News – Moore County Edition

Mar

01

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

NC House Speaker ‘grateful’ to officers following traffic incident

Newscar accident, drunk driving, DUI, law enforcement, NC House Speaker, Officer Jason Perdue, Tim Moore

RALEIGH — North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) is grateful to the law enforcement officers who were on hand when the vehicle he was traveling in was rammed by an apparent drunk driver. Moore said he, Rep. David Willis of Union County and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Gurley were returning to Raleigh after a series of events in Wilson. The speaker’s security officer was driving the SUV westbound on U.S. Highway 64 near Knightdale around 9:30 p.m. when it was rammed from behind at least three times, Moore told reporters at the Legislative Building. Moore praised his…

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

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

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…

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 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 The Associated Press

EPA chief Regan speaks at NC Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance

Newsclean water, EPA, Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Regan, MLK Day, pollution

RALEIGH — The drive for clean water and air for minority and low-income residents is inexorably linked to the march toward racial equality that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. championed, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan told North Carolina state employees Friday. Regan, a Goldsboro native and Gov. Roy Cooper’s former environment secretary, delivered the keynote address to hundreds attending the annual King Day state workers’ observance at a downtown Raleigh church. The slain civil rights leader was born 94 years ago on Sunday. Regan became President Joe Biden’s head of EPA in early 2021. Regan mentioned his…

Jan

18

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

Second Annual school choice expo announced for Moore County

Newsschool choice, school choice expo

RALEIGH — The Moore County School Choice Expo and Education Summit has announced the date for an upcoming free school options event which will take place during National School Choice Week. The Second Annual Moore County School Choice Expo will be held on Saturday, January 28, from 1-5 pm in the Dempsey Student Center on the campus of Sandhills Community College. The event, which is the second annual offering by the Moore County School Choice Expo, will feature exhibits and informational sessions from public, charter, online, and private schools, as well as home education groups. Additionally, education service and resource…