Dart to suggestions that Koontz Elementary School should be renamed to create unity if Faith students are moved there.

Perhaps those suggesting the change are not familiar with the trailblazer for which the school is named — Elizabeth Duncan Koontz, known by her friends as Libby. School Board Chairman Josh Wagner was right to require that Koontz keep its name if his proposal goes through.

Koontz, a special education teacher, rose to prominence as the first black president of the National Education Association and, one year later, became the top-ranking woman in former President Richard Nixon’s administration when she became director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau. She also served on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, on the U.S. Department of State’s Selection Board for Foreign Service Officers and as the assistant state superintendent of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, to name just a few.

As another well-known Salisburian with the same name — Elizabeth Dole — said in a speech in 1989, “Few North Carolinians have done more for our country than Libby Koontz.”

To suggest a name change is akin to erasing history.

Laurel to the many organizations and volunteers who have worked and are still working today to keep the N.C. Main Street Conference running smoothly.

Salisbury has plenty to show off to our visitors from across the state, but it’s no easy task to host hundreds of folks. The hard work required to put on the event shows Salisbury has a strong downtown,  which, in turn, makes the community a better place to live. We think Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday encapsulated that well, saying “the synergy of a strong downtown helps rural counties across North Carolina.”

Salisbury, in particular, is an example of that, Cooper said.

The conference is scheduled to end today at noon.

Laurel to a proposal by state legislators to restrict cellphone use while driving.

A bill that advanced out of a committee on Tuesday would bar motorists from holding wireless devices with their hands or against their body while operating vehicles. Drivers would also not be allowed to text or watch videos. A first offense comes with a $100 fine. A second offense would be $200, with additional penalties on insurance records.

Using a smartphone when driving is distracted driving, which contributes to tens of thousands of wrecks annually.

There are entirely too many drivers on the roads today actively using their smartphones or holding their phones in hand. For those who must, there are many ways to use a device hands-free.

Stricter regulations will only make our roads safer.