WILMINGTON, N.C. — For the 10^th 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 10^th 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.

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new study finds that states are employing and supporting new and innovative policies to support small businesses in a diverse, rapidly changing economic environment. The fourth annual Enterprising States study, commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and prepared by Praxis Strategy Group, was unveiled today at the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business Summit.

BOLIVIA, N.C. — Brunswick Novant Medical Center is now Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center. Novant Health facilities across its four-state footprint today unveiled new signage and visual changes as all facilities unite under the organization’s unified system brand name of Novant Health. Additionally, the Novant Medical Group physician practices will change signage before the end of the year.

Formed in 1997, Novant Health has grown from four to 13 acute care facilities, more than 100 outpatient facilities and over 350 physician practice facilities in four states.

SOUTHPORT, N.C. – Old South Tour Company is kicking off its 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.  “Southport’s charm is the reason it was chosen as the setting for Nicholas Sparks’ Safe Haven, and its history is part of its charm.  We are passionate about unlocking the secrets of Southport’s history and introducing our wonderful town’s charm to our tour guests.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Officials at the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will hear firsthand from area business and government leaders that their recent decision to move Brunswick County out of the Wilmington metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and into the Myrtle Beach MSA should be reversed.  Representatives from the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington Business Development, New Hanover County, Brunswick County and City of Wilmington will travel to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, April 16th for meetings with Congressman Mike McIntyre, Senator Kay Hagan’s staff, and officials from the OMB.

RALEIGH – Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced Thursday that Trinity Frozen Foods, a frozen food manufacturing company, will locate its operations in Robeson County. The company plans to create 149 jobs and invest more than $15 million over the next three years in Pembroke.

“North Carolina is proud of its strong roots in agriculture,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “It makes great business sense for Trinity to locate near a majority of the growers in the state and the entire Southeast. We’re excited to welcome the company here and strengthen our agribusiness economy.”

FAIR BLUFF, N.C. — Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced Wednesday that Ply Gem Industries, a manufacturer of building products, will expand its operations in Columbus County. The company plans to create 145 jobs and invest $15.5 million over the next three years in Fair Bluff.

“These new manufacturing jobs are a welcome and necessary step to improving the economy in Columbus County,” said Governor McCrory. “It’s always encouraging when a great corporate citizen like Ply Gem chooses to expand right here in North Carolina.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s latest quarterly small business survey finds that Washington policies continue to hamper hiring and growth, with over a quarter of small businesses saying they have lost employees in the last year. The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive in March 2013 among more than 1,300 small business executives, shows that 79% of small businesses believe the economy is off on the wrong track and requirements of the health care law are now the biggest concern, topping economic uncertainty for the first time in two years. 31% plan to cut back hours to reduce the number of full time employees to avoid triggering the employer mandate.

WILMINGTON — AT&T announced today a contribution of $3,500 to help underwrite the Annual Meeting of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.

“Economic growth is not a fortunate accident but rather the result of much hard work and planning,” said Woody White, Chairman of the New Hanover County Commission. “This area is fortunate to have a business community which understands how to work with local government, and with their customers, to help the region prosper.”

SOUTHPORT, N.C. – Old South Tour Company recently launched a new website and social media presence.  The company’s new website can be found at http://www.OldSouthTourCompany.com.  Visitors to the website can also follow the company on Facebook or Twitter or sign up to receive tour announcements via email.

The Southport-based company is owned and operated by accredited lower Cape Fear historian Katie Compton.  Compton earned a degree in History from UNC-Wilmington in Southern antebellum history and Oral Interpretation of Southern Literature and Culture.  She has lived in Southport since her middle school years and has invested countless hours studying the area’s history.

WILMINGTON — Port City Daily is reporting that, as of Monday, Wilmington’s The Big Talker FM will morph into an all-news station called “Port City Radio.”  Port City Daily and the station formerly known as The Big Talker are both owned by Hometown Wilmington Media.

Port City Daily’s article says that “With the retirement of southeastern North Carolina’s most listened-to talk radio host, Chad Adams, officials with Hometown Wilmington Media decided to change the news-talk format of The Big Talker FM to an all-news format.”

RALEIGH — The state’s February unemployment rate decreased to 9.4 percent from January’s revised rate of 9.5 percent. The national rate dropped to 7.7 percent from January’s 7.9 percent.

North Carolina’s February 2013 unemployment rate is 0.1 of a percentage point lower than a year ago.

The number of people employed (smoothed seasonally adjusted) decreased 4,964 to 4,317,958 over the month, and increased by 63,847 over the year. The number of people unemployed fell 6,585 to 446,840 over the month, and grew 997 over the year.

LELAND, N.C. — The Leland Area Rotary Club is hosting its third annual “L.A. Classic” annual charity golf tournament on Thursday April 18 at Cape Fear National at Brunswick Forest. Proceeds from the event benefit the many programs supported by the Leland Area Rotary Club.

Golf team registration will begin at 12 p.m. and the tournament will kick off with a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

WILMINGTON, N.C. — UNCW’s Entrepreneurship Center and the Greater Wilmington Business Journal are joining together to shine a spotlight on up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the Cape Fear region.  The mission of the Coastal Entrepreneur Awards is to help foster more entrepreneurial activity — and higher paying jobs — in the region.  The category winners will be profiled in a special Coastal Entrepreneur Awards section in the May 10 Business Journal and honored at a large awards breakfast May 23 at UNCW’s Burney Center.  Apply or nominate someone now!

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Vice President for Government Affairs Bruce Josten released the following statement Friday on the three year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) being signed into law:

RALEIGH — Unemployment rates increased in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties in January. All 14 of the state’s metro areas also experienced rate increases. The January statewide not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 10.2 percent.  Graham County had the highest unemployment rate at 20.4 percent while Orange County had the lowest at 6.6 percent. Among the Metro areas, Rocky Mount at 14.1 percent experienced the highest rate and Durham-Chapel Hill at 7.7 percent had the lowest.

GREENSBORO – The N.C. Public Charter Schools Association’s 2013 North Carolina Charter Schools Conference is set for July 14-16 at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.  This year’s conference will focus on recognizing excellent teachers and is entitled “Crowning our Educators.”

According to a recent poll from Rasmussen Reports, voters continue to feel President Obama is friendlier toward big business than small business.

The survey found that just two percent (2%) of likely U.S. voters believe the president’s policies are too friendly to small business, compared to 19% who say they are too friendly to big business. Thirty-four percent (34%) think his policies are too hostile toward big business, but nearly half (46%) believe that to be true of his policies toward small business.

RALEIGH — Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today signed a settlement agreement with homeowners insurance companies that permits a 19.8% increase in homeowners insurance rates on the beaches of Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender, Carteret and Onslow Counties.  Inland portions of those counties will see rate increases of 8.6% In contrast, the settled rate increase is only 1.1% for the Triad and 2.8% for the Triangle.  (EDITOR’S NOTE:  A previous version of this article inadvertently omitted the fact that inland portions of some coastal counties will see a rate increase of 8.6% and implied that they would see a rate increase of 19.8%; thank you to the NC Department of Insurance for clarifying). 

WILMINGTON – Today, Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced that Castle Branch, a company that provides background screening, drug testing, employment verification, vendor credentialing and other services, will expand its corporate headquarters in Wilmington. The company plans to create 420 new jobs in North Carolina by the end of 2017 and invest $10.2 million into its New Hanover County location.

RALEIGH – Governor Pat McCrory announced the following appointment Thursday, which will be submitted to the General Assembly for confirmation:

North Carolina Industrial Commission, Member

• Appoint Andrew T. Heath (New Hanover County):  Heath currently serves as an attorney at Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo, LLP in Wilmington, where he gained experience defending cases before the Industrial Commission. Heath previously worked at Butler & Butler, LLP and The Cole Law Firm, PLLC. He serves on the New Hanover County Bar Association Board of Directors, received his law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and received a degree in Management at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Heath will replace Staci Meyer on the Commission.

BOLIVIA, N.C. — Novant Health recently announced a strategic plan to unify all facilities in the system under the umbrella name, Novant Health. In 2013, the system will unite its four-state footprint by executing a strategic branding plan to tie together the multiple, distributed points of care across the region and commits to its patients and communities to make healthcare remarkable. Brunswick Novant Medical Center will become Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center.

The four Brunswick County locations of Papa John’s are teaming up to hold a fundraiser to support the students and families served by Communities In Schools (CIS) of Brunswick County.

On the first Wednesday of each month, the Papa John’s locations in Leland, Shallotte, Southport and Sunset Beach will donate 25% of the day’s sales of specific pizza specials to support CIS’ programs and services CIS.  The first event will take place on Wednesday, March 6^th.

WILMINGTON – A two-day workshop entitled “Teaching & Learning with the iPad” is set for March 13-14 at the Hilton Riverside in downtown Wilmington.

The two-day workshop includes sessions designed to answer attendees’ questions related to the implementation of iPads in learning environments at the elementary, middle and high school levels.  The workshop will touch on ways the iPad can provide efficiency and increased productivity in learning environments and help prepare learners for the demands of the next decade.  The event will include demonstrations of the technology with a variety of applications, curricular areas, Common Core and connections to developing 21st Century Skills.

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Transportation is proposing to designate U.S. 17 between U.S. 17 Business (Market Street) in New Hanover County and U.S. 74/76 in Brunswick County for use by truck tractors with twin trailers.  The department is soliciting interest in holding public hearings in New Hanover and Brunswick counties and asking citizens if they would like to provide public comment.

Such designation is allowed by N.C. general statute (§20-115.1 (a)) under the following conditions:

SHALLOTTE, N.C. — Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation is offering scholarships to Touchstone Energy summer basketball camps on two of the state’s largest college campuses for two middle-school students from this area.

Young men can apply to attend the Roy Williams Basketball Camp June 15-19 at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and young ladies can apply to attend the Kellie Harper Basketball Academy August 1-4 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. All students must be rising 6th, 7th and 8th graders to be eligible.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Lew Ebert, president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber, a nonpartisan business advocacy organization, has announced that the organization commends the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s creation of the Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing position for the state.  Governor Pat McCrory announced today at the Emerging Issues @ManufacturingWorks Forum that this new role will work directly with economic development professionals across the state to ensure the manufacturing sector is adequately represented in policy development.