January 21-27, 1951 

Gov. Kerr Scott told a celebrating Rockingham County audience that the advent of natural gas service in the state is an important step in the state's march of progress. 

Scott spoke at an appreciation banquet honoring North Carolina Gas Company, Pennsylvania and Southern Gas Company and Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp., which brought natural gas to the Reidsville, Leaksville, Spray and Draper areas in recent weeks. 

The dinner, sponsored by the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce, was held at Lawsonville School and was attended by 275 persons from Reidsville and the Tri-Cities. 

Rockingham County voters backed the sale of beer in the county by a vote of 6,133 for, 5,450 against. Strongest support for legal sale of beer came in the county's municipalities, passing by wide margins in Reidsville, Leaksville, Spray, Draper and Stoneville but failing in Madison and Mayodan. ... A Philadelphia couple and an Asheboro man were injured when their cars collided head-on 10 miles west of Reidsville on U.S. 158. Two of the victims were admitted to Annie Penn Memorial Hospital. ... S.M. Percival has been named superintendent of the Danville and Western Railway, which runs between Danville and Leaksville. He succeeds Walter O'Pry, who had been superintendent for more than 25 years. 

The Draper High boys have lost six of their first eight basketball games, and Coach Everett Hudson thinks the problem is most of his players also were on the football team last fall and have yet to shake their "football muscles." Said Hudson, "We have fairly good height, but the kids just can't seem to loosen up." ... Reidsville church choirs will present their first Community Choir Festival next Sunday in the Reidsville High School auditorium. A second festival is planned for Easter. ... An Alamance County man has been arrested in a hit-and-run accident that sent James Charlie Starnes of Rt. 6, Reidsville, to the hospital with serious injuries. Starnes' motorcycle was struck by the hit-and-run car on the Greensboro-Reidsville Road. 

Auto deal: 1950 Studebaker Champion six-passenger, two-door custom sedan, $1,559.50. 

At the grocery: Virginia winesap apples, 3 lbs. for 29 cents; juicy Florida oranges, two dozen for 39 cents. 

Cough medicine: Rexall Cherrosote cough medicine, 8-ounce bottle, 98 cents.