March 14 - 20, 2014
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
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Remembering Carson Lee Overby
Adopt-A-Highway signs are visible reminders of a life ended too soon by ANNETTE JOYCE COLFAX – The signs along the highway read “In loving memory of Carson Lee Overby.” They are adorned with a vine of multi-colored silk flowers which are periodically replaced.
Photo courtesy of Laura Beth Overby
Before his life ended at the age of 15, Carson Overby was a typical teenager who loved being outdoors.
The two signs are both in Oak Ridge, along a stretch of N.C. 68 – one near BB& T and another close to the Ai Church at the corner of Alcorn Road. While thousands of cars pass by those signs each day, few drivers know the story behind them.
Although tragic, it’s a story of one family’s desire to keep the memory of their loved one alive and to give back to someone else. It’s also the story of their attempt to heal a wound from which they know they may never fully recover. Before his life tragically ended on April 29, 2010, Carson was a 15-yearold freshman at Ledford High School in Thomasville. He loved the outdoors and spent hours hunting, fishing and skateboarding. At the time of his death he was
First phase of new GTCC campus nears completion 97,500-square-foot building dedicated to business, industry
living with his father, Chuck, and his stepmother, Laura Beth, in Colfax. He was in the process of transferring to Northwest High School. His sister Caitlyn was a student at Appalachian State University. The family was waiting for the birth of Carson and Caitlyn’s baby brother, Luke Carson, who’s now 3. “Carson was a fun-loving 15-yearold kid who was one of the most generous teenagers I’ve ever known,” says
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IN THIS ISSUE News in brief................................ 3 220 Widening Impact ................ 6 Business Notes ............................ 9 Bits & Pieces .............................. 10
by STEVE HUFFMAN
A rare find.................................. 14
NW GREENSBORO – The first phase of Guilford Technical Community College’s Donald W. Cameron campus is nearing completion and should be operational by summer.
Community Calendar.............. 15
The 100-acre environmentally-friendly campus is at the intersection of N.C. 68 and Leabourne Road, just outside the Oak Ridge town limits.
Grins & Gripes ........................... 16
The 97,500-square-foot Business & Industry building marks the first phase of the campus. The building will
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Crime/Incident Report ............ 16
Classifieds ................................. 19 Index of Advertisers ................. 23 Artist’s rendering courtesy of GTCC
The first phase of the Donald W. Cameron campus is nearing completion and should be ready to welcome students this August.
NWO On The Go! ...................... 24