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North Carolina mayor dies after battling COVID-19, official says

By The Associated Press
William Stalls has been mayor of Oak City for the past ten years.

Oak City Mayor William Stalls William Stalls has been mayor of Oak City for the past ten years. (Town of Oak City)

By The Associated Press

OAK CITY, N.C. — The mayor of a small North Carolina town has died from COVID-19, according to a town official.

Oak City Town Clerk Vonetta Porter said Mayor William Stalls died on Sunday, WITN reported Monday. Mayor Pro Tem Sue Harrell, who will be sworn in as acting mayor at next month’s commissioners’ meeting, said Stalls had been in the hospital for three weeks.

Stalls had 43 years of service with Oak City Fire & EMS, currently serving as an EMT as well as treasurer.

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Harrell said Town Commissioner Joey Brown died from the virus in July 2020.

A notice on the town’s website showed a town meeting scheduled for Aug. 2 was canceled because of what the statement termed “a high amount of COVID-19 cases within the town, including board members.”

In addition, the town hall is closed to the public until further notice, the statement said.

Oak City, in Martin County, is 90 miles east of Raleigh.

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