March 2014 archives

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Monday, March 31, 2014

Cancer fighters: Local event starts ball rolling on cancer research fundraisers

A weekend's worth of work, and now, $20,000 closer to a cure for cancer. The annual St. Baldrick's event is a lot of fun for the audiences and the participants. Sponsors offer incentive for team members to shave off...

Saturday, March 29, 2014

To serve: The truth about politicians -- at least some of them

It was not a good week for politicians in North Carolina. The mayor of Charlotte -- who had only officially been on the job six months -- was charged this week in what amounted to a million dollar bribery...

Friday, March 28, 2014

Swan song: Majesty Rose represented her community with grace

It is not easy standing on a stage in front of an audience and judges and singing. It is even harder to be the object of criticism from armchair quarterbacks who have no idea how hard it is to...

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Spring cleanup: Trash along roadways an embarrassment

We can't be the only ones who see it. There is more trash than there should be along the highways, roadways and in fields in Wayne County. And we are not alone. Many counties seem to have this same...

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Just check here: Deadline extension a sign something just isn't right

Another deadline and another extension. Anyone looking at the mess the Affordable Care Act has become would have every reason to think twice about putting his or her health care in the government's hands. And now, faced with another missed...

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Non-knowledge: Digital age is making truth and facts less accessible

How ironic is it that in the age when just about everybody has the access to information, so few people seem to be interested in learning more about the things that matter. Ask about the latest Top 10 iTunes...

Monday, March 24, 2014

A moment: North Carolina teams' demise a reason to pause to reflect

Sure, there are more important reasons to be sad than the fact that there are no North Carolina teams left in the Sweet 16. And we won't even tell you how long a record that has been. It will just...

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Russia; it's back: We can't wait two years for decisive foreign policy

There is no need to haul out the military just yet, but anyone who thinks that the concerns about Russian aggression in Crimea is just an isolated incident had better dig out that history book. During the Olympics, President...

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Close watch: Health care reform law should prompt discussion

It is a good thing that North Carolina's legislative leaders are talking about what's next with the Affordable Care Act and what effect it will have on North Carolina. There are still so many opinions and so many unknowns --...

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Drug concerns: Major arrests like meth ring and others key to winning war

Drug problems in a community are not something anyone likes to talk about -- not the leadership, not the public, no one. But it is critical to understand just how much drug use -- and illegal drug distribution --...

Monday, March 17, 2014

Sore spot: Commissioner not too happy about story on trip costs

Oh dear, looks like we hurt someone's feelings again. We know that because County Commissioner Joe Daughtery has commented on our Facebook page about how our recent story about the commissioners' $12,000 trip to Washington, D.C., was "tabloid journalism."...

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Teach fishing: Minimum wage argument is feel-good politics, not real solution

There has been a lot of talk lately about raising the minimum wage. And if you don't think this is all about politics and the 2014 midterm elections -- and perhaps a legacy or two -- we have some...

Friday, March 14, 2014

46th: State's salary ranking shows there is work to be done

When you are close to the bottom of any list, it is time to take notice. And North Carolina is there when it comes to teacher salaries. And while it is understandable that budgets have to be considered, it...

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Tick, tock: GOP right about Obamacare, but they must have ideas, too

The ever-extending deadline is looming for the signups for Obamacare. And, as expected, most of those who signed up for the plans offered by the government are not exactly who is needed to sustain it. In other words, young, healthy...

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Spending: Continuing discussion and eyeing plans is good idea for city

Everybody likes a little progress -- especially when it means that there will be big benefits down the line. But Goldsboro City Council is considering carefully its next steps with regard to the downtown Union Station project and other...

Monday, March 10, 2014

Our duty: 'Band of Brothers' death reminder we should treasure heroes

It is not something that we think about often -- even if we never lose our respect for what they accomplished. Every time a member of the Greatest Generation dies, we wonder, "Will there ever be heroes and stories...

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Courage lost: What happened to those who actually stand for something?

 One of the most uncommon of attributes in today's political world is guts. You see it at almost every level of political discourse. It could be a politician or party leadership bowing to a special interest group out of fear...

Friday, March 7, 2014

Testing right: Weakening the scales doesn't serve purpose

When you draw a line in the sand, it only works if you are willing to uphold the consequences should someone decide to cross it. Therefore, if you devise a rule that requires students to pass a test before they...

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Walking softly: Russians' reaction to U.S. threats reason to be wary

As the tensions continue to escalate in the Ukraine, there is reason for pause. After all, threatening is one thing. Acting upon those threats is another. And there is no question that this country needs to think long and...

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Budget alert: As Washington starts to talk about how to use your money, beware

Most of us learned at our parents' knee that if you do not have the money, you should not spend it. It just looks like there might be some gas in Washington that permeates the atmosphere and makes everyone...

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

He was right: Mitt Romney's comment in debate becomes eerily true

Remember the big laugh and soundbite reference to the "1980s wanting its foreign policy back" in the debates between then-candidate Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama? Romney suggested that there was a reason to keep a close eye on...

Monday, March 3, 2014

Good news: Continued development sign that future is bright

Another week, another major announcement for the city of Goldsboro (and Wayne County) about more retail investment in the community. And while it might seem that this area is perfect for -- and really needs -- more choices in...

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Children first: Thelma Smith was an educator first, foremost and always

If you ever met longtime Wayne County educator and Board of Education member Thelma Smith, you were left one very strong overwhelming feeling -- passion. Mrs. Smith, whom we lost this weekend, loved Wayne County's children -- all of...