Things are heating up in Davie County as countdown to the $37 million school bond begins:

Letters from both sides have filled the pages of the Davie County Enterprise-Record for weeks. Opponents have placed ads showing empty classrooms, suggesting that building a ninth-grade academy and better using the space at Davie High School is a better and less-expensive solution than building a second high school. Supporters have countered with ads, brochures and even a video promoting the bond…..

The debate has not only gotten heated; it’s also gotten personal.

Last month, Steve Lane, the school superintendent, accused bond opponents of drawing his character into the debate.

Lane was charged with driving while impaired by the Emerald Isle Police Department last summer when he was on vacation. Last fall, he told the Davie County Board of Education, which dealt with the matter in closed session. He was not suspended or demoted. A judge dismissed the charge in December after the police officer who cited Lane failed to show up in court…..

An editorial in the Davie County Enterprise-Record criticized the school board and Lane for not making the charge public earlier and castigated Lane for what it said was bad judgment for drinking and driving.

Several letter writers in the local paper have demanded that Lane resign, even as school officials try to do damage control. Lane said he is focused on getting the bond passed.

So now it’s reported that Lane was indeed on vacation when he was charged with DWI. So he scheduled a colonoscopy while on vacation? At the beach? Doesn’t sound like something I would do.

And while Michael Hewlett talks about how the bond debate has played out in the pages of the Enterprise-Record, he doesn’t mention the paper’s editorial stance. I realize the paper made not have taken its stance yet, so I’ll keep an eye on it, being open-minded enough not to declare it a foregone conclusion.

P.S.- The Enterpise-Record’s site doesn’t load on my laptop, for some reason. If someone has easier access and can provide insight, please do it.