Government – Moore County Edition

Apr

20

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Pinehurst approves five-year financial plan

Government, Newscouncil meeting, financial plan, housing, renters, short-term rental, Village of Pinehurst

PINEHURST – The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, April 12 to discuss the five-year financial plan for the upcoming fiscal years and to continue the community dialogue on short-term rentals through the public comments. The council was presented with an operating plan for the 2023 Fiscal Year and along with a five-year financial plan through 2027. The council normally builds a five-year plan to help project finances and their impacts on the village, but those plans are subject to changes each year. “What the five-year plan methodology does is let us build a budget that is adopted by the…

Apr

20

2022

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By Associated Press

Budd, McCrory still close in NC Senate campaign fundraising

Government, Newsfundraising, NC Senate, Pat McCrory, Ted Budd

RALEIGH — North Carolina Republican U.S. Senate candidates Ted Budd and Pat McCrory remained neck-and-neck with their campaigns’ own fundraising entering the final full month before the May 17 primary. Campaign finance reports for the first quarter show McCrory, the former governor, and current U.S. House member Budd collecting essentially the same level of contributions and other funds. But Budd is separately benefiting from a political action committee that has already spent several million dollars on ads and mailers praising Budd and attacking McCrory. A pro-McCrory super PAC is trailing. Budd also has received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Looking…

Apr

13

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Board approves school budget increase

Government, NewsBOE, budget, Moore County Board of Education

CARTHAGE – The Moore County Board of Education met on Monday, April 11 with the preliminary 2022-23 budget the focus of the agenda. The board approved a significant budget increase of $7,689,500 for the 2022-23 school year – helped along by federal emergency funds – for a total budget request of $39,539,500 to be presented to the County Commissioners for approval. “You might say that a 24% increase in local funding is a big ask, and it is a back ask,” said board member David Hensley. “But in addition to paying our people properly after a decade plus of not…

Mar

30

2022

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By Ryan Henkel

Town of Aberdeen to implement bonuses for full-time workers

Business, Government, NewsAberdeen, Brian Chavis

Police Lieutenants honored in front of board ABERDEEN – The Town of Aberdeen Board met Monday, March 28 with police department honors and multiple budget reallocations on the agenda. Newly promoted Police Lieutenant Christina Ricks was sworn in in front of the board, taking the oath of office and she was also presented an Award of Completion for her completion of the Law Enforcement Executive Program, which aims to build proactive leadership for law enforcement executives. “Lieutenant Ricks accepted the job with the town in 2008 and in 2011 she was promoted to a Master Patrol Officer and in 2014…

Mar

16

2022

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By Moore County Staff

State’s unemployment benefits failed to reach workers

Business, Government, News

RALEIGH — North Carolina's unemployment benefits office failed to distribute quickly enough $438 million in initial payments to displaced workers in 2020 and early 2021, state auditors said Monday while scrutinizing the agency's work during the pandemic. The audit blamed the claims process and poor monitoring for the delays among other issues. It's well-known that the Division of Employment Security struggled in 2020 to get payments out the door promptly. The division saw a record number of applicants for traditional unemployment programs and those created by the federal and state government during the lockdown and related business restrictions. The state…

Mar

16

2022

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By Moore County Staff

Hudson visits new district, talks Ukraine

Government, Nation, NewsRichard Hudson

ASHEBORO — Five-term U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson was making the rounds in both his official and political capacities on Friday, March 11, with a pair of stops in Randolph and Chatham counties as he gears up to run for a sixth term in Congress. Following the redrawing of the state’s political lines, Hudson’s new district starts in Randolph County and covers a nine-county region to the south and east, including all of Moore County and ending at Fort Bragg. The Russian war in Ukraine has sent thousands of U.S. troops to eastern Europe, including many from the Army base’s 82nd…

Mar

16

2022

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By A.P. Dillon

Moore County School Board keeps controversial “George” on the shelves

Government, NewsGeorge, library, Moore Schools

RALEIGH — On March 14, the Moore County Public Schools Board held its regular monthly meeting which included discussion on the state’s Pre-K through fifth grade reading initiative and a vote on whether to keep the controversial book “George” in the county’s public school libraries. The board revisited the recommendations made by the District Media and Technology Committee to keep the controversial book “George” in two of the district’s school libraries: McDeeds Creek Elementary and Union Pines High School. The book has been heavily criticized by parents for its sexual content and transgender storyline. The book, written by Alex Gino,…

Mar

16

2022

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By Ryan Henkel

Debates on short-term rentals continue in Pinehurst

Government, NewsAirBNB, Pinehurst

Board to transfer funds for fire engine repair PINEHURST –– The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday with the ongoing debate on short-term rentals continuing to dominate the discussion. At the last meeting, the council proposed a series of goals for future policies to address concerns residents had with short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. Village staff are still working on drafting the policies to be put forth before the council for a vote, but they should be ready by the next meeting. “We will be presenting policy options that we think strike an appropriate balance between property owners’ rights and…

Mar

16

2022

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By Ryan Henkel

Beyond book controversy, school board takes other actions

Government, Newsschools

Calendars for upcoming school years set CARTHAGE – The Moore County Board of Education met Monday to address community concerns over the book “George” and to vote on calendar changes and funding. The debate over “George” has been an ongoing national topic that has found itself in Moore County. The county has ultimately decided to keep the book in the schools that it was already in by a final vote of 4-3. The book was in two county school libraries – Union Pines High School and McDeeds Creek Elementary – and had found itself in those libraries’ collections from bulk…

Mar

09

2022

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By Moore County Staff

School board moves on masks, book decision looms

Government, News

District committee recommended keeping the book “George” in school libraries CARTHAGE — After hearing from interim superintendent Tim Locklear on the status of COVID-19, the Moore County school board voted to make changes to the system’s COVID protocols. The county’s staff recommended the school system allow students to return faster from isolation in line with state guidance. Instead of a mandatory 10-day isolation, students and staff could return from isolation after 6 days if certain criteria were met. The board continued the policy of not requiring masks and expanded that policy to school buses after federal changes allowed the change.…