WADESBORO — Commissioner JD Bricken and County Manager Leonard Sossaman updated fellow board members and the public on Anson County’s continuing efforts to…
WADESBORO Anson County Commissioner Vancine Sturdivant was convicted on March 11 for injuring notices and advertisements from moving an election sign during the 2018 election.
On October 17 of 2018, Sturdivant allegedly moved a Todd Moore campaign sign outside the Wadesboro precinct during early voting. Moore, unaffiliated candidate for Commissioner District 4 at the time, reported the incident both to the Board of Elections and the Wadesboro Police Department.
Sturdivant plead not guilty. She was originally charged with “remove/etc. politic sign violation,” which is a misdemeanor. After the trial the she was convicted with “injuring notices and advertisements.”
Sturdivant received a “prayer for judgment” verdict and the case was disposed on March 11. Prayer for judgment is a unique ruling to North Carolina in which the offense or punishment is not entered against the person.
WADESBORO The Anson County Board of Commissioners and the county manager avoided appearing in court after filing the proper documentation relating to the COVID-19 precautions in the courthouse to allow jury trials to resume.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Stephan Futrell issued an order to appear and show cause on each individual commissioner and Barron Monroe, the county manager, on Feb. 8. Futrell was not satisfied with the county’s efforts to improve sanitation measures.
A jury trial resumption plan was originally submitted in August to then-Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court Cheri Beasley. The plan was drafted, submitted, finalized and signed off on by Beasley, according to Anson’s Clerk of Superior Court Mark Hammonds.
WADESBORO Since Dec. 16 the Anson County Government Building has been closed to the public due to the amount of positive COVID-19 cases within the building and it will remain closed until further notice causing residents to question whether important services are being provided.
The building, including tax portion of the government center and the DMV is predicted to be closed for at least another week, according to the county manager Barron Monroe. There have been about eight employees who have contracted the virus.
This closure brings up an issue of whether or not people can still pay their property taxes or if tax payments are being processed. The amount of staff working in the building has been significantly reduced, causing a delay in processing transactions.
WADESBORO When water was not reaching his part of the county in 1988, Ross Streater knew he had to make a change.
He ran to be an Anson County Commissioner and 32 years later, he leaves his chair as one of the longest serving Commissioner in the state of North Carolina.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” Streater laughed. “When I think back, it seems like it was yesterday! I’ve really enjoyed being a commissioner. I think I’ve helped a lot of people.”
That recognition that something needed to be done about access to water for his part of the county was Streater’s involvement in local politics. He has since seen water expand to reach an estimated 80% of the county, compared to the 20% when he started.