In Stokes County, local is 'King'

Immigration, the economy and abortion are a few of the national issues voters are considering ahead of the November election. But what about local issues?

WFDD’s David Ford and DJ Simmons recently visited several Piedmont counties to find out what people value in their communities, and what they’d like to see change. In Stokes County, people they spoke with were primarily focused on issues closer to home.  

Chance Hall  

The city of King in Stokes County is a strongly conservative, predominantly white city of just over 7,000 people, about 20 minutes north of Winston-Salem.

The children’s playground at Recreation Acres park is a popular spot on a sunny day. Twenty-three-year-old Chance Hall looks on as his wife entertains their 7-month-old daughter by the swing set.

“In terms of King, I love the mix of rural and urban that it has,” he says. “I think it provides a lot of opportunities, and the people that move here are hopeful for the up-and-coming opportunities of King. But it also has that country feel still with the rolling hills and the backwoods and the back roads. So, I think it’s just a good mix and a good city to be in.”

When first asked what he would improve about his hometown, Hall isn’t quite sure.

“I think that it should stay as it is to be honest with you,” says Hall.

But, moments later, after glancing over at his daughter, Hall mentions funding for public education.

He’s a graduate of Stokes Early College and attended Pinnacle Elementary. He says both schools gave him a solid foundation, wonderful childhood memories, and countless opportunities for personal growth.

Today, he’s concerned for their future.

"From what I understand, they’re going to defund or possibly shut down Pinnacle from what I’ve been hearing as well as Stokes Early College,” he says. “And obviously I can’t speak for what’s going to be certain, but rumors of that nature are alarming for me because I did want to hand that down to my children.”

Due to high renovation costs, Pinnacle Elementary is slated to close as part of a broader school board-sponsored consolidation plan. It will be replaced by a new elementary school estimated for completion in 2030.

Barbara Carr 

A few yards away, Barbara Carr is encouraging her toddler grandson Cole to continue his music-making on a toy xylophone that’s suspended a few feet from the ground. 

Carr and her husband are recent transplants to the nearby village of Tobaccoville, which is partially in Stokes County. She says she retired early to become a full-time babysitter for Cole, and so far, it’s been a good move.

“I like that it feels like a smaller community,” she says. “We moved from Pfafftown about a year and a half ago, and it just feels like a smaller, closer-knit community.”

In terms of local issues that need addressing, Carr says traffic in this town of 2,500 is top of mind for her and her husband.

“I think in my neighborhood in Tobaccoville we need more police patrol,” says Carr. “We have a lot of people who drive really fast on our street. So, that’s my biggest issue with living here. I know my husband has talked to some people with the sheriff’s department which covers our area, and we didn’t see much result from it.”

Tim Lawson

Tim Lawson has lived in King for all but the first four of his 66 years. He was born in Dallas, Texas, and says he “picked up the Stokes County accent.” 

Today Lawson is setting off on a walk along the wooded Recreation Acres hiking path, but he seems happy to stop and sing his hometown’s praises.

“I love small-town life,” he says. “It’s not a lot of hustle and bustle like when you get into Charlotte or Winston or Greensboro. It’s just … things move much slower, and I like that.”

When asked if there are any local issues that he’s concerned about or aspects of the city or surrounding area that he would like to see change, Lawson pauses for a few seconds to collect his thoughts.

“I think the school board and the county commissioners are good,” says Lawson. “And the government here in King, they seem to be doing a fine job. So, I’m sure there’s improvements, but none come to mind at the moment. Everything’s good in King, North Carolina.” 

And with that, Lawson sets off on the hiking trail.

Tune in for our continued coverage of North Carolina voters in several other counties across WFDD’s listening area through Election Day, November 5.