North Carolina policymakers face many short-term challenges, I know. But I hope some state and local officials are starting to plan for a post-COVID future — one in which flexibility, adaptability, and innovation will be highly prized.
All in Columns
Reece Gardner: Bring back family reunions
This past weekend was wonderful for me in every way. It began with the arrival of my beautiful daughter Jessica, and that event in and of itself was enough for me to accurately describe the weekend as wonderful. But it went even further than that. Jessica planned and helped carry out a mini Family Reunion, with our traveling to Elizabeth City to celebrate with various other family members from that area.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Fresh, spicy jalapeno peppers
This week I picked up beautiful nice sized jalapeno peppers from the Farmers Market, and I cannot wait to use them in some of my favorite recipes. It might surprise you, but jalapeno peppers are not only known for their spicy hot taste, but are also high in nutrients.
BJ Murphy: School Board decision paves way for more diversity
The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected everyone in 2020 and will affect us for years to come. I will leave some of the national debate about the economic stress, masks, hydroxychloroquine, or other issues to the pundits. On a local level, the recent potential 18-week decision by the Lenoir County School Board exposed a servant leadership deficit catching parents, teachers and even administrators by surprise.
Kristy Bock: COVID-19 sparks minimum wage debate
Economists have debated the merits of a minimum wage and a living wage throughout the years. Advocates call for a $15 an hour minimum wage increase from the current $7.25. The call for an increase in the national minimum wage got louder when the government added $600 a week to state unemployment to stave off an economic recession.
Mike Parker: Good-Bodies open house to highlight local businesses
As a way to reintroduce Good-Bodies and other small businesses to area people, Blake Cates, manager of Good-Bodies, and co-owners Ed Smith and Justin Tart, came up with a plan: Good-bodies would host a floating Open House from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 1.
Michael Spears: Are the economic risks on the rise?
Over the past two weeks, we’ve had some good news. It looks like the second wave of coronavirus infections has peaked and turned back down. Case growth is down significantly from the peak, and the case growth rate has returned to the lows seen in mid-June. In most states, the data indicates that outbreaks are being contained.
John Hood: Summer polls are flawed predictors
In this year that sometimes feels like a decade, North Carolinians have yet to cast a single general-election ballot for president or other offices. But I’m seeing lots of politicos and pundits making confident predictions about the state’s key electoral contests based on data from recent voter surveys.
Reece Gardner: Force required to end rioting
There is probably only one way the violent rioters in Portland are going to stop their war against the city, and that will be when they are confronted by massive force. That actually might be close to happening.
Gracie Herring: My last, first day
Senior year is what most kids look forward to their whole lives. The year when you finally feel on top, but it’s also the time you look back and take in everything you've been taught for the past 13 years. It is a bit overwhelming already - now add a global pandemic. I don't know what I was expecting but I am almost positive this was not it.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Celebrate National Farmers Market Week
Friends and fans of local Farmers Markets celebrate this every week when the produce is ripe and abundant, but across the nation, National Farmers Market Week is designated as August.
Trenton’s ‘Titan’ did Down East proud
My son Michael shot us a message on our family chat. He said Will Sutton, one of his former Jones Senior High School students, was going to compete on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s TV competition “The Titan Games.” Since Will was an Eastern Region competitor, the shows featuring his competition would be late in the series. Sandra and I kept careful watch to make sure we did not miss this young man.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Juicy fresh peaches!
Did you know that North Carolina growers produce as many as 70 different varieties, each with its own unique flavor? Although the Sandhills region is known for peach production, consumers can find growers all across the state. Peaches are a warm weather favorite and you will find they taste best June-August in parts of the South.
John Hood: Carolinian Led Women into Medicine
Discrimination, in addition to being wrong, is foolishly self-destructive. It keeps companies from hiring the best people and serving the most customers. It throttles innovation. It makes our families and communities poorer. When only white men were allowed to become doctors, for example, that artificially restricted the quantity and quality of medical care. One reason we are, on average, much healthier than our grandparents and great-grandparents is that healers of great skill, daring, and determination smashed through that barrier.
Reece Gardner: Control and destruction
Today, I want to talk briefly about the Covid-19 virus and the unrest in various cities in our country. There are definite connections, having to do with control and destruction.
Mike Parker: Approach of school opening makes me miss the classroom
A little more than nine years ago, I said good-bye to my students and my classroom at Farmville Central High School to enter the world of retirement. After sitting out the required six months, I started teaching again – part-time in the English Department at East Carolina. My last class at ECU was May 2018. Since then, I have been fully retired.
John Nix: Board of Elections power plays
The struggle by the Lenoir County Board of Elections to maintain reasonable voting accommodations is never-ending. The Lenoir County Board of Elections consists of a Democrat Chairman, two Democrat members, and two Republican members. Courtney Patterson is the Chairman and has consistently pushed for a high number of early voting sites. The Democrat plan is three times the state board recommended amount with six sites. This unbudgeted plan will cost Lenoir County $30,000 to $36,000 more than required or necessary.
Michael Spears: Second wave looks to have peaked
This week, we had some progress on the pandemic front, as things started to improve after the stabilization we saw last week. Case growth peaked, at least in the short term, and the case growth rate ticked down. Further, outbreaks in many states are now being contained, as expected. The economic news is better, with the recovery continuing. That said, there are signs of weakness.
John Hood: Homicides spiking in Carolina cities
As if the COVID crisis and economic recession weren’t bad enough, here’s some more bad news to process: homicide rates are spiking in many North Carolina communities.
Reece Gardner: It's all about love, folks
There are some things that bear repeating, such as expressions of love, about which I will be repetitious today. Sometimes when chaos and upheavals occur in our lives, such as at the present time, we tend to long for the past or to look ahead to a less-troubling future.