Charles Elmore thought he knew just the place to take his flat tire last week.
But when he rolled up in his limping purple Chevy SSR truck to Dykes Tire Co. on Main Street in Shallotte on Feb. 6, he got a surprise.
The business was no longer open.
Right after Christmas, store owners Ricky and Lisa Danford closed shop for good, attributing Dykes’ downfall to the faltering economy.
Elmore expressed disappointment as he sat on a bench in front of Dykes, waiting as his daughter Laura called for help on her cell phone.