News – Moore County Edition

May

04

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

New sales tax projections could mean lower property taxes

Government, Newsprojections, property tax, sales tax, Village of Pinehurst Council

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met on Tuesday, April 26 where they provided updates on recent hires, property tax projections and new construction. The Village announced that they had recently made two additional hires for their planning department. “For a very long time, we’ve been kind of shorthanded in our planning department and we’re very happy to announce that over the last two weeks, we’ve hired two new planners,” said Village Manager, Jeff Sanborn. “So we’ll be at full strength starting about the middle of May.” Sanborn also clarified that now that the Village has received and analyzed…

Apr

20

2022

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By Associated Press

South Carolina inmate picks firing squad over electric chair

Newsdeath penalty, electric chair, firing squad

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina prisoner scheduled to be the first man executed in the state in more than a decade has decided to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair later this month, according to court documents filed Friday. Richard Bernard Moore, 57, is the also first state prisoner to face the choice of execution methods after a law went into effect last year making electrocution the default and giving inmates the option to face three prison workers with rifles instead. Moore has spent more than two decades on death row after being convicted of…

Apr

20

2022

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By Associated Press

GOP states eye voting system upgrades

Government, News, StateGOP, upgrades, voting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For years, Tennessee Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro’s call to require the state’s voting infrastructure to include a paper record of each ballot cast has been batted down in the Republican-dominated Legislature. But as the fallout around the 2020 presidential election — and some GOP voters’ distrust of voting machines — Tennessee Republican lawmakers who have held off are coming around on a paper-backed mandate. A similar scenario is playing out in some of the five other states -- most of which are Republican-led -- that do not currently have a voting system with a paper…

Apr

20

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Southern Pines moves closer to changing municipal election process

Government, Newsmunicipal elections, The Town of Southern Pines Council

SOUTHERN PINES – The Town of Southern Pines Council met Tuesday, April 12 with public hearings for the St. John Paul Catholic School expansion and changes to the municipal election structure as the key items on the agenda. The council held a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the town charter to change the process for municipal elections. The proposed amendment would change municipal elections to the plurality method, essentially eliminating the primary and having just a single vote in the general election for council members. The ordinance would also potentially save the town about $20,000 according to the…

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

19

2022

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By Associated Press

Abortion ban after 15 weeks signed into law in Florida

Newsabortion, ban, Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law last week as the state joined a growing conservative push to restrict access to the procedure ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could roll back abortion rights in America. “This will represent the most significant protections for life that have been enacted in this state in a generation,” DeSantis said as he signed the bill at an evangelical church in the city of Kissimmee. Republicans nationwide have moved to place new restrictions on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled it would uphold a…

Apr

13

2022

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By North State Journal Staff

Southern Pines will consider election changes, Chick-fil-A move

News, PoliticsChick-fil-A, elections, matinee race, Pinehurst Harness Track, Southern Pines, town council

SOUTHERN PINES — Southern Pines could see new election rules as well as a new Chick-fil-A location in the near future. The town council met last week for a planning session ahead of their business meeting this week with various development and governmental process items on the agenda. Before the meeting got under way, Mayor Carol Haney reminded attendees that the Pinehurst Harness Track would be hosting a matinee race. “If you’re looking for a giggle, harness track this Saturday is the mayor’s race,” said Haney. “Let the games begin.” One of the first items for discussion at the meeting…

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…