1. In the N.C. Department of Transportation’s latest 10-year transportation improvement program, a long-wished-for Interstate 85 exit at Old Beatty Ford Road was not included. What was the reason given?
A. Politics. The initial request was made during a Democratic administration. Now it’s Republican
B. It would be too expensive
C. The state would have to negotiate right-of-way purchases from too many landowners
D. A new state formula didn’t give the project enough points to warrant an interchange

2. Why is the China Grove Fire Department on probation with the State Fire Marshal’s Office?
A. Inspectors found at least two instances in November when the department failed to respond with enough personnel
B. The department didn’t perform necessary fire hydrant tests this summer
C. The department’s turnout gear, which had been grandfathered in, no longer meets new state standards
D. The department doesn’t have equipment equal to its insurance rating

3. The Rowan History Club recently had a program on the history of the Plott Hound, the state dog of North Carolina. To what European country can the Plott Hound trace its roots?
A. France
B. England
C. Germany
D. Spain

4. Tim Jones, pastor of Mercy Independent Baptist Church in Kannapolis, hopes he can donate a kidney to his new friend, gospel singer Don Herbert of The Parables of Christ. When he was younger, what profession was Herbert identified with?
A. Professional wrestling
B. Car sales
C. Drag racing
D. Bassmaster fishing

5. Rowan County’s jobless rate of 5.6 percent in November was the lowest it has been since early 2008. Where did Rowan’s unemployment peak in February 2010?
A. 11.8 percent
B. 14.5 percent
C. 17.6 percent
D. 21.1 percent

6. What is planning to locate off Bringle Ferry Road on the former site of Camp Kiwanis?
A. A 75-house subdivision
B. A state ecological preserve
C. A dog park
D. A Montessori school.

7. Josh Wagner is the new chairman of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education. Who is the new vice chairman?
A. Susan Cox
B. Chuck Hughes
C. Dean Hunter
D. Jean Kennedy

8. Who served as grand marshal for Saturday’s Kannapolis Christmas Parade?
A. Bob Misenheimer
B. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
C. Helen Beaver
D. Darrell Hinnant

9. Gilbert “Gib” Russell of Granite Quarry was among a select group of people in Washington, D.C., this past week because as a teenager in the early days of World War II, he was part of what organization?
A. The Civil Air Patrol
B. FDR’s Warriors
C. The Army Air Corps
D. The Civil Defense Corps

10. Why were Sandy and Casey Parsons in the news this past week?
A. They were sentenced in federal court on fraud charges
B. They didn’t show up for a custody hearing on their  two youngest children
C. They said they had new information on Erica Parsons, their daughter who has been missing since November 2011
D. They moved to another county