11 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

as reported by PATTI STOKES

Mayor Mike Crawford opened the monthly town council meeting in Town Hall at 7 p.m. Following an opening prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, the five-member council approved the consent agenda after adding one discussion item and a closed session.

Public Safety

Fire Department. Randy Southard, Stokesdale Fire Dept.’s deputy chief, reported the department responded to a higher-than-usual number of calls for service in April; of the 90 calls, 40 were medical-related, seven fire-related and 34 miscellaneous.

Southard said one of the department’s firefighters recently had a stroke and asked that everyone keep him in their prayers.

Safety tip. Residents were reminded that burning yard debris is okay, but not manufactured materials, and advised to control the area surrounding their fire, ensure there is sufficient distance between the fire and nearby structures, and to monitor air quality reports.

Sheriff’s Department. Sgt. Ryan Seals with the county sheriff’s District 1 office reported in writing that vehicle break-ins at area parks have recently increased, with offenders smashing windows and stealing purses and credit cards. Residents were reminded to store only the bare essentials in their cars, and to never leave valuables in plain sight.

Social media extortion scams involving explicit photos have also increased, and residents were warned about talking to strangers online, and to never share explicit photos or personal information.