Top Stories

Candler Field Museum will re-create the sights and sounds of the 1920s at the annual Vintage Day Music Festival set for Saturday, June 3. The airfield and museum are just off Highway 362 on Jonathans Roost Road in Williamson. Activities are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the family-friendly event and visitors are encouraged to dress in period costumes as they see and pose for photos with antique cars and vintage planes and enjoy the old-fashioned food and music. [Full story »] 

Veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice will be honored on the courthouse square at 10 a.m. Monday, May 29 in a ceremony hosted by the Pike County American Legion Post 197 Legion Family. [Full story »] 

The J. Joel Edwards Public Library in Zebulon will host children’s author and illustrator Jose Lucio on Saturday, May 27 at 1 p.m. Lucio will read his latest book, Free Rain, and present a workshop in which the participants will learn to draw the hilarious chickens from the book. [Full story »] 

Around 240 graduates from Pike County High School and Zebulon High School will accept their diplomas and step into the next phase of their lives during the commencement exercises set to start at 8 p.m. Friday, May 26 at the school’s stadium. [Full story »] 

New tradition to kick off at spring football game

Pike’s Relay for Life event will be different this year and organizers plan to raise funds while showing the community’s support for those fighting cancer, those who have survived cancer and also those who helped them along the way. [Full story »] 

The Pike County Baccalaureate Service will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at Oak Hill Baptist Church off Highway 362 in Williamson for all 2017 graduates from the county. All community members are invited to attend to show support for graduates and a message will be delivered by Life Springs Church youth pastor Shane Moore. Special music for the service will be provided by the Oak Hill Praise Team. [Full story »] 

The Vietnam-era Huey helicopter in downtown Williamson is getting a much-needed makeover thanks to the efforts of men in the aviation industry who volunteered their time to make the improvements happen. Delta technician Joe Stewart and retired U.S. Army pilot Bill James joined forces to clean out the interior of the helicopter and patch areas of the exterior to prepare the helicopter for paint. Others who helped with the project included Delta technicians Tim Powers and Dave Keaton, Todd Thaxton of Atlanta Air Salvage and Debbie Stewart. Powers helped with repairs on the tail boom and Powers and Keaton helped load the main rotor blades on a trailer for Thaxton to transport them to the DeltaOps hanger in Atlanta. [Full story »] 

Commissioners received bids to review for paving projects and for the sheriff’s training facility during their April 25 meeting. The sealed bids were opened at the meeting, but no decision was made until all the elements of the bid can be considered. Bids for the sheriff’s new multi-purpose training facility included a $113,600 bid by Stone and Sons Construction of Molena, a $149,145 bid by UWS Construction Group of Buford and a $197,193 bid by McElroy Inc. of Zebulon. [Full story »] 

Douglas George Ragan of Zebulon was just doing another of his many good deeds by presenting a custom hot rod to a friend battling cancer at the Friday Night Drags when he was surprised himself and presented with the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Humanitarian Award.

Doug had invited his friends Davey and Paula McLeod of Texas to visit AMS April 28 and watch him race, planning to surprise Davey with a beefed up 1968 Chevy II just like the one he and his brothers enjoyed driving as young men. Doug secretly purchased and restored the car to lift Davey’s spirits after he was diagnosed with cancer. [Full story »]