From the Desk of Senator Brent Jackson November 26, 2025 | | |
Dear Friend of Senate District 9,
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter and staying connected with the latest news from District Nine and our efforts in the General Assembly.
My team and I are committed to serving our community and our state, working hard each day to bring about positive change. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue addressing the important issues impacting our district! Your voices and concerns continue to guide our efforts in the General Assembly, and we remain focused on bringing your priorities to the forefront.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
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Last week the Governmental Operations Subcommittee on Hurricane Response and Recovery met and heard presentations by Auditor Dave Boliek, Office of State Auditor and Pryor Gibson, North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency. The audit of NCORR and the overall efficiency of the program was discussed during the committee.
Now that the General Assembly is in the interim, the newsletter will be on a bi-weekly schedule.
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We appreciate your time in reading our newsletter and would love to hear your thoughts! What do you enjoy most, and what could we improve to make it more valuable to you?
Your feedback is invaluable in helping us refine and enhance our content. Feel free to share your suggestions—we’re listening!
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| | GO Grants are a great way to get our students outdoors! Apply for a GO Grant today! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and there is no deadline to apply! | | Applications are now open for the 2025–2026 North Carolina Youth Legislative Assembly (YLA)! | | |
The North Carolina Youth Legislative Assembly (YLA) is currently accepting applications for the 2025–2026 session.
The Youth Legislative Assembly is a mock legislative session where high school students voice their opinions and vote on issues concerning local, state, and national government.
This conference provides students with a deeper understanding of the legislative process while also developing their confidence, public speaking, and debate skills.
Any high school student in good standing at a public, private, charter, or home school in North Carolina is eligible to participate.
Students simply need to complete the application—no sponsorship from a member of the General Assembly is required.
Students can apply here
| | Roger’s Wish: A Legacy of Compassion in Bladen County | | |
What began as one man’s selfless dream has become a 12-year tradition of giving in Bladen County. Roger Lee Theodore Grunder, remembered for his deep faith and generosity, lost his life in a tragic 2013 car accident—but his mission to help the homeless lives on through Roger’s Wish.
Grunder, who was homeless by choice for nearly two decades, often shared what little he had with those in need. His vision of a blanket and sleeping bag drive to keep others warm each winter is now carried out by his sister, Mariea Bryant, his father, and close friend Jeffrey Bryan. Each fall, community members gather at the Bladen County Public Library to distribute blankets, sleeping bags, coats, socks, and other warm items—over 140 pieces this year alone.
Bryant, a substitute teacher, said the project remains both emotional and uplifting: “We know what it’s like to be cold. Helping others in his name keeps his spirit alive.”
Now in its 12th year, Roger’s Wish continues to unite churches, schools, and local organizations around the mission that Grunder once carried in his heart—to ensure that no one in Elizabethtown faces winter without warmth.
| | UMO Breaks Ground on New Livestock Education Center | | |
Despite rainy weather, spirits were high as nearly 100 guests gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new 34,000-square-foot educational livestock facility for the University of Mount Olive’s School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences. The event, held indoors due to weather, marked the beginning of a major expansion on the university’s 79-acre farm on Shady Grove Road.
The new facility will feature training and animal-handling areas, an egg and meat processing plant, and indoor meeting space. Surrounding pastures will provide grazing land for multiple livestock species.
University President Dr. H. Edward Croom said the location makes Mount Olive a key agricultural hub between Greenville, N.C. State, and Wilmington. “Eastern North Carolina is huge in feeding many parts of the world,” Croom said. “We believe we’re perfectly positioned to serve this region’s agricultural needs.”
Major contributors include the N.C. Farm Bureau, Golden LEAF Foundation, B & S Enterprises, N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Mule City Specialty Feeds, and the N.C. General Assembly. N.C. Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding emphasized the importance of animal agriculture, which accounts for “70 percent of our state’s agricultural receipts.”
Croom shared that this facility represents Phase One of a broader vision for the Shady Grove campus, which will eventually include small-animal facilities and commodity processing spaces. Looking ahead, he hopes to one day see a veterinary medical school at UMO — part of what he calls “Croom’s dream.”
| | Jones County Extension Offers Free Backyard Chicken Class | | |
Jones County is excited to partner with the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) to bring a new Outdoor Fitness Court® and digital wellness programming to our community. Located at 1549 NC Hwy 58 S in Trenton, the Fitness Court® will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with the date to be announced soon.
Jones County is proud to be one of the first Campaign Partners in the region, building a network of Fitness Courts, made possible with support from the NC Parks & Recreation Trust Fund, Cypress Creek Renewables, The Harold H. Bate Foundation, and NFC.
The Fitness Court® offers free, full-body workouts for ages 14+ using seven exercise stations, with optional guidance through the free Fitness Court® App. County Manager Kyle Smith said the project “creates new opportunities for residents to stay active,” and NFC founder Mitch Menaged added that it “demonstrates a tremendous commitment to the wellbeing of the Jones County community.”
Residents are invited to attend the launch event once announced. For more information, call 252-448-7571 or visit nationalfitnesscampaign.com.
| | Pender County Schools Launches November Food Drive | | |
Throughout the month of November, Pender County Schools is hosting a district-wide food drive to help families in need across the community. The initiative encourages students, staff, and families to donate non-perishable food items, all of which will stay local to support Pender County organizations that provide meals and essential resources.
“This food drive is about more than filling bins—it’s about filling hearts,” said Superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove. “It’s a reminder that even small acts of generosity add up to something powerful when we come together.”
Collection bins are available at every district school through the end of November. Requested donation items include cereal, canned tuna or chicken, peanut butter, condiments, individually packaged snacks, granola bars, Pop-Tarts, tuna packets, beef jerky, crackers, ramen noodles, pudding cups, Jell-O cups, fruit cups, Rice Krispie Treats, and Cheez-Its.
The district hopes this effort will inspire a season of giving and ensure no family in Pender County goes hungry during the holidays.
| | Sgt. Major Greg Dirks Honored for 38 Years of Service and Leadership | | |
After nearly four decades in the United States Army, Sgt. Major Greg Dirks was honored last week in a heartfelt ceremony that brought together all corners of his life—his military family, school colleagues, church community, and loved ones. The event, held inside Clinton City Schools, celebrated not just the close of his military career, but the lasting impact of his leadership in both education and service.
Dirks, who serves as Principal of L.C. Kerr Elementary School, described the day as “an absolute blessing,” moved by the gathering of what he called his four families. Superintendent Dr. Wesley Johnson praised Dirks as “a textbook example of what it means to be a leader in education,” calling him a mentor and a model of integrity.
Military colleagues, including Lt. Col. Amanda Miller, Colonel Ted Vick, and Colonel Tim Connors, shared similar tributes, describing Dirks as a loyal, consistent leader who embodies every Army value. “To meet a guy like Sgt. Major Dirks is to meet what we all want to be,” Vick said.
One of the most emotional moments came when Dirks’ son Graham performed “Taps” for the first time in public to honor his father. “That was the capstone to the afternoon,” Dirks said. “It was surreal.” Having served under eight presidents and led countless soldiers and students alike, Dirks will officially retire this January at Fort Dix. Yet his legacy continues in Sampson County, where generations of families have trusted him with their children’s education.
“They have enough faith in you to bring their children and now their children’s children back to your school,” Dirks reflected. “That tells me my heart has been in the right place.”
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Celebrating N.C. sweet potatoes at the State Farmers Market
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North Carolina sweet potatoes were on full display at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh Friday. The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission joined the State Farmers Market for Sweet Potato Day, offering samples of dishes using North Carolina sweet potatoes and sharing recipes and information about the North Carolina staple. North Carolina is the No. 1 producer of sweet potatoes nationwide, which is cause for celebration!
Marketgoers enjoyed fried sweet potatoes with honey and brown sugar, prepared by The Market Grill; sweet potato chips from Carolina Kettle; sweet potato butter from Yah’s; sweet potato pie from The Market Bakery; and sweet potato casserole from the State Farmers Market Restaurant. At the NC Sweetpotato Commission table, participants spun a wheel to win a sweet potato-themed prize!
| | Martin Luther King Jr.’s Rehearsal Speech in Rocky Mount | | |
On November 27, 1962, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered a speech in Rocky Mount. Before a crowd of nearly 2,000 in the gymnasium at Booker T. Washington High School, King used a number of expressions that made their way into his landmark “I Have a Dream” address at the Lincoln Memorial, which was part of the March on Washington in August 1963.
Near the close he built toward these lines: “I have a dream that one day right here in Rocky Mount, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will meet at the table of brotherhood, knowing that one God brought man to the face of the Earth. I have a dream tonight that one day my little daughter and my two sons will grow up in a world not conscious of the color of their skin, but only conscious of the fact that they are members of the human race. . . .”
Clayborne Carson, the editor of the King Papers, notes that while this was not the first use of the “I have a dream” phrase, it “appears to be an important new rhetorical formulation.” By the spring and summer of 1963, the words were among the most frequent of King’s refrains.
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