news-record.com

75 YEARS AGO   
From Greensboro Daily News, Nov. 8-14, 1934

Rockingham County’s tobacco markets continue to do well, with poundage remaining strong and prices holding steady.

In Reidsville, nearly 100,000 pounds were sold but the quality of offerings was down, leading to a slight drop in average.

But the market is well on its way to the 6 million pound mark, having sold 5.25 million pounds so far this year. The 6-million figure could be reached by Thanksgiving.

Prices are holding up well on the Madison market. About 30,000 pounds were sold on Monday at an average of $29 per hundredweight.

■ ■ ■

Sherwood Anderson, well-known novelist and playwright of Marion, Va., and New York City, was the guest of his daughter, Mrs. Russell M. Spear in Madison during the past week.

■ ■ ■

At a meeting of the T.A.R. Club in Reidsville, Mrs. Jefferson Penn spoke glowingly of the Community Chest and the work it does.

■ ■ ■

Mrs. T.H. Barker read her prize-winning essay, “Jefferson Davis, His Statesmanship And His Place in History,” at a meeting of the Chalmers Glenn Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy.

■ ■ ■

Reidsville High claimed its third Western Class B championship with a 19-6 victory over Thomasville High at Thomasville. Both teams played hard but Reidsville built up a 19-0 lead in the second and third quarters.

■ ■ ■

Silvertone radio, $44.50.

50 YEARS AGO
From Greensboro Daily News, Nov. 8-14, 1959

Forty-one years ago, Miss Laura Powell of Reidsville took over the Huffines Insurance Agency upon the death of Mr. Huffines.

Although it was not a time when women took such a leading role in business, Miss Powell had been a stenographer-clerk for Mr. Huffines and had learned the insurance business well enough that she was successful from Day One.

Later her nephew, E.S. (Curly) Powell joined her in the business and did much to expand its operations. Upon his death in 1958, his wife, Margaret Smith Powell, became manager of the firm. But Miss Laura, as she is widely known, has not gone into retirement.

American Insurance Co. last week sent some top officials, including Vice President Macon R. Crocker, to honor her  50-year (41 on her own, nine with Huffines) association with American.

■ ■ ■

Joe Woods, 42, claimed he was gunning for a big rat in his stable and accidentally shot his neighbor and brother-in-law Otis Brim last July but a witness said drinking preceded the shooting and Woods was firing wildly after a quarrel over a pint of whisky.

A Rockingham County Superior Court jury didn’t believe the rat story — it found him guilty of manslaughter this week and Judge Allen H. Gwyn sentenced him to 18 months to 3 years in prison.

■ ■ ■

Coach J.C. Honeycutt’s Morehead High Panthers have won the Western 3-A Conference title for the second year in a row, beating Winston-Salem Gray 21-12 in Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem for the crown.

■ ■ ■

Living Stereo, $249.95

25 YEARS AGO
From Greensboro News & Record, Nov. 8-14, 1984

Money, not racism, is the toughest problem facing beginning black businessmen, says Curtis Purcell, proprietor of Purcell’s Garage on Reidsville’s Scales Street.

Purcell opened the garage three years ago and “it took everything I had to get started,” he said. “Still takes everything I have to keep the doors open.”

Purcell is one of only a small number of black businessmen in this city, which is 40 percent black. Other black businessmen agree with his assessment of the situation.

“In some instances, race plays a part, yes, but I can’t see that as the overriding factor,” said Peter J. Smith, a Reidsville florist.

Still, the dominant social culture is all-white, with no blacks as members of Pennrose Country Club or holding offices in the chamber of commerce and Reidsville Downtown Corp.

■ ■ ■

Shiloh Airport is getting its own fire department, thanks to the county commissioners matching a state grant of $19,500 to build a station at  the airport northwest of Wentworth. The 40-by-60 foot metal structure will cost $39,000 and have two bays for firefighting equipment, plus administrative space.

■ ■ ■

Three of four Rockingham County school systems presented capital outlay projects totaling $374,000 to the county commissioners.

The highest priority was an Eden request to rewire and light the auditorium at Morehead High School, which is expected to cost between $50,000 and $80,000.

The commissioners tabled the requests from Eden, Reidsville and Rockingham County until they can get a better idea of how much needs to be spent on specific projects.

■ ■ ■

The Stoneville Town Board, town manager and members of the Stoneville police force will be meeting in the coming days with the hope of coming up with a plan to stem the high turnover among police.

Seven police officers have resigned since the first of the year. “We feel like we need to do something but we’re not exactly sure what,” said Mayor Bill Crews.

■ ■ ■

The score was 3-0 for both Morehead and Rockingham County in football games Friday night, with Morehead nipping Northeast Guilford by that amount and Rockingham dropping Eastern Guilford with a field goal in overtime.

■ ■ ■

Sony compact disc player, $397.

10 YEARS AGO
From Greensboro News & Record, Nov. 8-14, 1999

The Madison Board of Aldermen is asking the  U.S. Postal Service to hold off on plans for a new post office in Madison, saying such a delay will give residents time to locate possible sites downtown.

The aldermen have received a petition signed by 500 residents asking for the delay. All the signers use the Madison post office.

■ ■ ■

The Eden planning board recommended approval of a 78-acre lot subdivision in central Eden although some residents of the area are against it.

The planning board’s director, Kelly Stultz, said the subdivision developer, R.B. Davis, has agreed with the developer of an adjacent subdivision, the Wright Co., to extend Bermuda Drive so that it connects with Edgewood and relieve residents’ fear that the new subdivision would produce enough traffic to overwhelm roads leading into it.

■ ■ ■

Stricter guidelines and a $1,500 fee will be required of cell phone tower companies when they apply for permits to put up a tower in Rockingham County.

The county commissioners adopted the tougher law in an effort to limit the number of towers in the county, which now stands at 23.

■ ■ ■

The Mayodan Town Council revised its privilege tax rate for merchants for the second time this year, setting the new rates at $25 for businesses with gross sales under $500,000 and at $50 for businesses with gross sales of $500,000 or more. The changes mean several businesses will be getting a refund.

■ ■ ■

Morehead High was eliminated from the state 3-A playoffs as it was stomped decisively by Washington High 51-7 in a first-round playoff game.