Monthly Archives: February 2021
Lonely, neglected bridge due attention
News Analysis
COVE CITY – A remote – but nevertheless important – bridge across the Neuse River in the far northwest corner of Craven County is scheduled for a $13.8 million, 2.5 year extreme makeover.
Make that TWO contiguous bridges on a sometimes dicey, rural, tree-shrouded stretch of Maple Cypress Road! One span over the actual Neuse River is 600 feet. An adjacent span crosses what is known as ‘overflow’ and it stretches for another 400 feet.
In an email responding to questions from this newspaper, DOT officials reported this week that the replacement bridges “will be slightly higher – t…
CALLING ALL REPUBLICANS | Beaufort County GOP among first to muster
By Anne Maatman | Beaufort County Republican Party
BEAUFORT COUNTY – In our county 26,397 votes were cast in the November 3rd election, with ‘wins’ for 30 out of 31 Republicans on the ballot!
Republicans, fire up! Get involved and stand up for conservative values! One way to join the fight is to become active in your local precinct (where you live and vote). If you haven’t been involved in your precinct or county before, check the sidebar for more details.
The next election cycle (2021-2022) begins with precinct meetings in each county. In Beaufort County, all registered Republicans are encou…
Protecting Second Amendment | Recalls can be good ammo!
In 2013, a year or so before we moved from Colorado to here in North Carolina, Michael Bloomberg blasted into Colorado and poured millions of dollars into the pockets of state legislators who advocated gun control. He wanted them to pass laws to effect gun control.
A small group of citizens decided to use constitutional recall to remove the three most vulnerable gun control advocates from office. One, John Morse, was a former Police Chief of Fountain, CO; another, Angela Giron, was a Latino state senator from a heavily Hispanic district; and, the third, Evie Hudak, was a retired school teacher…
Usual sewer fee reduced by 6 to 4 vote
Gym re-location sees immediate $8,000 savings
ALLIANCE – When the move finally happens, Champion Sports & Fitness may well be paying a lesser rent at its new location (just a quarter mile west on Hwy. 55) because future landlord, Mike Wynne, showed up last October on the front page of this newspaper, complaining about sky-high sewer start-up fees.
Wynne’s no-punches-pulled description of his plight triggered behind-the-scenes negotiations over a controversial charge known as a system development fee. The maneuvering culminated Feb. 4 at a meeting of utility’s board of director…
State Board of Ed. fumbles homework
RALEIGH — The Democrat-controlled N.C. State Board of Education approved Thursday, Feb. 4, a sweeping rewrite of the state’s social studies standards that will now teach nearly every aspect of American history through the lens of racism and discrimination.
The changes were approved over the strong objections of several Republican board members, who decried the new standards as overly negative and divisive. They said they don’t wish to whitewash history, but believe it’s important to teach children to have pride in their country for its achievements and advancement.
The vote came a day…
Feds asked to put kibosh on menthol cigarettes
By Delmonte Jefferson | Center for Black Health & Equity
As a North Carolina-based public health organization, the Center for Black Health & Equity was pleased to hear that state Attorney General Josh Stein recently joined a bipartisan group of 23 Attorneys General in calling on the federal government’s Food and Drug Administration to ban menthol cigarettes.
For well over a decade, the Center has worked tirelessly with countless organizations and
activists to prod the FDA to finally ban menthol cigarettes for good. The news of Attorney General Stein’s recent action is welcome an…
Enough!
Opinion piece captures mood of many
By Bill Garrison
Definition: To attain, achieve, as much as needed or allowed. The amount desired or allowed to reach a goal.
I am going to describe ‘enough’ as used for negative achievement. Something many of us in this great country have recently excelled at:
Enough Character Assassination (Bullyism)
Enough Political (Lies & Hyperbole)
Enough Greed (Enough said)
Enough racism (From everyone)
Enough ignorance (Due to laziness)
Enough Whining (Way, way too much)
Character Assassination is the most destructive tool of the “me generation.” Electronic devices have become the most c…
Mask Wearing prompts experiment
ARAPAHOE – Jeff of The County Compass newspaper recently asked me to personally conduct a test of masks which are used these days to prevent spread of the China Virus pandemic. As a former Magnavox, Motorola and RCA electrical engineer, I typically approach this kind of assignment with care and precision, but I should emphasize this was not a scientific experiment conducted under controlled conditions. What we hoped to determine was whether or not the typical mask impedes the body’s ability to absorb sufficient oxygen.
Before putting my mask on, I was resting on the couch to stabilize my brea…
Son of Community College president dies after six-year battle with ALS
Dr. Robert James “Bobby” Ross, MD, PhD, son of Pamlico Community College President Dr. Jim Ross and his wife, Mrs. Pam Ross, died Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, at his parents’ home after a courageous six-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. He was 38.
Dr. Bobby Ross passed away peacefully with his parents in prayer by his side. He had most recently lived in New Haven, Conn., before moving eight months ago to be with his parents and extended family in North Carolina.
Dr. Bobby Ross earned his MD with honors in 2016 at Yale University after earning his PhD with honors in 2014 from Yale. He w…
Big Guy Comes Out Swinging!
RALEIGH – Even powerful, liberal-leaning WRAL-TV proved no match for the state’s newly elected Lt. Governor. After Tuesday’s press conference in which Mark Robinson lambasted Capitol Broadcasting for its website post of an inflammatory cartoon depicting Robinson and other GOP members of the State Board of Education as racists, an opinion editor for the television station was left mumbling platitudes:
“Editorial cartoons are creative and provocative, using hyperbole and satire,” wrote Seth Effron in an email. “No one believes Republicans on the State Board of Education are members o…
