Oct. 3 - 9, 2019
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
School bus overturns, no serious injuries STOKESDALE – It was a scene no emergency responder wants to come upon: an overturned school bus with 18 children onboard. “Any time you have an incident involving kids, it’s tough,” said Chris Johnson, chief of Summerfield Fire Department, one of more than a half dozen emergency and law enforcement agencies that responded to an accident Tuesday, Oct. 1, in which a Rockingham County school bus carrying Huntsville Elementary students overturned on N.C. 68 north of Stokesdale. The children, ages 5 to 10, the bus driver and one adult passenger were on the way to an after-school program, according
IN THIS ISSUE News in brief......................... 2 Your Questions ...................... 4 Recycling, doing without ........ 6 Pets & Critters photos............ 7 For the love of cats ................ 8 Kiwanisaurus Adventure ......... 9 Pet Adoptions ..................... 10 Crime/Incident Report ......... 11 Heritage Day ...................... 12 Calendar Events .................. 13
Going, going – not gone
to Brandon Baker, a spokesperson with the N.C. State Highway Patrol. Photos by Chris Burritt/NWO
by CHRIS BURRITT
www.nwobserver.com
When the first emergency responders arrived from Stokesdale, students had already gotten off the bus, presumably through the emergency door in the rear of the vehicle. “Fortunately there were no entrapments,” Stokesdale Fire Chief Todd Gauldin said. “Our job was to treat them.” Some of the children suffered from scrapes and bruises and one girl had a bump on her head, Gauldin said. “Thank goodness all of the injuries were minor,” he said. “They
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At left, Joe Thacker, president of Friends of Stokesdale, and Stokesdale resident Bob Simpson, who visited the train depot as a child, attended an auction Sept. 28 to see whether it would sell. “We want to get the property sold,” said auctioneer Jeff Eanes, right, who introduced a bid of $100,000 to try to generate interest for the depot.
An auction for the historic Stokesdale train depot draws about 15 people and no bidders by CHRIS BURRITT
Bits & Pieces ...................... 15 Northern Homecoming ......... 18 High School Football ............ 19 Student Profiles ................... 20 NWHS Spirit Week ............... 22 Say Hello ............................ 24 Grins and Gripes ................. 25 Letters/Opinions.................. 26 Classifieds.......................... 27 Index of Advertisers ............. 31 NWO on the Go! .................. 32
MADISON – Auctioneer Jeff Eanes started the bidding for the historic Stokesdale train depot at $250,000. He kept lowering the asking price until he finally introduced a bid of $100,000, hoping to entice an offer. None of the five registered bidders spoke up, ending the auction last Saturday, Sept. 28, one minute, 20 seconds after it had started. The crowd of about 15 people dispersed,
leaving Mary Hunter, the depot’s owner, and Realtor Jodi Lester to plot their next step. Lester, of Keller Williams in Stoneville, said she
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