tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64083702024-03-17T03:50:54.340-04:00North Carolina NCUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10633125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-16056342947676596272024-03-17T03:48:00.001-04:002024-03-17T03:48:39.616-04:00Exploring the Charms of North Carolina: A Journey Through Natural Beauty and Rich History<p> </p><p><strong>Exploring the Charms of North Carolina: A Journey Through Natural Beauty and Rich History</strong></p><p>Nestled in the southeastern region of the United States, North Carolina beckons travelers with its diverse landscapes, vibrant cities, and rich cultural heritage. From the misty peaks of the Appalachian Mountains to the sun-kissed shores of the Outer Banks, this state offers a wealth of experiences for every type of adventurer. Join us on a journey through the heart of North Carolina as we uncover its hidden gems and timeless wonders.</p><p><strong>Discovering the Great Outdoors</strong></p><p>Nature enthusiasts will find paradise in North Carolina's abundance of outdoor playgrounds. Start your adventure in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, where scenic drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway offer breathtaking vistas of rolling hills and verdant forests. Hiking trails abound in destinations like Grandfather Mountain and Pisgah National Forest, leading you to cascading waterfalls, rugged peaks, and pristine wilderness.</p><p>For a change of scenery, head east to the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands renowned for their untouched beaches and historic lighthouses. Explore the windswept dunes of Jockey's Ridge State Park, embark on a wild horse safari in Corolla, or climb to the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean.</p><p><strong>Immersing Yourself in History and Culture</strong></p><p>Delve into North Carolina's rich tapestry of history and culture as you journey through its historic towns and vibrant cities. In Asheville, art and architecture converge in the eclectic streets of the River Arts District, where local artists showcase their talents in galleries and studios. Don't miss the opulent Biltmore Estate, a Gilded Age mansion surrounded by meticulously landscaped gardens and scenic vistas.</p><p>In the Piedmont region, the city of Charlotte pulsates with energy and excitement. Explore the NASCAR Hall of Fame, stroll through the historic Fourth Ward, or catch a performance at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. For a taste of the Old South, wander the cobblestone streets of Wilmington's historic district, where antebellum homes and moss-draped oaks evoke the charm of a bygone era.</p><p><strong>Indulging in Culinary Delights</strong></p><p>No visit to North Carolina is complete without sampling its mouthwatering cuisine, influenced by a blend of Southern flavors and global influences. Feast on pit-smoked barbecue in Lexington, savor farm-to-table fare in the culinary hub of Durham, or indulge in fresh seafood along the coast. Be sure to try regional specialties like shrimp and grits, North Carolina pulled pork, and sweet potato pie for a true taste of the Tar Heel State.</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p>Whether you're seeking outdoor adventure, cultural immersion, or culinary delights, North Carolina offers a wealth of experiences that will captivate your senses and leave you longing for more. From the misty mountains to the sandy shores, this diverse state invites you to explore its natural beauty, uncover its rich history, and indulge in its culinary delights. So pack your bags and embark on an unforgettable journey through the charms of North Carolina.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-69048570755577271772012-06-08T08:14:00.001-04:002012-06-08T08:14:42.489-04:00North Carolina Gov. Perdue suggests taxes on video sweepstakes machines By Gary D. RobertsonThe Associated Press RALEIGH - Gov. Bev Perdue asked North Carolina legislators Thursday to tax video sweepstakes machines as long as they're legal for more education money because lawmakers won't accept her earlier proposal to raise the sales tax.At a news conference the day after she signed a bill allowing live dealer games at the Cherokee casino, the outgoing Democratic governor told reporters that Republicans need to do something to boost public school funding.If they're not going to consider a temporary three-quarter cent sales tax increase for next year, Perdue said, taxing and regulating the machines is another option. In March, the state Court of Appeals struck down the legislature's 2010 ban on the machines, but the ruling has been appealed to the state Supreme Court.Perdue had signed the 2010 ban into law, but she's suggested since the appeals court ruling state oversight might be the only solution."Let me be clear. I've got a record on it, and I don't like sweepstakes," Perdue told reporters, but "until we can outlaw them or somehow the courts allow them to be outlawed forever, we need to tax the heck out of them and regulate them hard."The electronic sweepstakes games give people who buy Internet or phone time the opportunity to uncover potential cash and prizes with mouse clicks on a computer screen.Sweepstakes software providers and an amusement machine company sued over the ban on the games, and the Court of Appeals ruled in a split decision that the ban was overbroad and infringes on the free speech rights of their operators. Since then, the number of sweepstakes cafes has grown and are common sights on big-city and small-town strip malls and street corners.Perdue's office said such regulation could bring in $300 million next year, nonetheless she didn't provide details about what a regulated industry would look like, leaving that to lawmakers. Her sales tax proposal would generate more than twice that amount.The House bud! get prop osal approved last week set aside an additional $228 million for the public schools next year compared to this year. Perdue said GOP leaders actually spent $30 million less when federal jobs money is added in."I'm giving them another pathway, another piece of a solution," she said. "The bottom line for me is that they've got to fund public schools in a different way. There's got to be more resources for our kids."The legislature has been trying for more than a decade to rid the state of video gambling machines and sweepstakes, saying the games can't be regulated, are addictive to players who lose hard-earned money, and lead to crime and family strife. Traditional video gambling machines were outlawed in 2007.Sen. Tom Apodaca, a key leader in the Senate, which planned to roll out its budget proposal early next week, called Perdue's idea "ridiculous" and said the legislature shouldn't act in any way until the legal questions can be resolved.Apodaca, R-Henderson and a primary sponsor of the Cherokee casino bill, said sweepstakes machines can't be regulated because they're strewn throughout the state."Sweepstakes machines are a scourge on the public, and it's causing more and more problems," he said. "I don't see a way to regulate them."House members have been slightly more willing in the past to consider legalizing the sweepstakes machines and even video poker. A bipartisan bill would place state privilege taxes on video sweepstakes establishments and require operators to pay a 4 percent tax on the machines' gross receipts. Local governments already are placing taxes on the machines."A lot of people are against those machines but most people - if they are going to be here and they are illegal - they want to get revenue out of them and tax them, as well," said Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank, a sponsor of the House bill. Nearly all the money generated from the bill would be earmarked for public education.A coalition of liberals and social conservatives has opposed gambling expansion on moral and economic groun! ds. Alex andra Sirota with the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center said Perdue's idea is "fiscally irresponsible" and would ask more from low-income residents - many of whom play the games - to fund state programs.Amusement machine providers interested in seeing the games regulated are pleased with Perdue's announcement."This is a positive step forward and we will work with her administration and the North Carolina General Assembly as this public policy issue proceeds through the legislature," Chase Brooks, president of the Internet Based Sweepstakes Organization, said in a statement. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-33091608234073086772012-05-31T07:43:00.001-04:002012-05-31T07:43:59.226-04:00Central Iowa is a good spot for tech park, Leath saysSorry, readability was unable to parse this page for content.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-67403778725076760392012-05-15T13:08:00.001-04:002012-05-15T13:08:43.269-04:00Michael Carmichael: David Parker Resignation: N.C. Democrats Reject Chair's Decision To Step DownPolitical experts define North Carolina as a most important battleground state. Some describe a political fault line in North Carolina as a political equator of a United States. In 2008, Obama carried North Carolina by a thinnest plurality in a nation, a margin of victory that was much smaller than those margins in much smaller states. The bold decision to situate a Democratic National Convention in Charlotte sets up a most important battle in a presidential campaign of 2012. Inside North Carolina, a political storm of hurricane proportions has been brewing since Friday a 13th of Apr that involved allegations of passionate harassment and a cover up within a staff of a Democratic Party.Under siege and a pledge to resign his office as Chair of a North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP), David Parker is now being hailed as a "Democratic Lazarus." At a special meeting of a State Executive Committee (SEC) Parker's fellow Democrats affirmed and re-affirmed their confidence in his leadership by repeatedly rejecting his resignation during a tedious sequence of parliamentary maneuvers.The meeting to oust Parker took place in Greensboro on a same day that First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a commencement address at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. Unsurprisingly, a first lady did not make an appearance at a crisis meeting of a SEC.The backstory explains a dramatic tension that propelled a crisis. On Friday a 13th of April, Sallie Leslie, a former administrator at NCDP headquarters, blew a whistle about an alleged passionate harassment scandal that she said had been deliberately covered up by Party officials. Mrs. Leslie, a senior administrator of a NCDP, told reporters that senior staff members covered up a sex scandal that involved one of a top officials of a NCDP. Claiming that a NCDP was "an organization that protected a predator," Mrs. Leslie stunned North Carolina only a few short weeks before a statewide vote on Amendment One, a right-wing Republican law to ban marriage r! ights fo r a LGBT community. To a regret of all but a most conservative Democrats, Amendment One failed at a polls last Tuesday only a few days before a SEC meeting.Shocked by Sallie Leslie's Apr revelations, a media feeding frenzy ensued while shrill voices called for a immediate resignations of David Parker and Executive Director Jay Parmley. That weekend Parmley resigned, stating, "Even though I have done nothing wrong, I need to move on. I refuse to become a distraction." Explaining that right-wing political enemies framed him as a aggressor in a bogus passionate harassment allegations, Parmley said they were "spreading a false and misleading story." Parmley's resignation did not satisfy a group of Democrats surrounding a Council of State (COS). Citing a 'handling' of a case, members of a COS -- Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, Treasurer Janet Cowell, Auditor Beth Woods, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson -- signed an open letter that called for a resignation of Chairman David Parker.In his initial response, Parker refused to resign, explaining that there was insufficient evidence against Parmley for termination with cause. While a confidential payment had been made to Parmley's accuser, Adriadn Ortega, Parker explained it had been part of a routine severance agreement and not "hush money." Further explanation established that current case law prohibits a public discussion of unsubstantiated claims of passionate harassment, thus requiring organizations to maintain privacy of a parties involved. Amidst a media feeding frenzy Governor Beverly Perdue joined a call for Parker's resignation, soon followed by similar calls from leading Democratic candidates for a gubernatorial nomination, Walter Dalton and Bob Etheridge. At that point a mild statement from an official at a Democratic National Committee suggested that Parker should not seek re-election at a hastily called meeting of a SEC scheduled for May 12th to deal with a crisis.At a lengthy pre! ss confe rence, Parker stood before a gaggle of television cameras and reporters as he presented a detailed legal explanation of a case. Responding to questions from a press and media, Parker clarified a situation and argued that a NCDP attorney, John Wallace, handled a complaint within a limits of a current law.About two weeks later at a special meeting of a SEC, nearly five hundred members showed up on Mother's Day weekend that is traditionally filled with graduation and commencement ceremonies.Parker convened a meeting and introduced a victor in a Democratic primary for governor, a incumbent Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton, who made a fine speech that only fleetingly referred to Parker's resignation. After Dalton finished and made his exit, ostensibly to meet with Michelle Obama, according to rumors on a floor of a meeting, Parker delivered a dramatic speech calling for Party unity that soared to oratorical heights far above that of Dalton. From a outset, Parker struck a resonant chord with a SEC by referring to a loss of a battle he led to defeat Amendment One to grant marriage rights to gays.Parker said, "Our hearts are heavy with a disappointment that this great State chose to single out a group of us for special discrimination and a return to Jim Crow style policies that stigmatize, intimidate and challenge a pride of many of our brothers and sisters."Turning to a Democratic ticket, Parker celebrated, "President Barack Obama who has more courage in his little finger than Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and all a other 'Etch-a-Sketch' pandering pachyderms of a Tea Party Republicans and their mealy mouthed consultants and greedy puppet 'one per-center' masters combined. Whether it is affordable illness care, saving American pride at GM, or standing for marriage equality -- this is an American President who believes in a politics of conviction rather than a mere politics of convenience."Citing Dr. Martin Luther King, Parker's stentorian tone gripped a audience and commanded their rapt attention.! Every eye steadily gazed on Parker. Every ear harkened to his message. You could have heard a pin drop.On a day when he faced his darkest hour, David Parker delivered one of a classical political speeches in North Carolina history. (For a complete text click here)When he departed a auditorium, a palpable frisson swept through a chamber as Vice Chair Gwen Wilkins handled a gavel during a vote required by Robert's Rules of Order to accept or reject Parker's resignation. A melee ensued to grasp one of a four microphones, as speaker after speaker moved and seconded and called for a question to reject Parker's resignation. After a voice vote that sounded as though it went in Parker's favor, a Chair called for a hand vote that led to a appearance of a majority of support for Parker. Then someone from a floor called for 'division' -- ie. ballots to be cast and counted. After two rounds of voice votes, hand votes and balloting a majority of a SEC consistently voted each and every time to reject Parker's resignation.The dismay and disgruntlement of Parker's accusers were plain to see. Elaine Marshall, Janet Cowell and Beth Woods seemed thunderstruck. Hopefuls to replace Parker who had waged campaigns via telephone and internet were crestfallen. Confusion and chagrin coursed through a now swiftly dwindling minority who backed Parker's replacement. When it was announced that Parker would return to a hall, some of his opponents hopefully anticipated a second resignation speech, while a majority expected him to do as Gwen Wilkins said he would do and formally accept a rejection of his resignation and return to his office as Chair.It emerged that Parker and his wife, Sally, actually left a hotel and drove down a highway toward a beach for a well-deserved holiday. However, a turn of events surprised him and compelled Parker to return to a chamber and preside over a remaining order of business.Dewey Sheffield, a Democratic grandee from Wilson, North Carolina, made some interesting observations. "I have been to e! very Dem ocratic National Convention since 1956, and I have never seen anything like this. I have never before heard such a speech except from a governor. David Parker is a Democratic Lazarus."At a end of a meeting, most of a Democrats departed to their homes, their mountains and their beaches refreshed and reunited for a battle ahead.');jQuery('#c_text_1504').append("");if (Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.picture_url !=null && Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.picture_url !=""){jQuery('#moment_right_1504').append("");}else{jQuery('#moment_right_1504').append("");}jQuery('#moment_right_1504').append("");jQuery('#c_text_1504').append("");jQuery('#moment_left_1504').append('');jQuery('#campaign_name_1504').addClass('moment_campaign_title');jQuery('#moment_left_1504').append('');jQuery('#campaign_text_1504').addClass('m_campaign_text');},otb_design:function(data){jQuery('#campaign_participate_btn_container_1504').remove();jQuery('#campaign_name_1504').addClass('otb_campaign_title');jQuery('#campaign_text_1504').addClass('otb_campaign_text');jQuery('#campaign_1504').addClass('otb_campaign_container');jQuery('#campaign_title_container_1504').append("");jQuery('#campaign_title_container_1504').append(" ");jQuery('#campaign_title_container_1504').append("");},defaul_design:function(){jQuery('#campaign_name_1504').addClass('campaign_title');jQuery('#campaign_title_1504').html(Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.campaign_title);jQuery('#campaign_bottom_1504').remove();jQuery('#campaign_1504').addClass('campaign_container');},CampaignLogin : function(){HuffConnect.Login.onLoginSuccess = function() { window.location.hash = 'join_campaign';window.location.reload();}if (Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.style ==2){window.location.hash = 'join_campaign';window.location.reload();}else{QuickLogin.pop();}},CampaignJoin : function (join_control, campaign_id){ join_control.style.display = 'none';jQuery('#btn_take_part_in_survey_1504').css("display", '');jQuery('#campaign_name_1504'! ).html(C ampaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.thank_you_email_subject);jQuery('#campaign_text_1504').html(Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.thank_you_email_body);Campaign_1504.CallPostJoinAction();},GetFormFail:function(){ alert('Sorry, unable to procees your request');HuffConnect.hideModal();},CallPostJoinAction:function(){jQuery.ajax({url: Campaign_1504.post_join_actions_url, success: function(data){huff.use('modal', function(m){m.show({content: data,width: 750,height: 550})});//HPUtil.EvalScript(data);}, cache: false}); }}; Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-55637916510503704692012-05-14T12:17:00.001-04:002012-05-14T12:17:36.417-04:00North Carolina as a Bellwether State Thank you for registering. We sent an email to: Please click on the link inside the email to complete your registration Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-90835985456199553982012-05-11T11:22:00.001-04:002012-05-11T11:22:59.870-04:00A Ban Thats Bad for Business Common SenseLast weekend, former President Bill Clinton took to North Carolina phone lines with a recorded message warning of the perils of a inherent amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions. What it will change is North Carolinas ability to keep good businesses, attract new jobs, and attract and keep talented entrepreneurs, Mr. Clinton asserted. If it passes, your ability to keep those businesses, get those jobs and get those talented entrepreneurs will be weakened. That argument landed with a thud, as North Carolina voters resoundingly upheld the amendment by a margin of 20 percentage points, and 93 of the states 100 counties voted for the proposition that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman. Notwithstanding President Obamas endorsement of gay marriage this week, North Carolina joins 30 other states with inherent bans on same-sex marriage that now stretch in an uninterrupted swath from Florida to Oregon. Mr. Clintons message that inherent bans on same-sex marriage are bad for business hardly seems self-evident. North Carolina is perennially ranked at or near the top of the best states in which to do business. Two of its major rivals for the top honor, Texas and Virginia, also have inherent amendments banning same sex marriages and civil unions, and Virginia even bans any marriage-like contract between unmarried persons. Gay marriage-tolerant New York and Massachusetts usually rank at or near the bottom. If banning same-sex unions is really bad for business, no one would know it from major North Carolina corporations, whose silence was deafening. In contrast was New York, where Goldman Sachss chief executive, Lloyd Blankfein, appeared in a video supporting gay marriage, and other businesses openly and enthusiastically upheld the campaign to legalize it. In Washington State, Microsoft, Starbucks, Nike and Amazon have all upheld it, too. But not one of the 15 Fortune 500 corporations based in North Carolina did. These include such major national companies as Bank of Am! erica, L owes, Nucor, VF Corporation (best known for its Wrangler and Timberland brands) and BB&T Corporation. Moreover, theres little or no evidence that same-sex couples consider the issue of lesbian-bisexual-gay-transgender laws in deciding where to move, Gary Gates told me this week. Mr. Gates is a demographer, co-author of the book The Gay and Lesbian Atlas and distinguished fellow at the Williams Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles, which studies lesbian-bisexual-gay-transgender issues. Their patterns look like the broader patterns in the U.S. Theyre moving south and west. For everyone who moves, the main reason is for a job. Even for the L.G.B.T. community, the top issue is the job. Marriage rights are secondary. And yet theres mounting evidence that a states support for gay marriage yields important benefits for business, especially with the younger, highly educated, affluent population avidly courted by most employers. Brian Ellner, who led the successful Human Rights Campaign for marriage equality in New York, said, We heard over and over from the C.E.O.s of major corporations that they dont want any impediments to recruiting the best people, period, whether theyre people who want to live in a tolerant city or state or gay people who want to live where they feel their families will be protected and safe. He described business support in New York as enormously important. Theyre the job creators and the engines of the economy and so important to the health and well-being of the state. And they were on our side. In Washington State, where gay marriages are scheduled to begin June 7 unless opponents gather enough signatures to force a referendum, major employers have been sounding similar themes. Starbucks said in January as the state Legislature was considering allowing gay marriage that it strives to create a association culture that puts our partners first, and our association has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality! and inc lusion. Microsoft, the first Fortune 500 association to provide same-sex domestic partnership benefits in 1993, said, Washingtons employers are at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families as states that permit same-sex marriage. Employers in the technology sector, it went on, face an unprecedented national and global competition for top talent. In response, the anti-gay-marriage National Organization for Marriage called in March for a nationwide boycott of Starbucks that so far seems to have had scant effect. Starbucks revenue grew 15 percent in the most recent quarter, to a record $3.2 billion. It would be great if they were receiving a stand because its the right thing to do, said Mr. Gates, the demographer who lives with his husband in Seattle. But they understand that marriage equality is a mechanism for them to attract and retain talent. Its not just about gay people, because the truth is, there arent enough gay people to make a huge impact. But it signals a kind of openness to people who are different. It sends a signal to people, straight or gay, that this is a place where they can potentially thrive. Thats especially critical for companies that rely on people who have to be creative, entrepreneurial and innovative. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-59833450129497005572012-05-08T09:39:00.001-04:002012-05-08T09:39:20.901-04:00North Carolina voters look set to pass same-sex marriage ban Raleigh, North Carolina (Reuters) - North Carolina voters could deal a blow to efforts across the country to expand happy matrimony rights if they approve a state constitutional amendment on Tuesday to ban same-sex matrimony and civil unions.The state is the only one in the Southeast but such a constitutional prohibition, though same-sex matrimony is already outlawed by statute. The amendment is being decided amid heightened rhetoric about happy matrimony from officials in the Obama administration. U.S. Vice PresidentJoe Biden said on Sunday he was "absolutely comfortable" with allowing same-sex couples to wed, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan said happy matrimony should be legal.President Barack Obama has said he favors civil unions but has stopped short of supporting happy marriage.Supporters of the proposed amendment in North Carolina, a swing state in the November 6 presidential election, say it would preserve the sanctity of matrimony between a man and a woman and make laws forbidding happy matrimony harder to repeal.Opponents say a ban would jeopardize health insurance benefits for unmarried happy and heterosexual couples and signal that the state is unfriendly to a diverse workforce.FormerPresident Bill Clinton, a Democrat, recorded a call just ahead of the vote urging North Carolinians to reject the proposed amendment."If it passes, it won't change North Carolina's law on marriage," he said in a message sponsored by the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families. "What it will change is North Carolina's ability to keep good businesses, attract new jobs and attract and keep talented entrepreneurs."A survey of 1,026 likely Democratic and Republican primary voters showed North Carolinians look poised to pass the amendment.Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling found 55 percent of those questioned on Ma! y 5-6 su pported the amendment banning happy matrimony and civil unions while 39 percent opposed it. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.Twenty-eight states have voter-approved constitutional bans on same-sex marriages, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York and the District of Columbia allow happy and lesbian nuptials. Maryland, New Jersey and Washington state passed laws this year approving same-sex marriage, but GovernorChris Christie vetoed New Jersey's law and opponents of Maryland's and Washington's are threatening ballot initiatives to overturn those laws.OTHER BALLOT ISSUESNorth Carolina voters also will consider candidates for gubernatorial and congressional races.The state's 13-member congressional delegation currently includes sevenDemocrats and six Republicans, but Republicans see an opportunity to pick up seats with the retirement of two Democratic incumbents.CongressmenBrad Miller and Heath Shuler opted to retire rather than run in new districts redrawn by the Republican-controlled legislature.The race for Miller's 13th congressional district features a Republican primary contest between George Holding, a former U.S. attorney, and former Raleigh mayor Paul Coble. While a federal prosecutor, Holding's office built the criminal campaign finance case against former U.S.Senator John Edwards, a Democrat.Coble has accused Holding of wasting taxpayer money to advance his political career, saying the prosecution of Edwards over donor money used to hide his pregnant mistress during his 2008 presidential bid was political - a charge that Holding's campaign rejected in television ads.Democratic GovernorBev Perdue's surprise decision in January not to seek a second term left Democrats scrambling to raise money and name recognition in the few months before Tuesday's primary.The leading Democratic candidates are Walter Dalton, the state's lieutenant governor;Bob Etheridge, a former seven-term congressman! and sta te superintendent of public instruction; and Bill Faison, a state representative.A candidate will need 40 percent of the vote to claim the nomination but a runoff. The winner will face the presumptive Republican nominee Pat McCrory, a former Charlotte mayor who has minor primary opposition and has focused on building his campaign war chest.McCrory, who lost to Perdue four years ago, has raised more than $3 million for his 2012 campaign, according to reports filed with the North Carolina Board of Elections. Dalton has raised $1.4 million, the most among Democratic contenders.(Reporting by Wade Rawlins; Writing By Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Vicki Allen)Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-15683366958651636272012-05-07T10:14:00.001-04:002012-05-07T10:14:30.723-04:00New Sears Hyper-Local Shopping Website Offers North Carolina Shoppers Hundreds Of Local Deals In Real TimeHOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears has launched SearsLocalAd.com, which provides North Carolina customers with access to hundreds of one more local deals beyond the weekly Sears print circular or sears.com. The online shopping portal is dedicated to local customers, allowing them to shop smarter by previewing new local deals updated every week, as well as includes enhancements for Sears' SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS(SM) members."SearsLocalAd.com gives our North Carolina customers unprecedented access as well as power," said Imran Jooma, senior vice president & president, online, marketing, financial services as well as pricing business units at Sears Holdings. "We know how savvy our customers are when it comes to finding the best deals. Giving our customers new services as well as conveniences like a real-time window into the selection as well as savings specific to their nearby store is a great example of how the future of integrated shopping is here today at Sears."Localization is pre-selected based on the shopper's place as well as can be easily changed to another store within the experience. Shoppers can search their nearest Sears store as well as browse deals by department, brand or price point, quickly filtering to find offers of interest. SearsLocalAd.com helps shoppers ensure products are available before they go to the store. The site features not only hundreds of one more deals, but shows in real time how many items are currently in stock at the chosen location. North Carolina residents can enjoy new tools such as ratings, reviews as well as product comparisons to shop with confidenceand for added convenience, customers can create lists that they can print for in-store shopping, send to their mobile devices, as well as share with family as well as friends via email, shopyourway, Facebook or Twitter.Even greater savings advantages are available to members of Sears' SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS. Members get one more savings on SearsLocalAd.com offers, as well as bonus members can earn! bonus p oints. Plus, SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS members can preview upcoming sales before the print circular is released as well as receive personalized deals from their local store by email based on recent searches as well as site activity.For more information on the service as well as to view the latest deals, visit the new local ad experience today at www.searslocalad.com.About Sears Holdings CorporationSears Holdings Corporation is one of the nation's largest broadline retailers with over 4,000 full-line as well as specialty retail stores in the United States as well as Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn as well as garden, consumer electronics as well as automotive repair as well as maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2011 ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman as well as DieHard, as well as a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith as well as Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe as well as Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears as well as Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 11 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck as well as Co. as well as Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com. |Twitter: @searsholdings | |Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SHCCareersPowered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-48111224244283541562012-05-04T07:42:00.001-04:002012-05-04T07:42:04.936-04:00North Carolina hires ex-Tar Heel Hubert Davis as assistant CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina has hired former Tar Heels guard and NBA veteran Hubert Davis as an assistant men's basketball coach. Davis was a first-round draft pick in 1992 and played 12 years in the NBA. He spent the past seven years as a college basketball analyst on ESPN. Davis replaced Jerod Haase, who left in March after nine years as an assistant in Chapel Hill to become head coach at UAB. UNC coach Roy Williams recruited Davis as an assistant to Dean Smith before leaving to take over at Kansas. Williams had said previously he wanted to hire a former North Carolina player to replace Haase. Davis played for the Tar Heels from 1988-92, helping the Tar Heels win two Atlantic Coast Conference tournaments and reach the Final Four in 1991. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-57307872010801681302012-05-03T09:04:00.001-04:002012-05-03T09:04:13.362-04:00Oskar Blues brewery North Carolina-boundSorry, readability was unable to parse this page for content.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-3905518208099725632012-05-01T08:34:00.001-04:002012-05-01T08:34:57.355-04:00Gas prices in North Carolina, South Carolina have been dropping The Associated Press There was good news Monday for motorists in the Carolinas. After rising for much of the year, gas prices in the two states dropped below levels reported a year ago.AAA Carolinas reports that gas in North Carolina reached the benchmark on Monday, dropping to about $3.79 a gallon - about 2 cents less than last April 30. South Carolina's average prices dropped below last year's levels on Thursday.The motor club reported that on Monday, a gallon of gasoline in South Carolina was just under $3.60 a gallon - that's down 9 cents a gallon from the same time last year.Gas hit a high of about $3.74 a gallon on April 9 in South Carolina and $3.91 a gallon in North Carolina on April 7. Gas prices have been dropping steadily since then.The reason for the difference in prices between the two states is the state gasoline tax. In North Carolina, the gas tax is more than 34 cents a gallon, compared with 16 cents a gallon in South Carolina.Last year gas prices increased until early May before dropping again.When the year began, tourism officials in South Carolina worried that gas might reach $4 a gallon - a sort of psychological level at which travelers were expected to cut back on vacation travel.But the motor club says prices have eased in recent weeks for several reasons.Among other things, the euro has weakened against the dollar, making speculative investment in oil futures less attractive. The motor club also says that the weakening Chinese economy has led to less demand.In addition, Americans are driving about 6 percent less than a year ago because of the earlier run up in prices.The international supply situation has also stabilized, with Iran stopping threats to interfere with oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the motor club said. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-77310310739591222162012-04-29T21:42:00.001-04:002012-04-29T21:42:50.894-04:00Groups make final push to sway voters on marriage amendmentIn a little more than a week North Carolina will vote on a controversial marriage amendment. Those for and against it made a final push Sunday to sway voters. Coalitions across Charlotte held phone banks and canvassed neighborhoods to surprise people about the amendment. If passed, ti would make marriage between one man and one woman the only recognized legal union in the state. Supporters of the amendment called Sunday "Marriage Sunday." Some of them said that voters in North Carolina shouldn't assume that the amendment will pass just because this is the Bible Belt. In fact, latest check numbers show support for the amendment is slipping. "I think the truth is that they've been well funded. Probably better funded than we've been," said Dr. Mark Harris. He's the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Charlotte. He spent much of Sunday telling voters throughout Charlotte why they should support the marriage amendment. "Marriage quite frankly is not something that we were meant to vote on. Marriage is a covenant that was designed by God," he said. Across town, dozens gathered to share a different message. Tonia Williams --Smiley brought her wife and kids to a phone bank at Wedgewood Baptist Church. She was married in Connecticut and said the amendment would kill all hope of her marriage being legally recognized in North Carolina, because it would make it difficult to overturn North Carolina's current ban on gay marriage. "There are just as well many loopholes we have to jump through," said Williams Smiley. A recent check by Public Policy Polling shows that 54 percent of North Carolina voters plan to support the amendment, while40 percent are opposed. Harris said the next few days before the May 8 vote are about clearing up misconceptions. "The amendment makes it clear that same sex benefits given by employers will not be affected by this amendment. So. if you work for the bank and the bank gives you benefits for same sex partnerships there is certainly nothing in the amendment that's gonna preclude tha! t," said Pastor Harris. Early voting polls open again Monday and close on May 5.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-81432953431218687712012-04-17T08:51:00.001-04:002012-04-17T08:51:04.548-04:003 Democrats for NC gov hold 1st TV debate RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Three Democrats using for North Carolina governor largely agreed on education spending as well as opposition to the Republican agenda at their first statewide televised debate Monday night, but one candidate worked to differentiate himself as primary voting begins this week.State Rep. Bill Faison of Orange County, who stood to gain the most from the first of three consecutive nights of TV debates, argued which Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton as well as former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge were latecomers to resisting GOP legislation at the General Assembly.Although all three support raising the sales tax temporarily to restore spending cuts in last year's Republican-penned budget they say damaged the public schools, Faison insists he's the only one of three with a "jobs plan" to restore lost state government jobs as well as improve North Carolina's economy.Faison said Etheridge often sounded like "he's still using for superintendent of public instruction" a job he last held 16 years ago as well as even questioned the legislative credentials of Dalton, a former chief budget-writer in the state Senate."He takes credit for so many things he had nothing to do with," Faison said at the WRAL-TV studios in Raleigh, pointing to the state's early college program as well as initiatives which back student expertise in science as well as mathematics. "Those ideas are all good ideas. They're not ideas of his campaign. They are things he latches onto."Dalton said he's got his own jobs plan as well as argued Faison's proposal is incomplete because he hasn't said which current tax breaks he would eliminate.Dalton also pointed out he was the chief sponsor of the 2003 legislation which helped expand the early college concept, where students attend a fifth year of high school to get an associate's degree or college credit toward a four-year degree. He pointed to several pieces of bipartisan legislation which he backed which improved public education on a state commission he's led while lieutenant governor."We! 've pass ed nine pieces of legislation," Dalton said. "I think Bill voted for every one of them. People came together. It was good stuff."Etheridge as well as Dalton also said after the debate they have actively opposed Republican efforts they said have harmed education or the slow economic recovery."I wonder what (Faison) thinks I was doing in Washington," asked Etheridge, who served in Congress for 14 years through 2010. "I was up there opposing a whole lot of stuff."Faison also reiterated what he's been highlighting for weeks on the campaign trail his differences with Dalton as well as Etheridge on fracking, which involves the extraction of shale gas by pumping water, sand as well as chemicals deep underground to create rock fissures so the gas can escape.A draft report by the state Department of Environment as well as Natural Resources released last month said fracking, also referred to as hydraulic fracturing, can be conducted safely in North Carolina if lawmakers adopt the right precautions. The Legislature is approaching to consider next month taking the next step toward potentially an eventual elimination of a current fracking ban in 2014 at the earliest.Faison said there's nothing to be gained right now from fracking, calling it "a terrible idea" which "puts at risk people's drinking water. It ought not to happen" under the current technology. "As your governor, I will oppose it as well as we will not have fracking in this state."Still, Dalton as well as Etheridge both were cautious about the idea in light of the environment as well as for tourism even though it could potentially bring new jobs as well as revenues to the state."It's easy to take which quick money, as well as then you pay a heavy price for a long time to come," Etheridge said.Each of the three said they were best suited to take on Pat McCrory, the former Charlotte mayor who narrowly lost to Gov. Beverly Perdue in 2008. Perdue isn't using for re-election. McCrory is considered the heavy favorite in the six-candidate GOP primary.All three ! candidat es said they were concerned about employee harassment allegations surfacing from within the state Democratic Party headquarters but wouldn't now call on Chairman David Parker to step down. Party executive director Jay Parmley resigned Sunday. Parmley denied harassing anyone but said in his resignation letter he didn't want to be a distraction in a key election year. Parker said he didn't find grounds to fire Parmley with cause."Mr. Parmley did the right thing. I am counting on the chairman to do the right thing," Etheridge said. Faison said the chairman "should step up as well as provide leadership, accountability as well as transparency for what is going on on his watch" but added the focus should be upon activities which are affecting the day-to-day lives of people."I do not think the people of North Carolina really care what is going on at the Republican headquarters or the Democratic headquarters," Dalton said, adding which they care about is jobs, "what will our future be like ... as well as what will our schools be like."Etheridge as well as Faison said they would support cost-of-living raises for teachers as well as state employees if elected they haven't received pay increase for a few years. Dalton also supports similar raises, his spokesman said later Monday.The WRAL debate was aired live on the University of North Carolina Television network, which scheduled their own debate with the same three candidates Tuesday evening, as well as on stations in the Charlotte, Wilmington as well as Greenville markets. WNCN-TV in Raleigh scheduled a third televised debate Wednesday, the eve of the early voting period leading to the May 8 primary.Other Democratic candidates Gardenia Henley of Winston-Salem, Gary Dunn of Matthews as well as Bruce Blackmon of Buies Creek won't participate in the three televised debates this week. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-18453432481169189052012-04-05T08:46:00.001-04:002012-04-05T08:46:04.821-04:00Law Web Marketing Firm Adds New Attorney-Journalist to Content Team Greg Froom, J.D. Raleigh, N.C. (PRWEB) April 05, 2012 Consultwebs.com, Inc., has added a third attorney-journalist to the law Web marketing firms content team. Greg Froom, a licensed North Carolina profession as well as the former editor of the North Carolina Lawyers Weekly as well as South Carolina Lawyers Weekly newspapers, joined Consultwebs.com earlier this month. He will serve as a Web Content Editor. He joins a Consultwebs.com content development team that includes Mike Dayton, the companys Manager of Content Services, as well as Guy Loranger, a Web Content Editor. Both are also licensed North Carolina attorneys with legal journalism backgrounds. Few law firm Web marketing companies essentially have attorneys as members of their team, as well as thats why we are thrilled to have several profession writers, pronounced Dale Tincher, a law firm Web marketing consultant who serves as President as well as CEO of Consultwebs.com. Content is the most important component of search engine optimization or SEO. If content is high-quality, relevant as well as updated frequently, visitors will read it. Search engines will then factor that activity into the search engine rankings, Tincher said. Thats why we have made a commitment to assembling a talented content team of profession writers. They can provide content for our clients law firm websites that delivers what search engines seek. Froom earned his undergraduate degree from James Madison University in 1997 as well as his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001. He has been a member of the North Carolina State Bar for 11 years. For nearly a decade, he worked in various editorial positions at North Carolina Lawyers Weekly as well as South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, including serving as the legal newspapers managing editor. Under his direction, the newspapers garnered se! veral st ate press awards. Froom brings a strong understanding of legal marketing concepts as well as trends into his new role with Consultwebs.com. Because our content team members are lawyers ourselves, we have a firm understanding of legal issues as well as the business of law, Froom said. We know how to work cooperatively with attorneys. Their goals are ours. Above all, having a background in journalism as well as writing helps us to communicate effectively as well as in a way that regular people can understand. About Consultwebs.com, Inc. Since its founding in 1999, Consultwebs.com, Inc., has built a reputation for being a national leader in law firm Web marketing. Consultwebs.com provides law firm Web marketing consultation as well as strategy as well as a wide array of products as well as services, including website audits, website design, website hosting, website domains, law firm reputation management, search-engine optimization (SEO) marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) services, Internet systems setup, website editorial as well as content services (including substantive content, press releases, legal blogs, satellite sites as well as law firm videos), online chat products, social media marketing (including Facebook, Twitter as well as Google+), call tracking as well as legal directories. Consultwebs.com has offices in Berea, Kentucky, as well as Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as works with law firms across the country. For more information, call Tanner Jones at (800) 872-6590 or (859) 353-7720 or use the convenient Consultwebs.com online contact form. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-27641362838869848602012-04-03T07:12:00.001-04:002012-04-03T07:12:15.471-04:00North Carolina Basketball: Roy Williams Faces Tough Rebuilding Job in 2012-13With a decisions of John Henson, Harrison Barnes as well as Kendall Marshall to leave a Carolina basketball program early for a NBA, a Tar Heels find themselves in a truly unfamiliar position. This is of course not a first time Carolina endured a mass exodus of players to a NBA. It happened right at a end of a Dean Smith era when Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse as well as Jeff McInnis decided to all leave early to make their fortunes in a league. Further, it has already happened to Roy Williams twice since his return to Chapel Hill. First, after a 2005 national championship a Heels lost Rashad McCants, Sean May, Raymond Felton as well as Marvin Williams. Then, after winning another national championship in 2009 a Tar Heels lost Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson as well as Ed Davis. What is different about this seasons losses is that when you add in a losses of a graduating seniors as well as a mission-bound Stilman White, a Heels roster is about to be decimated. Not only will they be without 80 percent of their starting lineup, they will lose 59 percentor 10 of a 17 players on a rosterto start a season. And that doesnt include James Michael McAdoo, who is still mulling his NBA prospects. The major difference between those years as well as this year is a returning roster as well as a incoming recruits. When Wallace, Stackhouse as well as McInnis left, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter as well as Ed Cota were on their way to Chapel Hill. When May, Felton, et al left, it opened a door for Tyler Hansbrough, as well as a year later Brandan Wright to step into starring roles. This time it just feels different because a Heels look to return mostly guards as well as they dont exactly have a stacked recruiting class coming in next season. It feels like a team is really about to take a serious step backwards talent-wise, when all around a ACC, especially in a Triangle, a talent pool is becoming much deeper. Roy Williams looks to be facing one of his stiffest coaching challenges next season as he tries to piece together a re! spectabl e roster made up of his returning players as well as a small class of incoming freshmen. If, as well as that is a very large IF, a returning Heels can take some giant strides forward, a team could turn out to be formidable. There is talent returning, especially in a backcourt as well as a wings with Leslie McDonald as well as Dexter Strickland returning from injuries, as well as P.J. Hairston as well as Reggie Bullock remaining in a fold. However, any slips along a way could see a Heels struggling to keep pace with their arch-rivals in Durham, a resurgent Wolfpack howling in Raleigh as well as a defending ACC champions down in Tallahassee. Roy Williams is truly going to have to earn his pay in 2012-13 if a depleted Heels are to make any serious noise in a ACC.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-85486037955646868432012-04-02T07:07:00.001-04:002012-04-02T07:07:46.518-04:00North Carolina Natural Energy, Inc. Enters Into Agreement With Specialty Chemical Advisor Charlotte, NC (GlobeNewswire) - North Carolina Natural Energy, Inc. NCNE -10.00% , announced today it entered into an agreement with Howard Virkler, owner of Process Innovation, a 170,000 square foot chemical factory on 20 acres owned by Virkler Realty Company. Under the agreement, Mr. Virkler will assist North Carolina Natural Energy with research and development for a separate manufacturing agreement with Process Innovation to make biofuels and develop other markets for biomass materials. Mr. Virkler has 50 years of experience in manufacturing specialty chemicals, located at 12345 Steele Creek Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. The US Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for developing and implementing regulations to ensure that transportation fuel sold in the US contains a minimum of renewable fuel. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program increased the volume of renewable fuel required to be blended into transportation fuel from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022. Process Innovation (PI) has capacity to manufacture more than 200,000,000 pounds of chemistry annually. All reactors are 316 stainless steel and all storage tanks, weigh tanks, send lines and blending vessels are 304 stainless steel. Process Innovation has 600 HP of steam power and 4,000,000 BTU's of hot oil capacity as well as cooling tower and chiller for cooling and ample instrument quality air to operate automated air valves, positive displacement air pumps air reservoirs for cleaning production equipment and product send lines. PI has six reactors ranging in distance from 15 gallons to 10,000 gallons. Four of these reactors are rated for 100 lbs of internal pressure and equipped with condensers and vacuum. The 5,000 and 10,000 gallon reactors are rated for 5 pounds internal pressure. All reactors are equipped with reflux columns, condensers and collectors. PI has 23 mixing vessels ranging in distance from 5 gallons to 6,000 gallons, 75 bulk storage tanks and a 70,000 lb truck scale fo! r effici ent weighing of incoming and outgoing bulk shipments. PI has 5 large machines for powder blending and 120,000 square feet of heated warehouse space. PI has a 10,000 pound per square inch homogenizer and other particle distance reduction apparatuses. All productions areas are wired Class 1, Div 1 explosion proof and the total trickery is constructed as a Highly Protected Risk, all construction materials are non combustible, which enables insurance coverage at 20% of industry standards for Chemical factories. http://www.proinnovate.us North Carolina Natural Energy, Inc. is a development stage company in the business of managing alternative renewable energy solutions including biofuel, wind energy and innovative green products for agriculture, and livestock. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "believes," "plans," "anticipate," "expects," "estimates," and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. These factors are identified from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect subsequent events. SOURCE: North Carolina Natural Energy, Inc. (C) Copyright 2010 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-90898864742494112222012-03-30T06:46:00.001-04:002012-03-30T06:46:19.472-04:00UNC's Barnes, Henson, Marshall head to NBAIts a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball, coach Roy Williams said in the statement. On a very small stage, its a sad day for me because I wont get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well.The announcement came four days after the Tar Heels ended their season with an 80-67 loss against Kansas in the NCAA tournament Midwest Region final in St. Louis. North Carolina lost while Marshall sat on the bench, sidelined by the broken right wrist he suffered in a victory against Creighton in the third round of the NCAA tournament.Rebuilding projectIn addition to senior Tyler Zeller, Barnes, Henson as well as Marshall were most responsible for the Tar Heels success during the 2011-12 season. North Carolina fell short of its goal of winning a national championship, but the Tar Heels finished 32-6, won the ACC regular-season championship as well as reached the NCAA Midwest Region final.Now Williams as well as the Tar Heels will embark on a challenging rebuilding project. Barnes, Henson, Marshall as well as Zeller accounted for 66 percent of the Tar Heels scoring this season. They were additionally responsible for 63.1 percent of the rebounding as well as 71.9 percent of the assists.The Tar Heels lose four starters, but additionally are planning to return three players Reggie Bullock, James Michael McAdoo as well as Dexter Strickland who started games this season. Strickland, a shooting guard, started the first half of the season until suffering a torn ACL in a victory at Virginia Tech on Jan.19. Bullock started in his place the rest of the way.McAdoo, a freshman brazen who emerged late in the season after struggling to find his place early on, is projected by some NBA draft analysts as a lottery pick. He said after North Carolinas defeat against Kansas he had no timetable to make his decision, though his departure would come as a surprise.Williams will welcome a four-man recruiting class during! the sum mer, led by Ames, Iowa, point guard Marcus Paige, who participated in the McDonalds All-American game Wednesday night. The Tar Heels are additionally believed to be in the running for Alex Oriakhi, a Connecticut junior brazen who plans to transfer because the Huskies will be ineligible for the 2013 NCAA tournament.Mixed legacyNorth Carolinas departing players, meanwhile, will leave a mixed legacy. The 2011-12 Tar Heels became the first since the 93-94 team to start the season No.1 as well as fall short of reaching the Final Four.The news that Marshall was leaving school came on the same day he learned hed won the Bob Cousy Award, which is given annually to the nations top collegiate point guard. Marshall set an ACC single-season record with 351 assists.He leaves North Carolina after averaging 7.65 assists per game during his two seasons the highest per-game assist average in school history. Marshall earned second-team All-ACC honors during his sophomore season, as well as additionally was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.I would like to thank my family, coaches, teammates as well as the Tar Heel Nation for all their support, Marshall said in a statement. Its been the greatest two years of my life. I have always put the team before myself as well as I am extremely proud of what weve accomplished.All-ACC Barnes as well as Henson earned first-team All-ACC honors during the past season. Henson was named the conferences defensive player of the year in 2011 as well as 2012, as well as earned a reputation for his rebounding as well as fierce shot-blocking ability.Its tough to leave because I love my teammates, coaches as well as UNC, Henson said. I wish wed been able to bring our fans a national championship, but it wasnt meant to be. I am proud of what we accomplished, especially the last two years.Henson averaged 13.7 points, 9.9 rebounds as well as 2.9 blocked shots during his junior season. Barnes, who arrived in Chapel Hill from Ames, Iowa, amid considerable fanfare, led the Tar ! Heels wi th 17.1 points per game, but he struggled in the Midwest Regional, where he missed 22 of 30 shots from the field.The love as well as respect I have for basketball fuel the drive toward my ultimate goal to experience an illustrious career in the NBA, Barnes said. Over the past two years Ive enjoyed every single moment of my Tar Heel experience. The road we took to reach the Elite 8 in 2011 as well as again in 2012 were great team accomplishments.As much satisfaction as the Tar Heels took in their consecutive trips to a regional championship game, many players spoke with a sense of dissatisfaction after North Carolina lost to Kansas. The Tar Heels began the season the clear favorite to win the national championship.But injuries to Marshall as well as Henson, who played through a sprained ankle as well as an injured wrist, helped derail North Carolinas national championship hopes. Williams, though, said he was extremely pleased for Barnes, Henson as well as Marshall.They have meant so much to our basketball program as well as the University of North Carolina, Williams said. I thank them for everything they have contributed to Carolina Basketball. I really look brazen to watching Harrison, John as well as Kendall play in the NBA.I know they will be very successful. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-38440103477345929372012-03-19T08:25:00.001-04:002012-03-19T08:25:06.336-04:00North Carolina rolls past Creighton 87-73 in NCAAsBy AARON BEARDAP Basketball Writer GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - John Henson proved he was healthy again, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots in his return from a wrist injury that seemed perfectly timed for North Carolina's latest push for the Final Four. Now Kendall Marshall has his own wrist injury that could prove devastating for the Tar Heels. Henson had a double-double in his first game back from a sprained left wrist, and North Carolina beat Creighton 87-73 in the third round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. But Marshall broke a bone in his right wrist when he was fouled on a drive to the basket and knocked to the floor midway through the second half. Coach Roy Williams confirmed the injury after the game, and said he would talk to Marshall and his parents about his status Sunday night. The point guard still finished with 18 points and 11 assists. "When you go to the Sweet 16, it's supposed to be a lot more fun than this," an emotional Williams said afterward. Marshall's injury overshadowed what should have been an exciting win for the Tar Heels (31-5), the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional. They built a 15-point lead in the first half, then kept control and pushed the margin to 19 after the break on the way to their second straight double-digit victory. Their defense was good enough to slow the eighth-seeded Bluejays' offense and make high-scoring forward Doug McDermott work for his points. Then there was Henson's return after missing the past three games with the wrist injury from last week's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Instead, the Tar Heels are unsure whether they'll have their most irreplaceable player - the guy who drives Williams' fast-paced attack with unparalleled court vision and perfect pitch-aheads in transition - for the rest of the tournament. "I just want to be here for my team," said Marshall, his eyes red with emotion. "It is what it is. We're not saying that I'm not going to play. We're not saying that I'm going to pla! y. Botto m line, it's a fracture and now I have to deal with it." Williams cleared reporters out of the locker room to inform the team of Marshall's injury, then headed to his postgame news conference. The rest of the players struggled with the news. "We just don't know what we're going to do at this point in time," sophomore Harrison Barnes said. Marshall, who is left-handed, was hurt when he was knocked to the floor by Ethan Wragge on a drive with 10:56 left. He made the first free throw, then missed the second before leaving the game. He played about 7 more minutes before leaving for good with 1:54 left. Trainer Chris Hirth then examined Marshall's right wrist on the bench. The Tar Heels had already lost top perimeter defender and No. 2 ballhandler Dexter Strickland to a season-ending knee injury in January, leaving only freshman Stilman White to relieve Marshall for spot duty. If Marshall can't go, the job would likely fall to White and versatile senior Justin Watts. "It's a little bit shocking," White said. "I know for sure I didn't expect it to be that bad. I know Kendall's a really tough guy. It's just a little bit of shock right now. That's the great thing about coach Williams - he always figures something out." The Tar Heels will face surprising Ohio in the round of 16 on Friday in St. Louis. The 13th-seeded Bobcats advanced with a 62-56 victory over South Florida. As for Henson, his return drew a roar from the home-state fans filling the Greensboro Coliseum, both when he jogged out with his teammates for pregame warmups and when he was introduced during the starting lineups. Henson had 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in 28 minutes. Much of the time, Henson looked like his old self, knocking down midrange jumpers or using his long frame to snatch rebounds or swat shots. He drew a technical foul in the first half when he got angry and started jawing with Creighton's Grant Gibbs - who had chopped at the ball in Henson's hands in the paint. He also had a mom! ent when he cringed after taking a blow to the hand on another foul, which forced Williams to pull him briefly in the first half. "Yeah, it was a little weaker than I wanted it to be, and I wasn't as strong with the grip as I wanted," Henson said. "But hey, we got the win and that's all you can ask for." Marshall's injury overshadowed Henson's return and the reunion of McDermott and Barnes, who teamed together to lead Ames High School in Iowa to consecutive state championships and unbeaten seasons. McDermott came in averaging about 23 points and eight rebounds, while Barnes was leading the Tar Heels in scoring at about 17 per game. That matchup never materialized, with Henson and freshman James Michael McAdoo getting most of the defensive work against McDermott. McDermott finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Barnes had 17 points on 7-for-19 shooting, including back-to-back 3-pointers to turn away Creighton's final push after the Bluejays had closed within 12 with about 5 minutes left. "Right before the game, we just shared a moment, but once the game started, we were both competitive guys and it didn't feel weird at all," McDermott said. "I didn't realize I was playing against my former teammate the whole time until the end and he's a really good player." Creighton came in leading the country with a 50.7 percent shooting average, but it couldn't figure out a way to put the on-the-attack Tar Heels on the defensive. Creighton shot 41 percent. North Carolina hit 14 of its first 19 shots and built a 39-24 lead on Barnes' 3-pointer with 5 minutes left. UNC led by eight at half, but Creighton never got closer after the break. The Tar Heels shot 51 percent for the game and improved to 31-1 in NCAA games played in their home state. "We came here with every intention of winning this game," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. "You don't get to this point if you don't feel that way, regardless of who you're playing." Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This m! aterial may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-47174087042610525902012-03-16T08:05:00.001-04:002012-03-16T08:05:45.707-04:00UVM doesn't plan to Heel against North CarolinaGREENSBORO, N.C. Seven years after shocking Syracuse, the University of Vermont mens basketball team seeks a bigger miracle today.A Catamount win over North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA contest would mark one of the biggest upset in sports.Those are the odds the No.16-seed Cats face when they take on the No.1-seed Tar Heels at approximately 4:10 p.m. The game will be televised on TBS.Even though No.1 seeds are 110-0 in the history of the NCAA tournament, UVM first-year coach John Becker said his team is riding a wave of confidence after thumping Lamar in a First Four game Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.We understand the task in front of us, Becker said, but theres something about this group and I believe in these guys. ... We are going to come out and try to hang around. The longer we hang around, the better we will be.That could be easier said than done against the Tar Heels, a team ranked No.4 in The Associated Press top-25 poll and featuring a roster loaded with NBA-caliber players.While Vermonts program has just two NCAA contest triumphs the latter coming in the so-called play-in round UNC owns 105 contest wins and six national championships. This years powerhouse has a 29-5 record and is smarting from a loss to Florida State in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game last weekend.North Carolina coach Roy Williams, who said he watched much of UVMs win over Lamar, spoke highly of the Catamounts during his press conference Thursday.The thing that got me is their intelligence on the offensive end of the court and the right guys shooting the ball, Williams said about UVMs win over Lamar. They ran the shot clock down to the end and got great shots; thats hard to do.A Vermont defense that was solid during its America East Conference schedule and suffocating against Lamar will get all it can handle against a UNC team that averages 82 points a game and boasts the ACC player of the year in Tyler Zeller. The 7-foot, 250-pound senior is the ACCs leading scorer (16.5) and second-leading rebound! er (9.3) .We feel like if we guard and rebound, we can compete with anybody in the country, said Matt Glass, a senior captain for a Vermont team that has held 23 of its last 24 opponents to 70 or fewer points in regulation.Vermont twice before faced No.1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, losing 80-51 to Arizona in 2003 and 79-56 to Syracuse in 2010.We just have to continue to be ourselves and do what we do, Becker said. Every team in this contest at this point has gotten here playing a certain way and we cant really deviate from that.North Carolina, obviously, is going to be the best team we have played all year, Becker added, and we are going to have to play a perfect game.The winner of todays game will play either No.8 seed Creighton or No.9 seed Alabama on Sunday.Contact John A. Fantino at 651-4851 or jfantino@burlingtonfreepress.com. Follow his coverage of the NCAA contest on Twitter at www.twitter.com/johnfantinoPowered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-89188553183404168132012-03-15T06:49:00.001-04:002012-03-15T06:49:45.090-04:00North Carolina a target in GOP presidential battle A day after a series of primaries failed to significantly shift the Republican presidential race, North Carolina appeared poised to fool around a meaningful role in the contest for the first time since 1976. Tuesdays mixed results in Alabama, Mississippi, Hawaii and American Samoa suggested that Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich will still be clawing to reach the 1,144 delegates needed for nomination by the time N.C. Republicans vote on May 8. The results made it much more likely that North Carolina will be in play, said Ferrel Guillory, a political analyst at UNC Chapel Hill. Meanwhile a new poll released Wednesday showed Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, leading Santorum and Gingrich in North Carolina. According to Public Policy Polling, a Raleigh-based Democratic firm, Romney led with 31 percent, followed by Santorum at 27 percent, Gingrich at 24 percent and Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 8 percent. The margin of error is 4.4 percentage points. North Carolina provides a great example of the spoiler role Newt Gingrich is now playing in the Republican presidential race, said poll director Tom Jensen. Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, won Tuesdays Alabama and Mississippi primaries, though splitting the conservative vote with former House Speaker Gingrich. On Wednesday, he continued to come under fire from Romney, whose campaign called him an economic lightweight and accused him of desperate attacks. Some conservatives have urged Gingrich to quit the race, particularly after losing two Southern states. His only victories have come in South Carolina and his home state of Georgia. Gingrich camp dismisses poll Wednesdays poll gave ammunition to Gingrichs critics. Take him out of the picture, it showed, and Santorum leads Romney 42 percent to 38 percent. But Gingrich has insisted hes in for the duration. An internal memo released Tuesday by his campaign said he is well-positioned to win the GOP nomination. It said Louisianas March 24 primary! marked halftime in the GOP race. The second half, it said, includes North Carolina and what it described as other Gingrich-friendly states. Newt has earned the right to stay in as long as he wants, said Marc Rotterman, a consultant whose firm is helping Gingrich in North Carolina. Nobody has worked as hard to build the party as Newt Gingrich. Rotterman dismissed Wednesdays poll. A lot can happen in a month and a half, he said. Thats a preliminary scrimmage poll. The candidates are just now getting on the field in North Carolina. Romney has prominent supporters on the field. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry and Virginia Foxx among them. In North Carolina we have some very conservative people who are supporting Gov. Romney, said Scott Stone, a former Charlotte mayoral candidate on Romneys state leadership team. Rotterman said Gingrich plans to release a list of county campaign chairmen soon. Less organized is Santorum. Santorum plans to mobilize But state GOP officials say theyve been fielding calls from people interested in Santorums campaign. And one aide said the former senator plans to mobilize in North Carolina. Well be adding team members in the coming days, said Hogan Gidley, Santorums national spokesman. Obviously North Carolina is one of those states we feel we can do pretty well in. Raleigh businessman Chuck Campbell is volunteering for Santorum. Romney and Gingrich are getting the support of the elected officials and the establishment, he said. But folks at the grass-roots level are for Santorum. North Carolina last made a difference in a Republican race in 1976. That was when Ronald Reagan, with the help of Sen. Jesse Helms, beat then-President Gerald Ford, sending their battle to the GOP convention. Not everybody is convinced that this years race will still be wide open by the time it gets to North Carolina. There are still a dozen contests before May 8. Five, including New York and Pennsylvania, take place April 24. Davidson College p! olitical scientist Josh Putnam, an expert on delegate counts, calls that a possible tipping point. The math will become impossibly difficult for Santorum and Gingrich by then, he said. The argument that We need to keep Romney from (the needed) 1,144 (delegates) is going to run out of oxygen by then. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-52112154180389083572012-03-13T09:02:00.001-04:002012-03-13T09:02:13.983-04:00Maisel: Butch Davis era sets UNC backThe Butch Davis era began at North Carolina in November 2007 with high hopes. It ended Monday in a dreadful, funereal ritual of a release of a report of a NCAA Committee on Infractions.Just coincidence, said committee chair Britton Banowsky, a Conference USA commissioner, that a report came out a day after North Carolina became a No. 1 seed in a NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament for a national-record 14th time. But a timing provided a reminder of what a university hired Davis to achieve and how spectacularly he failed to do so. Over a course of a 1990s, Mack Brown had built a Tar Heels into a national power. He commandeered a resources to build one of a first Taj Mahals in a sport -- a $50 million palace of offices and facilities that announced to recruits and rivals that North Carolina took football seriously. As much as Brown achieved, he couldn't lift a Tar Heels into a BCS hierarchy where a Florida States played. Though Brown left for Texas after a 1997 season, he had planted a seed. Nine years of mediocrity under Carl Torbush and John Bunting failed to dim a potential that Brown had kindled in a program. Davis rebuilt a Miami team struck down by NCAA penalties and took them to a precipice of a national championship. When Davis left after a 2000 season for a Cleveland Browns, Larry Coker, his top assistant, took over and won a next 23 games. With a foundation assembled by Davis, Coker coached a Hurricanes within a double overtime of two consecutive crystal footballs.That builder is who a Tar Heels assumed they hired. And Davis, a coaching lifer who traveled from Oklahoma high schools to a NFL, wanted to create a football empire on Tobacco Road.ACC blogESPN.com's Heather Dinich writes about all things ACC in a conference blog.Blog network: College Football Nation"I feel similar to I have tortured my wife. That's a hardest part," Davis said in his first spring in Chapel Hill. "That's when you'd love to get to a place similar to this and say, 10-12-14 years, you'd similar to to stay someplace and actual! ly put d own roots and really become a part of a fabric of a community."When Davis arrived in Chapel Hill, more than one commentator referred to it as a perfect job. He had a resources to compete at a national level, yet a fan base that remained more focused on March than January. As long as Davis kept winning and didn't embarrass a university, he had a equivalent of academic tenure. Davis lasted four-and-a-half years before a university fired him because of a violations detailed Monday. The NCAA penalized a Tar Heels for violations involving improper benefits provided to players and former assistant coach John Blake by agents, as well as improper academic assistance by a former tutor.Though Banowsky, a commissioner of Conference USA, praised a university for its cooperation, a committee delivered a harsh punishment. The NCAA cut 15 scholarships from a Tar Heels over three years -- six more than North Carolina self-imposed -- added a postseason ban for a 2012 season, and gave a school three years of probation, one more than a school gave itself.It is a first penalty a NCAA has ever imposed on a North Carolina football program. Given that Dean Smith built North Carolina into a basketball power with an almost self-righteous adherence to a rules, given that former chancellor William C. Friday has been a leader in NCAA reform for a past 25 years, a report released Monday is a black eye on a perennially virtuous face."Obviously, this has been a painful, difficult experience," chancellor Holden Thorp said in a conference call Monday. "We don't similar to to have this kind of attention brought to any part of a university, especially one as visible as a athletics program."Former athletic director Dick Baddour stressed that there still is a "Carolina way" of doing things, and reminded a media that Smith took over a Tar Heel basketball program when his boss, Frank McGuire, resigned after a NCAA put his program on probation. That turned out pretty well. Davis started out doing just what North Carolina hired him to do. He ! recruite d some of a top players in a nation. No school had more players selected in a NFL breeze last April than a nine Tar Heels, including five in a first two rounds. But three of those five -- defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive tackle Marvin Austin, and wide receiver Greg Little -- were suspended in this investigation and never played a down in 2010. That team, a preseason top-20 pick, went 8-5, that matched a Tar Heels' victory total in a previous two seasons. Davis went 28-23 in his four seasons. North Carolina went on probation Monday. Now it is up to Larry Fedora to take North Carolina football where neither Davis nor Brown nor Hall of Famer Jim Tatum nor any coach has been able to take a Tar Heels. Bubba Cunningham, Baddour's successor, said that a university gave Fedora a seven-year contract just in case a NCAA added sanctions to a university's self-imposed penalties. It did.North Carolina won't go to a bowl game in 2012. Its seniors may transfer without sitting out a year. The university must wash off two years of mud stuck to its reputation. The Tar Heels ended a Butch Davis era further from a Promised Land than when they began it. Ivan Maisel is a senior writer for ESPN.com and hosts a ESPNU College Football podcast. Send your questions and comments to him at Ivan.Maisel@ESPN.com.Recommend0Tweet0Comments0EmailPrintPowered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-24616964248372808752012-03-12T08:12:00.001-04:002012-03-12T08:12:41.109-04:00North Carolina businesses along I-95 tally tolling impact By EMERY P. DALESIO The Associated Press 3/12/2012 RALEIGH, N.C. Plans to charge a fee on Interstate 95 in North Carolina will make it more difficult for businesses to quickly and cheaply ship goods up and down a East Coast's chief thoroughfare, critics say. North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri all are considering tolls as a way to pay for expanding and upgrading interstates. Supporters say drivers from other states will pay much of a costs. But like most highways, I-95 is itself a hub of businesses drawn to a asphalt link to markets from Maine to Florida. Food Lion, Wal-Mart, and Lowe's are some of a companies with North Carolina distribution centers, each employing hundreds of workers, near a highway. The world's largest hog slaughterhouse operated by Smithfield Foods and one of a nation's largest food-service distributors for restaurant chains built near a interstate. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ADVERTISEMENT THE RECENT INCREASE IN FREIGHT VOLUME MEANS NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES ON GOTRUCKERS.COM. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "There's nothing really good for my business that can come out of this. I'm highly dependent upon widespread travel and commerce to make my business successful," said Ernie Brame, who manages one of a highway's largest truck stops in Kenly. The always-open Kenly 95 Petro plaza employs about 170 people at its truck repair shop, fuel center and three restaurants. Under a current proposal, cars would be charged $19.20 for using a interstate's entire 182-mile length through North Carolina. If projections that trucks will be charged nearly three times that hold true, Doug Taylor said that could increase costs for his trucking business by $600,000 to $2 mi! llion a year. "We couldn't eat that," said Taylor, president and CEO of Taylor Express Inc. in Fayetteville, which employs about 300. He said he would have to pass a costs along to his customers, primarily tire manufacturers in a Midwest and South where his trucks deliver commodity ingredients. The home-improvement warehouse retailer Lowe's Cos. says highway tolls might eventually filter through to prices consumers see in stores. The company's distribution center just off I-95 near a Virginia line is a beehive, with trucks from suppliers coming in and Lowe's trucks heading out with products to 120 stores in a Carolinas, Virginia and Maryland. "Certainly tolls on product carriers in and out of that regional distribution center in Garysburg would likely increase transportation costs, potentially by several million dollars annually. That would hinder our ability to keep our prices low for consumers," Lowe's spokeswoman Karen Cobb said. The Federal Highway Administration last month picked North Carolina as a last of three states to participate in a national pilot program allowing them to fund road reconstruction by converting free interstates to fee roads. The decision sidelined bids by Rhode Island and Arizona, at least until Congress expands a fee program in a new highway authorization bill. North Carolina's reserved slot means much more evaluation ahead before final federal approval and tolls can start being collected in 2019. That includes studying a economic impact on businesses of charging to travel, said Roberto Canales, project physical education instructor for a I-95 study for a North Carolina Transportation Department. Virginia, which previously removed tolls from I-95 in 1992, is evaluating potential economic impacts on business along a entire corridor in an analysis scheduled for completion later this year, state DOT spokeswoman Tamara Rollison said. North Carolina anticipates nine fee zones spaced at 20-mil! e interv als along a highway. Motorists would pay for a distance traveled through an all-electronic method using pre-paid transponders or billing by mail after license plates are recorded. Academic research and common sense indicates that motorists conflict to highway tolls by trying to avoid a costs. In North Carolina, U.S. 301 parallels I-95 for most of its length. Commuters, long-distance motorists, and businesses that located near a widespread to take advantage of a route's speed and convenience will all decide whether taking a more-developed and slower route would be worth a savings, said Robert Foyle, director of highway systems research at North Carolina State University's Institute for Transportation Research and Education. U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., said after hearing from businesses and constituents along a widespread through her district she introduced legislation last week to block a state's Department of Transportation from using tolls to pay a estimated $4.4 billion cost of expanding and upgrading I-95. Ellmers and other tolling opponents argue a state has long misspent what it collects from one of a country's highest gas taxes. Tolling's backers argue that a broader impact is positive by funding construction that otherwise would be delayed. Missouri's Department of Economic Development estimates that besides increased traffic efficiency, rebuilding and expanding a 200-mile stretch of Interstate 70 with revenue from tolls would create an average of about 6,100 new jobs a year paying about $34,000 for decades. The jobs would come from project construction, asphalt and concrete suppliers, plus spinoff employment, a agency said in a January report. Missouri's economic development agency and its Department of Transportation could not provide further details last week explaining how a estimates were reached. Not all business owners along I-95 are concerned that tolls will hurt their bottom line. &#! 13; Skip Mertz said he draws customers from Canada to Florida to his Fayetteville hobby shop, which specializes in radio-controlled trains, trucks, cars, boats and helicopters. If traffic decreases on I-95, he may remove a billboard for his Great American Gift, Toy & Hobby Co. or otherwise adjust his advertising, but doesn't expect big sales losses at his "big boy's toy store" a half-mile off a highway, Mertz said. "In my situation, there's not a lot of ways to get around me," he said. Kevin Jones of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at kevinj@thetrucker.com. Find more news and analysis from The Trucker, and share your thoughts, on Facebook. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-72848228710027835952012-03-09T07:13:00.001-05:002012-03-09T07:13:40.790-05:00Spending for military grows, report showsMARK HIBBSMOREHEAD CITY North Carolina saw significant growth in military spending during 2011, but an effort is under way to attract more defense industry contractors.Gov. Bev Perdue as well as the N.C. Military Business Center announced this week that U.S. Department of Defense spending for prime contracts in North Carolina exceeded $4.06 billion in federal fiscal year 2011 an increase of 13 percent as well as $471 million over procurement in the state in 2010.North Carolina is securing a bigger as well as bigger share of the global military as well as defense market, Gov. Perdue said. Our investments as well as efforts have built a growing cluster of defense industries that is capturing federal revenues as well as growing jobs right here in North Carolina the most military-friendly state in America.Meanwhile, economic development officials in the eastern part of the state are set to roll out an initiative intended to capitalize on the militarys cost-cutting as well as energy-saving measures.The N.C. Logistics Initiative is basically a combined marketing as well as lobbying effort that seeks to encourage investment in Eastern North Carolina by private firms that perform ground systems upkeep for the military. Mark Sutherland, vice president of North Carolinas Eastern Region as well as director of the Military Growth Task Force told the News-Times recently the initiative is a result of information gleaned from studies conducted in relation to the Defense Departments troop buildup at area military bases.Overall, its about expanding the things we do in North Carolina with the military as well as building our defense manage to buy in a way that actually makes sense, Mr. Sutherland said.Mr. Sutherlands organization has made a case for private defense contractors to consider locating in Eastern North Carolina, using the successes of similar firms as a model.The mid-Atlantic is the center of gravity for the East Coast military. That makes us the epicenter, logistically, Mr. Sutherland s! aid.Mr. Sutherland is set to discuss the initiative next week during the NCERs fifth annual State of the Region meeting at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern. The March 14 session begins at 8 a.m. To register for the session visit www.nceast.org/eventregistration.He will discuss the defense logistics initiative as well as the Military Growth Task Forces upcoming name change as well as transition to PlanIt East. The new organization will be a regional forum meant to foster communication, coordination as well as collaboration among public, private as well as nonprofit leaders from Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender as well as Wayne counties through 42 delegates.Mr. Sutherlands organization has produced a video presentation available online that touts the example of a Jacksonville firm that provides upkeep as well as overhaul services for Camp Lejeune.North Carolina is ranked as a top place to do business due to its tax structure, quality workforce as well as low unemployment insurance rates, according to the presentation.The state is the third fastest growing state in conditions of industrial growth as well as military jobs grew by 20 percent during the past five years. Defense-related businesses moving into the state have kept a similar pace.Eastern North Carolina is home to five major military installations within a 70-mile radius, which base nearly half of the East Coast ground operations units. Facilities include Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune as well as MCAS New River in Jacksonville, U.S. Army Base Fort Bragg, which includes Pope Field, formerly an Air Force base, in Fayetteville as well as Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro.Also in the 70-mile radius are the states two seaports in Morehead City as well as Wilmington as well as the Global TransPark in Kinston, an industrial park with both rail access as well as extra-long runways that can support large, heavy aircraft.Eastern North Carolinas central location stands to red! uce Defe nse Department transportation costs by as much as 80 percent compared to longstanding upkeep processes. It also significantly reduces turnaround times for readiness as well as the militarys appetite usage, according to the presentation.If you were going to create the perfect logistics environment from scratch, you would look for proximity to your consumer as well as logistics capacity the things that are part of a logistics village, just like what we have here, Mr. Sutherland saidHe pronounced the effort is geared to help the Defense Department meet its goals of greater appetite efficiency as well as reducing the size of its carbon footprint.They need warehousing, distribution, transportation, fuel as well as food as well as they need all that with their requirement to be more renewable, Mr. Sutherland said.He pronounced a Food as well as Fuel for the Forces effort is under way to find as well as present ideas as well as ways of dealing with the Defense Departments needs at the highest levels of government. The response so far has been positive.A few weeks ago, three of us from North Carolinas Eastern Region went to D.C. to a re-set conference as well as tried out our new marketing materials as well as they cleaned us out. They took just about all our brochures as well as videos as well as the overwhelming comment we heard was it makes sense, Mr. Sutherland said. Thats what we want. We want the defense industry to say it makes sense as well as then they will come check us out. Then the economic developers will do their thing using these recruiting materials.The State Ports Authority is also part of the effort, which began in 2006 when then-Gov. Mike Easley called on all state agencies to assume an economic development stance, pronounced Jimmy Yokeley, director of community economic development for the State Ports Authority.It has matured to a point today where most of the involved entities from an economic development standpoint recognize the value of collaboration. That includes the ports as well as we! see, go ing forward on the heels of the N.C. Maritime Strategy Study the opportunity to bring even more benefits to North Carolina industry as well as the military to make the state more competitive than its ever been in the past, Mr. Yokely said.The study looks at the role ports can play in sustaining the manage to buy as well as creating jobs in the state. It makes no specific recommendations but examines broad opportunities including expanding military usage of the ports in addition to industrial as well as agricultural uses that could benefit North Carolinas economy. A public meeting on the study recommendations is set for Thursday (see related story).Mr. Yokely pronounced the interests of the state ports, the military, the private sector as well as the states agriculture industry are all intertwined in conditions of logistics.In this global economy, all of these entities are attached at the hip with ocean cargo being the dominant mode for imports as well as exports, compared to any other mode of transportation, Mr. Yokely said.He pronounced the only way for the state to remain competitive in the global marketplace is to continue to have accessible ports.We at the ports have always had a long history with North Carolinas military installations as well as in light of the upcoming budget cuts, we know that will place even greater emphasis on logistics savings in the military, he said.Gov. Perdue has made defense logistics a focus. She helped establish the N.C. Military Business Center within the states community college system as well as launched the Military Foundation, a business development organization focused exclusively on building the states defense as well as homeland security economy.Defense spending in North Carolina is critical to expanding our manage to buy as well as growing jobs in North Carolina, pronounced Scott Dorney, executive director of the NCMBC. The defense as well as federal market is still booming. Although it is not easy, businesses across the state are competing as well as winning in! the fed eral market. Since not all subcontracting is reflected in these figures, the value of total defense-related business activity in the state far exceeds even $4.0 billion annually.Businesses in 87 of North Carolinas 100 counties performed defense-related prime contracts in 2011. Twenty-two of those counties received over $20 million in defense-related work, 12 of these received over $50 million in defense-related work. Of all counties performing defense-related work, Onslow County received the highest dollar amount with $1.2 billion, surpassing Cumberland County by $51 million.According to a 2008 Department of Commerce study, the military has a $23.4 billion total annual impact on the states economy.Defense procurement in North Carolina increased from $3.6 billion in 2010 to $4.1 billion in 2011. During the same time frame, spending by all federal agencies in North Carolina increased about $507 million, from $5.4 billion to $5.9 billion./>Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-82941481808566559682012-03-08T06:48:00.001-05:002012-03-08T06:48:18.885-05:00Spending for military grows, report showsMARK HIBBSMOREHEAD CITY North Carolina saw significant growth in military spending during 2011, but an effort is under way to attract more defense industry contractors.Gov. Bev Perdue and the N.C. Military Business Center announced this week that U.S. Department of Defense spending for prime contracts in North Carolina exceeded $4.06 billion in federal fiscal year 2011 an increase of 13 percent and $471 million over procurement in the state in 2010.North Carolina is securing a bigger and bigger share of the global military and defense market, Gov. Perdue said. Our investments and efforts have built a growing cluster of defense industries that is capturing federal revenues and growing jobs right here in North Carolina the most military-friendly state in America.Meanwhile, economic development officials in the eastern part of the state are set to roll out an initiative intended to capitalize on the militarys cost-cutting and energy-saving measures.The N.C. Logistics Initiative is basically a combined marketing and lobbying effort that seeks to encourage investment in Eastern North Carolina by private firms that perform ground systems maintenance for the military. Mark Sutherland, clamp president of North Carolinas Eastern Region and director of the Military Growth Task Force told the News-Times recently the initiative is a result of information gleaned from studies conducted in relation to the Defense Departments troop buildup at area military bases.Overall, its about expanding the things we do in North Carolina with the military and building our defense economy in a way that actually makes sense, Mr. Sutherland said.Mr. Sutherlands organization has made a case for private defense contractors to consider locating in Eastern North Carolina, using the successes of similar firms as a model.The mid-Atlantic is the center of gravity for the East Coast military. That makes us the epicenter, logistically, Mr. Sutherland said.Mr. Sutherland is set to discuss the initiative next week during t! he NCERs fifth annual State of the Region meeting at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern. The March 14 session begins at 8 a.m. To register for the session visit www.nceast.org/eventregistration.He will discuss the defense logistics initiative and the Military Growth Task Forces upcoming name change and transition to PlanIt East. The new organization will be a regional forum meant to foster communication, coordination and collaboration among public, private and nonprofit leaders from Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender and Wayne counties through 42 delegates.Mr. Sutherlands organization has produced a video presentation available online that touts the example of a Jacksonville firm that provides maintenance and overhaul services for Camp Lejeune.North Carolina is ranked as a top place to do business due to its tax structure, quality workforce and low unemployment insurance rates, according to the presentation.The state is the third fastest growing state in terms of industrial growth and military jobs grew by 20 percent during the past five years. Defense-related businesses moving into the state have kept a similar pace.Eastern North Carolina is home to five major military installations within a 70-mile radius, which base nearly half of the East Coast ground operations units. Facilities include Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River in Jacksonville, U.S. Army Base Fort Bragg, which includes Pope Field, formerly an Air Force base, in Fayetteville and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro.Also in the 70-mile radius are the states two seaports in Morehead City and Wilmington and the Global TransPark in Kinston, an industrial park with both rail access and extra-long runways that can support large, heavy aircraft.Eastern North Carolinas central location stands to reduce Defense Department travel costs by as much as 80 percent compared to longstanding maintenance processes. It also significantly reduces turnaround times for r! eadiness and the militarys energy usage, according to the presentation.If you were going to create the perfect logistics environment from scratch, you would look for proximity to your consumer and logistics capacity the things that are part of a logistics village, just like what we have here, Mr. Sutherland saidHe pronounced the effort is geared to help the Defense Department meet its goals of greater energy efficiency and reducing the size of its carbon footprint.They need warehousing, distribution, transportation, fuel and food and they need all that with their requirement to be more renewable, Mr. Sutherland said.He pronounced a Food and Fuel for the Forces effort is under way to find and present ideas and ways of dealing with the Defense Departments needs at the highest levels of government. The response so far has been positive.A few weeks ago, three of us from North Carolinas Eastern Region went to D.C. to a re-set conference and tried out our new marketing materials and they cleaned us out. They took just about all our brochures and videos and the overwhelming comment we heard was it makes sense, Mr. Sutherland said. Thats what we want. We want the defense industry to say it makes sense and then they will come check us out. Then the economic developers will do their thing using these recruiting materials.The State Ports Authority is also part of the effort, which began in 2006 when then-Gov. Mike Easley called on all state agencies to assume an economic development stance, pronounced Jimmy Yokeley, director of community economic development for the State Ports Authority.It has matured to a point today where most of the involved entities from an economic development standpoint recognize the value of collaboration. That includes the ports and we see, going forward on the heels of the N.C. Maritime Strategy Study the opportunity to bring even more benefits to North Carolina industry and the military to make the state more competitive than its ever been in the past, Mr. Yokely said.The study looks at the rol! e ports can play in sustaining the economy and creating jobs in the state. It makes no specific recommendations but examines broad opportunities together with expanding military usage of the ports in addition to industrial and agricultural uses that could benefit North Carolinas economy. A public meeting on the study recommendations is set for Thursday (see related story).Mr. Yokely pronounced the interests of the state ports, the military, the private sector and the states agriculture industry are all intertwined in terms of logistics.In this global economy, all of these entities are attached at the hip with sea cargo being the dominant mode for imports and exports, compared to any other mode of transportation, Mr. Yokely said.He pronounced the only way for the state to remain competitive in the global marketplace is to continue to have accessible ports.We at the ports have always had a long history with North Carolinas military installations and in light of the upcoming budget cuts, we know that will place even greater emphasis on logistics savings in the military, he said.Gov. Perdue has made defense logistics a focus. She helped establish the N.C. Military Business Center within the states community college system and launched the Military Foundation, a business development organization focused exclusively on building the states defense and homeland security economy.Defense spending in North Carolina is critical to expanding our economy and growing jobs in North Carolina, pronounced Scott Dorney, executive director of the NCMBC. The defense and federal market is still booming. Although it is not easy, businesses across the state are competing and winning in the federal market. Since not all subcontracting is reflected in these figures, the value of total defense-related business activity in the state far exceeds even $4.0 billion annually.Businesses in 87 of North Carolinas 100 counties performed defense-related prime contracts in 2011. Twenty-two of those counties received over $20 million in defense-relate! d work, 12 of these received over $50 million in defense-related work. Of all counties performing defense-related work, Onslow County received the highest dollar amount with $1.2 billion, surpassing Cumberland County by $51 million.According to a 2008 Department of Commerce study, the military has a $23.4 billion total annual impact on the states economy.Defense procurement in North Carolina increased from $3.6 billion in 2010 to $4.1 billion in 2011. During the same time frame, spending by all federal agencies in North Carolina increased about $507 million, from $5.4 billion to $5.9 billion./>Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6408370.post-48264154315585281052012-03-05T07:58:00.001-05:002012-03-05T07:58:43.692-05:00Should North Carolina Get a Number One Seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament?: A Fan's View Trying to describe my feelings as a fan after watching my North Carolina Tar Heels dismantle the Duke Blue Devils by 18 points on their own precious Cameron floor is like trying to describe the perfect tasting steak. No words seem to quite convey the exquisite details of flavor found within such an experience. I have listened to the Blue Devil smack talk from the moment Austin Rivers rose up for his three point dagger in the initial match up so I must admit, a feeling of revenge does creep in there too. Those Blue Devils do love to talk after all.While the win was certainly a wonderful moment for Carolina players and fans alike, it also showed that they are just as powerful as the pundits once thought they could be. What does this mean for the Tar Heels as they enter the ACC Tournament? More importantly, what will the victory mean to Carolina's chances moving forward into the NCAA tournament season? Are we looking at the annual Duke /Carolina trifecta?In the broad scheme of things, the win might get forgotten in the shuffle. Sure, it will put UNC in position to secure a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament if they win out. Every year, there are three matches between Duke and Carolina. Winning two of three usually means good things for the winner. While the third game is no given, you have to expect that it is at least likely. Duke and Carolina are clearly the class of the ACC this season, though Florida State is trying to change that notion.Will Carolina's regular season title get lost in the shuffle?So much emphasis is put on the ACC Tournament now. It seems that winning the regular season championship just does not have the luster that it once did. If Duke beats Carolina for the Tournament, then the ACC regular season championship will get lost in the shuffle by fans and NCAA Tournament officials alike.Can the Tar Heels hold it together long enough to get that number one seed?The number one seed in the NCAA is the real prize and the Heels! would d o well to not take their feet off the gas. They looked nearly unbeatable against the Blue Devils and showed that they can play defense with anybody. The theory that the Tar Heels can't play perimeter defense was destroyed. They close Duke down in nearly every way in one of the toughest places to play in the country.At this point, I am liking the Tar Heels chances of getting a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. When the season began, I never dreamed that would be difficult for the Heels. Now, however, I am beginning to feel like they are hitting their groove once again.*Southern has been a Carolina fan since birth and has spent the better part of forty years being thankful that he chose correctly.Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc<br/> Jason Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088827575617438440noreply@blogger.com0