County commissioners approve $10,000 grant for America 250 events

Published 6:12 pm Tuesday, January 27, 2026

ALBEMARLE — Stanly County commissioners have approved funding to support local programming for the America 250 commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

At the Stanly County Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 20, the board voted 5-2 to approve a $10,000 grant for the Stanly County America 250 Committee.

Chairman Scott Efird, Vice Chairman Bill Lawhon and Commissioners Patty Crump, Trent Hatley and Billy Mills voted in favor of the funding, while Commissioners Mike Barbee and Brandon King voted against it.

According to the committee’s request, the grant will be used for outreach and engagement expenses, including event signage, printed educational materials, advertising, social media promotion and commemorative items to be distributed at America 250 events throughout the county.

Bain Jones, chair of the Stanly County America 250 Committee and president of the Stanly County Historical Society, told commissioners that the committee has received a $10,000 grant from the state’s America 250 program, making additional local funding necessary to deliver the full scope of planned programming.

One of the centerpiece events will be a large-scale drone show with electronic projections and music scheduled for June 5 at City Lake Park in Albemarle. The presentation is designed to use visual storytelling and music to commemorate the nation’s founding.

“One of the principal things we’re going to be doing is a drone show, a great part of this grant is going to be used in terms of publicizing it,” Jones said. “We want to also publicize all of the events that are going to be across the county. As you’ve heard in the prior meeting, they’re going to be in Norwood, Albemarle and a variety of places.”

Jones previously outlined initial plans for the yearlong celebration at the board’s Jan. 5 meeting, describing a series of public art installations, educational activities, live music performances and community events spread across multiple municipalities.

A major focus of the program is engaging young residents. Jones said the committee plans to distribute educational fact sheets with interactive elements for children and provide commemorative items at key events, including the drone show.

“We want to engage young people,” Jones said. “We’re going to be doing informational and historical fact sheets with coloring aspects to it. We want to engage our young citizens of Stanly County. Specifically at the drone show, we want to hand out a magnet that is going to basically commemorate the 250th celebration for Stanly County at that time. This all has to do with totally engaging the public in regards to the program that has been established.”

A full guide to America 250 events in Stanly County is currently being finalized and will be published online on the Stanly County Historical Society’s website.

“I support this 100% and I appreciate all the hard work that you’ve done so far,” Commissioner Patty Crump said to Jones. “I can’t wait to be part of it and see what is going to be at all the different locations I plan to attend.”

The Stanly County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.