YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1978 w w w. j a m e s t o w n n e w s . c o m
WEEKLY EDITION
AUG. 12-18, 2026 Vol 48 No 33 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
Brennan wins the final Wyndham by three It’s August. The Wyndham Championship was here … and as usual, so was the rain … and humidity. The first three rounds were delayed by rain but the second round delay was so short that players walking in from the No. 17 green just turned around when they got to the clubhouse to resume their round. But Sunday was perfect for the final round. The only cloud in the sky appeared to be over Beau Hossler’s head, who needed to win the tournament to get
into the FedExCup Playoffs. But, just because you led the first three rounds does not guarantee a victory. Hossler, who was the clubhouse leader the first three rounds could not keep up with Michael Brennan, who had a string of five consecutive birdies on the front nine. Brennan took over on the 6th hole with his third consecutive birdie and never looked back to pull ahead of Hossler. He stayed there for the entire back nine. “I did really well on the front nine. Staying within myself. Hitting good shots. Felt like I was really in control,” Brennan said after
COMPILED BY NORMA B. DENNIS JBA TO MEET AT THE GATHERING TABLE The Jamestown Business Association will hold its next meeting at The Gathering Table, located at Furnitureland South, on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. Mark your calendars now. The Meet ‘N Greet in June was a great success with about 60 people attending. Be sure to attend the August meeting to connect with fellow business owners and share your ideas. BARRY MANILOW AWARDS $10,000 TO GCS MUSIC TEACHER Local music director Andrew Oldham of Ragsdale High School was among several Guilford County music teachers under consideraton to receive the Manilow Music Teacher Award, presented by entertainer Barry Manilow Aug. 10 during his concert at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. The Greensboro show was among nine stops on Manilow’s farewell tour and he has been celebrating teachers at each stop. Manilow’s team researched and selected teachers from 10 Guilford County schools before opening the list to online voting. Other teachers included Jeremy Ray, Grimsley; Jaleel Wright, High Point Central; Christina Jones, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts; Eddie Deaton, Page; Brian McMath, Northwest Guilford; James DeFiglia, Weaver Academy; Travis Pike, Southeast Guilford; Jerico Carrillo, Southern Guilford; and Donald Walter, Northwest Guilford middle school/high school. The winner was Eddie Deaton of Page High School. He received a $5,000 personal cash award and $5,000 for instruments for his school. According to his spokesperson, Taylor Perry, over the years, Manilow has donated millions of dollars in instruments and resources to schools across the country to ensure access to music education for future generations. STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF LIFE‑SAVING TEXT‑TO‑911 The N.C. 911 Board, which operates under the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), has launched a campaign to raise awareness of Text‑to‑911. This critical service allows residents to reach emergency responders by text message when calling 911 is not possible or safe. The goal is to ensure the public understands when and how to use Text‑to‑911, especially in situations where every second counts. Text‑to‑911 is designed to support individuals who may be unable to speak due to a medical emergency; in unsafe situations where placing a voice call could increase the risk of harm; deaf, hard of hearing, or experiencing a speech‑related disability. The PSA message is, “Call if you can, text if you can’t.” “When calling is not possible or safe, texting gives people another lifeline to reach trained 911 professionals who are ready to respond,” said L.V. (Pokey) Harris, executive director of the N.C. 911 Board. In 2025, more than 70,000 Text‑to‑911 messages were sent to emergency communication centers across North Carolina. This high volume underscores the essential role Text‑to‑911 plays in providing residents with multiple, reliable ways to reach help during an emergency. Have an event that you think needs to be included in About Town? Email Norma B. Dennis at ndworddesign@gmail.com or Carol Brooks at cab1hp@gmail.com
his victory. “Got a little nervous after 10 and 11 but a really nice par put on 12 steadied me.” He said making the FedExCup Playoffs means everything to him. “I feel I’ve played the best golf I have all year the last few weeks. I’m playing really, really solid.” Next week’s playoff will be his seventh tournament in a row and he will probably be running on fumes then. Brennan, 24, won by three strokes and did not need his 18th hole birdie. After a big hug on the green, his mother told him he got into the Masters next year with this
win. He was not aware. He was probably aware of his earnings, however – $1.5 million. This was his second PGA Tour win. 2022 winner Tom Kim also tied for the lead several times but finished tied for fifth. Brennan had a lot of Wake Forest fans following him because he played there. With the win, he becomes the fifth Wake Forest grad with a Wyndham victory, following last year’s winner Cameron Young and Lanny Wadkins in 1983, Scott Hoch in 2001 and Webb Simpson in 2011. SEE WYNDHAM, PAGE 6
Photo courtesy Wyndham Championship
Michael Brennan holds the Sam Snead cup after his victory at the 2026 Wyndham Championship.
Ragsdale High School establishes Hall of Fame BY NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com The concept, “Everyone will have 15 minutes of fame,” is often contributed to something artist Andy Warhol said in the late 1960s. Whether or not that originated with him — and it is debatable — the phase has become well known, implying everyone will have some degree of acknowledgment, even if short lived. But moving forward, many people associated with Ragsdale High School athletics will have their 15 minutes of fame extended to years of recognition. The school has established a Hall of Fame that will recognize athletes, coaches and even volunteers who have contributed in a special way to the school’s athletic program. Football Coach Antwon Stevenson, who is beginning his third year at Rags-
dale, was instrumental in getting the Hall of Fame started. “Many high schools in Guilford County already have a Hall of Fame,” said Stevenson, who came to Ragsdale from Glenn High School. “I had pushed for Glenn to have one, but left before it started. This year they will recognize their third class of inductees. “I heard about so many good athletes that have come through Ragsdale and felt the school needed this kind of recognition. I mentioned it last year hoping someone would do it, but no one did.” In February of this year, after all levels of football had been completed, including the Super Bowl, Stevenson felt he had time to jumpstart the Hall of Fame. He invited Athletic Photo by Norma B. Dennis Director Michael Holder, Principal Noel Keener and The diamond emblem has become an important part Assistant Principal Mar- of school pride for Coach Antwon Stevenson since he came to Ragsdale as its football coach. He recently SEE RAGSDALE, PAGE 2 initiated a Hall of Fame for the school.
Town Council to meet Aug. 18
There’s great news about golf course revenue
BY CAROL BROOKS FREELANCE WRITER cab1hp@gmail.com
BY CAROL BROOKS FREELANCE WRITER cab1hp@gmail.com
The Town Council will meet Aug. 18 with several items on its agenda. The public hearing to consider rezoning 4909 Guilford College Road from Agriculture (AG) to Conditional Zoning-Single Family Residential (CZ-SFR) continues from the July 21 meeting. Harvest Church plans an expansion of its campus and to use the 1908 Ann Wiley White House on the property for church events. Additional parking was also planned. While Town staff approved the rezoning, the Planning Board voted down the request June 8. After hearing from the church and its civil engineer, along with public comments from neighbors to the property, the Council still had concerns about the rezoning and unanimously voted to continue the issue at the Aug. 18 Town Council meeting. Also on the agenda is the consideration of approval of an interlocal agreement with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office for services to the town. This discussion has been going on for months in Council budget meetings. Following the open session, the Council will go into closed session to consult with the town attorney to preserve attorneyclient privilege.
In his quarterly golf course report for the final quarter of fiscal year 2025-26, Parks and Recreation Director Scott Coakley had great news for the Town Council at their July meeting. “The golf course continued its strong financial performance during the quarter. Total revenue for April through June was approximately $582,000, an increase of more than $64,000 or approximately 12 percent compared to the same quarter last year,” Coakley said. “The largest gains came from greens fees and rentals, reflecting continued growth in rounds played and overall activity. We also experienced steady performance in concessions, pro shop sales and clubhouse rentals. “As expected, fourth quarter’s expenditures included several planned capital purchases and continued investments in maintaining the golf course. Those capital expenditures are budgeted separately from operating expenses and represent long-term investments that will benefit the course for
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many years. “This year’s financial results represent an important milestone in the financial performance of Jamestown Park Golf Course. Over the past six financial years, we have worked diligently to strengthen the financial performance of the golf course. During the earlier years of this period, the course experienced operating losses. However, each year we made steady progress by increasing revenue and controlling expenses and improving operational efficiency. “I’m pleased to report that 202526 marks the first operating surplus during this six-year period with an operating profit of $57,856. This achievement represents years of steady progress and a continued commitment for responsible financial management. Revenue increased from approximately $1 million in fiscal year 2020-21 to approximately $1.64 million this year, an increase of more than 52 percent. We experienced strong growth in cart rentals, increased rounds of plan, expanded tournaments and greater use of our clubhouse facilities. Fiscal year 2025-
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BY CAROL BROOKS FREELANCE WRITER cab1hp@gmail.com
SEE GOLF, PAGE 6