north carolina

Chris Knight's avatar

There have been some developments (to put it mildly) since I first posted two weeks ago about the 2nd Annual Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam happening August 6th. I’ve been in regular contact with the event organizers and folks, this lil’ celebration of the life and legend of Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton is literally seeing good stuff happen with each passing day!

First thing that everyone should know about is that the event has moved! There’s been so MUCH interest and plenty enough people saying that they’re gonna be attending, that the 2nd Annual Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam is now being held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds in astonishingly beautiful Maggie Valley, North Carolina (which is right next door to Waynesville, where it was going to be originally held). Set your GPS units accordingly! There should be plenty of parking for everyone.

You should also plan to be there for ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Annie Penn Hospital is the main medical facility in my hometown of Reidsville, North Carolina. It was founded in 1930. There’s the original building and then a few additions that have been constructed over the years. Today it is part of the Moses Cone Health System based in nearby Greensboro.

And it was at Annie Penn Hospital where this photo was recently taken…

The photo comes courtesy of James Hodges, a good friend, writer and pastor of Burton Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Reidsville. The photo did not originate with James but it was made by someone that he knows.

Feel free to leave whatever comment you are led to make about this image. Could it be that this is photo documentation of a ghost at Annie Penn Hospital: a place that has a long history of reputedly being haunted?

EDIT 3:35 p.m. EST: Okay, the mystery has been solved! ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

He passed away more than two years ago, but Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton‘s legend is bigger than ever! The famous moonshiner’s acclaimed likker is now being sold legally (yup, according to Popcorn’s own secret recipe) and thanks to the Internet and documentaries on public television and the History Channel made while he was with us, Popcorn Sutton has become admired by more people than ever before.

And next month we’ll get the chance to show our appreciation for the man and his life at the 2nd Annual Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam. This tribute event will be August 6th at Smackers Sports Grill in Waynesville, North Carolina (a sweet lil’ town that I have had the pleasure of visiting many times over the years).

Look! Craigslist event posting!

Come and enjoy an evening filled with music and good food while celebrating the life of legendary moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. Bring

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Chris Knight's avatar

The Republicans in the North Carolina legislature should just say it and get it over with.

Matt Mittan was the first to bring my attention to the just-released maps for North Carolina’s newly-redrawn congressional districts.

And how has the GOP now “controlling” (I have never liked how a party “controls” a legislature and I don’t see how anyone else should like it either) Raleigh done, following decades of Democrat-led gerrymandering?

By doing their own gerrymandering!

From the original article at Carolina Journal…

(Carolina Journal) Three Democratic incumbents will face a tough re-election fights next year under new congressional maps released today by the Republican-controlled state legislature.

The redrawn maps significantly weaken U.S. Reps. Brad Miller, D-13th; Heath Shuler, D-11th; and Larry Kissell, D-8th. Republicans currently have six of 13 congressional seats. If previous voting patterns hold, the GOP could gain a 9-4 or even 10-3 advantage in 2013.

For

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Chris Knight's avatar

Dear James Festerman:

All you have to do at this week’s Reidsville City Council meeting is to announce that the driver was insured like all other drivers on the road, that his insurance company will pick up the tab for repairing the Confederate Soldiers Monument just like any other incident involving an auto accident, that said funds will go to repairing the monument, and that council will then proceed to new business.

That is all that needs to happen. That is all that should happen.

Think about it.

Kindest regards,
Chris Knight...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Being reported this hour that a guy not far away from here in Lexington, North Carolina has been arrested for stealing two Slush machines from a Sonic Drive-In. He was caught when he attempted to sell them to a recycling center.

According to the Fox 8 report, the slushy makers are valued at $15,000 and George Jensen, Jr. tried to sell them for about $165.

This is the kind of story that ever since finally reading Atlas Shrugged a few months, makes me giggle for all the wrong reasons :-...

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Chris Knight's avatar

The Confederate Soldiers Monument that has served as the best-known landmark of downtown Reidsville, North Carolina for more than a hundred years is a shattered ruin this morning. The Confederate soldier statue himself? Resting in pieces.

Around 4:30 a.m. today the driver of a van apparently fell asleep at the wheel, sending his vehicle plowing into the monument. The impact was enough to shift the pedestal on its base and toppled the statue. As of this writing an auto shop is working to free the Confederate soldier’s head from the hull of the van.

No word yet on what’s going to be done with the monument. It would be great to see it restored, given how it’s become such a notable figure on the downtown landscape.

Special thanks to Ernie Morris for providing the photo!

EDIT 12:12 p.m. EST: WGHP Fox 8 photojournalist Chris Weaver has posted this pic of ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Some legislative representatives of neighboring Forsyth County are seeking to re-introduce partisan elections for that county’s school board. Two years ago the General Assembly passed a bill that made elections to the board a matter of no regard to party affiliation.

The measure is being spearheaded by Dale Folwell, one of Forsyth’s representatives in the North Carolina House. And his rationale for partisan school board elections?

…lawmaker Dale Folwell said party affiliations noted on the ballot helps voters make their decisions.

Folwell said nonpartisan races attracted fewer votes in the last election in part because those races are at the bottom of the ballot and because candidates had no party affiliation to help voters choose.

“People, when they go to the ballot box, need as much info as they can get,” Folwell said Friday.

Knowing what party a candidate belongs to is supposed to be vital information?

sigh…...

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opened yesterday and I am hearing extremely disparate word about it. The descriptors being most bandied about this movie are that it’s “bad” and “rotten”, and only a few saying they were entertained… but even those are pretty lukewarm about it. I’m waiting to hear from one of the coolest cats I know, who’s seen it and he’s supposed to have a review soon. So I may or may not catch it this weekend.

But seeing as how Edward Teach aka Blackbeard the Pirate is a prominent character in this latest chapter of the saga of Captain Jack Sparrow, I thought it’d be fun to reflect on a bit of North Carolina lore about the legendary pirate. Namely: the long-enduring story that Blackbeard’s skull is today being used as a wine goblet for a secret society’s dark rituals! Yes folks, depending ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

…well, parts of it anyway 🙂

The People vs. George Lucas, Alexandre Philippe’s documentary that has won beaucoups of awards at film festivals all over the world, has just announced a whole bunch of new showings. And one of them is right next door in Winston-Salem! Beginning May 9th it’ll be playing at Cine Club on 311 West Fourth Street.

So why am I especially stoked about getting to see this rave-reviewed film? Here’s the second trailer for it…

And here’s the first teaser for The People vs. George Lucas…

That’s none other than Melody Hallman Daniel and Chad Austin from Forcery, the first film that I ever made. I’ve heard that quite a lot of clips from it wound up in The People vs. George Lucas. So I’m not only looking forward to seeing Philippe’s work, but also my own blown-up extra-huge on a ...

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