Mid Term General Election Results

In the Wilkes County Races for the General Election 2026—The two receiving the most votes for Wilkes County Commissioner are Keith Elmore with 41 percent and H.S. Greene with 38 percent. Chris Shew ran unopposed in the Wilkes County Sheriff’s race. Wilkes County Soil and Water Conservation District top two were Claude Shew Jr with 52 percent of the vote and Brian Lee Parker with 45 percent.

In the Town of Elkin Commissioner Race, Mike Bovender received the majority with 27 percent of the vote over the 4 other candidates in that race.

In the Town of Ronda…for Mayor Chadley Blackburn received 72 percent of the vote. Interestingly enough in the Ronda Commissioner race the write in miscellaneous actually received the majority of the vote at 32 percent followed by Victor Varela with 23 percent, Kevin Reece at 22 percent and Chris Nelson with 20 percent. And the Town of Ronda Commissioner unexpired vote was for Doug Combs with 71 percent.

For the North Carolina Federal and State Races….Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley in the NC Senate race to help the US Senate flip a Republican seat to a Democrat.

In the US House 5 th District that includes Wilkes, incumbent and Republican Virginia Foxx led most of the night but ended 99 votes short with Chuck Hubbard leading. A recount is expected to decide the 5 th District.

In the North Carolina Senate and House races, NC Senator Eddie Settle keeps his seat with 72 percent of the vote. In the NC House District 94, incumbent Blair Eddins win with 73 percent of the vote and in NC House District 90, Dan Kiger wins by a 70 percent margin.

General Election Day

Today is General Election Day. Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Polls are open today from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. today. Voters voting in person are entitled to assistance by an election official, or, if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice. Voting sites are accessible to all voters.  Curbside voting is available for voters who are not able to enter voting sites without physical assistance because of age or physical disability.

local company is expanding in another state

A local company is expanding in another state. North Wilkesboro-based ECMD Inc., a leading distributor of moldings and specialty building products, recently announced that they are opening a distribution center in Florida. An ECMD press release explained that the new distribution center is expected to serve customers throughout Florida and Southeastern markets. Founded in 1982, ECMD Inc. is one of the nation’s largest providers of specialty building products.

burglary at a store

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office was called over the weekend to a burglary at a store. Deputies responded to the Run-In on Hwy 16 in Boomer. A box of vapes valued at $600 was stolen. There was $1200 in damages to the glass front door. No suspects were listed with that report. The investigation is ongoing.

TEST their smoke alarms

The American Red Cross North Carolina Region encourages everyone to TEST their smoke alarms. The Red Cross advises: Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years old, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Test your smoke alarms once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year. Have a fire escape plan and make sure everyone knows two ways to escape from every room in your home.

sell industrial and manufacturing real estate in Yadkin County

With much debate about allowing data centers into communities, Unifi Manufacturing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Unifi, Inc., agreed in August of this year to sell industrial and manufacturing real estate in Yadkin County, N.C. to Enovum Data Centers Corp. for $60 million in cash. The assets comprise about 120 acres of land and 500,000 square feet of warehouse space at two locations. The sell was completed last week, and Unifi plans to use the proceeds to repay term-loan principal under its existing credit facility of its Yadkin County campus.

General Election --Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3

The statewide general election is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, November 3. Voters voting in person are entitled to assistance by an election official, or, if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice. Voting sites are accessible to all voters.  Curbside voting is available for voters who are not able to enter voting sites without physical assistance because of age or physical disability.

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the new Wilkes County Government Building

Wilkes County Commissioners and other local officials were on hand for the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the new Wilkes County Government Building. Three of the five commissioners were in attendance including Bill Sexton, Shirley Randleman, and Casey Joe Johnson. It was Johnson who gave opening remarks--(AIR Johnson Voicer) The first Wilkes County Commissioners’ meeting in the new facility will be Thursday evening.

Seller beware with whom you do business online

Seller beware with whom you do business online and never share personal information over the phone or other device. A Wilkes County woman believed she was selling something by phone to someone who saw it on Marketplace. The purchase price was to be paid through PayPal. When the Wilkes victim received an email saying there was a problem, she shared her screen with the buyer while opening her bank account and other apps. The victim realized she had been scammed when $6400 was stolen from her account. The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

The Conservation Fund acquired the property

N.C. State Parks and The Conservation Fund announced the acquisition of a 3,005-acre tract along the South Carolina border to be added to Lumber River State Park. The land, located in Robeson County, will protect the west banks of the river and provide public access. N.C. State Parks is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The Conservation Fund acquired the property from a seller through a $4.05 million grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund and private fundraising.