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The Chronicle
Volume43,Number 11 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, November 17, 2016
EXCLUSIVE
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Morgan proud of High Court win
BY CASH MICHAELS
FOR THE CHRONICLE
If there was one undisputed
Democratic winner from North Carolina's
Nov. 8 general election, it was Wake
Superior Court Judge Mike Morgan, who
??? unseated
CAMPAIGN Republican
Associate N.C.
Supreme Court
frA | 1 | Justice Robert
Edmunds, 54 per
cent to 45.6 per
cent.
"I feel tremendously wonderful about
it," the new justice-elect, 60, said Sunday
morning during an exclusive phone inter
view with The Chronicle. "The voters of
North Carolina have given me a resound
ing victory and are allowing me to serve
the state at the highest level of the North
Carolina Supreme Court. So I'm very
pleased, very proud and very humbled at
this opportunity."
Compared to many other marquee race
results on the ballot election night,
"resounding" is certainly an appropriate
description of Justice-elect Morgan's vic
tory.
According to final unofficial numbers
in the Morgan-Edmunds race, the
Democrat won with 2,134,015 votes
statewide, bolstered by 1383,585 One
Stop early votes between Oct. 20-27, and
676,836 ballots on Election Day, as well as
a number of mail-in absentee ballots and
provisional votes.
Justice Edmunds was over 300,000
votes short across all categories.
Some observers have been particularly
curious about how, and why Morgan was
able to do so well against Edmunds, while
every Democratic appellate court candi
date, even the incumbents, fell to a
Republican opponent.
Unlike the Court of Appeals races, the
N.C. Supreme Court race was not partisan
labeled on the ballot, so neither Judge
Morgan or Justice Edmunds were identi
fied with their respective parties under
their names. Some observers believe this
See High Win on A6
* < i"" ? 4 *'. ' ,' ' t ,
Photo* by Tevin Stinsoo
City native Sharon Starling looks at the selection of locally grown fresh fruit at the Village Produce &
Country Store on Saturday, Nov. 12.
New store brings fresh food
to Ogburn Station community
BY TEVIN ST1NSON
thf F
Paula McCoy and her husband, Jerry Anderson, are
looking to put an end to the fresh food drought in the inner
city. Last Saturday, the power couple held a grand opening
event for the Village Produce & Country Store in the
Ogburn Station neighborhood, at 4219 N. Liberty St.
"We knew this* area was considered a food desert, so
we wanted to do something to change that," said McCoy.
"We felt like this was exactly what this community need
ed."
A program that included a litany prayer and blessing
was held with a ribbon cutting as part of the grand open
ing.
"Food desert" is a term commonly used to describe
communities with little or no access to healthy food,
including fresh fruits and vegetables. In Forsyth County,
more than 20,000 people earn less than the low-income
threshold and live more than a mile from a supermarket.
Statistics show that without access to a supermarket,
people tend to shop at convenience stores and eat less
See Fresh on A10
Scores say
goodbye to
ex-columnist
Mildred
Peppers
For 17 years, she wrote
Sunday school lesson
for The Chronicle
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
The beloved Mildred S. Peppers passed away last
Monday, Nov. 7 as she lost her latest battle with cancer.
Peooers wrote the Sundav
i r - /
School Lesson for The
Chronicle for 17 years. She
retired from her position in Oct.
2015 to the chagrin of many
readers.
Peppers graduated from
Winston-Salem State
University with a Bachelor of
Science degree in history.
While there, she pledged Zeta
Phi Beta Sorority, where she
affectionately became known as
"Skinner." Peppers later met
Ronnie "Pepp" Pepper and their
love storv soon be can.
The couple's union produced "The Girls," Frances
Valencia, Blanche Yvonne and Joneice Conchetta.
"She not only is a role model for my sisters and I but
she is a role model to her church and her community,"
Joneice stated to The Chronicle when speaking of her
mother.
Peppers dedicated her life to educating youth by serv
See Peppers on A2
Peppers
Passengers scrutinize new bus routes in meetings
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IpSSMs
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem Transit Authority held its
first meetings last week to answer passenger
questions on the new bus routes that go into
effect on Jan. 2,2017.
WSTA is in the midst of the biggest overhaul
of bus routes in its history, with 30 newly drawn
routes and more than a 1,000 bus stops. The new
mm
WNSTOfibSALfM TRANSIT AUTHORITY
system does not require passengers to ride to the
Clark Campbell Transportation Center to trans
fer, which most of the current routes now require.
Night routes have been doubled and the overall
amount of. routes has also been increased.
Transfers are still free, and bus fare is.still only a
dollar.
The first meeting was held at Martin Luther
King Jr. Community Center on Thursday, Nov.
11. WSTA's Tina Carson-Wilkins presented a
quick overview of the new routes. She also went
over the green signs that will be at the new bus
See Routes on A2 .
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