Recent News
Wilmington, N.C. — Kim Hufham, President/CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority [TDA], and Natalie English, President & CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce are pleased to announce that the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau [CVB] administrative offices and year-round visitor information center have relocated to the Wilmington Chamber of…
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Nonprofits serving communities of color will receive $25,000 grants for general operating funds. CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duke Energy today announced its second annual $1 million grant opportunity through the Duke Energy Foundation for North Carolina nonprofit organizations working for social justice and racial equity. Applications will be reviewed through a competitive grant cycle, and $25,000…
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Wilmington, N.C. – UNCW has joined colleges and universities nationwide that are participating in the White House’s College Vaccine Campus Challenge, an effort to help the United States reach at least a 70 percent COVID-19 vaccination rate. Participating colleges and universities commit to three key actions: engaging every student, faculty and staff member; organizing their college communities;…
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WILMINGTON, NC — Cape Fear Community College celebrated the graduation of eight area detention and law enforcement students from its new Detention Driving Tactics course on Friday, May 28, 2021. This 40-hour Detention Driving Tactics course is designed for detention officers and deputies to drive through various courses to enhance their skill set using cars and…
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CAMS Continues to Promote Community Manager Education June 2021: Five Community Managers with Community Association Management Services (CAMS), have been named Certified Managers of Community Associations (CMCA®) by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB). To achieve this certification, candidates must pass the CMCA examination, a rigorous test that measures knowledge of community management best practices.…
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by John Trump, Carolina Journal News Service RALEIGH — North Carolina relies on a single pipeline for its natural gas, making it uniquely vulnerable to disruptions, shortages, and even more nefarious problems. “North Carolina’s future, not to mention lights, heat, and air conditioning in millions of homes, is at risk because of the state’s full reliance on…
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duke Energy today issued the following statement concerning the confirmation of North Carolina DEQ Secretary Delli-Gatti: “We are committed to a clean, reliable energy transition for North Carolina. While the communities we serve are seeing the benefits of this transition already, we understand there are many opportunities left to further this good…
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Raleigh, N.C. – Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 91 of North Carolina’s counties in April, increased in seven, and remained unchanged in two. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 8.5 percent while Orange County had the lowest at 3.0 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases. Among the…
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SAS study reveals how modernizing and automating risk management frameworks delivers profound business benefits; industry “Leaders” chart the path forward, says Longitude CARY, N.C., June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — COVID-19’s disruption has stretched risk management infrastructures to the brink, forcing banks to recalibrate their data, models and processes for stress testing, impact assessments, scenario analyses and more. A…
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By David Bass, Carolina Journal News Service RALEIGH — Unemployed people who get a job would receive a one-time bonus of $1,500 under legislation spearheaded by Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly. “We’ve got to get our folks back to work,” said Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Republican, at a press conference on Tuesday, June 1. “We…
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WILMINGTON, NC – Nick Cannon Foundation, Inc., in collaboration Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs from school districts in Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, Washington, DC, Dallas, Charlotte, Wilmington, NC, and Columbia, SC., will hold a virtual competition open to youth nationwide. The cash prize for the first-place student team is $10,000. The event on…
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SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. and DUNN, N.C.,- First Bancorp (Nasdaq: FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, and Select Bancorp, Inc. (“Select”) (Nasdaq: SLCT), the parent company of Select Bank and Trust Company (“Select Bank”), announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which First Bancorp will acquire Select in an all-stock transaction with a total current value…
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The startup ecosystem is a living and growing organism that most cities are trying to add to their modern economic development strategy for job creation. The startup ecosystem is typically a very positive kumbaya environment. There are lots of smiles around town while people with rose colored glasses are selling more commercial and residential real…
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Yesterday I was a last-minute speaker for a business group, filling in for a planned speaker who was under the weather. I had to put on my thinking cap and come up with an interesting topic with little time to spare. Given that we are now at the one-year anniversary of COVID-19’s initial impacts on…
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When I first entered the public relations profession shortly after college, we typically heard about two types of media: earned media and paid media. Thanks to technology-driven changes, social media and owned media have become increasingly prevalent communication tools in recent years. Paid media refers to tools such as traditional advertising and direct mail. While…
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by John Hood RALEIGH — Here are three true statements, as best I can determine. First, Americans of all backgrounds have experienced gigantic declines in poverty over the past two generations. Second, most diversity training is worse than a waste of time. Third, police officers are no more likely to kill minorities than they are…
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June 28, 2021 by John Hood RALEIGH — Did Fagin’s pickpockets stimulate the economy of London? If you’ve read Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist or seen the musical derived from it, you’ll immediately recognize the name. Fagin is the rogue who takes in orphans and runaways, trains them to pick pockets and swindle marks, and then distributes the…
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By JOHN HOOD RALEIGH — Although the politicians in Washington almost never talk about the issue anymore, our entitlement programs are on a collision course with fiscal reality. Let’s zero in on Social Security. Its “trust fund,” which consists entirely of debt the federal government has issued to itself, will be exhausted in a decade…
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