“I love my God that’s kept me here.”

— Bob Shue, bluegrass legend, at a tribute held in his honor on Jan. 9 in Gold Hill

“One thing that’s not being talked about is past commissions sat on their hands and did nothing. The economic conditions didn’t get the way they are in two years.”

— Craig Pierce, Rowan County commissioner, on economic development

“I think we have about 10 schools too many.”

— Travis Allen, school board member, on consolidating more Rowan-Salisbury Schools

“I want a man or woman who can come into a setting like this, meet with a group of people. Sometimes that group of people might say things that might hurt their feelings, but they’d have skin thick enough to deal with that and not get offended,”

— Lane Bailey, Salisbury city manager, on characteristics he’s looking for in a new police chief

“You’re supposed to get a second chance, but the reality of the situation is that you probably won’t. So I’m going to create my own opportunities,”

— Kenneth Muhammad El, chairman,  East Spencer charter school board,

after state charter board rejected the school’s application based on his criminal record and other issues