Yam Fest chief steps down, Wright’s elected

By DEUCE NIVEN

    A week after his admission to diverting funds collected by a veteran’s group to his personal use, and embellishing his military record, Michael Graham has resigned as President of the North Carolina Yam Festival at Tabor City.
    Graham resigned as Commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6064 last week. His Yam Festival resignation was accepted during a called meeting of Yam Festival directors Tuesday.
    Local attorney O. Richard Wright was elected to serve as 2015 Yam Festival President.
    “There are several personal reasons as well as some health reasons for this decision,” Graham said in his letter of resignation. In it, he called it “an honor” to serves as president of the 2014 festival, and his abbreviated stint as leader of this year’s festival, slated for October.
    “I cherish the friends I have made with the festival volunteers and thank them all for their hard work and support,” the letter said. “I do need to spend some time working on getting my health and personal issues resolved. It is my hope that in the future, my wife and I can come back and play a role in the NC Yam Festival.”
    For more on this story see today’s Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.