MOREHEAD CITY — The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a meeting June 4 to discuss possible management strategies to address issue impacting the state’s commercial summer flounder fishery.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington.
At this meeting, the division will seek stakeholder feedback on how to best use the state’s summer flounder quota, including:
by Frank Williams
This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day — a time set aside to remember the men and women who lost their lives serving in our nation’s Armed Forces.
As the author of USMemorialDay.org states, “Traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades.”
RALEIGH – As another hurricane season nears, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler reminds farmers that basic emergency planning can go a long way in lessening a crisis situation.
“Thinking through your emergency plan can help whether a hurricane, tornado or other emergency strikes,” Troxler said. “I hope all farmers will review their plans and get ready for hurricane season. A produce operation has very different needs than a dairy farm. Determining what your most pressing needs will be if you should lose power, or are at risk for flooding, can be the difference in salvaging a crop or saving livestock.”
SOUTHPORT, N.C. — The Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce sponsored a ribbon-cutting on Friday, May 17, 2013 to celebrate the start of Old South Tour Company’s tenth season offering tours of historic Southport, North Carolina. The company is owned and operated by accredited lower Cape Fear historian Katie Compton.
“Southport is a quaint, charming town with a compelling history,” says Compton. “We are passionate about unlocking the secrets of Southport’s history and look forward to our tenth season of introducing our town’s wonderful charm to our tour guests.”
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The “sue and settle” process, where environmental advocacy groups sue federal agencies to issue regulations by a specific deadline, is being abused, resulting in interested parties being shut out of regulatory decisions by key federal agencies, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a detailed new report released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
MOREHEAD CITY – In the coming months, Trip Ticket reports will go paperless for fish dealers who purchase large quantities of finfish from fishermen.
A new N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission rule requires fish dealers that report annual average landings of greater than 50,000 pounds of finfish for three consecutive calendar years to report landings electronically.
It is one of a slate of new Marine Fisheries Commission rules pertaining to various issues that will go into effect June 1 for coastal North Carolina fishing waters.
RALEIGH – North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted April unemployment rate decreased to 8.9 percent from March’s revised rate of 9.2 percent. The national rate fell to 7.5 percent from March’s 7.6 percent.
North Carolina’s April 2013 unemployment rate was 0.5 of a percentage point lower than a year ago. The number of people employed decreased 4,188 over the month to 4,303,113, and increased 35,026 over the year. The number of people unemployed fell 15,259 over the month to 419,287, and declined 21,843 over the year.
There are two ways to measure North Carolina’s Creative Workforce: Creative workers in creative occupations in all industries and all workers in the creative industries. (The full creative industry accounts for almost 320,000 jobs, or 6 percent of North Carolina’s workforce.)
by Frank Williams
Last month we began a discussion of the importance of business relationships. In that column, I made the case that trust is the foundation of successful long-term relationships, business or otherwise.
As we continue this discussion, please take a moment to reflect on the following question: when it comes to business relationships, are you a giver or a taker?
SOUTHPORT — According to an email newsletter distributed by the N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development, last March’s N.C. Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Wilmington led to a Boston Globe article featuring the Town of Southport.
BOLIVIA, N.C. – The recently-formed Brunswick County Small Business Advisory Commission is hosting a public forum for members of the business community to offer insight into ways the county can become a better place to do business. The forum is set for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at the Brunswick County Association of REALTORS® building at 101 Stone Chimney Place in Supply. Members of the business community are invited to share specific issues and challenges they have faced and offer insight into ways the county can solve those issues.
MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Shoddy customer service, redundant questions, disconnected processes and long waits are causing customers to leave brands in droves, according to a new survey commissioned by Redwood Software*, the global provider of Enterprise Process AutomationTM. The results emphasize that it’s the “little-big problems” that customer-facing companies should be concerned about—the things that may seem inconsequential up front, but build up over time to dramatically change the relationship a customer has with a once-favorite brand.
RALEIGH — The 2012 North Carolina Visitor Profile, which includes a wealth of demographic and spending data, is now available on the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development’s website at no cost.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Combat Ready Clamp made history Friday when it received new critical indications from the FDA making it the first device of its kind approved to treat unmanageable amputations and pelvic wounds not addressable with standard limb tourniquets.
The Combat Ready Clamp is a vise-like tourniquet now approved for use on all five anatomical junctions where life-threatening hemorrhage can occur in the result of such actions as roadside and terrorist bombings.
RALEIGH — N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis has re-appointed Rep. Susi Hamilton (D-New Hanover) to the N.C. Travel & Tourism Board.
Additionally, Speaker Tillis appointed the following members to the board:
According to a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports, voters continue to believe President Obama is friendlier toward big business than small business. The poll found that 25% of likely voters think the president’s policies are too friendly to big business, up from 19% in late February. Twenty-eight percent (28%) say the president’s policies are too hostile to big business, while 31% believe they’re about right. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.
MOREHEAD CITY – The Shrimp Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will meet at 6 p.m., May 15 at the Craven County Agricultural Extension Building, 300 Industrial Drive, New Bern.
A meeting agenda is below.
For more information, contact division biologist supervisor Trish Murphey at 252-808-8091 or Trish.Murphey@ncdenr.gov or biologist Chris Stewart at 910-796-7370 or Chris.Stewart@ncdenr.gov . You may also contact the Marine Fisheries Commission office at 252-808-8022.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — For the 10th straight year, area elected officials will be treated to an old-fashioned barbecue dinner on the riverfront at the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce (One Estell Lee Place) on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 5:30-8:00 pm. Invited guests to the 10th Annual Elected Officials Appreciation BBQ include Congressman Mike McIntyre, the area’s General Assembly delegation, New Hanover County Commissioners, Wilmington City Council, the mayors of the three beach towns, area judges and more.
NOAA Fisheries requests public comments on the proposed rule to implement Regulatory Amendment 18 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 18). The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved Regulatory Amendment 18 for review by the Secretary of Commerce in March 2013, and the proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register on May 8, 2013.
SUPPLY, N.C. — Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation is awarding two local students Touchstone Energy Sports Camp scholarships to summer basketball camps at two of the state’s largest college campuses.
Clara Elizabeth Tyson of Leland Middle School will attend the N.C. State Women’s Basketball Camp, and D’Kwanshe Stanley of Shallotte Middle School will attend the Roy Williams Carolina Basketball Camp, both on full scholarships from BEMC. Clara is the daughter of Beth Tyson. D’Kwanshe is the son of LaChella and Joseph Stanley.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Union-backed shareholder activism has failed to increase shareholder value, according to a new report released last week by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The report, produced by Navigant Consulting, examined all proxy proposals “key-voted” by the AFL-CIO from 2009-2012 and was introduced during a forum on union shareholder activism.
“Unions and their allies are among the most prolific shareholder activists, but the key question is whether this produces any benefit for shareholders,” said Lisa A. Rickard, president of the Chamber’s Workforce Freedom Initiative. “This report demonstrates that the answer is ‘no’ and shows that politicizing the boardroom hurts the millions of individuals who rely on these investments for retirement.”
RALEIGH, N.C. – Governor Pat McCrory is proclaiming May 4-12, 2013, as Tourism Week in North Carolina, joining destinations across the state to celebrate travel and tourism as a record-breaking industry that is vital to the economic stability and growth of the state. North Carolina ranks as the sixth most visited state in the country.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Maersk Line is adding port calls in Panama and Costa Rica to its weekly South Atlantic Express (SAE), currently connecting the Port of Wilmington with Central America. Shippers and receivers using Wilmington can now directly access Manzanillo, Panama and Puerto Moin, Costa Rica, in addition to Puerto Cortes, Honduras and Santo Tomas, Guatemala in northern Central America.
SOUTHPORT, N.C. – Katie Compton, owner and tour guide with Old South Tour Company, led a Rotary GSE (Group Study Exchange) team from the United Kingdom on a tour of Southport on Thursday, May 1, 2013. Compton is past president of the Southport Rotary Club.
“It was an honor to lead our visitors from the United Kingdom on a tour of our wonderful town,” says Compton. “It was a pleasure to introduce them to our town’s history and to hear about the historic towns and villages in which they live.”
RESTON, VA – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. smartphone industry during the three month average period ending March 2013. Apple ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer with 39 percent OEM market share, while Google Android led as the #1 smartphone platform with 52 percent platform market share.
Smartphone OEM Market Share
BOLIVIA, N.C. — The Novant Health Foundation Brunswick Medical Center board of directors has announced its second annual hospital ball will be held Saturday, June 1, at 6 p.m. at Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center.
Event co-chairs Ben Styers and Jon Tait say this year’s event will have a different, more laid-back approach with The Landsharks Band as the night’s headliner. Themed “The Flip Flop Ball: An Evening in Key West,” this year’s event will offer guests a sneak peek at Key West’s famous Mallory Square, and flip flops and Bermuda shorts will be welcomed. Guests will also enjoy a variety of fare reminiscent of Key West.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Deborah J. Brasic, MSN, FNP-BC, has joined Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter as a nurse practitioner in Pender and New Hanover counties.
In this position, Brasic, of Wilmington, provides hospice and palliative care to patients with advanced illness. She is responsible for using expert skills in history taking, physical examination, initiation and interpretation of tests, analysis of data, and the implementation and daily re-evaluation of the plan of care for patients.
SHALLOTTE, N.C. — Lyle Ray King, President of ATMC, has announced that Randy Hardee of Sunset Beach has been appointed to the cooperative’s Board of Directors to serve the remainder of Malcolm Grissett’s term. Mr. Grissett recently retired after 12 years of service. Mr. Hardee will represent District 2.
A native of Brunswick County, Mr. Hardee is a 1971graduate of Shallotte High School. In his career, he has been involved in the founding and operation of several successful small businesses, including Randy’s Meat Center. He is currently the Operations Manager for Smart Air Technology.
RALEIGH, NC – April 11, 2013 – NC Beautiful, a provider of environmental education and beautification opportunities that elevate the quality of life of North Carolinians, has announced this year’s recipients of the organization’s environmental education grants. Eighteen schools were awarded Windows of Opportunity Grants that are available to certified, full-time K-12 teachers in the state of North Carolina. Several teachers in the Cape Fear region were on the list.
