Blog – Moore County Edition

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…

Feb

01

2023

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By Emmie Brooks, North State Journal

New golf course seeks to honor Pinehurst’s natural beauty, rich history

FeaturesGolf, golf course, golf course architect, Pinehurst, tom doak

PINEHURST — Golf course architect Tom Doak has embarked on a new project to design and develop Pinehurst’s 10th golf course, the first in almost three decades. Doak has long had a passion for golf and, specifically, the design of courses themselves. “When I was twelve-thirteen years old, I got to see Harbour Town, Pinehurst, and Pebble Beach, and they were so different from the public course I grew up playing in Connecticut that I became fascinated with golf course design,” Doak said. Doak has since designed six courses that have been ranked among the top 100 golf courses in…

Jan

25

2023

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Southern Pines Country Club expansion hearing continued to next month’s meeting

Government, Newscommissioners meeting, country club, golf club, Southern Pines

SOUTHERN PINES — The Southern Pines Town Council met Tuesday, January 10, with multiple public hearings on the agenda. The first public hearing was for various text amendments to the UDO. “When we are engaging with the Unified Development Ordinance in our office, and we encounter problematic language or things that aren’t clear, we sometimes print off a page, sometimes scribble a note, throw it into a file, and set it aside. And then every so often, when we have an opportunity, we’ll run through what we refer to as a package of text amendments,” said Planning Director BJ Grieve.…

Jan

25

2023

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By Robert Bortins

BORTINS: Universal educational vouchers is not a winning policy

Opinionscolumn, editorial, educational vouchers, marxism, opinion

Don’t believe the press releases from universal school voucher enthusiasts ― it wasn’t a winning message in the swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona this past election. The GOP should abandon expanding taxpayer-funded school choice and focus on empowering parents, not expanding the reach of more government. The GOP will be making a big mistake if they decide to enact universal taxpayer-funded school choice policies, which will increase dependency on the government and normalize welfare for all. Exit polls show that three main groups vote for Democrats ― single women, people with advanced degrees, and welfare recipients. Those who…

Jan

25

2023

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By Associated Press

State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks

Newsattack, electricity, power grid, substation, vandalism

RALEIGH — When gunshots at two electrical substations cut power to thousands of central North Carolina homes for several days in early December, Republican state Rep. Ben Moss watched his vibrant district full of family farms, small businesses and sprawling golf courses become “a ghost town.” After the latest attack last week on a substation in Randolph County, northeast of Charlotte, Moss is urging fellow lawmakers to prioritize new legislation that would secure the state’s critical infrastructure when the legislative session begins in earnest this week. He’s among the first state legislators to propose power grid protections this year amid…

Jan

18

2023

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Pinehurst approves new strategic goals

GovernmentGiven Memorial Library, library, Pinehurst Council, renovation, Tufts Archives, Village of Pinehurst Council

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, Jan. 10 with the a couple of contracts needing approval and a presentation of the Village’s revised strategic operating goals on the agenda. The council approved a contract with Oakley Collier Architects, PA for design services for renovations to the Given Memorial Library and Tuft Archives. “Last month we met and went over the proposal that Oakley Collier gave us and this contract was in line with what the proposal was,” said Assistant Village Manager Doug Willardson. “It will be $140,000 for the schematic design services which includes the existing conditions…