Blog – Moore County Edition

Feb

23

2023

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Board of Education approves pilot programs to help recruit and retain bus drivers

NewsBOE, MCS, Moore County Board of Education, Moore County Schools

CAMERON — The Moore County Board of Education met Monday, February 13. The board was given an update on the state of the school’s operations department by the new Executive Officer for Operations, Jenny Purvis, who had been in that position since January 3, following the leave of former executive officer John Birath. However, the presentation mainly focused on the transportation department. “As we look at transportation, transportation is something I hear as I go from site to site, and I also hear from parents,” Purvis said. “We’ve identified some issues and just want to be very transparent about those…

Feb

23

2023

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Pinehurst Council approves changes to fees and charges schedules

Newscouncil meeting, Pinehurst Council, pinehurst historic preservation commission, Village of Pinehurst Council

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, February 14, with multiple appointments and fee schedule changes on the agenda. The first two appointments that the council approved were to the Pinehurst Historic Preservation Commission. “We have three vacancies currently on the Historic Preservation Commission,” said Village Manager Jeff Sanborn. “As is normally the case, we went through an interview process, and we have come up with two very high-quality candidates to fill two of those three positions.” The voting panel presented two names to the council: Roxanne Vaitkus and Karl Ecker. “We’ve lost three members, two of whom…

Feb

22

2023

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By North State Journal Staff

Hudson opens flagship office in Southern Pines

GovernmentMoore County, Richard Hudson, Southern Pines, us representative

SOUTHERN PINES — Moore County’s member of Congress now has his flagship district office located in Southern Pines. U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for the 9th Congressional District’s newest office. Hudson, whose family moved to Southern Pines, is the first member of Congress to live and operate a primary office in Moore County in recent history. “As your Congressman, I am committed to delivering results for families throughout our region and providing top-notch customer service from our offices in both Washington, D.C. and North Carolina,” said Rep. Hudson. “With our new primary district office…

Feb

15

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

State Health Plan releases all documents related to third-party contract change

Government, NewsAetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, contract change, state health plan

RALEIGH — All documents related to the change from Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrative services contract (TPA) are now publicly available. Last week, the State Health Plan (SHP) published all of the materials, including requests for proposals (RFP) and the responses, on a specially created transparency page on its website. “We are the most transparent and open agency in state government,” Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “I cannot be prouder of the work done by the staff of the State Health Plan and the bipartisan State Health Plan Board…

Feb

15

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

Moore County Schools principal transferred

NewsMoore County Schools, Pinecrest High school, principal, transfer

CARTHAGE — A Moore County Public Schools (MCS) principal has been transferred to another school. According to a press release by MCS, Crain’s Creek Middle School Principal Melonie Jones had requested to be transferred to Pinecrest High School. She will be in the Assistant Principal position at Pinecrest, where she started her education career in the late 90s. “I feel honored and humbled to have been the principal at Crain’s Creek Middle School for the last five years, and I will be forever grateful for the relationships that I have built with the students, staff, parents, and community,” Jones said…

Feb

15

2023

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By U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson

State of our Union: Hardworking American families are paying the price

Opinionscolumn, opinion, Richard Hudson, state of the union

Just like our great nation, the State of the Union address has a unique history surrounded by traditions and pageantry. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson gave the first in-person address since the 18th century. President Harry Truman’s address was the first to be broadcasted on television in 1947. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan invited the first guest to sit in the gallery and be referenced in his speech. The State of the Union has evolved from an address only given to leaders within our government to one that incorporates and is delivered to you, the American people. Regardless of politics,…

Feb

08

2023

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Aberdeen swears in eight new, full-time firefighters

GovernmentAberdeen Town Board, firefighters, government, Moore County, regular meeting, swearing in

ABERDEEN – The Aberdeen Town Board began its Monday, January 24, regular meeting with some positive news by recognizing and swearing in eight new full-time firefighters. “I feel very blessed that we were able to hire eight,” said Fire Chief Phillip Richardson. “I’ve talked with FEMA and several other departments across the country that were awarded the SAFER grant, and they are having a lot of difficulty getting the people hired, and we were able to hire all of ours in one thing.” “Six of these personnel are through what we call SAFER. They are FEMA employed and paid by…

Feb

08

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

Education nonprofit unveils top five priorities for 2023

News2023 priorities, Education, nc education, nonprofit

RALEIGH — Education policymakers, members of think tanks, elected officials and other stakeholders gathered for the Public School Forum of North Carolina’s (PSFNC) 2023 Eggs and Issues forum held at N.C. State’s McKimmon Center in Raleigh on Jan. 31. The top five priorities presented by PSFNC included: Ensure fair and competitive compensation for educators Address the root causes of mental health and school safety crises Grow, retain and diversify the teacher pipeline Prepare students for the world they live in Implement, monitor, and evaluate the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan Opening remarks unveiling the priorities were given by PSFNC’s senior director…

Feb

01

2023

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By U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson

HUDSON: Addressing challenges from fuel to fentanyl

Opinionseditorial, fentanyl, gas, inflation, opinion, Richard Hudson

Have you filled up your tank lately? Like my family, I’m sure you have noticed that prices are only going one way. In fact, in North Carolina, average gas prices have increased more than 45 cents per gallon in the past month. President Joe Biden first started skyrocketing fuel prices by ending pipelines and leases that reduced supply and sent the wrong message to domestic energy producers. International chaos has only worsened the problem, yet President Biden’s only solution has been to drain our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest level since 1984. In total, the administration has sold off…

Feb

01

2023

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Pinehurst Council approves fifth moratorium extension for Small Area Plan areas

Governmentlocal government, Pinehurst Council, small area plan, Village of Pinehurst

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, January 24, with the only action item on the agenda being just a single public hearing. The council held a public hearing for the proposed moratorium extension for the Small Area Plan areas – Village Place/Rattlesnake Trail Corridor and Pinehurst South/NC Highway 5 Commercial Area. “The current 120-day moratorium ordinance is set to expire on February 3, 2023,” said Director of Planning and Inspections Darryn Burich. “The original nine-month moratorium was adopted on February 10, 2021, and it has been extended four additional times. A 90-day extension is requested for Village…