Rutherford Weekly

WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT 187 N Powell St., Forest City • 828-245-0923 BILL'S AUTO GLASS SHOP BILL'S AUTO GLASS SHOP WINDSHIELDS WINDOWS MIRRORS WINDOW MOTORS REGULATORS ©Community First Media Community First Media EXPERIENCE DOES MATTER 187 N P ll St F t Cit 828 245 0923 IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHERE YOU HAVE IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR VEHICLE REPAIRED! YOUR VEHICLE REPAIRED! LOCALLY OWNED FOR 54 YEARS YES WE ARE OPEN ALL INSURANCE COMPANYS ACCEPTED WE WILL HELP FILE YOUR CLAIM ISSUE NO. 23 • June 10, ISSUE NO. 23 • June 10, 2021 • 2021 • RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 Our 29 th Year • Over 25,000 Weekly Readers ©Community First Media Community First Media 719 S. Broadway, Forest City Right off Exit 182 from US74 SOCIAL DISTANCING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING AND FACE MASK REQUIRED FACE MASK REQUIRED 828-229-3123 828-229-3123 MON.-FRI. 9:30-5; SAT. 9:30-3 MON.-FRI. 9:30-5; SAT. 9:30-3 •LONGBOARD •LONGBOARD SKATEBOARDS SKATEBOARDS •VAPES •VAPE JUICES •VAPES •VAPE JUICES DELTA 8 PRODUCTS • DETOX SUPPLIES DELTA 8 PRODUCTS • DETOX SUPPLIES Smoking & Vape Shop If you are reading this story, it's because of friendship. Brian Stacey's friend, Chuck Melton wants you to know that the Bostic dump truck service guy, drives a lot more than a dump truck. Stacey and his partner Jeff Lowdermilk have been earning points this year to qualify them to compete nationally in October at Lake Hartwell. Among their point earnings are three fi rst place fi nishes in regional competition leading up to the big tournament. Crappie USA runs tournaments in four regional divisions across the country and picks ten top fi shing teams from each region to compete at Lake Hartwell this year. Stacey and Lowdermilk have fi shed in regional bouts from Kentucky to Georgia to Alabama. Their latest fi rst place fi nish came at Santee Cooper in South Carolina. Besides their three fi rst place fi nishes, they have earned honors as high as third and eighth this year. The win at Santee Cooper came against 31 other boats. Okay, so the man can fi sh. His wife, Linda, is even supportive to the point of staying home and keeping things going there. They have a daughter, two step-daughters and seven grandchildren. One grandson just graduated from East Carolina and one daughter just walked with the grads at Chase High. But here's the real story. "He's a very humble guy and wouldn't seek recognition for anything. He helps all kinds of people. I've seen him put money in without his name on it when somebody needed help. He's a true friend," Chuck Melton said of the man who also calls him, "A brother from another mother," something they call each other. "My granddaddy asked me one time where I was going," Melton said. When he told his granddaddy he was off to see friends, his granddaddy corrected him, "Those are only your acquaintances. If you're lucky in life, you'll have fi ve true friends. God, fi rst, then your mother and father. After that maybe one or two good friends. I can tell you this guy is a true friend. Very humble and the kind of guy who would do anything for anybody if he knew they needed help. Without God we're nothing." The two friends met when they were teenagers, so Melton fi gures, "35-36 years." Melton has some health issues so doesn't fi sh competitively with Stacy, although they do fi sh together for fun, also deer hunt. Lowdermilk got Stacey interested in the large tournaments years ago when he ran some "crappie slayers," competitions in Western North Carolina. The competitors do often eat their catches and a biologist is on hand at the tournaments to weigh and measure the catches, put them in a fi sh truck and return them to the lakes. "They're good to eat," Stacey said of the crappie. Stacey got away from it for a while, but for the last three years has been very successful. He said he and Lowdermilk reeled in about $12,000 in the past year. Boats are also among the prizes. The tournament at Lake Hartwell offers more than $100,000 in cash prizes and two boats. Melton called his friend, "a real hard fi sherman. He puts his heart and soul into it. When nobody else is catching them, he's catching them," and Stacey said nothing about the winning was given to them. "We had to work real hard to hone our skills over the years. We love it." Stacey's father, Eddie, also ran a dump truck service for over 40 years. His parents live in Forest City. Friendship Finds Fish Crappie USA Champ Earns Spotlight Due To Good Friend Article Provided By Pat Jobe STRIVING TO HELP ALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED! STRIVING TO HELP ALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED! "He'd do anything for anybody that needed it and wouldn't ask for recognition for nothing." Chuck Melton on his brother from another mother, Brian Stacey. Brian Stacey shows off a recent catch at a Crappie USA tournament where he recently has had three fi rst place fi nishes along with his partner, Jeff Lowdermilk. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Isothermal Community College a $8,000 grant to support adult literacy. This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation's recent award of $10.5 million donation to support summer, family, and adult literacy programs, representing the organization's largest one-day grant donation in its 28-year history. "Adult literacy education is a critical component of a well- prepared workforce and strong community. Our free adult education programs empower individuals with the literacy and numeracy skills necessary to be fully involved in the education of their children, informed and civically responsible citizens, and valuable team members at work. The generous support of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation will help us reach more students and to make an even greater impact in our local community", said Amy Galla, Isothermal's Director of College and Career Readiness. "We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the literacy foundation to accomplish our mission to improve life through learning." Isothermal's College and Career Readiness programs include Adult Basic Education, High School Equivalency preparation, Adult High School diploma, and English as a Second Language. All classes are free and are offered in both Polk and Rutherford county. The grant funds will be used to develop a distance program for working adults who want to improve their English language skills but are unable to attend classes on campus. Contact Amy Galla, Director of College and Career Readiness at 828-395- 1361 to learn more. "For nearly 30 years, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been proud to invest in literacy and education programs in our hometown communities," said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. "The recent and signifi cant shifts in the educational landscape have made the Foundation's mission more critically important. As we work to create access to high-quality instruction for all individuals, we share our gratitude for the educators who are working to uplift and empower others. We hope these funds will have a meaningful impact on students and teachers across the country and look forward to seeing the positive impact they have on learners." The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards funds to nonprofi t organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer, and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. ISOTHERMAL RECEIVES $8,000 GRANT FROM DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION to support Adult Literacy Article Provided By: Jean Gordon

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