State Rep. David Almond has kept a low profile in his hometown of Albermarle since resigning from the legislature two weeks ago.

Martha Quillin reports that the folks back home don't know what to make of the rumors about what led to Almond's sudden resignation.

All of them are unseemly for a 59-year-old life insurance agent who attends public events in the company of his wife and mother. The complaint was reportedly filed by Almond's legislative aide, a 63-year-old widow.

"Given the character of the man, it's hard to believe," said Pattie Huneycutt, a former Stanly County commissioner who says her tenure made her keenly aware of the risks of always being in the public eye. "You can be the squeakiest-clean person but then cross the wrong person and be ruined. You can be accused of anything. So everything I hear, I take with a grain of salt."