The Triad is facing yet another splintering of its economic structure, with a Senate bill spinning Davie, Surry and Yadkin counties out of the Piedmont Triad Partnership.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported Senate Bill 127, sponsored by Sen. Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Jones, would abolish four of the state’s seven economic development commissions in favor of eight “prosperity zones.” The bill has passed the Senate and its first reading in the House.

Piedmont Triad Partnership represents a mix of urban (Forsyth and Guilford), suburban (Alamance, Davidson, Davie, Randolph, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin) and rural (Caswell, Montgomery and Rockingham) counties.

SURRY COUNTY, N.C.– Law enforcement agencies dedicated a classroom at Surry Community College to a fallen police officer from Jonesville Friday.

Police Sergeant Gregory Keith Martin is the only graduate from Surry Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Program to be killed in the line of duty.

Investigators say a man shot and killed Sergeant Martin during a traffic stop on Interstate 77 in 1996.

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — Mount Airy police said one man was killed in a three-vehicle wreck Saturday afternoon in the southbound lane of US 52.

Jeffery Donald Leftwich, 73, of Mount Airy, died in the incident which was reported around 12:45 p.m. near Bluemont Road, police said.

Authorities said a 2003 Dodge Durango driven by a 26-year-old male was headed south on US 52 when he struck the victim in a 1994 Ford Ranger.

Police said the impact from that crash caused the Ranger, driven by the victim, to collide with a 2007 Toyota Highlander driven by a 55-year-old woman.

Police said the victim was taken by Surry County emergency responders to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and pronounced dead on Sunday.

Police said they are still investigating the wreck and the findings of their investigation will be reported to the Surry County District Attorney’s Office.