June 6 - 12, 2019
www.nwobserver.com
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
IN THIS ISSUE
Town, council members sued … again
News in brief................................. 2 Your Questions ............................. 4 Fishing and catalpa worms ........ 8 Pets & Critters ............................... 9 Chinchilla connects, comforts..10 Pet Adoptions..............................12 Calendar Events .........................13 Dena Barnes
Stokesdale: A piece of history ..14 Crime/Incident Report ...............15 Bits & Pieces ................................18 Scenes from RidgeFest ............. 20 Gann resigns from NWHS ...........21 Youth/School News ................... 22 Grins and Gripes ....................... 24 Classifieds .................................. 27 Index of Advertisers ...................31
Congratulations
to the 529 Northwest Guilford High School seniors who will graduate this Friday, June 7, at 11:30 a.m. in the Greensboro Coliseum arena, and to the 297 Northern Guilford High School seniors who will graduate this Friday, 7:30 p.m. in the Greensboro Coliseum’s Special Events Center.
Three Summerfield citizens file suit, claiming town, four council members were wrong in appropriating funds to pay for Dianne Laughlin’s legal defense by PATTI STOKES SUMMERFIELD – The Town of Summerfield has been no stranger to lawsuits in the last year and a half, but familiarity may be little comfort as another day in court lies ahead. This time, the town, Mayor Pro Tem Dena Barnes, and council members John O’Day, Reece Walker and Dianne Laughlin are named as co-defendants in a lawsuit filed last week by three Summerfield citizens. In the suit Dwayne Crawford, Don Wendelken and Danny Nelson filed May 30, they claim the named defendants unlawfully appropriated town funds to pay for Laughlin’s legal
John O’Day
Reece Walker
defense in the quo warranto action former council member Todd Rotruck filed against her on Jan. 3. Sworn into office Dec. 12, 2017, Rotruck lost his seat four months later after the Guilford County Board of Elections heard a voter registration challenge brought by Summerfield resident Janelle Robinson and ruled he had not established permanent residency in Summerfield. Based on the ruling, Guilford County’s attorney and Summerfield’s town attorney agreed Rotruck was not eligible to hold office in Summerfield and his seat was immediately declared vacant. Rotruck wasted no time in appealing the BOE’s decision, however, and the council opted to keep his seat open until a decision on his appeal had been rendered. After hearing the appeal in August 2018, Superior Court Judge John Craig issued a signed order two months later affirming the BOE’s decision; following the judge’s decision last October, the council voted 3-1 to appoint Laughlin
Dianne Laughlin
to serve the remainder of Rotruck’s four-year term. On Nov. 2, lawyers for the BOE and Janelle Robinson were notified the former councilman was appealing Craig’s decision. Rotruck’s appeal is waiting to be heard by the N.C. Court of Appeals, but a court date has still not been set. Rotruck filed another lawsuit Jan. 3 of this year naming Laughlin as the defendant and seeking relief in the nature of “quo warranto,” a legal action used to resolve a dispute over whether a person has the legal right to hold the public office that he or she occupies. In the suit Rotruck requested the court direct Summerfield Town Council to remove Laughlin from public office and allow him to take his seat back on the council until his appeal to the Board of Elections’ ruling is heard before the N.C. Court of Appeals. Permission to bring the action against Laughlin was granted
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