GOLD HILL — Working Lands Trust (WLT), a state-wide land trust dedicated to preserving working farms and forests, recently announced the appointment of four leaders to its board of directors, among them Rowan County flower farmer Jessica Long. A release from Working Lands Trust said that Jessica Long (Rowan County), the owner of Church Creek Farm, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in local sustainable agriculture.  “Having transitioned from a 13-year nursing career to revitalizing a century-old farm that specializes in cut flowers, Jessica exemplifies the spirit of communi ..read more

ROWAN COUNTY — Dan Nicholas Park has new pickleball courts after the county’s complete reconstruction of the court area was completed on Tuesday. Rowan County Parks and Recreation began the process of reconstructing before the 2023 budget was submitted, said Rowan County Parks and Facilities Director Don Bringle. With the support of County Manager Aaron Church and the county commissioners, the courts were added to the county budget as a parks project. Before the reconstruction, the park had multiple courts that were painted for both tennis and pickleball, but Bringle said that the reconstruct ..read more

Editor’s note: The Salisbury Post has been following the contract negotiations between UAW and Rowan County’s largest private employer and will continue until a new contract is signed.  CLEVELAND — With contract negotiations at the Daimler Freightliner Cleveland Truck Manufacturing Plant currently underway between corporate and United Auto Workers, members of the labor union practice a strike on Tuesday in front of the facility. At the front of the practice picket lines was UAW Local 3520 President Corey Hill. Hill indicated that various elements of his union’s demands were being met wit ..read more

Submitted SALISBURY — Salisbury is gearing up for a musical celebration intertwined with a green initiative and local farm foods as Happy Roots presents the return of the long-running “Earth Day Jam.” Earth Day Jam began in 2012 and proved an inspiration for forming the local nonprofit organization that’s mission is to provide nature-based therapeutic and educational services through school garden programs and community garden projects. The event is scheduled for this Saturday and is a unique farm-to-festival benefit concert that supports Happy Roots efforts. Thanks to a Rowan Arts Council gra ..read more

SPENCER — The North Carolina Transportation Museum held its annual “Tractors & Trains” event on April 12 and 13 for eager residents who wanted to see the vast collection of eclectic vehicles the museum had on hand. “It’s a great day for all things dealing with tractors and trains. We’ve got antique tractors, modern tractors, we’ve got farm demonstrations, we’ve got the hayride, we’ve got all kinds of activities going on today,” Executive Director Kelly Alexander said. “We try to highlight not just trains, of course, but all kinds of forms of transportation.” Besides the numerous tractors ..read more

SALISBURY — The meeting room for the Rowan County Board of Commissioners was packed on Monday to watch the commissioners present volunteers from throughout the county with the Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards. Seven volunteers and one volunteer organization received the award, which is nominated by local community members and then awarded by a state-level commission. Awardees were Lisa Ferrell Monroe, Sheila Prevatte, Sabra Mills, Jim Duncan, Ashley Honbarrier, Micah Ennis and the Circle of Friends group from First Baptist Church. David Post, who was unable to be at the meeting, was recogn ..read more

SALISBURY — The grounds of Yadkin Path Montessori on Bringle Ferry Road in Salisbury were transformed on April 13 into a joyful spectacle as children proudly paraded their furry companions in the third annual Kids’ Dog Show. The event, which showcased the special bond between children and their four-legged friends, was a heartwarming celebration of friendship and community spirit. Ten-year-old participant, Paisley Hope said, “I came to the dog show to have fun with my furry friend.” From a fluffy labradoodle to a gleaming white shepherd and plenty of unidentifiable canine friends, the diversi ..read more

SALISBURY — Though Woodleaf Elementary closed its doors in 2017 due to them consolidating with Cleveland Elementary, its legacy will continue as the new Woodleaf Park. On April 13, Woodleaf Park had its official ribbon cutting ceremony where citizens and park stakeholders had the opportunity to see their years of hard work finally pay off.  Rowan County commissioners Jim Greene and Craig Pierce, as well as County Manager Aaron Church, attended the county’s sixth park grand opening. Woodleaf Park includes a playground, swing set, picnic areas, sidewalks, exercise equipment and a sports fi ..read more

BOSTON — Katie Efird ran her first Boston Marathon last year and loved it. Danielle Soroka had never been but wanted to try it. Maleah Pinyan, the real Boston veteran of the group thought they needed to all go and make it a girls’ trip.  “Boston was an amazing experience, so it didn’t take much convincing for me to go back,” Efird said. “I’m 36, and I’ve been running for as long as I can remember. I homeschool our two kids and my husband also does marathons and triathlons, so we have to do a lot of planning and communicating to make sure we both get our training in. This training bl ..read more

SALISBURY — The squeals of happy children could be heard throughout the fellowship hall at Christ United Methodist Church on April 10 from 10 a.m. to noon as they raced around enjoying the many activities planned for the first ever Week of the Young Child Mini Fest Celebration 2024. Sponsored by Smart Start Rowan, the event offered a wide variety of fun things for the children and their parents to do. The Week of the Young Child, which was April 6-12, is about young children, early learning, their families, teachers and community, and Denise Heinke, director of outreach and development for Sm ..read more