1. N.C. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
On Saturday, May 29, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at 10 a.m, at N.C.Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park to commemorate all men and women who have died in military service for the United States.
Jim Cameron, a Lexington resident and helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, will be the guest speaker.
This somber site recognizes the 1,607 North Carolinians who were killed or went missing in action during the Vietnam War. The memorial wall is located two miles south of Thomasville along Interstate 85 in the rest area near mile marker 100.
The ceremony is organized by the Davidson County Veterans Council.
Davidson County has lost a true giant in the world of education.
The former superintendent of Davidson County Schools and long-time community advocate Dr. Fred Mock died on Tuesday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Max Walser, former Davidson County Schools Superintendent and Davidson County Commissioner, said he is experiencing a “flood of emotions” after losing not only a valued colleague but someone who was also a close pal.
“Fred Mock was my best friend. He was my right-hand for many years as assistant superintendent, and he supported me in every way possible. He was an advocate for education, but he was also a family man, a good friend, and a farmer. He loved his cows,” said Walser.
The Dispatch
It has taken over 15 years, countless denied grant requests and a trip to Washington, D.C., but the City of Lexington is finally ready to start the Amtrak passenger rail project in the Depot District.
On Monday, the Lexington City Council took the first steps in the $41.3 million, multi-year development plan by approving a municipal project agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to coordinate and facilitate the mammoth project.
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The project includes building two new boarding platforms, renovation of the historic freight depot as an interim passenger station, street and parking improvements, a vehicle tunnel under the railroad at Fifth Avenue, which will connect with Talbert Boulevard, and improving the tracks between the two areas. The project will also include closing the at-grade rail crossing on Seventh Avenue.
The Dispatch
Twenty years ago, Davidson County was going through one of its worst economic periods as it watched its major industry pick up and move overseas, leaving massive job loss and economic chaos in its wake.
Since before the turn of the 20th century, North Carolina has been known as an area where furniture and textile plants plentifully peppered the region; created generations of families working for the same company, and was a major revenue source for local government.
In 1990, over 8,800 people were employed in Davidson County in furniture manufacturing and over 4,700 people were employed in textile manufacturing. By 2009, less than 1,600 local furniture jobs remained and less than 450 remained in textiles.
Lexington Depot District poised to rise from its ashes
The Dispatch
The Depot District in Lexington is rising from its ashes after a devastating fire in 2018 destroyed the former Lexington Home Brands Plant No. 1 and left the once-bustling area devoid of activity.
Almost two years to the day after the three-alarm fire of the vacant building, council members on Monday approved the development plans for two new businesses that will bring new life to the former Lexington Home Brands properties off of Salisbury Street.
Preliminary plans for the Railroad Street Market, located at 200 South Railroad Street between East Third and Fourth Avenues, include a restaurant/bar; an open-aired courtyard and event space; a distillery with taproom; and a barrel room with rooftop seating overlooking Breeden Insurance Amphitheater.