“Wildfire fully contained and under control”  That’s the latest from Banner Elk Volunteer Fire & Rescue. Crews from Avery County Fire and neighboring departments were monitoring hot spots overnight. Over 150 acres have burned since Monday.

American Red Cross: Local blood drives for Wednesday, Nov 19

   Sherwood Forest UMC, Silas Creek Pkwy (WS) = 9am – 6pm

St. Pius X (the 10^th) Church, N Elm Street in Greensboro = 9:30am – 6pm

   Novant Health Rehabilitation Hospital (Hillcrest Center Circle WS) = 11:30-3:30pm

Schedule your blood donation appointment TODAY at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/

Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS

Breaking News: Truliant Federal Credit Union is now ‘leasing’ its Winston-Salem headquarters and Hanes Mall operational properties, along with four branches.

Truliant recently sold these properties for a combined $89 million to a Los Angeles group, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.  The deal represents a sale-leaseback transaction – where a company selling an asset it owns, such as a building or equipment, and then immediately leases it back from the new owner.

Truliant, with 38 branches, primarily in the Triad and Charlotte, has “no plans to relocate or close any branches or facilities and will maintain full operational control of the properties.”    https://journalnow.com/news/local/business/real-estate/article_

RECALL: Honda is recalling over 250,000 Accord Hybrids due to a software error that may lead to a loss of drive power. The recall covers certain Honda Accord Hybrids between the 2023 and 2025 model years.  Honda dealers will reprogram the software free of charge. https://www.wxii12.com/article/honda-recalls-accord-hybrids-software-error/69477585

‘Severe’ Flu season ahead? A new variant of the Flu and lagging vaccinations may mean a severe Flu season for the US, with early surges in the UK, Canada and Japan. BTW: Last year, the US had its highest rates of flu hospitalizations in nearly 15 years.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/health/new-flu-variant-subclade-k?utm

Volunteers Needed: Crisis Control Ministry is needing volunteers to help with their upcoming Poverty Simulation planned for this Thursday morning (Nov 20) at the Forsyth County Health Department.  This interactive activity is a guided experience that exposes the realities of those living in extreme poverty. To volunteer contact Sydney Angel [email protected]

One in four US households is living paycheck to paycheck, according to a Bank of America study released last week.  www.cnn.com/2025/11/13/economy/job-prices-debt-economy

If you or your family are in immediate need for food resources, call 2-1-1…

or visit nc211.org to find a food pantry closest to you. https://nc211.org/search/

Public notice from the Davidson County Board of Elections. A requested recount for the City of Thomasville ‘Mayoral contest’ will begin on Monday, Nov 24 at 8:30am at the BOE office on North Main Street in Lexington. The public may observe the recount.

“Faith and fear look a lot alike. They both ask us to believe something that hasn’t happened yet. Fear will enslave us. Faith will set us free. God knows you’re here. God loves you. God loves the immigrants and the foreigners that are among us.”

Rev. Rusty Price from Camino Church in Charlotte

…his message to those afraid to leave their homes or even attend church

‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

 but of power and of love and of a sound mind’ –2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV