By Mark Wineka
mark.wineka@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The past 10 years have been full of national and world news that clearly identifies this decade we’re leaving.

Etched into our collective psyche are names and phrases such as Osama bin Laden, the Boston Marathon bombing, climate change, Sandy Hook, Charleston, marches, immigration, ISIS, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, forest fires, same-sex marriages, and “me, too.”

But the local news also was filled with things we won’t soon forget, many reflecting national conversations, milestones, transitions, economic and environmental trends, demographic changes and politics.

There are things we know well today that were not topics of much discussion 10 years ago, such as coal ash, opioids and gigabits.

A decade ago, we didn’t have the Wallace Educational Forum in the downtown, the Wallace Cancer Center under construction or Cube Hydro on High Rock Lake.

Our summer heroines were not the Rowan County Little League softball girls, who brought home the World Series title twice. We didn’t know what Fibrant was, or Chewy.

We scarcely knew little girls named Erica Parsons or A’yanna Allen. We did not know a woman named Al would make Salisbury city history or that the Salisbury Mall and Holiday Caravan would go through dramatic changes and have new names.

The 10 years were filled with significant fires, plane crashes, layoffs, hirings, rain, droughts — even terrorism with local connections. We lost a lot of good people — names such as Ralph Ketner, Bill Stanback, Jim Hurley, Fred Evans, Rose Post, Jim Emerson and William Peoples.

Not to mention the young Erica and A’yanna.

So a lot happens in a decade. As a way to review some of it, take this quiz and test how much you remember.

1. Eighteen fire departments responded to a devastating fire on the morning of Sept. 3, 2010, that later was voted the top local news story of 2010. Where was it?
A. The Empire Hotel
B. Grimes Mill
C. Webb Road Flea Market
D. Novant Health Rowan Medical Center

2. Rowan District Attorney Bill Kenerly retired at the end of 2010, bringing to a close his 20 years as the country’s top prosecutor. In his last year, Kenerly also served as the special prosecutor looking into whether what high-profile official committed any crimes related to campaign finance?
1. Former Gov. Mike Easley
2. Former Attorney General Rufus Edmisten
3. State Sen. Fletcher Hartsell
4. Former Lt. Gov. Jimmy Greene

3. When its owner failed to make loan payments in 2010, this business went into foreclosure …
A. Performance Fibers
B. Salisbury Mall
C. N.C. Finishing Co.
D. PGT Industries

4. The city of Salisbury launched Fibrant, its fiber-optic network, in 2010 to provide next-generation, high-speed Internet, cable television and phone service to homes and businesses. How much did the city borrow for this new venture?
A. $10 million
B. $20 million
C. $30 million
D. $50 million

5. Calling himself a freedom fighter and the Christian counterpart of Osama bin Laden, South Rowan High graduate Justin Carl Moose pleaded guilty in federal court in November of 2010 to what?
A. Kidnapping
B. Felony arson
C. Domestic terrorism
D. Distributing information on making and using and explosives

6. The late Jon Barber, then a Rowan County commissioner, faced many personal and public struggles in 2010 that spilled over into 2011. He was convicted of driving under the influence in May 2011 after wrecking his car, and also was found guilty in October of that year for what?
A. Missing child support payments
B. Larceny of a $2.99 bottle of Wild Irish Rose
C. Operating without a driver’s license
D. Tax evasion

7. In June 2018, the N.C. General Assembly passed a bill that would allow Rowan-Salisbury Schools to serve as a pilot program in adopting charter-like flexibility for the district. The RSS Board of Education committed to this concept, which is now underway and called a what?
A. Umbrella School System
B. New World School system
C. Collective Campus School System
D. Renewal School System

8. Municipal attempts at involuntary annexation was a hot topic here and statewide early in the decade before the N.C. General Assembly enacted a law in 2011 making it harder for cities and towns to take in residents outside their boundaries. What group from Rowan County became active in lobbying lawmakers for a permanent change in the state law?
A. Good Neighbors of Rowan County
B. Rowan Rebels
C. Rowan Defense League
D. La Resistance of Rowan

9. In late June 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the Rowan County Board of Commissioners’ appeal on a lawsuit against the board over sectarian prayer at board meetings. What did the Supreme Court’s decision mean for commissioners moving forward?
A. They could no longer open their meetings with prayer
B. They can open meetings with only a moment of silence
C. Their meetings can be opened with prayer, but not by any of the commissioners
D. They could take turns offering a prayer in Jesus’ name

10. The housing bubble burst toward the end of the previous decade, but what surprise impact did it have for local residents in 2011?
A. Their property values went up in a new countywide revaluation
B. Their property values went down in the revaluation
C. Housing costs skyrocketed because of material shortages
D. Hardly any houses were being foreclosed on in Rowan County

11. In 2012, bloggers and news organizations nationwide targeted a Rowan County teacher after a student’s cellphone video showed her yelling at a student and telling him he could be criminally charged for criticizing then President Obama. Where were the teacher and student from?
A. North Rowan High
B. Salisbury High
C. Knox Middle School
D. Carson High

12. In the wake of the sexual molestation scandal at Penn State University in 2011, Catawba College dealt with one of its own when a former coach from the 1980s, Ralph Wager, was accused of incidents on the Catawba campus. Wager ended up facing 11 felony charges in separate cases, touching several schools. What sport did Wager coach at Catawba?
A. Lacrosse
B. Women’s basketball
C. Field Hockey
D. Soccer

13. U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., was elected for the first time in 2012. Who did Hudson defeat in the general election that year?
A. Mel Watt
B. Larry Kissell
C. Bill Hefner
D. Lorene Coates

14. The final car rolled over the original Yadkin River bridge on Interstate 85 on the morning of Aug. 2, 2012. How old was that bridge, which was replaced with a new one that was part of a $200 million widening project?
A. 31 years
B. 46 years
C. 57 years
D. 79 years

15. A February 2012 fire destroyed Rowan Animal Clinic and cost the lives of how many dogs?
A. 6
B. 9
C. 12
D. 18

16. Michigan businessman Steve Bown and Karyn Martin died when the plane Bown was piloting March 2, 2012, crashed where?
A. Into High Rock Lake
B. Into a field in Enochville
C. Into a house in China Grove
D. Into the campground at Dan Nicholas Park

17. Who was Igal Namdar?
A. The New York developer who briefly owned Salisbury Mall
B. One of the defendants in a lawsuit challenging opening prayers at Rowan County Board of Commissioners’ meetings
C. One of the people in a two-principal experiment at Knox Middle School
D. The owner of the then new Waffle House on Jake Alexander Boulevard

18. On March 16, 2013, why were a throng of women brandishing broomsticks, pitchforks and rakes in downtown Salisbury?
A. They were calling for the removal of two city councilmen who had made remarks which they thought were offensive to women
B. They were promoting a women’s voter registration drive and effort to attract more women candidates for local office
C. They were protesting a new state law allowing employers to limit maternity leave to six weeks
D. They were reenacting the 1863 Bread Riot against high food prices during the Civil War

19. Waffle House made Rowan County news in 2013 for what reason?
A. Justin Bieber ate at a Salisbury Waffle House while in town for a photo shoot
B. A police officer was injured while breaking up a dispute at a local Waffle House
C. Neighborhood advocates opposed the construction of a new Waffle House on West Innes Street
D. All of the above

20. Nearly 1,000 people attended a two-day event in the gymnasium of Catawba College in September 2013. What were they there for?
A. A two-day revival by Franklin Graham
B. A Missions of Mercy dental clinic
C. A U.S.Department of Agriculture food giveaway of cheese and milk
D. A national cheerleading competition

21. An extra on the set of the television series “Sleepy Hollow,” which was filming some episodes in Salisbury, got into trouble one evening in 2013 by doing what?
A. Falling through the front window of the Salisbury Post because he was drunk
B. Digging up shrubbery at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church for landscaping he had in mind for his house
C. Taking off in one of the production’s fake cop cars and later being charged with drunken driving
D. Taking a punch at one of the show’s co-stars.

22. Salisbury City Manager Doug Paris, on the job for two years, abruptly resigned in June 2014 with a year left in his contract. The surprise separation came after a five-hour closed session of City Council. Attention eventually turned to his severance package in salary and leave payout, which totaled how much?
A. $77,000
B. $140,000
C. $210,000
D. $342,000

23. What was the name of the local group which campaigned heavily against conservative Republican County Commissioner Jim Sides, who failed to win a GOP nomination in the 2014 primary?
A. Sides Out
B. La Resistance
C. Take Another, Sides
D. SOS — Sick of Sides

24. On Oct. 13, 2014, something significant happened at the Rowan County Register of Deeds Office. What was it?
A. The office went completely digital
B. It was the first day same-sex couples could register to be wed — and three did
C. Former Register of Deeds Harry Welch retired
D. The office changed locations for the first time in 150 years

25. Rowan County native Donald Ray Morgan, 44, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport Aug. 2, 2014, as he was returning from Lebanon and allegedly on his way to Rowan to sell a gun he wasn’t supposed to possess as a convicted felon. Morgan, who had converted to Islam while living in Salisbury, admitted he had tried to join ISIS by crossing into what country while he was in Lebanon?
A. Syria
B. Iran
C. Iraq
D. Turkey

26. When they won the Little League Softball World Series in 2015 for the first time, the Rowan County team beat the girls from what state in the championship game in Oregon?
A. Missouri
B. Minnesota
C. Rhode Island
D. Arizona

27. Who was the Salisbury police chief who resigned his position in November 2015?
A. Mark Wilhelm
B. Kevin Auten
C. George Wilhelm
D. Rory Collins

28. As their adoptive child, Erica Parsons, remained missing in 2015, parents Casey and Sandy Parsons were sentenced to eight to 10 years in prison on what charges?
A. Fraud
B. Extortion
C. Obstruction of justice
D. Tax evasion

29. In 2016, a nonprofit formed on South Main Street (and later moved) to make bicycles more accessible to kids and adults. What’s the name of this community bike center?
A. Spinsters
B. The Pedal Factory
C. Wheelies
D. Spokes for Blokes

30. What city of Salisbury facility was renamed for the late educator Fred Evans in 2016?
A. Salisbury Civic Center
B. The Salisbury Customer Service Office
C. Lincoln Pool
D. City Park

31. When it was all said and done in 2016, in round figures, how much did the Wallace Educational Forum — the long-anticipated central office for Rowan-Salisbury Schools — end up costing?
A. $3 million
B. $5 million
C. $7 million
D. $9 million

32. Liberty and Justice, bald eagles at Dan Nicholas Park, successfully hatched an eaglet after four years of trying. What was the name given to the eaglet?
A. Washington
B. Rushmore
C. Betsy Ross
D. Freedom

33. For the filming of a new television series called “Shots Fired,” Salisbury became what fictional town?
A. Benton’s Crossing
B. Thompson’s Pass
C. Biglersville
D. Gate Station

34. Salisbury was among 20 cities competing for 2016 All-America City status from the National Civic League in Denver. While Salisbury was a finalist, it was not one of 10 cities walking away with an All-America city award. What N.C. city did?
A. High Point
B. Asheboro
C. New Bern
D. Asheville

35. In 2016, state toxicologist Ken Rudo said in a deposition that N.C. government acted unethically in telling neighbors of coal ash ponds that their well water was safe to drink. Rudo’s deposition was taken in a lawsuit between what two parties?
A. Gov. Pat McCrory and residents of Dukeville in Rowan County
B. The State Health Department and the Rowan County Board of Commissioners
C. The State Department of Natural Resources and the State Environmental Law Center
D. The Yadkin Riverkeeper and Duke Energy

36. In response to flood devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, members of Salisbury and Locke fire departments headed east to help relief efforts in what N.C. county?
A. Wayne
B. Brunswick
C. Robeson
D. Cumberland

37. GOP Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence held a rally in 2016 on the grounds of Catawba College. His wife was with him. What’s her name?
A. Trish
B. Judy
C. Karen
D. Faye

38. In 2015, Gov. Pat McCrory came to Salisbury for a press conference in which Fibrant, a city-owned utility, announced it would make Salisbury the first 10 gigabit-per-second city. Who was announced as its first customer?
A. Catawba College
B. The city of Salisbury itself
C. Rowan County Courthouse
D. Rowan Sheriff’s Office

39. Beginning in July 2015, Novant Health Rowan began training third-year medical students from what university?
A. UNC-Greensboro
B. Campbell
C. UNC-Charlotte
D. UNC-Wilmington

40. When asked to issue a mayoral proclamation in support of the 2015 Salisbury Pride Festival, celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, what did then Mayor Paul Woodson do?
A. Decided not to issue one
B. Said he would rather have the whole Salisbury City Council vote on whether or not to issue a proclamation in 2016
C. Along with other council members, he signed a letter welcoming festival-goers to Salisbury
D. All of the above

41. What Salisbury native who became a Charleston pastor led a community prayer service at Second Presbyterian Church in Charleston the day after the 2015 mass shooting that took nine lives?
A. Dr. Tim Smith
B. Dr. Albert Aymer
C. Dr. Sidney Davis Sr.
D. Dr. George jackson

42. A’yanna Allen, 7, was shot and killed close to 4 a.m. Dec. 4, 2016, while sleeping at her grandmother’s house on Harrel Street. Police concluded the drive-by shooting was in retribution to an earlier homicide that morning in which Sharod Mathis was shot and killed in the parking lot of what Salisbury restaurant?
A. Firehouse
B. Firewater
C. Fire in the Hole
D. Roxanne’s

43. Sandy Parsons, adoptive father of Erica Parsons, finally told authorities in 2016 where the body of the girl could be located. Where were Erica’s remains found in a shallow grave?
A. Halifax County, Virginia.
B. Anderson County, Tennessee
C. Burke County
D. Chesterfield County, South Carolina

44. In response to groundwater contamination concerns over coal ash ponds at Buck Steam Station, how many properties — mostly residences — did Duke Energy agree to connect to a new water line?
A. 188
B. 265
C. 316
D. 421

45. Salisbury Police came under scrutiny in the Nov. 3, 2016, shooting death of Ferguson Claude Laurent because of officers’ use of what?
A. An assault rifle
B. Stun gun and tear gas
C. A no-knock search warrant
D. An informant, who helped them gained entry into Laurent’s house

46. West Rowan High graduate Edgar Maddison Welch became part of national news in 2016 when he entered the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington with an assault rifle, handgun and shotgun, pointed a weapon at an employee and fired one or more shots within the establishment. Duped by a widely circulated, false story on social media and the internet, Welch said he was there to do what?
A. Take out an ISIS pod
B. Seek justice for an employee who was maligned for being a Trump supporter
C. Take down a hiding place for illegal immigrants
D. Rescue children who were being used as sex slaves

47. Al Heggins led all candidates for Salisbury City Council in 2017 and later was chosen as the first black woman mayor in the city’s history. The 2017 election led to what other first for the Salisbury City Council?
A. David Post became the city’s first Jewish mayor pro tem
B. Tamara Sheffield became the city’s first openly gay council member
C. For the first time, women formed a majority on the council
D. All of the above

48. Some 30 Rowan Countians died of this in Rowan County in 2016 …
A. Opioid overdoses
B. Traffic accidents
C. The worst flu outbreak since 1918
D. Measles

49. What local company celebrated its 100th birthday in 2017?
A. Salisbury Post
B. Cheerwine
C. Salisbury Motor Co.
D. Food Lion

50. The controversy that eventually led to the Holiday Caravan’s end centered on organizers’ refusal on the day of the 2017 parade to allow members of what group on the Avita Pharmacy float?
A. Black Lives Matter
B. Justice for All
C. Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
D. Sons of the Confederacy

 

Answers:

1. C.
2. A.
3. B.
4. C.
5. D.
6. B.
7. D.
8. A.
9. C.
10. B.
11. A.
12. D.
13. B.
14. C.
15. B.
16. A.
17. A.
18. D.
19. D.
20. B.
21. C.
22. C.
23. B.
24. B.
25. A.
26. C.
27. D.
28. A.
29. B.
30. C.
31. D.
32. D.
33. D.
34. B.
35. D.
36. C.
37. C.
38. A.
39. B.
40. D.
41. C.
42. B.
43. D.
44. A.
45. C.
46. D.
47. D.
48. A.
49. B.
50. C.