Jim Wall and his wife, Sarah Jo, joked as they drove to Asheville last week to attend a Rotary District Convention about meeting President Barack Obama, who they knew was vacationing in the area.

"We just kind of kidded about it all weekend," Wall said.

But in one of those rare twists, the joke became reality.

The unexpected meeting happened in the exercise room at Asheville’s Grove Park Inn, where both Wall and the president were staying.

Wall was in the workout room pedaling a stationary bike when the president strolled in.

"I kind of took a second glance when he walked in," said Wall, who introduced himself to Obama.

"I said, ‘I’m Jim Wall from Siler City,’" Wall recalled. "He said, ‘I’m Barack Obama from Washington, D.C.’ We just talked for a few minutes. Just general talk about family and stuff. It was cool."

Obama, who was accompanied by members of the Secret Service, spoke with the Walls and another couple visiting from Greensboro and later posed for photographs with both couples.

Wall, who admitted to being a bit nervous initially in the presence of the president, was impressed by Obama.

"There was nothing not to like. He made you feel at ease and he was very polite, very cordial and courteous," said Wall.

And very tall.

"I’m six-foot-two and he’s probably an inch or so talker than me," Wall said. "He’s in good shape. You can tell that."

The president politely declined an invitation from Sarah Jo to attend the Rotary meeting.

While in Asheville, Obama played a couple of rounds of golf and hiked a bit in the mountains.

Wall didn’t get to meet First Lady Michelle Obama, who was elsewhere in the inn exercising at the time.

This isn’t the first president Wall, who retired as minister at First Baptist Church in Siler City in June 2008, has met. He met President John F. Kennedy, heard President Jimmy Carter speak at a Baptist function and also attended a function where former President Dwight Eisenhower spoke.

"I was just grateful for an opportunity to meet a sitting president," said Wall. "It was a good experience."

The One Stop early voting period ends Saturday in advance of the Tuesday, May 4, primary election.

So far, early voting has been light.

"We’ve had 971 early voters as of Tuesday morning," said Chatham County Board of Elections supervisor Dawn Stumpf. "It’s kind of slow. We didn’t know what kind of voter turnout we would have. There have been quite a few Democrats as well as Republicans."

The Republican primary ballot includes two contested county commissioner races, while the Democrat ballot features no local races.

Stumpf said turnout is currently at two percent of registered voters, but that she expects the pace to pick up in the last few days of early voting.

"I usually hope for 10 percent in early voting, but you take what you get," she said.

There are three One Stop voting locations.

Voters can cast their ballots 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Board of Elections office at 984 Thompson Street, suite E1, in Pittsboro.

Early voters can also cast their ballots at Chatham Downs off of US 15-501 in northern Chatham County or at the Earl Fitts Community Center at 111 South Third Street in Siler City.

These voting sites will be open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. through Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.

She said she would like to remind voters to go to their precincts on voting day and not to the One Stop polling places.

Those who go to the One Stop sites will still be able to vote but will have to cast provisional ballots, which require more time in filling out the form.

On Tuesday, 19 precincts will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Unaffiliated voters may choose to vote either a Democratic Primary Ballot or a Republican Primary Ballot. Those registered to vote as either a Democrat or Republican must vote that Party Ballot.

 A surprise meeting. . .

Jim and Sarah Jo Wall of Siler City pose for a photograph with President Barack Obama after they me in the exercise room at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville over the weekend.  Jim Wall was impressed by Obama's charisma as well as his height.  'It was cool,' the retired minister said of his encounter with the president.

Investigators with the Siler City Police Department are still trying to put the pieces together after discovering the body of a man believed to have been murdered.

On Sunday, April 25, officers responded to a call at 808 North Chatham Avenue from the victim’s landlord, who told police he believed the victim was dead inside residence.

According to police, officers entered the home and discovered the body of Ricky Dean Hayes, 47.

Hayes’ body was sent to the North Carolina State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy on Sunday. On Monday, the Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Hayes’ death a homicide.

Officials with the Siler City Police Department have not released information about how Hayes was murdered or any potential motive for the murder.

Police officials also will not say if they have any suspects in the homicide.

Hayes was frequently seen in the downtown area of Siler City. He was described as being eccentric by those who knew him.

"He had some wild stories. He was from a different world. He was also very smart. He just lived a different kind of life," said one source who asked not to be identified.

Hayes also had an extensive history with the police, said Major Bill Harman of the Siler City Police Department.

"He was known amongst law enforcement," Harman said.

"He had several different encounters with the police and had done some time. We’d get calls about fights at his house or arguments; all different kinds of calls. He had a long history," Harman said.

At the time of his death, Hayes was on probation for a 2008 felony conviction of larceny of a dog and cruelty to animals.

Detectives with the Siler City Police are continuing to investigate the homicide and ask that anyone with information call the Siler City Police Department at 919-742-5626.