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When Rep. Laura Wiley announced she wouldn’t seek a fourth term at the General Assembly, the High Point Republican sparked a flurry of interest from would-be replacements.

So far, Scoop has heard from three Republicans who say they will run for the seat. They are:

• John Faircloth, a High Point City Council member and former police chief.
• Gerald Grubb, a 40-year district resident and owner of Southern Cross Mortgage Co.
• Paul Norcross, a High Point businessman who works in logistics and is a co-founder of the Phoenix Academy charter school.

Official filing doesn’t begin until February for the May primary. Though this is a Republican-leaning district, Scoop has heard that at least one Democrat is considering a run and that more Republicans might be interested.

Rivals’ final bout

Councilmen Mike Barber and Robbie Perkins took shots at each other at the City Council meeting Nov. 10 over plans for the city’s trash disposal.

But last week Barber — perhaps feeling nostalgic at the thought of his coming council retirement — offered an apology for getting riled up.

“It was silly. I apologize,” Barber said toward the end of Tuesday’s council meeting.

“I cannot believe you said that,” said Mayor Yvonne Johnson, who has also found herself on the other end of Barber’s barbs.

Barber had apologized privately days earlier on Perkins’ voice mail. It’s a good thing he did it publicly, since Perkins planned to play the message for folks.

Consider the exchange proof that these frequent sparring partners don’t stay mad for too long.

Election write-in fun

Sometimes the person you’d like to see take a job isn’t even in the running.

Hence the write-in category for elections.

Here are some of the people who got a write-in vote in the recent City Council elections.

For mayor of Greensboro:

• One vote each for the Rev. Cardes Brown, newspaperman John Hammer, bloggers (and former political candidates) Ben Holder, Ryan Shell and Roch Smith Jr., and former police Chief David Wray.
• One vote for Luke Skywalker, who saved a galaxy far, far away from the dark side.

For City Council at-large:

• Eighteen votes for Jorge Cornell, Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation leader who didn’t survive the October primary for the race.
• Ten votes each for Ryan Shell — another at-large candidate who didn’t make it out of the primary — and Joel Landau, who ran in District 4.
• Four votes for Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney icon. One vote went to his girlfriend, Minnie Mouse.
• One vote for Meb Keflezighi, long-distance runner who won this year’s New York City Marathon.
• One vote for Pooh Bear, a.k.a. “Winnie the Pooh” or “Silly Old Bear,” beloved children’s book and cartoon character.
• One vote for Jimmy Buffet, who has wasted away in Margaritaville.
• One vote for “Racksraw.” No first name was listed, but Scoop guesses this voter was angling to send a vote to Mary Rakestraw, who ran in District 4.
• One vote each for “Someone Better,” “This is Stupid,” and “Not Robbie Pirkins” (sic).

In the district races:

• Fifteen votes for Jay Ovittore, who did not make it out of the primary for District 3.
• One vote for “None of the Above,” “Nobody” and “Anybody but Them” in District 3.
• One vote for Santa Claus in District 5.
• One other note. Salvatore Leone received one vote for at-large and another for District 5. Voters were either sending their support to the don of the Leone crime family in the video game Grand Theft Auto, or a local with the same name.