“I’ve definitely never walked away from one regretting it — no matter how hard it is.”

— Jeffrey Motes, nurse, on medical mission trips to Ghana and Vietnam

“They’ll be getting their frequent flyer miles into North Carolina.”

— Dr. Michael Bitzer, political analyst, on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

“I just feel like I’m stuck. I’m not going to be able to sell my house. … People are going to think about it more than twice before buying a house next to Duke Energy.”

— Marcos Alberran, Dukeville resident, on living near the utility’s coal ash ponds

“I was always very proud — and still am — with what Red Cross provides for the whole world.”

— Judy Banish, former American Red Cross official, upon 100th anniversary of local chapter

“Whatever we didn’t have, they got it for us. It didn’t matter what it was.”

— Carolyn Snipes, alumna, R.A. Clement Rosenwald School, on the caring teachers she had there

“We’ve got to make sure we can fulfill our end of the bargain and provide that workforce that future companies desire.”

— Lee Withers, China Grove mayor, on helping the county to replace industries like Tuscarora Yarns