September 17, 2020
Kerry Blackwelder works on word sounds with Kaylee Spade Mebane

Sharing the Love of Reading: Mebane Foundation Welcomes Kerry Blackwelder to HillRAP Tutoring Program

“I’m not finished making a difference in the lives of kids,” says Kerry Blackwelder, who retired from Davie County Schools in July, after 29 years of teaching, and is now eager to begin her second career as a Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) tutor for the Mebane Foundation.  “I am excited to be tutoring to continue to share my love of phonics and literacy with students. I’ve spent the majority of my teaching career teaching literacy and it’s my passion! I love watching my striving students become confident readers.”  HillRAP is a research-based, individualized approach to teaching the five essential […]
September 7, 2020
Bus Safety Solutions Extended arm prevents cars from passing schoool busses illegaly

Bus Safety Innovator Seeks to Move Operations to Mocksville

By Jeanna Baxter White Bus Safety Solutions is planning a move to Mocksville,  bringing ten jobs to the community, and infusing new life into an old building. The company has outgrown its current space on Westpoint Boulevard in Winston-Salem and is eager to relocate to Davie County, where its president and vice-president are residents.  “We are bursting at the seams and would love to bring our company to the community where we live,” said Scott Geyer, vice-president. Renovation and Revitalization Plans Bus Safety Solutions would use the building to assemble Extended Stop Arms and Transit Curtain PPE for school buses. […]
August 20, 2020

Cooleemee Will Get-Out-the Count!

Who doesn’t love a parade? On Monday, August 24th, beginning at 6 p.m., a caravan of fire trucks, police cars, emergency services vehicles, along with a few ATVs or golf carts will proceed up and down every street in Cooleemee encouraging residents to take part in the 2020 Census.  The 2020 Census is each resident’s opportunity to make a decade of a difference in the community. Since March, the percentage of Cooleemee residents who have participated in the US Census has lagged behind the average response rate in Davie County and the state. In an effort to increase their town’s […]
August 18, 2020

Davie County Mom Returns Home to Childhood Property with Help from Clayton Homes and Family Promise

Sometimes dreams do come true, just ask Sonya Allen. Allen and her two teenage children, Smitty and Elaine, experienced homelessness after a water main break forced them to permanently move out of the home they owned. The family spent time in Family Promise of Davie County’s shelter program before moving into a transitional home owned by Hope Homes, another local nonprofit.  Partnership Offers Hope During her time at Family Promise, Allen often spoke with Executive Director Lisa Foster about her dream to move back to the land where she grew up in Advance, NC. She owned the property, but the […]
August 14, 2020

Census Bureau Begins Door to Door Visits

If you haven’t completed the census, expect a knock on your door. This week, the U.S. Census Bureau began following up with households nationwide that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census.  Based on the current national self-response rate of 63.3%, the Census Bureau estimates it will need to visit about 56 million addresses to collect responses in person. As of August 9th, Davie County ranked fourth in the state, with 67.7% of the county’s residents having responded. But that means thousands still need to be counted, and millions of dollars in federal funds are yet at stake.   Up […]
August 12, 2020

Big Oak Ranch/Gold Leaf Training Celebrates Grand Opening in Mocksville

Big Oak Ranch/Gold Leaf Training celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday, August 11th, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Davie County Chamber of Commerce and a Business After Hours event hosted by Nathan Broyles of Nationwide Insurance. Despite the heat, family, friends, and chamber members turned out to congratulate new owner, Amanda Lowe, and to tour the facility and stroke the horses. Attendees were treated to light refreshments and wine from RayLen Vineyards.  Located at 3604 US Hwy 158 in Mocksville, Big Oak Ranch is a full-service training and boarding facility and offers riding and driving lessons for ages […]
August 10, 2020
Birds of Prey visit Cooleemee Summer Enrichment Camp

Flexible Funding Enables Summer Enrichment for Davie Students

Davie County Students Enjoy Summer Enrichment Camps Thanks to Mebane Foundation By Jeanna Baxter White Sitting cross-legged on the library floor, Madison Sandy carefully examined the blueprint on the iPad in front of her before selecting the corresponding legos to add to her remote control car. Soon the rising 5th-grader was gleefully maneuvering it in a circle in front of her, experiencing that math and science are fun.  Flexible Funding Means the Learning Doesn’t End School may have been out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean that learning in Davie County ended. More than 180 rising kindergarteners through 5th-graders […]
July 30, 2020

Discover Davie County Unveils 20 in 20 Contest

Make 2020 the year you really explore Davie County! The Davie County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a 20 in 20 contest beginning August 1st, 2020, as part of its Discover Davie County tourism initiative.   Enjoy new spots and old favorites! Catch a drive-in movie at Davie County Community Park, spark your imagination at Cognition, sip a glass of wine and watch the sunset at a local winery, or grab a bite to eat at your favorite restaurant.  “We started this campaign to showcase all that is available in our community with the added bonus of supporting our local businesses,” […]
July 29, 2020

Connecting Employers and Job Seekers

By Jeanna Baxter White DavieWorks.com Offers One-Stop-Shop for Employers and Job Seekers Are you looking for a job? Do you have a position to fill? DavieWorks.com is your answer.  Davie CONNECT’s online employment portal connects Davie County employers and job seekers with recruiting, training, and career resources within Davie County. “DavieWorks.com was created to connect people to the specific resources and services that can help them find employment or for businesses to shine a spotlight on the positions they are trying to fill,” said Carolyn McManamy, director of Davie CONNECT and the creator of DavieWorks.com. “It is meant to serve […]