.
• Land was purchased on Collins Road for a new Alleghany Wellness Center. The center's organizers are still raising money for the project. The land, 16.27 acres, was purchased for $170,000.
• The state superintendent and board of education chair visited the county.
• Abreena Tompkins was named teacher of the year.

• Chris Robinson was named to take over as director for the Alleghany and Ashe campuses of Wilkes Community College. Robinson took over for Mary Tate, who left the job earlier in the year.
• The school board eliminated four teaching positions in response to a tight budget.
• NAPCO announced expansion plans into the old pipe factory building and at their current site. The cost of the plant and equipment was said to be more than $2 million.
• The town approved a budget without a tax increase
• Fire destroyed the old Roaring Gap Fish Hatchery, which was being used as a private residence.
• The final census response rate for the county was heralded at 57 percent. The goal had been to get more than 70 percent response.
• The county budget was approved on a 3-2 vote. Two commissioners, Eldon Edwards and Charity Gambill, wanted to increase takes to give more money to the school system.
• After putting the earlier suit on hold, Mark Reynolds filed for an extension to file a malpractice suit against AMH, New River Area Programs and several individuals.

• Andy Huber was honored by having the Alleghany Cyber Campus named after him. The campus is now called the "A. Anderson Huber Cyber Campus." Huber was instrumental in getting the project started here.
• The impending sale of the Sparta First Union Branch was announced. The bank was later purchased by First Charter.
• The school budget was approved on June 29 on a 2-1 vote. Bobby Irwin was the lone dissenting vote.
• Charles Reinhardt was named district engineer for Alleghany, Yadkin and Surry Counties. Mike Pettyjohn was promoted to division maintenance engineer in Wilkes-boro.
• Carolina Narrow announced plans to close its doors, leading more than 100 workers to lose their jobs here.
• A man died on the Blue Ridge Parkway after getting stung by a bee. George Whitfield of Rural Hall collapsed after an allergic reaction.
• Blue mold was found on Alleghany tobacco, leading farmers to have concerns about crop losses.

• Outgoing Commissioner of Agriculture Jim Graham said goodbye to the area in a ceremony at the Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs, where he used to work.
• Michael Thomas "Sam" Johnson was killed in a car accident in Mount Airy. Johnson, 19, was a passenger in a vehicle that crossed the center line and hit another car head-on.
• Kristal Jones left Alleghany Hospice to accept a position as director of the Galax-Carroll-Grayson Chamber of Commerce.
• The county borrowed $237,000 to help offset expenses from capital purchases. About $138,000 went to current year expenses, while a portion of the remainder was used to purchase an ambulance.
• Local attorney Bynum Marshall, who served the town, county and school board, decided to close his practice to pursue employment with Lowe's Companies in Wilkes County.
• That same week, Lowe's announced plans to close the Sparta store and combine it with the Galax, Va. store, to much local protest.
• Piney Creek and Glade Creek schools were ranked as exemplary in the state's ABCs program. Both schools were honored locally. In addition, Piney Creek was named as a school of excellence.
• The Mountains-to-Sea Trail was opened in the county, after several years of work.
• Spring Ford announced plans to shut down its plant here. About 140 workers lost their jobs.

• A Charlotte man died on Sept. 1 when his tractor overturned on him on Roberts Road. James Rushing, 66, was mowing grass at the time. Lowe's finalized closing plans for Sept. 22, despite local pleas and outrage.
• An Alleghany man was charged with manslaughter after a Gold Hill, Va. farmer was killed in an accident. Judd Jennings Poe of Piney Creek was charged after his pickup clipped a trailer behind a farm tractor driven by Gayle Cox Phipps of Gold Hill. Phipps died at the scene.
• The town selected a new attorney, William Graham. Graham, who lives in Roaring Gap, was notified by letter that he had been accepted for the post. Meanwhile, the school board named Fredrick Gray Johnson as its attorney.
• In the face of rising unemployment rates, state Secretary of Commerce Rick Carlisle visited the area, bringing a message of hope. Carlisle addressed a crowd of about 50 at the county courthouse.
• Alleghany landed a $400,000 community block grant. The grant will help rehabilitate old housing in the county.
• J.R. Vannoy and Sons of Jefferson got the low bid on the contract to upgrade U.S. 21 up Twin Oaks Mountain. Their bid of about $5.1 million was slightly lower than the $5.14 million bid by Smith and Sons Paving Company.
• Dave's Construction got the bid for the county's new health department. The building's construction cost is set at $757,000.

• Piney Creek Elementary was visited by State Superintendent Mike Ward, his second visit here in a year.
• Sparta Industries laid off 14 workers in its pipe division as part of a restructuring program.
• AMH's relations with Blue Cross chilled as the hospital let the provider agreement with the company lapse for customers on PPO plans. The impasse still has yet to be breached.
• An infant was killed in a car accident on N.C. 18. Ethan Rutherford was killed after the car his mother was driving struck the back of another vehicle and spun into another oncoming vehicle. The victim's mother, Darlene Rutherford, was later charged with following too closely.
• Skyline Telephone broke ground on a new facility on Oct. 4. The new center will be on Grayson Street.
• A new intersection of N.C. 93 and U.S. 221 was completed. The intersection upgrade was a safety project.
• Tax Administrator Cheryl Jones resigned, leaving the county to search for yet another tax administrator. The post still was not filled as of early January, 2001.
• A teacher filed a lawsuit concerning a decision by the school board to not give her tenure. Barbara Halsey filed the suit to appeal the board's decision to release her.
• The Alleghany Wellness Center reached the $1 million mark, but still needed about $1.75 million to start construction on a facility.

• Mark Reynolds officially filed his suit against AMH, NRAP, Dr. Tom Murray, Elizabeth Holcomb and Donna Reeves. The suit has not been decided.
• Republicans Joines and Carpenter won school board seats in a sweep as new commissioners Woodie and Taylor were elected.
• The well at Glade Creek School went dry, leaving school officials searching for water. The old well was redrilled and a new well was drilled to alleviate the problem.
• Joe McMillan of Wilkesboro was granted a presidential pardon for his part in a milk price-fixing scam.
• NAPCO laid off 14 employees, as county officials noted that Carolina Narrow did not file for NAFTA benefits. The company's failure to file left some employees without benefits during recent months. The application has been filed now, but it will likely be mid-February before the results are known and help can be attained.

• A Cana, Va. man died after a hunting accident in Ennice. Raymond Clinton Lineberry, 57, died after he accidentally shot himself in the leg while hoisting his gun up to his tree stand.
• The county faced a flu vaccine shortage, which wasn't rectified until mid-December. The health department now has plenty of vaccine on hand.
• The Alleghany News launched a new Internet site and addresses at www.alleghanynews.com.
• The death of a 22-year-old woman in Ennice was declared accidental. Gloria Vera apparently shot herself in the abdomen after playing with a pistol, witnesses said.
• The county agreed to look at a public transit plan, but funding problems caused them to look again. The plan was scheduled to be discussed at a public hearing on Tuesday night.

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